Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 <inaudible>
Speaker 1 00:01:23 You are listening to right on radio on KFA 90.3 FM and streaming live on the web at <inaudible> dot org. I'm Liz Alz tonight on right on radio. We're embarking on an exciting new collaboration with the atoptic graphic arts festival. A top tick is a twin cities based arts festival, focusing on comics, scenes and print media. Our topics 2020 Fest may have been postponed due to COVID, but they're not going quietly. This fall on cafe right on radio is collaborating with the atopic team and the gutter boys podcast to present interviews with some of our top six most exciting guests as a limited series for the whole community to hear for myself as a comics and scenes enthusiast, who typically attends up topic every year. This is an extra exciting opportunity for me, and I want to thank Pete fakey and the Antarctic board for making this possible tonight. Sean Knickerbocker of Rustbelt belt comics, interviews, Rumi Hora, the Ignatz nominated and mocha arts festival awards winning cartoonist behind the Nori series. So let's get that started without further ado.
Speaker 0 00:02:35 All right. Hi. Hello. Welcome to the autopsy. Online 2020 conversation with Rumi Hora. I'm Sean Knickerbocker, and I am joined today with Rumi. And before we get going, let me give you a little bit of background. Rumi was born in Kyoto, Japan in 1982, and grew up with her two loving grandmothers, helping to take care of her and her little brother while working as an Uber, as translator in Tokyo,
Speaker 2 00:03:00 She started printing her own comments on a tiny home printer in 2010 after attending Savannah college of art and design her. I moved to New York city in 2014 where she now lives and works as an illustrator and comics artists Nori was a first self published as a series of mini comics, and it was nominated for an advanced award in 2018. Roomy, how are you doing
Speaker 3 00:03:20 Hi, Sean. Thanks for having me. I'm good. How are you?
Speaker 2 00:03:24 Fantastic. Uh, so I figure we should just go ahead and dive right in with your, with your newest book. Nora, you can kind of give us a little bit of background book and tell us about it.
Speaker 3 00:03:33 Sure. Um, so Laurie is about a little girl growing up in Japan. She's, um, three at the beginning of the book, and then she turns four. Um, so it's, um, Laurie's, uh, ear, um, living with the grandma, making new friends, um, uh, going on new adventures, um, in her hometown in Japan. And also she gets to go to Hawaii in one chapter.
Speaker 2 00:04:03 Awesome. Uh, so what this book, it did start off as a mini comic and eventually it was this collection. Uh, so what was your, did you originally envision this to be a collection at first? Or were you just kind of working with the character a little bit before making that, that huge point into a larger collection of stories?
Speaker 3 00:04:20 No. Yeah. So it started with, um, uh, a very short story. I'm any comic of, I think it was a 16 pages, which is now the first chapter of the book. And, uh, when I was making that story, I, I was just making a short story. I just had this idea. Um, I, I grew up with my grandma, um, living with us, uh, well, two grandmas, um, taking, uh, taking their turns, um, taking care of the kids. Um, so I just wanted to make a story about a little kid and, uh, her grandma, and it was just, uh, uh, a small project that kind of developed into a bigger one. Um, after making the first story, I just couldn't stop thinking about Lori. So it, it went from there.
Speaker 2 00:05:15 So was it the first three stories that were many comics or how many were you doing as many as, before you like jumped in? Cause it seems like the Hawaii story is really large. It's a really big project. It's almost a book by itself, so yeah.
Speaker 3 00:05:28 Yes. Yeah. So yeah, the first three chapters were the mini comics. Um, the third story, uh, it get, it got longer and longer, um, I guess, because I was getting to know Nori better. Um, so the stories got longer. Um, and yeah, before making the first, uh, the fourth story, which was the Hawaii story, um, I knew it was going to be like, um, 90 pages. So, um, I thought that I couldn't print it myself and I also felt like I had, um, enough to start showing it to people, uh, as like a book project.
Speaker 2 00:06:10 Yeah, it's nice. So, um, when working with this character Nori and some of the earlier stories, like you said, they are very short word towards, as you're getting further and further into this project, but stories are getting longer. Um, did you kind of change the approach in terms of how you're telling those stories since you had more pages to work with versus having just a compressed like 16, 20 page mini comic kind of format? Was that something that you were thinking about at all when you were writing and drawing the stories or,
Speaker 3 00:06:37 Um, definitely Lee for the Hawaii chapter, I guess that's the only very long chapter. Um, but yeah, I, uh, when I was printing my own, they knees, I have to think about like printing it myself and then folding the paper, um, and like aligning all the pages. And, uh, so, um, should I do a two page spread or not? If I do a two page spread that will be so annoying to align it, perfectly, things like that. I didn't have to think about for the high books. So I just, um, I, I was able to focus on the story and what I want to draw.
