Manifest: I’m going to be at Manifest from 23rd-25th September!
Interview with Rivkah
This is the top secret Interview with Rivkah I’ve been nurturing for the past couple of weeks. The editted “meat” version is up on MangaLife, whereas the extended “fat” version is up here.
There are some people out there I’ve wanted to interview for some time, and fellow TOKYOPOP creator Rivkah happens to be one of them. For those who don’t already know (and I believe that’s very few of you), Rivkah is the creator of “Steady Beat”, which will be premiering on the shelves of your nearest bookstore on October 11.
Rivkah and I have known each other online for a long time, which just makes this interview all the more interesting. Since I know her background, it occurred to me that another regular interview would be uninteresting – not only to me, but also to the readers.
So, I instead endeavoured to mix in some unusual questions – in order to probe the mind of The Rivkah, but also to pose some complex themes (just to make everyone think).
Q. Now, I know all about you, Rivkah, but please tell the readers a bit about yourself.
Why are the most difficult questions always first? I never know what to say about myself!
Well, let’s see. I have brown hair and brown eyes. I stand about 5’7” tall. I come from a family of nine, but we’re hardly ever in the same place at once. I enjoy bubble baths, driving fast cars (not that I actually own one), and good company. I like to debate politics, religion, and the publishing and comics industry. Other than that…I just draw and write comics, right?
I’ve always kinda dabbled in art and writing, but I didn’t get serious about it until a few years ago when one day I just woke up and was like, “this is what I’m going to do.” It really makes you believe in fate. I’d always had an interest and love for the arts, but not the burning passion that just ignited in my heart. It made me give up the publishing company I’d started a year before and a pretty successful career, but what can I say? When you’re meant to do something, you do it, and you get rid of everything that gets in your way.
Q. And about “Steady Beat”, your book coming out with TokyoPop in October this year?
The main premise of the story is about a girl named Leah who realizes that her sister is gay. But as the series progresses, it evolves into something a lot more than just a story between sisters—or even a coming out story. “Steady Beat” takes place in the city I grew up in a midsized Southern town, Austin, Texas. There are a lot of stereotypes I try to break, but also to uphold in order to express the colorful nature of middle America.
On the other hand, the culture is often overshadowed by fundamentalists. The two main characters in “Steady Beat” are the daughters of a Republican State Senator who courts some very Christian fundamentalist constituents. She’s often caught between her own values, and those of the people she represents.
So you have two sides of a very diverse equation. Leah is like most young people our age—relatively open minded and culturally aware. However, it’s sometimes difficult to overcome the bias of the community you grew up in. It’s her internal struggle of loving her sister and confusion over a variety of cultural values and interfamily relationships that creates the main drive for the series.
And, it’s also a love story. When Leah isn’t angsting over the problems in her head, she’s getting caught up in the struggles of relationships, school, and self-discovery.
Steady Beat is currently slated for three volumes, but I hope to make it into nine should it proves successful. That’s entirely up to TOKYOPOP and my readers, though, now isn’t it?
Q. What I find most interesting about “Steady” Beat is that it has strong political overtones. This is something unique in the current manga landscape, because while Japanese manga has schoolgirls and politics, the two don’t mix much. It’s a distinct cultural difference, because the Japanese are not politically active like Americans.
As I mentioned before, “Steady Beat” takes place my hometown—Austin, Texas, USA—and the people here are very politically active. So I guess it’s something I take for granted, hence the political overtones in “Steady Beat.” By no means is it about politics—but politics do play a very large role in why the characters act the way they do. It’s different in other parts of the country, but in the South, having a gay daughter could ruin your career, or boost it, depending which camp you hail from.
From what I’ve seen from afar, Japanese youth don’t seem very politically active. But Americans like taking sides–and we do it well–whether it’s for the better or the worse. At my high school, we had debate club, a student UN, and youth groups active in politics, including mock legislative sessions in government class. It’s a very different landscape from Japan–at least as I’ve been lead to believe.
Q. Do you think this cultural-political element will make Steady Beat more appealing not only to an American audience, but an international one as well? Since it’s something “normal” Japanese manga doesn’t have.
