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Rivkah is from the new generation of comic lovers that grew up reading
manga and is now creating it. She was among those TokyoPop took a gamble
on and published an original manga series she created. The book is
called Steady Beat and the first volumes is in stores now. I did a
review of the book in our Comics section. In
this interview we talk to Rivkah about her background, her work, the manga
industry and it's potential future and more.
Jamie Coville:
Your name Rivkah is interesting. I'm guessing it means something or
comes from someplace outside the North America. What's the story behind it?
Rivkah:
Rivkah is my pen name, but derived from my real name. It's the Hebrew
version. While I grew up in a Christian family (Catholic parents but
non-denominational upbringing), I discovered Judaism at 15 and have been
head over heals in love ever since. I have a true passion for the
religion that's adopted me; it's faiths and tenements are values I hold
dear to my heart. So when it came time for me to publish my first work,
I decided to take a name that would reflect the inner me. Ironic,
considering most artists and writers generally take a pen name to use as
a mask. Yet, art and writing give me the ability to express my inner
world. How could one become any more honest?
Jamie:
When did you start reading Manga?
Rivkah:
I believe it was in late middle school when the first Sailor Moon anime
started out on television. Somehow, I managed to find a local comic book
shop that carried the original japanese comics (or "manga") which I
eagerly snatched up. I was mostly attracted to the art, but I also
taught myself a lot of Japanese in order to understand the stories as
well. It took a while, but I think I got the gist of it. ^_~
Jamie:
What was it about Manga that appealed to you over traditional
American comics?
Rivkah:
To me, a lot of it's about the art. A lot of Japanese art has a focus on
line rather than form. I simply love the line quality because it's so
elegant and fluid--almost ethereal--when compared to many American
comics. Unless it's Frank Miller, I find rough, heavy lines generally
unappealing.
I'm also very attracted to both black and white art--I find color in
comics is too busy and takes away focus from the important aspects of
every panel--and also the fact that manga in general simply offers more
appealing and diverse storylines.
Thankfully, much of what appeals to me about Japanese comics, also
appeals to me about new American comics coming from creators highly
influenced by such creators as Osamu Tezuka, Naoko Takeuchi, Mato Hagio,
etc. Whereas the American comics industry used to be purely superhero
comics or the daily funnies, it's been changing over the past five years
by an increased awareness and demand for the medium in the States. Many
teens LOVE manga, and as they grow older and realize it'll grow with
them, the art form is growing with them. :)
Jamie:
Prior to becoming a published Manga creator, what did you do for a
living?
Rivkah:
I'm a woman of many colors. :) I've been in graphic design,
advertising, sales, marketing, publishing, printing, the works. I love
the print industry. But this is the first time I've been on the creative
end. I feel as thought every step I've made in life has led me to this
point.
I've run my own small fiction novel publishing company, and while it
wasn't as successful as I dreamed, I learned so much that has given me a
foot up above the rest, giving me an edge in contract negotiation,
business, and managing myself and resources. There's a lot more to being
a comic artist than drawing all day. Knowing the business end of things
is incredibly beneficial. :)
Jamie:
What made you decide to do Manga for a living?
Rivkah:
G*d whispering in my ear, perhaps? I pretty much just woke up one
morning and knew, "I want to create comics for a living." No
forewarning, just a flash of inspiration and the drive to get there. I
took some art and creative writing classes in high school, but I'd been
too busy with my career and my business to do much afterward. (I was one
of those people who instead of going to college, decided to jump
directly into the business world) But one day, I was at the book store
and noticed something unusual. Manga on the shelves. And *translated*. I
was ecstatic. A new company by the name of TOKYOPOP had actually gotten
manga into mainstream bookstores, and I could actually READ them,
without lugging a dictionary around with me. It ignited an old passion
and desire in me that I thought had gone out, and I dove into my dream
full force. I had a forty hour job, PLUS my business to run when I
started. But somehow, every night, I found ways to make the time to
study and practice art for at least four hours. Improving anatomy, line
art, toning, paneling, storytelling, expression . . . anything I felt I
needed work on. Several months later, I ended up submitting my first
short story to a small company based out of LA hosting an international
manga competition, searching for new talent. And it won! Well . . . sort
of. Second place. ^_^; I'm good at second places, it seems. After the
competition, I submitted a story idea to an online manga anthology
called Wirepop, it was accepted, and I was off the ground. Several MORE
months later, I was in LA for my very first anime convention, helping
out an exhibitor, when I decided to approach a TOKYOPOP editor at a
portfolio review and ask for his opinions on my work. Not only did he
give me his opinions, but he asked for my information and if I'd be
willing to work with him on pitching a 3-book deal proposal to the
company. I couldn't believe it. Here I was, not even a year after my
epiphany, being asked to pitch my ideas and my art for actual
publication. PAID publication. How could I say no? And apparently,
neither could they. I worked with my editor, Rob Valois, for about a
month, accepting and utilizing his suggestions with my art, refining
technique, character designs, and story. And at the end of that month,
while I waited in my room for that fateful phone call, stomach clenched
in anticipation, heart leaping every time I heard a buzz or a beep or
the ringing in my ears, TOKYOPOP accepted my proposal, and I had the
start of my very first series, "Steady Beat."