Speaker 2 00:07:19 Um, so getting into like the, the mini comics process, where are you printing themselves, them yourselves, are you doing all the assembly and everything and all the printing, uh, like from your home or your studio, or were you like going to a print shop or working with other people to make those books happen?
Speaker 3 00:07:36 Yeah, for Nori, I use the, uh, resell loud at SVA, um, in Manhattan. Um, and I printed everything there. And then I brought, um, all the printed, um, paper back to my studio space that I share with my friends in Brooklyn. Um, and I bound everything by myself. It takes a lot of time.
Speaker 2 00:08:03 Yeah. Do you find that that's a part of, I, cause I'm curious, because you did say you're starting to make comics, you know, on your bio, you're talking about like, you know, 20, 10 year we're making them in printing them yourself from your home printer. Do you find that that's kind of a prior to your process or do you feel like once that you, now that you do have a publisher that you feel like, ah, now I have a publisher, I don't have to worry about production. I can worry. I can just focus on making the stories and drawing them or do you, or do you have like an affinity to the actual process of bookmaking or anything?
Speaker 3 00:08:32 No, I thought, um, when I have a publisher, I won't have to print it or like bind it myself, but I, I kinda like the process, I think. Um, yeah, so I am making some new stories now and I have a plan to print them myself again, although with the pandemic, um, it might be a little complicated to figure out the logistics of it, but, uh, yeah, somehow I like to print it myself. Maybe I'm just, uh, um, do good old Xerox printing at staples or somewhere, um, and deal with small, um, edition. But yeah, I, I really, I really love the process, I think.
Speaker 2 00:09:16 Um, so you had, uh, you had went to SCAD for an illustration program kind of after you started kind of drawing comics from my understand, is that correct? You were kind of self publishing and then you kind of took that step, is that correct? And, uh, what, what your, you specifically to like an illustration program, like a, like a master program versus like, cause there are like comics programs out there and there are certainly a lot of people that are just autodidactic and kind of just go in their own direction and pursue, you know, illustration or comics outside of like, uh, an academic institution.
Speaker 3 00:09:49 Um, so I, I always loved drawing, um, but I never really thought of it as a career. Um, I, I loved reading and, uh, translating, I grew up, um, partly in Atlanta, Georgia, so, um, I thought, okay, I'll I'll I can speak English and Japanese, what can I do? And like translation was like kind of what came to mind. Um, and also like, um, you know, every, everyone around me thought that I should do translation. Um, and that's what I started to do. Um, but I wanted to draw, um, I started at making, um, comics and printing them of all. I was working as a translator in Japan. And then, um, uh, yeah, when, when I thought about, um, making it as, um, my career, um, my work, um, I looked into several different pro programs and SCAD was, um, uh, a SCAD seemed like a good place to go. Um, and, um, I w I, I think I just wasn't really, I'm sure if I want to just focus on comics or, um, or do both illustration comics. So I just, uh, um, went to the illustration program.
Speaker 2 00:11:28 Yeah. So a with a, w what's one of your books borderland, which is, um, you know, kind of centered in that area of Georgia, um, Tybee Island, correct. Is that, is that, is that the location? Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:11:40 Uh, the location, uh, is actually just around, uh, the, the whole area, the coastal Georgia area with all the different sea islands. Um, yeah, it was a really inspiring landscape, um, and all the history and everything too.
Speaker 2 00:11:56 And that seems to me something that like is a reoccurring theme throughout all of the comics that I've read of yours is that like the environment and just the landscape and wildlife in general, like play really big roles. And in the stories you're telling just either through, through observation or having like a more, more of a plot to, um, um, so do you find that that's something that like, just you're always thinking about in general is like, just, uh, when you're telling stories is like environment and, and, uh, like sensory kind of things. Cause I see that with food too, like, especially in the Noria stories, uh, there's a lot of, uh, exploration of just like basic sensory experiences that child would have either with like animals or the environment or food.
Speaker 3 00:12:41 Yeah. I think, um, sense of place is very important to me in general. Um, I think the it's because, um, I moved around a lot, um, while I was growing up and also, um, even now, um, I, I changed schools every year when I was in grade school. Um, my mom had a job that took her to different places, Tokyo, Atlanta. Um, so yeah, we were moving a lot in, I think it just made me think, um, a lot about, um, where I belong, how I belong to a particular place, um, how I fit in, um, things like that. Um, and you know, I think if, when you grow up in one place, um, you get really attached to the environment, you know, um, the nature, um, and all the animals you can find there. Um, I felt like I kind of missed out on that because I was moving so much. Um, but then I thought, well, um, I didn't really miss anything. I just got to experience a whole, a whole lot more, um, than, um, um, maybe like someone who, um, stayed in one place. Um, so not that like, which is better. Um, but, um, it's just, that's how I grew up. So, um, yeah, the, um, the landscape and the, um, the whole, the sensory experience, like you said about the particular place, um, is really important to me. And I think, um, I'd like to explore that in my comics as well.