I think people are just interested in different cultures. I don’t think the political element will appeal to a non-American audience as much as the cultural elements will–whether they’re visual, written, or implied. I used to read every Japanese comic that came out on book shelves in the US. A large part of the appeal was the whole foreignness of it all. But after having developed a familiarity with the culture through the comics, I’m starting to crave something new. I wonder sometimes if people in other countries feel the same way, you know? Could there actually be an advantage to manga-influenced comics that take place in the States? It’s the same visual beat as Japanese manga, but with a completely different cultural twist.
Q. You have an interest in politics, and are fairly politically active as a Young Democrat. How has that affected your work? Is that something you intend to pursue over the long run? It can be something of a controversy magnet, in America at least.
Well, controversy can be a good thing, too. I fully expect some anxiety over the fact that I focus in so much on a single gay character: Leah’s sister. This is Texas and, well, we’re one of those states trying to pass an amendment banning two consenting adults of the same sex from marriage. I don’t actually comment on this particular issue in the book, but it gives you a pretty good idea of both the religious and political atmosphere, here. Potential controversy abounds.
So yeah…there may be some book burnings over this. But only from the people who refuse to understand. I don’t write any purposely offensive material into my books, and “Steady Beat” is 13+ so nothing graphic either. But some people are queasy about this subject—and it’s a viewpoint I’ll be showing quite a bit of in the book itself..
And I don’t know if I’d label myself as a Democrat…I tend to vote for whomever supports the most issues I stand for and consider myself label-free. However, my ideals tend to fall more along the Democratic side, mostly in civil and human rights issues.
Q. What was the first manga you read?
My first manga ever was Sailor Moon, though I saw the anime first. I found it first through the internet, though I’m not sure how long ago that was. I think I was around 13 or 14?
I’ve never read comics before I’d picked up “Sailor Moon”, so it was my first introduction to the format. Being in Japanese, and myself unable to read it at the time, I was drawn first to the art, but was drawn into the story as well as I read more online. It told stories about real girls. Sure, I know Sailor Moon is the sort of “superman” equivalent in, but I was really drawn to the character development, growth, and interaction. There was this grey-area with both the “good guys” and the “bad guys” that isn’t covered in a lot of American entertainment. The good guys did things that weren’t always noble. The bad guys often ended up being someone who’d just been hurt.
Q. Now talking to you, artist to artist. How did that motivate you into choosing manga as your form of self expression?
Well, you know how some people are more visual and some are more auditory? I think comics cater to people of both persuasions. Some people focus on the art. Others focus on the story and dialog. To me, comics are an incredible method of communication.
It’s like the difference between talking to a person on the phone and seeing them on person. Give me just the words, and you have a very limited conversation. I understand you, but where is the body language? The expressions? The mental connection people make in person? The same goes with providing just art. I can see a beautiful painting, but sometimes it’s almost too limited by the interpretation of the person looking at it. However, combine art with dialog and suddenly whole new worlds open up. You’re able to direct your reader down a specific direction or method of thought (via dialog) while enhancing the experience with visual clues.
Reading comics is interactive. It draws you in, and due to the “gaps” between panels, you’re forced all so “fill in” action and thoughts and dialog. It leaves just the right amount up to the reader. Just enough to get them involved in the actual storytelling. And it’s one of the most amazing forms of entertainment at relaying a message. A theme. A moral. Whatever you want. Because of the dynamism of a story that actively involves the reader in an emotional experience, comics are extremely effective at showing people a different perspective.
This is what I want to do with my own graphic novels. I want them to say something. While entertaining people is the main idea, it’s the underlying message that gets me. All in all, I do put a lot of thought into my stories about what I want to say. I think we’re all changing this world a little bit at a time. It makes me happy to be a part of that.
Q. For the sake of other young artists looking for tips, tell us about some of the troubles you had while doing “Steady Beat”, and how you solved them.
I could talk about this forever! I think the most difficult obstacle I had to overcome in creating “Steady Beat” was finding a way to set a schedule for myself and to stay on task. My editor’s a busy guy too, and he can’t be there every day to remind me I have a deadline.
My advice? Just keep at it. Eventually you’ll slip into a routine. I’ve learned that in order to work effectively, I have to turn off my internet connection during the day. Otherwise I get distracted. And I need to eat breakfast, as well as take a brisk walk around the block in the evening to keep my blood circulating. I’m sure you’ve an idea of what sitting at a desk 10-12 hours straight can do to you! (Queenie: Yes)
Another trouble I had with “Steady Beat” was a particular chapter 3. It wasn’t coming together right. It held me up for two months, and the art took about another two.
