TOKYOPOP’S RISING STARS II: FELIPE SMITH ON MBQ

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

TOKYOPOP’s Rising Stars of Manga alumnus creator Felipe Smith is set to release the first volume of his creation, MBQ, in July. MBQ is an expansion of his second-place winning entry in the third Rising Stars competition.

"It’s a book about life on the streets of LA but not through a thug sensibility, that exploitative vision that is slathered over Grand Theft Auto San Andreas and every stupid TV show set in the city," TOKYOPOP editor Luis Reyes told Newsarama. "This is a story about the people who live in the city, who struggle in the city, and there are some horrific elements and funny elements. It’s really a book about life, and Felipe Smith, the creator, is a fascinating person—raised in Argentine to mixed race parents, he went to art school in Chicago and then came to LA and taught himself Japanese, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg."

In Part 2 of a series of features focusing on the next generation of manga-kas from the #1 publisher of manga in the U.S., we sat down with the LA-based Smith for a look at life after winning the RSOM competition and what he has to offer to the world of American manga with MBQ.

Newsarama: What made you decide to enter the third Rising Stars of Manga contest?

Felipe Smith: A burning need to get my work published somewhere quick was what prompted me to enter TOKYOPOP’s RSOM. I’d been working hard on a couple of projects and had all the will and lack of sleep behind them to make them work, but had no publisher who’d give me a hand with the monetary aspect of making comics.

15 days before the submission deadline for RSOM3, I was looking up websites and bumped into (yes believe it or not) a Newsarama page with an ad for TOKYOPOP ’s contest. This is true (but if you guys want to pay me, you may). [laughs]

It’s kind of funny that about a year later, I find myself answering your questions for an interview. Full circle, I guess. [laughs] I believe everything and everyone in life is somehow connected. Every day I’m more sure of it. So I try my best to be nice to everybody equally. [laughs]

NRAMA: How has your world changed since winning the RSOM contest?

FS: In a lot of ways, not much has changed. I still do pretty much everything I did before I won the contest. I still eat, I still sleep, and I still draw. The one big change is I no longer work at a private room karaoke bar from 8 at night to 5 in the morning. It was a pretty crazy shift, but it allowed me to draw.

With a book almost out on the shelves, I know there’s a long way to go. It’s still uphill from here, but I feel I’ve got some support and a publisher to back me up. The greatest change is the fact that I have more time to draw and write my material, so it’s up to me to make the most of it and try to avoid going back to “flipping burgers”, or serving soju shots.

NRAMA: How has it been to finally bring MBQ into its premier publication in July?

FS: I’m definitely the one anticipating it the most. I can’t wait to see the physical book. I’ve wanted to get a book out for the longest time, so until I see that book I will never truly sleep.

NRAMA: In an earlier press release, Editor Luis Reyes said, “Felipe Smith’s work keeps a quick and fluid pace. His narratives, though humorous and self-mocking, resonate deeply with all of us trying to be true to ourselves in a world that doesn’t want to let us. This book is about the very personal struggle of an artist trying to live his life on his own terms.” How much have you learned from your editor and the guys at TOKYOPOP?

FS: The staff at TOKYOPOP has been really supportive. The main office is a 20-minute bicycle ride away, so I’ve stopped by many times to drop files off, scan artwork, and have my meetings with Luis, my editor. I’ve been there often enough to overstay my welcome, but everybody from scanning, layout and design to editorial, marketing and sales has been a pleasure to work with. The guys at TOKYOPOP have really backed me up every step of the way with MBQ.

NRAMA: Okay, moving on, you mentioned that you based the original work on your own personal experience as an aspiring creator. MBQ is also a story about a young man trying to make ends meet and realize his dream as a creator…

FS: Most of my stories are inspired by real life and first hand experience. I feel that’s the one thing I can write about with certain confidence at this point in my life. MBQ is drawn from my experience so far living in the city of Los Angeles. The stories sometimes originate from people I meet, real places I’ve been to or frequent, or part time jobs I’ve had.
An important driving force in creating MBQ was the need to overcome molds and clichés and address things with honesty. Some refer to it as “keeping it real”, a phrase often used, but seldom practiced. “Keeping it real” may create problems for me due to the fact that sometimes sincerity is not appreciated. But I’m hoping most of the readers will keep an open mind and their eyes even more wide open to observe the stories as they unfold.

NRAMA: MBQ is an extension of your winning entry, right? What was the story that you'd told in RSOM3?

