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sean michael wilson
on parecomic and other stuff...
BHP―ショーンさん、こんにちは。『パレコミック(Parecomic)』についてですが、これはあなたとカール・トムソンさんがBlue and Green Tomorrow というイギリスを拠点とする雑誌のために、一緒に描いた連載漫画『グリーン・ベンチ(Green Benches)』に続く、二本目の共同作品ですね。そもそもその Blue and Green Tomorrow の仕事と共同作業はどうして起こったのか、また『パレコミック』でカールさんと一緒に働いたことは『グリーン・ベンチ』とどのように違ったか、教えてください。
Sean: カールと僕が出会ったきっかけは僕が彼の大学に来賓演説者として訪れたことだよ。そこ・・・ミネアポリスでは、毎年アニコンが開かれててね。それを機会に4，5人の学生とインタビュー（というか雑談に近かったかな）をやることにして、将来一緒に仕事をできる人材でも探してみたんだ。今の所そこからの二人と一緒に仕事をしたことがあってね、それがカールとレジェーナ・スマイリーというもう一人の学生です。カールはアーティストとして役に立つ、様々な能力を持ち合わせているよ。結構素早くて、頼りになるし、なにより上手い。その三つを持ってさえいれば良い事がたくさんできちゃうんだよ。だけどほとんどのアーティストはその中の一つ、もしくは二つしか持ってないことが多いんだ。遅いけど、上手くて頼りになれるんだったらまだいい。だけど例え上手くても、常に遅くて全く頼りになれないんだったら、その人もその人担当の編集者も手を焼くことになるだろうね。 作品での違いに関しては、実はカールと僕はすでに４、５個の短いコミックストリップを一緒に描いたりした上に、あの長編になった『パレコミック』があります。『グリーン・ベンチ』が僕にとって特別だったのは、僕にとって初めての長形式の「単行本」の漫画というよりも、四コマのような「カートゥーン」であったからなんだよね。だから多少は「起・承・転・結」を気にして、従来の短い帯漫画みたいに描かなければならなかったんだ。それができる自信があまりなくってね、少し緊張してたよ。だけどカールと共にいい具合に成し遂げた。結果には満足してるし、このようなことをもっとやってみたいと思ったな。一緒に働くそのプロセス自体は同じ感じであって、それとは違った、物語が必要とするスクリプトが肝心なことなんだよ。カールのアートスタイルに関して一番問題だったのは、２００ページも描かないとけないことが大変すぎて、なんとか一つ一つのコマやページの趣旨を伝えながらも描き方を少し簡略化しなければならなかったそうだ。若いアーティストにとっては結構負担のかかる課題でね、特に初めてのグラフィックノベルとしては。だけど、やっぱりいい感じにやってくれたよ。 BHP―『パレコミック』の作成に当たって、一部分はキックスタータープロジェクトによる資金援助を受けてましたね。キックスターターを利用する体験はどうでした？他の方にもキックスターター、またはキックスターターの日本版をお勧めしますか？ S： キックスターターに関してだけど・・・押し通すのにはたくさんの労力がかかり、時に神経に障ることもあったり、彼らとの銀行口座を立ち上げる所は難しかったなあ。でも一般の人たちが他の一般の人を支えられることは素晴らしいよ。ぶっちゃけ僕がやるようなコミックや漫画はあまりお金にならないから、キックスターターは物事を途中まで持っていくのを手伝ってくれて、創造し続けることを許してくれるんだ。アメリカでも言うように、”I gotta eat!” (俺だって食っていかないといけないんだよ！)。 そして僕がなればいいなあって思ってる未来でのキックスターターの存在に関しては、できればそのようなものは必要ないといいな。本当のところ、今日の資本主義のシステムは十分の金銭的な利益を産まない限り、新しい興味深い発想は促さない傾向にある。人間の創造性にとって、それはとっても大きな障害なんだ。我々賢い人間たちにとって、たくさんの凄い物や役に立つ作業を思いつくことは可能なのだけど、金銭的の利益は生じないことが多い。キックスターターとは、そういうものを手助けするために存在するんだ。