Speaker 2 00:14:40 Yeah. So like we got into that a little bit. I noticed with, uh, you know, uh, the, the comic you did the peanut butter sisters, as well as, uh, you know, some of your earlier work like home river, the return to of Japanese wolves. Like there's this kind of theme where you're kind of exploring kind of like a dying ecosystem or trying to live in a, like an in the dying environment a little bit, you know, like the peanut butter sisters seem to like live in this world or they're, they're carried away by hurricanes and they're collecting junk and, and selling these items. And, um, and the return of the Japanese wolves is all about these extinct creature, you know, wolves, um, and home river has that same thing too. So, um, it's not really prevailing and no worry about are they used as kind of the themes that you, you look at, you're kinda thinking about exploring in the future, or do you have interest in that kind of a topic, especially since we are living in a world that is experiencing those kinds of things right now? Is that something that's kind of in the back of your head ever or,
Speaker 3 00:15:41 Yeah, definitely. I think, um, I guess anyone, um, living in the current times, um, can't really escape from that. It's, it's just really scary. Um, so many animals are going extinct every year, every month, even I think, um, it's just a really scary thing. Um, I love being in nature, like hiking, I always grew up in the city, so, um, uh, maybe, maybe, um, I'm not that like nature person, but, um, I love hiking, um, going to the ocean, um, things like that. And I feel like, um, in the near future that might not be possible. Um, and for like younger people, um, they might not be able to experience what I was able to experience. Um, so, so yeah, it's, it's always, um, I think in the back of my head. Yeah. Yeah. It's great that you, you read all my comments.
Speaker 2 00:16:52 They're really good. It was hard not to
Speaker 3 00:16:54 Thank you. I don't get to meet, um, a lot of people who read everything. So thank you. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:17:03 Um, so you do have a career as an illustrator and you are also a cartoon. And so when you're working in the world of illustration, um, uh, what kind of similarities and differences do you find with that of being a cartoonist and like, do you feel like being an illustrator has kind of helped you be a more informed cartoonist?
Speaker 3 00:17:25 Um, I, I don't know. I, I feel like, um, for me, it's kind of the same. I like drawing, um, drawings, really fun. Um, but maybe, um, it's a little bit different, um, mentality, uh, because in terms of the time you get to spend on one single illustration, um, that's more than on the time you get to spend with like one single page in comics. Um, most of the time, so like, I can put more details and more colors in one illustration, but I wouldn't want to do that for comics because it'll be, uh, it'll take a lot more time to finish a story. Um, but yeah, I, I don't know that it's, uh, it's kind of a same process for me.
Speaker 2 00:18:24 Um, I, you know, your comics do, they're like two cups, they're usually just like two color comics. Right. Whereas like a lot of your illustration work seems to be like full color. So I imagine you're probably spending a lot more time on, on a single illustration than say like a, like a panel of a comic, obviously I would imagine. Right. Like, yeah. Okay. Yeah. Um, yeah,
Speaker 3 00:18:45 I would love to do a full color comics one day, but it might take like five years for me.
Speaker 2 00:18:53 Yeah. I mean, I'm sure it would look incredible, but yeah, I really liked that there was a, in the borderlands book specifically, you did have this blend of like, you, you started the book with illustrations and then you moved into a sequential piece and then you ended it with illustrations. And, uh, I, one had like, there, there was a similar aesthetic because it is your drawing style, but on the other hand, they are like, to me, like, they are like two separate entities. Like they're, they're two very different things. Um, uh, working with these full color illustrations where, uh, you're, you're playing a lot more with value. And then when you're switching over to these, uh, these comics pages, you're working with brush and you're working a lot more with balancing areas of black and white. Um, so I I'm, I'm just curious about like your, your process in terms of, when you're thinking about drawing a comics page versus doing a full color illustration, um, uh, how that comes into play, like determining like the composition, I guess.
Speaker 3 00:19:56 Uh, yes, sir.
Speaker 2 00:19:57 Any question?
Speaker 3 00:20:00 Um, uh, I, I'm glad you brought up borderlands though, because, um, it, I, I did thought, I think in 2014, um, that was actually my thesis project at SCAD. Um, but it, it still has a special place in my heart. Um, I think because, um, uh, uh, I'm just very fascinated by, uh, the landscape surrounding Savannah, Georgia. Um, like I mentioned, I partly grew up in Atlanta. Um, so I, I was, um, eight when I got there. And then when I was 10, I left and went back to Japan with my mom. Um, but that time, um, she, she brought me and my brother there just for a visit to Savannah. And I thought that was like the most beautiful place on earth. I remember I'm like really lush green garden, and then there's the ocean right there. Uh, I think I remembered it wrong because the beach is actually like 20 minutes away.