The lesson here?
Write and complete the script for the entire book first.
On book one, I wrote a very loose script that kept changing. Events would change in one chapter that’d alter later chapters that I’d have to rewrite. While it may seem more natural at first to write and draw the book as you go, it’s extremely time consuming. At this time, I’m already working on Volume 2 of “Steady Beat.” But now, I wrote the script, polished it, and did complete thumbnails first. Once I get to the pencils, there’s very little I’ll have to change besides cosmetics. Plus, writing the complete script at once took just over a week. Compare that to the two months I spent on a single chapter with Volume 1, and the difference is immediately obvious.
Writing the script first is tedious, yes, but in the long run, you and your editor may thank you for it.
Q. I know you’re a manga artist currently, but you plan to write a novel in the future. Now, there are many comic/manga artists out there who work in different mediums (eg. Novels, animation, film), and yet, many who stay and work only in the comics industry.
Do you think it’s important, for an artist’s self-growth, to at least attempt work in other mediums? Or, at least, in other genres in the same medium?
I think it really depends on the person. Some people are good at one specific thing, and they’re happy staying there. As for myself, I get bored. I’m not very content sticking with a single field or subject. My original love before comics was the written word. I love young adult fiction and some adult fantasy, and it’s something I’d love to write. I’ve a book in the works, “Tea For Rapunzel,” that’s a little reminiscent of “A Little Princess:” It’s a young adult novel with elements of the fantastical, that aren’t quite magical. Writing for a younger audience, especially children, allows a writer to express the incredible imagination and a belief in fantasy adults aren’t allowed to posses. It’s something Hayao Miyazaki does very well and that I’d love to be able to capture in my own works.
Ah, but I digress. I do think it’s important to have a lateral expansion in ability rather than a vertical one. If you focus too much in one area in your art, you run the risk of blinding yourself to other deficiencies. It’s like the amazing inker who can’t draw a correct proportion to save his or her life. If you want to expand, be patient, accept gradual growth, and diversify.
Q. Here’s a question I’ve been dying to ask. What are your other planned works for the future, after “Steady Beat”? What would we be seeing from Rivkah 10, 20, 30 years down the track?
Well, I already mentioned my desire to write young adult fiction. While I wish my primary focus to remain on graphic novels, I would also love to branch out into animation some day. Some stories simply work better in a moving format, and it’s these stories in my head that are dying to get out.
I don’t want to animate the movies myself, though, or be in charge of key art. I’d rather be directing them. Being a manga artist is already a lot like being a composer or director. You have your cast, setting, plot, mood, theme, lighting, camera angles, pacing, and even your sound effects. I’m a one-woman director. So why not take that a step further and become an animator? Once my first manga series is complete, I plan to take cinematography and film classes to get to know the medium better and decide if it’s something really for me.
And, I’ve my whole life planned out. In 5 years I wish to be completely done with “Steady Beat” and the writing for a children’s manga series I’m already working on. In 10 years, I want to have my first animated movie. In 20 years, I’ll have several more adult and children’s series, and lots and lots of teen series.
And in 30 years? Actually, I want to retire. I’ve always wanted to become either a politician or a rabbi, and fifty seems to be a good age to do that. We’ll see when I actually get there, though.
Q. Let’s talk about your influences. Okay, I know Tezuka Osamu’s one of your favourite artists, and I’m a fan of Phoenix and Buddha too. I guess we both love the humanism in his stories and the unparalleled maturity of his story-telling.
What is it about his work that inspires you the most?
I think you said it already, Queenie. It’s the storytelling that inspires me.
Honestly, I don’t consider myself the best artist or writer in the world—and there’s definitely always room for improvement—but…I think I have a knack for combining the two to create a compelling story that involves readers on both an emotional level and an intellectual one.
That’s something I admire in Tezuka. He’s more than an artist or a writer. He’s a storyteller. The kind that gets up in front of the fire and not only tells the story but shows it through a gesture of the hands, the motion of the body, and inflection in tone and voice. Storytelling is a dynamic, moving art that sweeps the listener/reader away to worlds both familiar and strange. The storyteller draws you into their own worlds and into their heads where unknown perils and rewards await. And you’re completely at the storyteller’s mercy until they decide to let you free.