新しい発想が金銭的な利益を産む可能性が低いからって抑えられないためにね。何かがある程度役に立つと見られ、僕たちが揃っていい考えだと決めれば、その人工的なフィルターは除けられる。そうやって、いっぱい、色んな発想や発明や製品が作られるようになる。そんなより良い時代を楽しみにしてるし、きっとそれはコミック漫画のルネサンスに繋がると信じてるよ！ BHP―ショーンさん、あなたは日本の漫画と劇画活動については知識が豊富だと聞きました。編集者としてもAx (Vol 1): A Collection of Alternative Mangaという選集を作ったことですが、Black Hook Pressの読者に現代の議題について描いている日本人の漫画家について話していただけますか？議題と言えば、『パレコミック』にあったものや、ロバート・クラムの『旧約聖書 創世記編』、ハーヴィー・ピーカーの『アメリカン・スプレンダー』、アート・スピーゲルマンの『マウス』、またはエド・ピスカーの『ヒップホップファミリートリー』などがありますが。 S： 日本にも何個かの良い独立したコミックもあって、それらは一号に5000～2500というわずかな部数しか発行されないから支援を必要としてるんだ。日本の基準にしては低い数値だよ。その中の一つが勿論『アックス』の日本版でもあるんだよね。2か月に一度出版されます。あと、月間コミック『ビーム』、『リュウ』、そして『IKKI』を是非読んでみてほしいね。けど、特に今僕が編集をしている、松本正彦の『たばこ屋の娘』をお勧めしたい。70年代前半の日本の社会についてであって、都会風の内容の中に平凡の日常や感情が細かく描写されている。松本は、辰巳ヨシヒロやつげ義春と並ぶ劇画の誕生に深く携わっている漫画家の一人だ。これは彼の作品の中で正式に英語訳されたものだから、特別なものなんだ。今年中にTop Shelf Productionsによって出版されるよ。 BHP―ショーンさん、作品が日本の携帯や機器で作品を読めるようになっているイギリス人としてはあなたが初めてであるとあげられています。Black Hook Pressの読者にどのようにこれが起ったかを教えていただけますか？また、日本では発展中である英語のグラフィックノベル（または英語から日本語に訳されたノベル）の電子的・物質的な市場はどう見ていますか？ S: ああ、そう、日本に来て一、二年経ってからイギリスから来てるのは僕だけだって気づいたんだよ。あ、専門的なレベルで、ってことだけどね。アマチュアの作者は結構いると思うよ、実際何人かとは会ってるし。そして携帯漫画だけど、あれは僕がこれまでやってきたことの結果に過ぎないよ。ただ、聞いてみただけさ！僕とあの作品と関わっていたアーティストが興味を持ってくれそうな会社を訪れてみて、少し話し合った後にそれを携帯電話ダウンロードシステムに持って行ってくれることを承託してくれたんだよ。僕自身はまだ「紙」派だね、物質的な本を手に持つ方が好きだし。けど去年iPadが手に入ったから、それでも漫画を読むのも今は楽しいよ。小説とかもそれで読むよ。僕自身の漫画もますますデジタルフォーマットで見られるようになってきてるし、comiXologyやアマゾン・キンドルみたいなのもこの二年間辺りで増加したと思うよ。日本の市場の方が発展してるけどね。正確な情報や数値でもあげられるけど、僕の言うことを信じちゃっても平気だよ！最近電子版のみの本、BITS and BOBSを作ってみて、それは僕の短編コミックの220ページ分を集めた10周年記念の本なんだ。あ、漫画製作者としての10周年記念、だよ！ BHP―2013年10月20日に第二回海外漫画フェスタが開かれることですが、そこで今年あなたは何をやっていられますか？ S: いつも通りに僕らの色んな本を見せたり売ったり、色んな人と話したり、もしかすると僕の本についてレクチャーでもするかも。面白そうなイベントだと思うよ、漫画に携わる様々な人を引き寄せている点では。日本の人たちにとっては必要な体験だよ－もっと世界のコミックについて学んで、経験を広げないといけないからね。 Parecomic is the story of michael albert. It is written by sean michael wilson and illustrated by Carl thompson.