Speaker 3 00:21:11 Um, but yeah, so going back there and seeing how, how pretty it is with all the trees, um, the beach is like a little further away than I remembered, but it's still right there. Um, but then I learned about the history of like slavery, um, and, um, all the racial tensions and, um, everything that's that goes on in the, uh, in the American society now, um, I, I thought a lot about how I fit into that because I am an outsider. Um, I'm just there for two years for school. Um, but I am there, so I, I just wanted to figure out, um, and, and think about, um, uh, what, what I can do with my, um, visual storytelling, I guess, while I was there. Um, and, and yeah, mixing water, color illustration and black and white comics, it, it felt like, uh, like a right way to tell that particular story
Speaker 2 00:22:31 I had lived in Savannah for a couple of maybe that's why I keep going back to that borderlands story. So I had lived in Savannah for a few years, so I think it did speak to me. And that's the really great thing about that area is you have areas where there's beaches and you have swamps and you have the river and you have this, you know, this is really beautiful historic downtown area, and you have Spanish Moss. So there's just like a lot of different, uh, views and this very small area. But I do think that's really yes, in the food, you know, Southern, Southern cooking in general, there's just like a lot of different things going on there allowed us. Yeah. So, um, I, that really spoke to me. Um, but I think that's really great that, you know, even when you're in this college experience, like you kind of reached outside your bubble to kind of, to explore the history a bit, which I think is, you know, it's, I think that's a difficult thing to do when you're, when you're in school. And I feel like, especially when I, when I knew people that were students at Savannah college of art and design, like it's sounds like a different world, even though it's kind of built into the city. Um, so I think, you know, I thought that was really great that you were able to connect to that environment a little bit.
Speaker 3 00:23:43 Yeah. Yeah. Um, I had a chance to participate in, um, a field trip, um, to also double Island. It's one of the sea islands there. Um, but SCAD was organizing like a spring break, um, working field trip to the Island. Um, and it's, it's a preserved, um, area. So you, you can't just like take a ferry and go there. Usually you have to have, um, like a specific purpose to go and like permission, I think. Um, but yeah, that's, that's when I, I got to really explore the, um, um, the history and the geography, I think of the area. And, um, yeah, that was kind of eyeopening.
Speaker 2 00:24:35 Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:24:38 You are listening to fresh air community radio cafe, 90.3, FM HD, Minneapolis, and streaming live on the web at <inaudible> dot org. KFA I radio without boundaries. And now back to our special collaboration with our topic picking up right where we left off and the right on radio and atoptic arts festival collaboration on tonight's installment, Sean Knickerbocker is interviewing Rumi harra, the award winning cartoonist behind the Nori series. Let's get back into it.
Speaker 2 00:25:10 Um, so then in 2014, you moved to New York city. Did you move specifically to New York to kind of like engage more with the illustration comics community? Or were you just kind of looking for like a, like a really big change in, and like the world around you?
Speaker 3 00:25:26 Yeah. Um, I thought that was, uh, uh, New York was a great place to go, um, for illustration and comics on while I was at scout, I went to mocha mocha arts festival in 2014 and, uh, that was a great experience. Um, so, um, yeah, and I, I could just get a van and drive up to New York. Um, but if I, for example, went to LA, it would have been a little too far away, so yeah. Yeah. Also good Asian food in New York.
Speaker 2 00:26:02 Yes. I hear it. I hear they have good, good Asian food in New York. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:26:12 That was lacking in Savannah. So I need it to move.
Speaker 2 00:26:16 Yeah. So the South, I mean, specifically Savannah in general, like pizza, not very good Asian food, not very good, but that's not their fortes, but yeah. New York. Yeah. Also a great food, different food from Savannah. Um, yeah. Alright. Uh, so, you know, I mean, it's kind of, most of the, most of the questions we really just shot through them. Were there any Oh yeah, that's right. Going to talk about know a little bit, so, yeah. Um, yeah, so that seems to be a theme that I see a little bit showing up in and, and Nori specifically, like, it seems like some of these characters that show up towards the end of the stories might be spirits might not be, so can you, can you talk a little bit about that?
Speaker 3 00:26:59 Yeah. So no drama is, um, a Japanese traditional foremost drama that, um, originated in the medieval times. And I think when people think of Japanese culture, maybe it's one of the first things that you think of with the mask, um, in the costume and everything. Uh, it's really fascinating. Um, there's this category of no called a movie in no, in the basic structure of it is, um, a traveler, um, arrives at a place and the place has like a historic or maybe poetic significance. Um, and in the traveler, um, in the second half of the play that traveler dreams and in the dream, he encounters, um, ghost or a spirit of the, um, person that still haunts the area and, um, learns more about the history or the poetic significance of the place. So that's like a basic structure, so a traveler, um, falls asleep and then dreams this, um, revelation dream.