FS: MBQ is the continuation of my RSOM3 entry, “Felipe Smith Draws Manga”. It differs slightly in the sense that I am no longer the protagonist of the story. In MBQ, the protagonist is a young man named Omario, who finds himself in a similar situation, trying to earn a living making comics.

In “Felipe Smith Draws Manga”, Felipe, after being promised the world (getting a book published) and working for months for free with no sign of a contract, finds out he has been dropped by his would-be publisher like a stone into the sea, with no future signs of publication in the horizon.

Having poured his heart and soul into the scrapped project and feeling betrayed by a lying, unscrupulous, manipulative editor with a lack of vision, Felipe loses to anger and hopelessness. Blinded by this blazing sense of betrayal he purchases a gun and sets out to erase the source of his frustration.

NRAMA: It’s pretty apparent that Omario is also Felipe Smith trying to create and draw manga. But who else is there in MBQ? And what are they like in the story?

FS: MBQ is the story of six characters. A struggling comic book artist named Omario, his aspiring film maker roommate Jeff, a Japanese American MC named Brian, a gun trafficking gang leader named Dee, a seasoned LAPD Officer near retirement by the name of Finch, and his Rookie partner O’Malley.

At a glance the one thing they all have in common is that they live in Los Angeles, but as the story progresses we observe their separate paths converge. MBQ is a story about the way people live and why.

Omario: Obnoxious. The embodiment of the self-centered artist, he’s a fine arts school graduate who’s $25,000 in debt, broke, jobless, and committed to his craft, making comics. He refuses to draw superheroes, robots, ninjas, aliens, or anything else that seems to sell in the market. Omario’s rise to comic book stardom is very if-y.

Officer O’Malley: A rookie LAPD officer eager to prove his worth. Born in one of the harshest parts of East Los Angeles, Aidan Patrick O’Malley has seen his life threatened since a very early age. Living alone with his mother in a small apartment and attending the local public school, O’Malley was subjected to daily torture by the neighborhood bullies. There was no doubt in his mind about what he wanted to be when he grew up.

Jeff: A screenwriter and filmmaker who moves out to L.A. to make his dreams come true. A recent art school graduate, like Omario, Jeff also has a vision; but unlike his ranting roommate, he also has a firm grip on reality. Jeff knows the bills won’t pay themselves, so he works at the local MBQ burger joint to make ends meet.

Dee: Gang leader, weapons trafficker and shipment hijacker, he’s one of the many who choose an alternate way of living in the city of Angels. Dee takes nonsense from nobody and is merciless when it comes to business and money. Besides that, he’s a nice guy.

Brian: A poet and the lead MC for the local hip-hop group RLC, Brian is another artist trying to make his mark on the west coast while working minimum wage.

Officer Finch: O'Malley's training officer. Officer Finch attempts to advise the young and eager rookie on the ways of law enforcement. He's been on the LAPD force for many years and knows the streets well. Years patrolling the streets have taught him to be patient and to think, not always act.

NRAMA: As a creator, what do you hope to achieve with MBQ?

FS: I hope people tell their friends who don’t read comics about MBQ. Those who are not strangers to comics might already know of titles like this; dealing with everyday life situations; without obvious heroes or villains or anything paranormal. But in the eyes of the common person who doesn’t read comics, all comics are for kids and are about heroes with superpowers. I’d like comics other than those to reach mainstream popularity.

NRAMA: As a reader, what're some of your favorite manga/comics?

FS: I like Roku de Nashi Blues, Gorio, Worst, Shamo, Psycho, and the Tokyo Tribe 2 series, which is currently being released by TOKYOPOP as Tokyo Tribes.

Non-manga titles I like are [Simon] Bisley’s Lobo and Judge Dredd, Cazador, Anita la Hija del Verdugo and El Muerto.

NRAMA: How much have these influenced you as a creator?

FS: They’ve influenced me greatly. Though lately most of what feeds my visuals has been pulled from reality, these works, as well as many others, have definitely influenced what I do. The titles I’m most drawn to are those that are very expressive visually. Evocative images are really important if one wants to establish an immediate link with the reader. But ultimately, inevitably, regardless of how vivid the art may be, the storyline is the most important part of a comic.

