FROM ASHES TO SMOOTHIES: JUNE KIM TALKS 12 DAYS

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

Like it or not, TOKYOPOP’s global manga projects have been creating waves after Tsunami-scale waves in North America and other parts of the world.

Unlike licensed manga from Japan, global manga titles are created and developed by homegrown, and in some cases, international, creators. Each of these creators brings a touch of his/her own manga (and anime) flavor to the creation of each creator’s respective project(s).

The next creator who will be seeing her work published is Korean-born writer/artist June Kim. Kim’s a graduate of Manhattan’s School of Visual Arts and has been working as an editorial and commercial illustrator for publications such as Teen People, Flaunt Magazine, The Insider, and the Korean edition of Elle.

Her most recognized masterpiece to date is her work on the debut album cover and music video for the popular rock band, JET.

Kim is no stranger to the creation of comics. Her creations include Sockdolager!, Prologue, Mage, and Vegetables are your friends. Published works include B-612 in New Thing Vol. 2, and Repeat in SheWolf Vol. 1.

In November, her profile is about to a major boost when TOKYOPOP releases her 12 Days, her first global manga project.

“I met New Thing’s publisher Jim Higgins at the first MoCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) Festival in NY the summer I graduated from SVA,” Kim recalled. “B-612 help me with opportunities with SheWolf and TOKYOPOP.”

12 Days tells the story of 29 year-old Jackie Yuan who mourned the death of her former lover Noah Yoon by holding the most unusual ritual – consuming Noah’s ashes in the form of smoothies for 12 days with the hope that the pain will subside with her profound reaction to Noah’s death. While she and her partner-in-crime Nick spend the time in the closed space of her apartment, they slowly become consumed by Noah's tragedy.

“Jackie’s a stubborn, intelligent, proud and strong woman,” Kim explained. “Jackie is composed and cool in appearance, but she gets easily hurt and recovers slowly. Jackie loathes showing her weaknesses to other people, but oddly enough, seems to feel comfortable enough around Nick to reveal her mind.

“Nick, who is Noah’s half-brother, becomes closer to Jackie after Noah’s death. He was the only one in his family who knew how Noah felt about Jackie. He is mature for his age, but eccentric enough to partake in Jackie’s extreme plan. He can come across blunt, selfish and even rude, but inside he is caring and sweet.

“I wrote the story in sophomore year in college, partially based on a story I heard from a stranger about 10 years ago,” she continued. “I developed the story to get over my breakup but I got over it before I finish the comic. I am glad I stopped then. The idea was a poorly built.

“I started working on 12 Days in the beginning of 2005 and finished mid-August this year. It took longer than we had initially planned, because of my slow speed, other projects and family matters. TP was very understanding about it.”

Creators like Becky Cloonan (East Coast Rising), Svetlana Chmakova ([b]Dramacon[b]), Felipe Smith (MBQ), Keith Giffen and Ben Roman (I Luv Halloween), Chuck Austen and Hiroki Otsuka (Boys of Summer), and others have seen their works published by TOKYOPOP. For Kim, she thinks that the booming manga market is “great. Although it will take some time for manga to reach out of the comic readership that America has had for years. But compared to eight years ago when I first came to the States, it’s amazing how [the] manga industry has expanded.”

What’s her take on global manga then? “A lot of people [are] confused [with the] definition of manga and its popular styles. But manga is a medium, a sequential art, with a slightly different grammar in visual storytelling than Western comic. Anybody can learn and draw it.”

And the whole experience of creating her own global manga has been “a bit ironic. I was raised in Korea, I grew up very close with manhwa and manga to the point I went to college to learn Japanese. I went to art school in NY because I wanted to do something different from manhwa or manga. But here I am, back to manga. But I think I was also confusing what manga really was.”

That said, having the chance to get the project off the ground was like “a sprinter running in a marathon” for Kim. “This is the longest comic I’ve done, and I had not been so prolific with short stories either. I learned so much through this project. English was also a big part of the problem.
Things that came to me in Korean didn’t sound right in English at all. I had to think in a different way to make it work.

“I am a very greedy person with a broad taste,” she said. Her favorite comics include Chris Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth and anything by Ben Ketchor and Lynda Berry. She also loves manga by Kiriko Nananan, Yumi Tada, Urasawa Naoki, Takehiko Inoue, Ichiko Ima, Umezu Kazuo, Taiyo Matsumoto, and Hinako Sugiura. “When I see something amazing, I want to have the talent, but what you can draw and what you want to draw is not always the same. All of them influence me in different ways but I try to not to get too much into one style.

“I hope to improve myself as a comic writer and artist. More than anything I want to complete a book.”

[Greg McElhatton]

June Kim's story in NEW THING was amazing--I absolutely cannot wait for this new book. Hurrah!

[AlexLothos]

It looks really good and sounds interesting.

[J.S. Rich]

I'm very excited for this. I've enjoyed June Kim's work for quite a long time. She's going to be an exciting talent to watch.