Jamie:
Who influenced you as an artist and writer?
Rivkah:
My very first influence was Naoko Takeuchi, artist and writer for
"Sailor Moon." However, as time progressed I found more artists with
other technical skills and means of storytelling that have greatly
influenced the way I choose to show and tell my stories today. Osamu
Tezuka, creator of both the kid's series "Astro Boy" and more mature
series such as "Buddha" and "Kirihito: Ode to Christ." I'm also
influenced by Terry Moore, the American artist and writer for "Strangers
in Paradise," a lovely story about two girls and a boy and the
friendships and love that surround them.
Jamie:
Your short story Pink is about a woman's right to choose when it
comes to Abortion. Considering what's happening in South Dakota are you
surprised it's becoming relevant 2 years later?
Rivkah:
What's funny, is that I actually consider myself pro-life. I'm
incredibly supportive of broader adoption laws and giving aid to
pregnant women and their children so they never have to make such
decisions--same with my belief for universal health care. But I'm not a
fundamentalist. I don't believe in FORCING my views and my beliefs on
other people. And "Pink" reflects that. We all make decisions for
ourselves, and history has shown time and time again that so many women
loose their lives attempting to give themselves abortions or find one
from unreliable sources. Abortion won't go away by illegalizing it.
This story was inspired very much by an older relative who nearly died
attempting the same when she was younger and abortion was illegal in her
state. The GOVERNMENT is putting even more lives at stake by attempting
to make abortion illegal. Offer aid and support, but also make it as
safe and untraumatic as possible for those who decide to make their own
choices and take the path in life that doesn't otherwise include a
child. If religion wants to save lives, let them find it in churches,
not in laws and politics.
Jamie:
In Steady Beat you have the characters mother be a politician. Did
you read Kaijui Kawaguchi's Eagle?
Rivkah:
Ha! I love "Eagle!" But I'd never read it up until a few months ago.
*^-^* "Steady Beat" deals much more with local politics. Ya know . . .
the stuff that actually affect us in a direct way, rather than the
politics we see on TV that'll never even come close to touching us.
Jamie:
Do you plan on having the mothers politics get involved with Steady
Beat?
Rivkah:
Of course! *^-^* I can't tell you how, yet, though. Volume II finally
shows what her role in the story is. Volume III reveals all. ^_~
Jamie:
I have to wonder, do you also have a big sister like Sara?
Rivkah:
Maybe . . . sort of . . . yes . . . absolutely. I DO have an older
sister. And yes, my character is modeled off her, in both looks and
personality. But not the secrets she keeps to herself. She's happily
married and the mother of two little girl twins. :) :) :)
But my sister and I . . . it was a very similar type of love-hate
relationship growing up. She was always telling me to grow up. I was
always telling her to relax. She was Miss Perfect. I was Miss Do Her Own
Thing, never caring what other people thought. So if anything, the
sister-sister dynamic in "Steady Beat" is VERY close to my own life!
Jamie:
So what does a professional Manga artist use to draw? What type of
paper, pens, inks, etc...
Rivkah:
Mechanical pencil, pad of paper, clear ruler (so I can see what I'm
drawing over), and my computer setup: 9"x12" Wacom tablet, stylus, and
PC (I dislike macs). My pencils (the rough draft, basically) are all
completed by hand which I then scan in and finish on the computer. Inks,
tones, ballooning, and lettering are all completed digitally. Not many
people ink well with a tablet, but I consider it one of my specialties.
It just takes a little practice and some well-earned tricks to make it
look the same as inking by hand.
Jamie:
I know in Japan major artists have assistants that do a lot of the
art work for them. Do you ever foresee that happening here in America?
Rivkah:
It'd be nice, but I think that's still about 3-5 more years off. The
industry has had a huge boom with teens interested in becoming artists,
but at this point in time, the majority are still tied to school work
and unable to work as full-time assistants handling a deadline. Once
they graduate, perhaps we'll have some more capable and dependable
hands. ^_~ In the meantime, I continue to do it all by myself.
Jamie:
If you could afford them, would you consider using assistants to
help your books come out quicker?
Rivkah:
It really depends on the quality of the assistant and whether or not
they're able to pick up my style. I have a very distinct way of inking
hair and clothing and bodies that doesn't always show up in my pencils.
If I could actually find somebody close enough to work with me in my
studio so I could stand over their shoulder and teach them EXACTLY how I
do it, while overlooking their progress, offering hand-guided tutoring,
then I would. But I'm incredibly controlling when it comes to my work,
and right now, I've yet to meet anybody (other than already published
creators) I'd trust my inking and toning to.