Hi Sean, Parecomic, you and Carl Thompson wrote this after working together on a cartoon series called Green Benches for Blue and Green Tomorrow, a magazine based in the U.K. How did the initial collaboration and job for Blue and Green Tomorrow come about , and how was working with Carl on Parecomic different to working on Green Benches ?
Carl and I met first when I went to his college, as a guest speaker. They have a manga festival every year, there in Minneapolis. So, i took the chance to kind of interview (informal chat really) 4 or 5 student there, for folk to work with in the future. So far i’ve worked with two of them, Carl and another student, Rejena Smiley. Carl has a useful mix of things for an artist - he is quite quick, he is reliable and he’s good. If you can get those 3 things in your tool bag then you can do good things. But many artists are only 1 of those, or maybe 2. If you are slow, but good and reliable that can still be ok. If you are good, but always late and often unreliable - it’s going to cause you and the publisher trouble. As to the different work Carl and I have already done 4 or 5 short strips together and of course the one long book, Parecomic. The Green Benches strip was special in that it was my first ever actual CARTOON, as opposed to long form comic BOOK. Each strip is a page at most, of ¾ of a page. So it had to be kind of like a ‘set up/info/punchline’ type approach, of the traditional short cartoon strip, more or less. I was not sure if I COULD do that. It was a bit nerve racking. But we pulled it off well, me and Carl - i’m please with the result and would like to do more such short cartoons. The actual process of working together is pretty much the same, its the different type of script that the story requires that is the main thing. As to Carl’s art the key problem with having to do more than 200 pages is that its just SO MUCH work. so, he had to find a way to par down his style, simplifying it a bit, while still conveying the main purpose of each panel and page. Quite a task for a young artist to take on, for his first long form graphic novel. But he pulled it off pretty well. Parecomic’s creation was partially funded by a kickstarter project. What was your experience like using kickstarter ? Would you recommend Kickstarter or the Japanese version of Kickstarter to others ? SEAN: As to kickstarter - it’s a lot of work to push it through, a bit nerve-racking and the setting up of the bank account aspect with them can be difficult. But the ability of ordinary folk to help fund other ordinary folk is wonderful. The basic thing is that the kind of comics and manga that I do don’t make much money, so kickstarter helps bring thing up to a half decent level, allowing you to continue to create. As the Americans say: I gotta eat! As to it’s place within the kind of society that I would like us to develop in the future, there would probably be no need for things like kickstarter. The basic need for that, now, is because the capitalist system does not encourage interesting ideas unless they will make enough profit, in purely monetary terms. That is a HUGE barrier to human creativity. Since we clever humans are capable of coming up with many, many great things and processes that will be beneficial, but may not make a lot of money profit. Kickstarter exists to give those things a chance. But in a parecon society or a wider anarchist type society the very basis of the system would be to produce beneficial things and processes. So new ideas would not be knocked down purely because they won’t make a money profit. If they are seen as beneficial to some level, and we collectively decide that it’s a good idea, then it can go ahead. So, far far more such ideas and inventions and productions will be possible, when the artificial profit filter is removed. I look forward to that better state, and will almost certainly lead to a real rennaissance in comics! Sean, you are knowledgeable of Japanese comics and the Gekiga (劇画?) movement in Japan, moving on from your editor selection for Ax (Vol 1): A Collection of Alternative Manga can you tell Black Hook readers about any japanese writers of comics and graphic novels that are addressing contemporary subjects, subjects like those found in comics like your Parecomic or Crumb’s Book of Genesis or American Splendour or Spiegelmans Maus or even Piskor’s Hip Hop Family Tree ? There are a few good independent comics in Japan, and they need support since most of them don’t see much, maybe from 5,000 to 25,000 copies per issue. Which, by Japanese standards is lowish. The first of these is, of course, Japanese AX itself. It comes out bi-monthly. But please also check out BEAM, RYU and IKKI. However, I’d like to direct folk to a book that I’m editing myself, which is CIGARETTE GIRL, from Masahiko Matsumoto. It’s about Japanese society in the