Speaker 3 00:28:17 Um, and the audience gets to, um, uh, witnessed that together with the, with the traveler character. Um, and I think, um, that's like the structure that I think about a lot when, when I'm making a story. Um, I think it's, it's really interesting to, um, incorporate that dream element, um, in a story. Um, uh, yeah, because, um, dream is a very interesting thing. It's kinda like a story we tell ourselves every night. Um, even though we don't remember all of it, um, it definitely happened and it had an impact on you, but when you wake up, it's like gone without a trace. Um, and I think no is maybe like a bridge, um, to connect comics in that kind of powerful storytelling energy that the dream has. Um, I don't know if it makes sense, but yeah. Yeah. So, so yeah, I think, I think about know a lot and, um, I like, I like reading the new place. Um, I like, no in general. So, um, I use like other elements of know, like, um, uh, the rhythm and the music, um, the philosophy of it in general.
Speaker 2 00:30:00 Um, so for the next project you're working on, um, uh, that seems to be a series of short stories again, is that correct? Or, I mean, I imagine you probably have a few projects, but I think I heard something about another, another series of short stories that would like drunk quarterly we'll eventually collect, right?
Speaker 3 00:30:18 Uh, yes. Yeah. I hope so. Yeah. I'm working, I'm working on it right now. Um, yeah, I'm making, um, seven short stories. Um, peanut butter sisters is one of it. Um, but yeah, right now I'm I making a Saifai story that's set in 2099.
Speaker 2 00:30:42 Excellent.
Speaker 3 00:30:44 And, um, it's the world where the sciences, um, figured out a way to use dark energy and space. Um, it's like an unidentified energy, but it's everywhere and it's making the, um, the whole world expand apparently. Um, like not just our universe, but all the universes. I don't know how many there are, but out there they're expanding. Um, so that much, they figured it out, but, um, this energy that's like driving the expansion it's called dark energy and they don't really know what it is. Um, but, uh, I thought that was really interesting. So, um, I imagined a world, um, not too far in the future where, um, people get to use that to, um, travel really fast and, um, go to other galaxies. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:31:43 Um, so what would those stories or those like separate from the, these other comics that you had mentioned earlier that you're kind of working on? Like you said you were working on like shorter stories or, or
Speaker 3 00:31:53 So that's the short, that's one of the short stories. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So every everything's all different. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Um, Oh, and it takes place in the Mojave desert. Um, the, you know, the desert in Southern California. Um, I went there last year and it was, uh, it was really nice. So,
Speaker 2 00:32:18 Yeah. Do you find that that's a, um, that's kind of like an inspiration for writing stories? I mean, I, I kind of went over this a little bit, but that seems to be a thing, right? Like you, you visiting a place and you kind of absorbed that environment. And does that inspire you then to write a story? Or do you think about a story before going to a place?
Speaker 3 00:32:36 Um, I think, I think of a story going to a place it's kind of become my excuse of Trump for traveling. Yeah. Yeah. I love traveling. Um, but I want to make it productive too. So, um, uh, last year I really wanted to go to the desert. I've never been to a desert. Um, and I thought, why not? I'll, I'll just make a story out of it.
Speaker 2 00:33:01 Yeah. It's a great, it's a great write off, like, yeah. Um, so did you go, so did you go to Hawaii for like that, that Nori story then? Like, cause that's like all, yeah. Okay.
Speaker 3 00:33:17 I did, yeah. I really wanted to go to Hawaii so I can go there. Yeah,
Speaker 2 00:33:24 That's awesome.
Speaker 3 00:33:27 Um, it's, it's also, um, uh, I try to make it not too random though. Um, like when I was growing up in the eighties, the economy was booming in Japan. That's when, um, the whole world that, um, Japan was like the richest country in the world. Um, it was kind of a crazy surreal time. Um, and I remember seeing like for raffles, you can win a trip to Hawaii. Um, and that was like, you know, a normal price offered. That's crazy to think of it now. Japan is in like, um, eternal recession ever since the nineties. And all you can get at a raffle is like maybe a ticket for, I dunno, like lunch for two, that's like the best prize you can win. Um, so thinking back about it, it's a, it's kind of crazy and I thought it'll be fun to show, um, Noria and grandma winning, um, a trip to Hawaii,
Speaker 2 00:34:31 Um, dealing with Japan, the eighties, I wasn't too familiar with the reference, but I felt like it was something very specific. Maybe it would just went above me, like I'm in one of the early Nori stories. There's like a poster that says ultra democracy on it. I was just curious if that was like a specific reference to something or like, that was, I was just being silly. Okay. I was like, man, it was there like some like weird politician that was just like, we're going to get the most democracy. And it's like, that's the case. I wanna know who this guy is.