Jamie:
I'm curious about how much TokyoPop does for the book. We know you
write and draw Steady Beat, but do you also do the lettering, inking,
the coloring on the covers?
Rivkah:
I do EVERYTHING. Except on the first book, I had ballooning and
lettering taken away from me because I was running behind my deadline.
That isn't happening again. *crosses fingers and spins in a circle three
time until dizzy* My editor does get creative input if he so chooses,
but he's yet to ask me to change or alter any of my original story
elements. The only thing I specifically ask for feedback on is
dialog--since that's one of my weak point--and for him to go over my
layouts and make sure the pacing is okay. The first book was a little
fast for his taste, but we've worked out a compromise for volume II that
I'm actually very happy with. :)
Jamie:
Do you wish your book was published in right to left format like
most of TOKYOPOP's books are?
Rivkah:
EYuck! No way! "Pink" was written for right to left because it was
published in Japan, not the US, and it was SUCH a headache trying to
write that way. It still read very left to right on the pages. >_>; I
think it's inconvenient and confusing to write in a direction that's
opposed to what you've been conditioned to since birth. So I was very
grateful to learn that TOKYOPOP's American titles would be published in
our native direction: left to right.
Jamie:
When you draw, do you draw right to left or left to right? And have
you tried it the other way?
Rivkah:
I don't think I'm sure what you mean. ^_^; I start in the center and
work my way outward. :D
Jamie:
Most of the Manga we see is published in black and white. Do you
ever foresee color Manga taking off in a big way?
Rivkah:
No. Color is too confusing. Case in point: I don't typically read
American comics, but while being given a tour of the DC offices last
time I was in NY, I was given a couple Batman & Robin comics with just
the pencils. I LOVED them. I'd actually seen them before in color and
merely flipped through. But with something simpler, I was riveted and
read the entire story.
A really good black and white comic (or movie for that matter . . . just
look at "Good Night and Good Luck" or "Sin City") utilizes the black and
white (and often grey for a non-clashing mid tone) to emphasize mood.
Color, when done well (such as in "300" or "Joan of Arc" or many
European comics), can create mood, but . . . it's incredibly difficult
to achieve and often overdone to the point of distraction. Black and
white is much easier to control, leaving the imagination free to fill in
the blanks and keeping the reader much more involved with the storytelling.
Also, color doesn't print very well on newsprint (which is what's needed
if you want an affordable product). Too much dot gain. Just take a look
at Marvel's "Spiderman" smaller paperback trade editions they're
marketing to the younger crowd. Positively muddy. A 1200 dpi B/W file
will print cleaning, clearly, and concisely on newsprint, a 300 dpi
color file will not. (and nobody prints 1200 dpi color unless they want
a huge brown mass on the page)
Jamie:
Are you at all worried the frequency of OEL books will hurt them
compared to already finished translated Manga books they are competing
against?
Rivkah:
I actually don't think we're competing against the Japanese comics on
the shelves. People who enjoy the pacing and style and art of manga but
don't like the Japanese perspective because of the unfamiliar cultural
content can be satisfied with a variety of titles and genres written
from an American or Canadian or English or Australian perspective.
On the other side of that question, neither do I believe OEL is
competing against OEL. I have yet to see TOKYOPOP publish two similar
original titles, and I still believe there is yet more to be made. The
stuff I'm seeing fall from the TOKYOPOP shelves is often highly original
(though with the same occasional duds every publisher puts out as well).
Then again, this is still very early in the industry, and I've had the
pleasure of seeing a lot of material that isn't yet OUT on shelves. ;P
It's good writing with good art that's going to appeal to very specific
audiences. We all have unique stories to tell, and there are so many
niches still being created.
Jamie:
In traditional comic book market there is some emphasis on self
publishing being the best route to go for both wealth and independence
if your book does really well. Do you see that happening Manga when the
bookstore market plays a big part in it's sales?
Rivkah:
The self-publishing route is a myth.
It doesn't work for people who've never been published. It works for
those who HAVE, and who've done a good job making a name for themselves.
It is incredibly difficult to get a self-published book in mainstream
bookstores. And those who do have usually spent so much money on
marketing and promoting themselves (and printing books) they end up in
the black anyway. I also don't believe it's possible to distance oneself
enough from a work to self-edit. It takes a team to make it happen.
That, and the majority of self-publishing books on the market are just
shy of useless. They give good insight on format and printing, but not
very much on distribution, which is what you need to know if you intend
upon actually selling your book.
Jamie:
I know Steady Beat is slated for 3 volumes, but you hope it will go
to 9. Do you have anything specific you want to do when it's done?
Rivkah:
Of course! But that may be in jeopardy if other publishers get their
way. I adore "Steady Beat," but I've also been approached by several
other publishers about both my YA novel in progress and a children's
series I've been pitching. So I've created two possible endings for
"Steady Beat" that could tie up either way. And I'm happy with both. :)
Regards,
Jamie Coville
http://www.TheGraphicNovels.com
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