early 70s, and the everyday scenes and feelings happening within the urban context. Matsumoto was one of the early gekiga creators, along with Tatsumi and Tsuge. This will be his first book officially out in English, and something very special. It’s coming from Top Shelf later this year. Sean, you’re quoted as being the only British writer to have your stories available on Japanese mobile phones and devices. Can you explain to Black Hook readers how this came about ?, and also how do you see the digital and physical market for graphic novels written in english (or translated from English) developing in Japan ? SEAN: Yes, I realized after a year or two here in Japan that I was the only one from Britain. I mean the only one working at a professional level. There must be quite a lot of amateur creators, I’ve met a few of them already. About the mobile phone manga that was the result of the same thing that got me most of my progress – I just asked! Myself and the artist involved went to see a company that may be interested and after some discussion they agreed to take our book onto the mobile phone download system in Japan. I myself am still a ‘paper man’ for books, I prefer holding the physical books. But I got myself an ipad last year and now I am very happy to read comics on it, too. I also read a lot of text books on it. My own comics are increasingly available in digital format, and I believe that places like Comixology have increased hugely in the last couple of years, and also Kindle. Though the Japanese market is still way ahead. I can look out some facts and figures if you like, but maybe you’ll just take my word for it? I recently put together a digital only book, BITS and BOBS, which collects together 220 pages worth of my short comics stories – to mark my tenth years anniversary. 10 years as a comic book creator that is! So the 2nd international Manga Fest will take place 20th October, 2013 can you explain what your going to be up to at the event this year ? SEAN: the usual stuff - showing and selling our various books, talking to people, and maybe I will give a lecture there about my books. It seems like a good event, attracting various international comic book folk. and that is very much needed, as Japanese really need to learn more about comics from the rest of the world, broaden their experience. What makes you happy ? SEAN: One of the great advances in my life, comparing the rather miserable state i was in during my late teens and early 20s, is how happy I am now. Through various things i became a lot more happy, focused and calm. Learning to breath better helped me, yoga type breathing helped me became a lot more physically calm. Also hypnotherapy (I have a diploma in this actually) helped me be more focused and calm. Possibly also ‘magick’ (there is a much miss-understood word) helped me to be more appreciative of various things, to see the beauty in the everyday. All good healthy stuff. What inspires you and your work ? SEAN: I think the same thing inspires everyone, essentially, it just comes in different dresses. It’s having a sense of purpose and meaning that inspires us. When I wake up in the morning i often have an idea for a story, or some addition to an existing story, or remember some important thing that needs done on a book’s production process. And I WANT to get up to do that, it feels worth getting out of bed for. One of the big problems with capitalism, and why I can’t accept that as a system, is that MOST people don’t have a good reason to get out of bed! They don’t have anything in their work that inspires them, makes them feel that they have a purpose, that they can contribute meaningfully to. Horrible. And why do i channel that inspiration into comics and not, say, movies? Because films already get way too much attention! I prefer to be in the company of the more artistic and honest underdog. What do you love/miss about Scotland ? Love: The beautiful old buildings, the food (very basic stuff like fish and chips) and the TV. Looking at old buildings is good for the soul, for the sense of aesthetic pleasure. I think British tv comedy, drama and documentary is very high standard. Hate (lets say dislike): The high level of violence. I don’t mean domestic violence, which is an important issue, of course, I mean ‘street violence’,fighting in bars, clubs, on the street itself, etc - because that type is largely overlooked and accepted. But it should not be as it affects millions of people very week. The readiness to use violence at the drop of a hat in the UK (and USA) is deeply shameful. What do you love/hate about Japan ? Dislike: The LACK of old buildings, the food and the TV! It is really a huge shame that 90% of the meiji and Edo era building are gone (where as in Scotland most buildings are still from those times). I am not very keen on Japanese food - which amazes most gajin, but, what can i say? I’ve tried it and most of it is not for me. And the TV here is like some ironic joke, most of it so terrible that it must be a grand scale joke to have it on, no? 90% of it one of these groups: 1.visiting a resturant and saying oishiii!!!! 