Speaker 3 00:35:03 It's really fun, but it's true that, um, I think, um, there are a lot of, um, uh, politicians in Japan that come up with like weird catchphrases or like, um, name of the party. There are so many different political parties in Japan and some of the names are kind of silly. It would be when you think about it. Um, so yeah, it was just, I was just, uh, I just want to know, make something up for a fun post
Speaker 2 00:35:40 Right on. Um, so with those stories too, I mean, I imagine you were probably grabbing a little bit from your experiences living in Japan as a kid though, right? Like, and specifically w you know, being raised or like having your grandmother help raise you and all that stuff.
Speaker 3 00:35:54 Yeah. Uh, it was a lot of fun growing up with my grandmothers. Um, they told, they told me a lot of different stories. Um, uh, my grandma used to dream about becoming a princess and like, she would fight the bad guys too. So she was like a superhero princess, and that was like a recurring dream that she had. Um, um, and of course she's a Japanese princess, so she's like in a gorgeous Kim mono, um, in, uh, she, she comes out, um, from like her carriage. Um, and then she fights Ninja with all these swords. And I don't know. Um, I can just picture that dream vividly in my head still. Um, yeah. Yeah. It was a, it was a fun, fun childhood.
Speaker 2 00:36:53 Awesome. Uh, moving, we're just bouncing around all over the place. Now, moving back to your, your kind of your illustration career, um, uh, what kind of got the ball rolling with that and like, uh, is that, uh, is that like your, your major, uh, source of like income? I mean, you don't have to get to those numbers, but you know what I mean? Is that like your main job illustration or do you kind of just like pick up gigs wherever you can get them, um,
Speaker 3 00:37:22 Pick up gigs when, wherever I can get them. Um, so I also teach now, um, at Bergen community college. Um, and that's been a lot of fun too. I love watching people draw, so, um, I get to, um, make students draw what I, what I want.
Speaker 2 00:37:44 Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:37:47 So that's great. Um, I was also, um, helping another artist with the painting. I was like a painting assistant. Um, I I've done illustrations for animations, like a watercolor, um, paintings, um, to be animated. Um, I've done editorial things. Um, yeah. Anything, anything that I find,
Speaker 2 00:38:14 Right. Where have you been teaching during the pandemic at all? Have you been like doing online teaching online? What's that been like? Has that been
Speaker 3 00:38:25 It's, it's interesting. Um, but, um, it it's weird, but, um, in some ways it's better. Um, I'm just trying to think positively maybe, but, um, it kind of let me talk to the students more intimately. Um, like I would like just, uh, take a time to just chat with, uh, individual students, more one person at a time. Um, and it felt close. They can like show me what they're working on. Um, and of course you can do that in a classroom, but it's always with everyone else in the classroom. So, um, it didn't really feel like I want a one time. Um, so, so that, that was a kind of a, um, when you discovery that I made it that, yeah.
Speaker 2 00:39:22 So is that like a, just like a drawing class? Are they like studio art classes?
Speaker 3 00:39:26 It's an illustration class. It's a studio class. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:39:29 That's awesome. Um, so you, you work a lot with brush, right? Like that seems to be like your, your primary tool. Um, like w w at what point did you like discover that that was your preferred method and like what, what drew you to specifically working in that style or using a brush?
Speaker 3 00:39:47 I think it was an inking class that I took at scab because before that, I hadn't, I had no idea and I was just drawing with whatever I can find, like, um, just pencils or, um, micron pens, um, which are good tools. Um, but I, I, wasn't very intentional about what I use, but then I took this class and then, um, we had to do an exercise, um, in that class and we have to use the brush and ink. Um, and I loved it. It was, it was difficult at first, but, um, I really like the effect.
Speaker 2 00:40:25 Yeah. I really liked the texture that you're getting with it. Like with like those large areas of black, you can still, like, you can almost feel the paper like that. You know, you can just see like these subtle variances. And that's one thing I re I was really appreciating what the specifically, the Hawaii story, you know, it seems like you start to transition more to like, almost using ink washes, whereas before it's almost like flat color, but then when you get to the story, like, there's this, uh, there's this, like almost seems watercolory kind of, you know, work going on, even with your black line art, um, with those illustrations, like, cause you went to Hawaii where you, where you're drawing on scene from it. Like, what was, it seemed like you had the very specific reference for those images?
Speaker 3 00:41:08 I was, I was sketching a lot while I was there. Um, and I did use some drawings from the sketchbook, um, in, in the actual story. Um, uh, I also took a lot of reference photos. Um, I also found, um, a spot for grandma and Lori to sit. Um, it was like, uh, when Lori goes to the, uh, title pool, I think there's like a specific rock with a tree behind it that they sit together and take a picture, um, that actually existed. Um, but yeah, it's Hawaii. So the ocean is I guess the main thing. Um, so I think I used a lot more, um, in quashes, um, than usual.