NRAMA: Okay, last chance to promote MBQ…

FS: [Other than] 217 pages of the most vivid black and white you’ve ever seen, bound with a nice vibrant wrap-around full color cover, Volume One of MBQ [also includes] a Volume 2 preview spread, and a page in which Omario and his roommate Jeff ask the reader to buy four copies of MBQ for his grandma, and tell everybody and their mother about the book.

MBQ Volume One is scheduled to be in stores in July. To find out more about Felipe Smith, go to his official website at www.felipesmith.com or check out the MBQ section at www.tokyopop.com/mbq

Related articles:
TOKYOPOP’S RISING STARS I: JESS STONCIUS ON WORK BITES

TOKYOPOP’S RISING STARS III: M. ALICE LeGROW ON BIZENGHAST

TOKYOPOP'S RISING STARS IV: AMY KIM GANTER ON SORCERERS & SECRETARIES

TOKYOPOP'S RISING STARS V: LINDSAY CIBOS ON PEACH FUZZ

TOKYOPOP'S RISING STARS VI: CHRISTY LIJEWSKI ON RE:PLAY

RISING STARS of MANGA VII: IRENE FLORES ON MARK OF THE SUCCUBUS

RISING STARS OF MANGA VIII: RON KAULFERSCH & MIKE SCHWARK ON VAN VON HUNTER

RISING STARS OF MANGA IX: SHANE GRANGER (w/ JASON HENDERSON & TONY SALVAGGIO) ON PSy-COMM

TOKYOPOP'S RISING STARS X: WES ABBOTT ON DOGBY WALKS ALONE

ON FIVE SETS OF RISING STARS: JEREMY ROSS ON TOKYOPOP'S RISING STARS OF MANGA

[Charlie Hustle]

I like the art quite a bit for the most part, with the exception of the panel where it looks like a photograph was simply desaturated in photoshop and maybe had a filter like 'impressionist' thrown on it. I realize people like Dave McKean do it all the time but... I don't care for it there either. Otherwise the attention to detail is well done.

[IronMice]

I am SO buying this - Felipe's art is as good as ever. I like slice of life stories, and darn I can relate to all this artistic angst! Doing "The Dreaming" for TokyoPop and nearing the end of it, I know what he means by loving and hating it at the same time. Too bad I don't have the option to cycle to TokyoPop's head office and harass the staff there like Felipe does.

Oh, I wonder when it's coming out... the interview doesn't mention (or does it and I somehow missed it?).

---
TokyoPop: "The Dreaming"
http://www.queeniechan.com/

[Benjamin Ong]

Originally posted by IronMice
Oh, I wonder when it's coming out... the interview doesn't mention (or does it and I somehow missed it?).

From the article:

TOKYOPOP’s Rising Stars of Manga alumnus creator Felipe Smith is set to release the first volume of his creation, MBQ, in July.

[Rivkah]

I am SO buying this - Felipe's art is as good as ever. I like slice of life stories, and darn I can relate to all this artistic angst!

I like this much better than his CYOM entry--"Money." It's just so much easier to relate to. And is it just me, or does Felipe's style feel a little different here? It seems much less tone-heavy and the lines seem more wimsical. I like it, personally. It lightens up the mood.

And--as someone else mentioned above--the background shortcuts are interesting. I'd have to see it in print to see how it'll work out in the long run, though. He altered the photographs in such a way that it adds nice contrast to the drawn art, yet I've always had a preference for drawn backgrounds as a drawn background picks up the style of the artist.

And the cover's different. O_o *lol* Last one I saw of MBQ was much less tame. >_< (the protagonist was flipping off the audience) Probably for the better though . . . I could see the previous cover might scare off some audiences and make kids wary of reading it in front of parents. Still . . . it had a certain charm to it. ^_^;

And--as always--I love how Felipe can pull off those flat greyscale tones. He certainly has a style that's all his own. (:

-Rivkah
News Blog

[Crispy]

Originally posted by Rivkah
[b]I like this much better than his CYOM entry--"Money." It's just so much easier to relate to. And is it just me, or does Felipe's style feel a little different here? It seems much less tone-heavy and the lines seem more wimsical. I like it, personally. It lightens up the mood.

I think you're right on the money with his style being different. It's not as bold and brash as it was before... and *GASP* not EVERY face here is an angry one! His style's gotten more... angular I guess you could say, as well. It's interesting, though, and it's all his own.

[El Argentino]

I meet Felipe in Argentina in a comicshop called "Rayo Negro". Really a great artist and fun guy.

A!