2. pathetic game or chat shows of stupendous shallowness. 3. hopelessly wooden dramas with the same basic types of characters again and again. 4. very old fashioned comedy of the type that we left behind in the UK in the 70s. Of course there are several problems with Japanese normal behaviour and attitudes, but it will get me into big trouble if I really say what i think! But here are some relatively easy ones: don’t buy BIG cars if your city is full of NARROW roads! Don’t park your BIG car in a way that takes up ALL of the walking pavement, so forcing people to walk on the busy car street! Don’t wait with your bikes at the road crossing area in a way that 90% blocks people going in the other direction (this is an interesting national characteristic of the Japanese, which they seem oblivious too. It’s very curious!). Like: There are many things i like about Japan, and especially the town i live in, Kumamoto. I really feel at home here and most people are genuinely pleasant. Quite a lot of the local folk in the street market i shop in know me as a manga ka from articles in the local newspapers and they are very nice to me, giving me ‘service’ free stuff often. It’s lovely. But one key thing I’d like to focus on: violence. Unlike the UK or USA, Japan has a very small level of street violence. The level of violent crime in the US is 29 times that of Japan - that’s an astonishing difference! The Japanese should be VERY proud of how little fighting there is in bars, clubs, drunks on the streets, etc. In this aspect Japan is a beacon for the other large developed countries. What processes do you use/enjoy when writing? SEAN: I am pretty good at organising myself and getting some work done every day. I’m often surprised with some people who lets weeks slip by and get nothing done. You need to be organised and discipline yourself. I tend to write 2 or 3 pages almost every day, which means that in 3 months you can write a full length book of about 150 pages. Though, you may need quite a long time before that to think about it, make notes, research, etc. And it may take several months afterwards to work with the artists and publisher on various aspects of the book’s production. Basic process is: new idea, make notes, work on plot, breakdown the whole story roughly into page by page, write the script. In comic books the script is the main blueprint, even many of the visuals start from the writer's mind (depending on how you work and with whom). In the way I work, the writer describes the dialogue, writes the actual speech balloons, the rectangular caption boxes, and works out visually what takes place on each page, and then on each panel within each page - and we write that in the script to, in explanatory lines to the artists. But of course, it is a collaborative medium, and the artist sometimes contributes ideas about character and plot (though not so much in my case). The artist almost always contributes ideas about how to visualise each panel and the total page structure or construction - on that aspect it's very much a balanced collaboration. But it's not so much that the artist will DISCUSS how with me first, they normally just DO it, sketch it in rough form and send me those. For me these are normally ok, about 90% of the time I guess. I write a moderate amount of directions about how I think something should be visualised within each panel. But the artist often has a better idea of the specific aspects of making that come alive, so there is plenty of room for them on the actual pen on paper drawing stage and I rarely ask them to make any big changes. Music I love to listen to … SEAN: music is a massive part of my life, it’s my other love. I’ve been a DJ since 1990 in Scotland, and i still do it - I will DJ here next week. Not bloody ‘scratch scratch, talk talk’ DJ, which I dont like. Old and best style Djing - playing one good record, followed by another good record - the end! I love 60s and 70s rock, jazz, RnB (not the modern RnB, which is totally horrible), psychedelic, mod, northern soul. Wonderful stuff, i love it. One of the bad things about Japan now is that most young people only know ‘hip hop, j-pop and modern rnb’ - that is a very narrow range of music to know, they are missing out on so much! It’s a bit like ONLY eating Mossburger everyday. It’s not a healthy diet. No, we need a balanced diet of good music to keep our ears healthy!
The Small Faces perforning the song 'Tin Soldier' on French Tv in 1968. Raw rock beauty, with stylish energy bursting out the seams:
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