That, to me, is true art. An art of the highest calling. Making your readers feel and experience the world through your eyes, bringing them to tears and laughter, through moments of joy and solitude. It’s humbling when you know you’ve impacted someone by showing them a little slice of your world through your own eyes. It’s about changing perspective. And it’s that dialog, that rapport, between reader and creator that inspires me.
Q. And what other artists (both manga and comics) are you inspired by?
Before I discovered Tezuka (thanks to you pushing it on everybody!), I still think Naoko Takeuchi of “Sailor Moon” is one of my favorites. Unlike the dubbed anime, the manga had real depth and character development in it. Other favorites are Yayoi Ogawa of “Tramps Like Us” for both her writing and her art (mostly for her writing).
I liked “Sweat and Honey” though it was pretty loose in plot, and “Hikaru no Go” bowls me over every time, it gets a little repetitive. I’ve enjoyed some of the books for “Confidential Confessions” too. Also “Utena” is a long lasting favorite, but really only for the art.
Q. Let’s talk about the current manga and western comics industry. What do you think the industry will look like in 5-10 years time?
You’re about to open a can of worms here, sweetie! Asked me this a few months ago, and nobody would have really cared, but every since Warren Ellis decided to point people in my direction over a certain observation of the American comics industry, people either seem to think I either know it all or know nothing at all. Nobody can seem to make up their minds.
However, the industry is changing and has changed from what it was five years ago. Nobody will disagree with that. What everybody seems to disagree on is how it’ll look in the years to come. Some speak of a “bubble”—that the industry can only grow so far before it bursts—but that isn’t a view I share. I don’t think the rate percentage of growth will stay the same by any means as it’ll eventually level off; but as long as the population continues to grow and new readers are brought in, it will continue to grow in volume—for both comics and manga. I really just consider it all “graphic literature”.
And honestly, I think the real growth hasn’t even been seen yet. The majority of the comics industry is still stuck in the rut of the single-issue. Kids these days…they don’t read issues. They read graphic novels—thick books in a very specific black and white format. There’s a slow trickle of OGN (or OEL, whichever you prefer) that’s beginning to gain speed. TOKYOPOP may very well start the flood, but it’s other companies that will keep it going. I foresee a very competitive industry in 5-10 years, and that’s nothing but good news for creators. And I think the greatest demand will be for those who can successfully blend the techniques of East and West into a dynamic visual medium that’s like nothing seen before. Original in content and design, yet still familiar. That’s where the real innovation is going to come in, and where the next generation of comic creators will eventually spring from.
Q. You’re doing a new column with “The Pulse”. The Pulse is mostly a Western comics site, and has good manga coverage by industry insider MangaJake (aka Jake Forbes).
What sort of articles can we expect in the future, and will readers be able to send in suggestions?
My column at the Pulse is going to be primarily an editorial column. I want to be able to report on aspects of the industry from a different perspective of those who grew up on American comics. Like others in America, I grew up on Japanese manga. It’s just a totally different ball field. They’re both graphic storytelling, but the cultures surrounding the two are vastly different, especially in the fan community.
I’ll be avoiding reviews or simple reporting; there’s plenty of that already. Some of the articles will talk more about things that’ll bring girls and a younger, more hip crowd into comic book stores. I want to write articles that generate growth and discussion on certain failures and successes in the industry, rather than flinging mud around–as so many other blogs, news sites, and fans do.
One of the “failures” of the comics industry is its inability to reach outside the existing comics crowd. One of its successes would be the loyalty of its readers. There’s a lot of material from both sides that I can use. However, what I most want to write about is how manga has influenced American comics. That’s the real focus of the column—to get people from both sides of the playing field interested in the other art form.
And I would love to hear suggestions from readers. It can never hurt to have too many ideas. I would prefer people to visit my blog to make their posts!
Q. Any closing thoughts? Besides buy “Steady Beat” by the bucketful?
Study hard and don’t forget to eat your vegetables, because the whole industry is in for a wild ride. While I pray that “Steady Beat” is successful, this is by no means the only story I ever plan on creating. There are other, maybe even better, stories that are just waiting for a few extra years of experience to be drawn and written. I’m just gettin’ started, baby, and ain’t nothin’ gonna stop me!
Now everybody call Oprah and tell her she wants to have me on her show.