Speaker 2 00:42:01 Yeah. Um, do you, do you use a lot of photo reference with your work?
Speaker 3 00:42:06 Um, yes I do. Yeah. I, I try to take my own, uh, references, uh, another excuse to go traveling. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:42:20 When, when you're working with the wash stuff, obviously, have you, have you tried doing that with like the reserve graph kind of printing stuff like using washes or do you try and just keep it more like basic line arcs? I know there's some limitations with the grids or graph printers. Has that been something you've kind of experimented with or is it, does that not relieving? I, I don't know how much of a factor that is when you're thinking about,
Speaker 3 00:42:40 Yeah, I tried, I tried printing I'm like water color illustrations with the RESO and, um, it comes out nicely, the texture it's surprising. Um, it's surprisingly accurate, so yeah. Yeah. It is hard to separate the colors though.
Speaker 2 00:43:00 Oh, I can imagine. So, yeah, so you're, you're, you're drawing everything in full color and then you're separating the colors. Oh, I can't imagine.
Speaker 3 00:43:08 Um, when I'm doing everything myself, I try, I try to just, um, draw the layer separately so that I don't have to separate the layers, but, uh, I had like a, like a pro do it for me once for the borderland book, um, that was printed by, um, perfectly acceptable printing. Um, yeah, they they're really good. I couldn't do that myself. So, yeah. Are they the folks out of Chicago, right?
Speaker 2 00:43:43 Yeah. They do some really, really, really cool books. Yeah. Um, yeah. Uh, I think that's like all the questions. Are there any other things you want to specifically cover with this interview? For me? Like any things you want to promote, any specific topics we can just edit them in.
Speaker 3 00:44:06 Yeah. Um, I can't, I can't think of anything now. It was, it was really fun to talk to you.
Speaker 2 00:44:13 Yeah. It was awesome to talk to you too. Yeah. And it was, I mean, it's been, you know, it was, I always like when I'm talking to a cartoonist, I always like to just like, well, like when I'm introduced to that cartoon, it's I like to just really go in deep into the, you know, like, like read all of this stuff at once. And like, I want it just like the collection. It's kind of amazing the amount of mini comics we've put out over the course of just a few years.
Speaker 3 00:44:37 I love mini comics. Yeah,
Speaker 2 00:44:39 They are. So, yeah. And you definitely like using the medium of meaning comics to do like a lot of different types of books. It's not just like a, like a folded in half, you know, letter bound book. Not that anything wrong with that, but like you have, you're doing screen printing, you're doing graph per day. Uh, you're doing, uh, different formats as well.
Speaker 3 00:44:58 How, how do you print your, your stuff?
Speaker 2 00:45:02 Uh, I, um, I do everything digital now or offset. Those are the things I really like working with spot colors too. Um, so that was a big deal for me. I think, uh, we can cut this from the interview, but I want to talk real quick about the color stuff like that was it like when, when I was first learning to draw comics, I was obsessed with like Mark making, you know, like getting textures into everything. Right. And then eventually, like I remember doing, do you know who Robin Chapman is? She's like a, she's like an editor at first second. Anyway, she, she did like a portfolio review with me and she's like, you need to do you just need to use like a color instead? Cause I would like fill in, you know, like hatch everything and she's like, you can just use it. And it was just like, you know, ever since then, like, yeah, like I just like took a piece of vellum, slap it on there and use a brash and kind of like build up those textures that way. And then like just, you know, scan it and throw it in. But that's always been my method, but obviously print, you know, when you're printing your things yourself, it's a little expensive to do colors. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:46:12 Yeah. That's interesting that you mentioned like the life changing moment when someone tells you this really like, like seemingly basic thing, but you'd never thought of before. Um, I, I talked to, um, the cartoon is Michael Cho a book festival in Brooklyn one time. And, um, it was when, um, shoplift or his, his book came out and it's, uh, it's done with two colors, black and pink. And I was like, how does he do that? Like, is it like, it doesn't look digital, but how does he do that? And then, um, so I went up to him and asked him, you know, like just directly how he does it, I'm just expecting him being like, ah, leave me alone. But, um, yeah, he told me that, um, he asked on one side of favor and then he flips it over on light box. Um, and then he inks the second layer. Um, and I was like, Whoa. And then he was like, okay. So I just scan them in and put them together in Photoshop at easy-peasy. I was like, wow. And that's actually how, what I did for a Nori. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 00:47:31 It's perfect sense. You just get like spot on registration. You don't have to worry about like your pee, like your volume slipping or something that's way. Yeah. That's a good tip. I like that.
Speaker 3 00:47:42 It is. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, so I guess it's really important to talk to other people.
Speaker 2 00:47:50 Yeah. I guess you're like looking at your artwork backwards too. Does that mess with you? Cause I feel like whenever I see something of mine flipped, like at like my brain's like, Oh, you drew that wrong. Do you ever, does that ever bother you when you're looking at something backwards or you're just like, we're just going with it. We're just like,
Speaker 3 00:48:04 No, it does. I I'm totally weirded out by like, if I have to like flip something horizontally I'm like, Ooh, okay.
Speaker 2 00:48:13 Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:48:15 So, um, now I try to, um, I, I sketch everything digitally now. Um, so I try to, when, when I'm in doubt, I just flip it to, um, look at it from the other side, um, before finalizing it.
Speaker 2 00:48:34 Are you, so are you like, cause I know some people now they're like penciling digitally and then like printing it off and inking it. Are you doing that or are you like doing everything? Okay. Rad. Awesome. Do you find that to like increase your speed? Sorry, go ahead.
Speaker 3 00:48:47 Definitely. No. Yes. It definitely increased my speed. Um, so I, it definitely increased my speed. Um, so I, I do thumbnails by hand and then, um, I scan it in and work from, uh, I make it bigger or in Photoshop and then I, I do a really tight pencil sketch. Um, I don't know why I'm that anal, but, um, it's so tight. Um, and then I print everything out and then I put it on a light box and put my good paper on top of it and, and get, um, but because all the details are there and I already figured out the shape and proportion perspective and everything. Um, I can be like on autopilot when I ink. So it's a very enjoyable process.
Speaker 2 00:49:44 Yeah. Yeah. Anything is the best
Speaker 3 00:49:47 <inaudible> yeah, I know.
Speaker 2 00:49:50 It's the most fun part. I, when I work, I have to like have, if I, if I'm writing or penciling, like it's like, I can't listen to anything, you know, but as soon as I get the ink and I'm like, okay, I can finally like listen to a podcast or something and like, just like zone out, you know? It's like,
Speaker 3 00:50:04 Yeah, I do the same thing. Um, and it's funny because I can look back at the pages that I inked and I can remember what I was listening to.
Speaker 2 00:50:15 Do you, do you make soundtracks for yourself? Do you have like a, do you have like a playlist? Do you have like a project playlist?
Speaker 3 00:50:21 No, I like podcasts. I like, um, there are several podcasts that I like, so I just, um, uh, play that randomly. But I think my favorite might be, um, Terry Gross, uh, fresh day. I just, I, I just love hearing her voice. Yeah. Oh, I just need a new podcast to listen to, um, lately. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:50:51 It's like, it's a pandemic. So I feel like everyone's starting one. So like there's, this is like a Renaissance of podcasts. I feel like there's a lot of things popping up, so
Speaker 3 00:51:00 That's true. I, I feel like I've been listening to my favorite ones way too much in, and I just like went, consumed all of it all at once. So yeah. I just need to find new things.
Speaker 2 00:51:16 I'd like to my move is like, whatever, like story I'm working on a project I'm working on. Like I pick a band and like, that's the band? I like draw too. That's like what? I'm like, this is the attitude of the story. That's like my, but yeah, like there are pages where I'm like, I know exactly like what I was. Yeah. And that's always like fun to like look at something. Like I remember like, yeah, the, the thing I was listening to.
Speaker 3 00:51:39 Yeah. It's almost like the world that you were in when. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:51:46 Yes. So we'll wrap things up, but uh, can you tell us where we can find your work? Um, and
Speaker 3 00:51:55 Yeah, so, um, I, my website is Rumi howard.com. Um, I'm on Instagram, um, at Rumi dot Hara. And, um, you can buy a copy of Nori, um, from your local bookstore, um, or, uh, bookshop the org online.
Speaker 2 00:52:16 Well, thanks for, uh, joining us for this online, uh, festival. I'm so sorry we of have you in person. We're really excited to do it. Um, but we really appreciate that. You're able to take some time today and talk with us.
Speaker 3 00:52:29 Oh yeah. Thank you so much for doing this. And, um, having me, um, at the, uh, online atoptic I hope I get to visit you guys in the future,
Speaker 1 00:52:43 Picking up right where we left off in the right cycles. You are listening to right on radio on KFA 90.3 FM and streaming live on the web at <inaudible> dot org. I'd like to thank our guests tonight, Sean Knickerbocker and Rumi Hara the atoptic board and Pete fakey. Plus our listeners who make this show possible without your support and donations KFI cafe would not be possible. You can find more news and info about right on radio at kfh.org/program/right on radio plus listened to recent episodes on our newly launched podcast, which you can find on Spotify, iTunes kfi.org and wherever else podcasts can be found. Now <inaudible>.