[jasinmartin]

Originally posted by Rivkah
I like this much better than his CYOM entry--"Money." It's just so much easier to relate to. And is it just me, or does Felipe's style feel a little different here?

I absolutely loved what I saw in "Money", it was very impressive.

I too noticed right off, once TPop had some sample up of MBQ, that his style looked a bit different. The man obviously has chops, so I'm onboard for whatever direction he takes it!

Looking forward to this, and also seeing how TPop original content titles perform. I think it's too cool that they're going in that direction. Hopefully the bookstore crowd that buoys TPop get behind it...

[Felipe]

Hey everybody, how's it going?
Sorry about those photoshoped pictures. I should have drawn those backgrounds in, my apologies.
Hahaha, just kidding.
That building with the lion is the school I graduated from. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It's a museum exhibiting paintings by Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Seurat, Van Gogh and Picasso among other renowned fine artists.
I used a picture to familiarize the viewer with the setting. I want the reader to know these are real places Omario and Jeff (and every other character) are interacting with. My characters are real people. 5 out of 6 of the main characters in my book have been inspired by people I know. Some of them are spitting images of the actual person.
By using a picture I can rest assured the audience can readily identify the spot.
Don't worry, the rest of the 217 pages of my book, pretty much, have hand drawn backgrounds, for those who abhor photos (I like drawing backgrounds, actually). For this segment though, I wanted to use photos, to be 100% sure people who knew the school would recognize the setting. The guy giving the speech to the newly enrolled artists, is the president of the school, hahaa, what up Tony!! Give me my money back!

[Rivkah]

Originally posted by Felipe
Don�'t worry, the rest of the 217 pages of my book, pretty much, have hand drawn backgrounds, for those who abhor photos (I like drawing backgrounds, actually)

I'm glad to hear that. I love the way you draw backgrounds (all that detail! and the little hidden things you throw in), but I understand what you're getting at by using photos to let the reader know those are real, actual places. Since they're only used in specific places in the book, we'll forgive you this time. ^_~

Btw, is this self-contained? I noticed there are no "volume 1, 2, 3" tabs on your TP page. If so, what made you decide to only go with one volume?

I'm also impressed how quickly you got this out. RSOM3 wasn't all that terribly long ago. Your entry was what actually made me purchase that particular volume. (Isn't it good to know you take people's money?) ^_~

-Rivkah
News Blog

[Felipe]

Thanks for the positive feedback and support, everybody. Much appreciated

Btw, is this self-contained? I noticed there are no "volume 1, 2, 3" tabs on your TP page. If so, what made you decide to only go with one volume?

I've already started work on Vol. 2 of MBQ. I'm trying to get it out in a timely fashion; so readers don't feel they're waiting forever for the next one to come around.
Hopefully getting these out quickly will make people more willing to pick them up and give them a shot.
Vol. 1 is self-contained in the sense that it establishes the main characters, setting and storytelling approach. In MBQ we're not observing the progression of one character; but rather that of 6 very distinct individuals from different walks of life.
The series should go up to Volume 3.
That is --- if people pick them up and get into the story, (and tell all their friends, classmates and people they meet at the bus stop about it) LOL
I'll need all the word of mouth help I can get.
This book differs from many of those out there in the sense that it's written more from observation than imagination. It's about life, the way I've experienced it so far here in the U.S., with some fictitious elements added, of course (I haven't been in any shoot-outs yet, luckily). Its theme, language and characters don't quite fit within the norm either. That might make this title hard to categorize and thus hard to gear towards a specific audience.
Because it's simply about people, I feel it should actually appeal to an array of individuals, not just one specific audience. The big challenge is getting the word out to them. Many of those who might enjoy it the most might not even read comics O_O
Ha ha - nice little predicament.

For those interested: I'll be updating my website soon: http://www.felipesmith.com
I'll be posting more on MBQ, as well as illustrations and character info.

Thanks for the support!

[Tavisha]

Hey Felipe~!

Everything here is lookin' and sounding awesome! Rikki & I are really looking forward to your take on the slice-o-life comic genre ~ manga style! Best of luck~!

[jasinmartin]

Felipe,

Good of you to jump in here and interact!
That's cool that the pics are of The Art Institute of Chicago, I've been a couple times, and the Portland Art Museum is pretty small potatoes compared to it!

Checked out your site, hadn't been in a bit, that's cool that your book comes out the day before San Diego Comic Con! I signed up for my copy when it hit Previews. Any chance you'll be in San Diego? It'd be cool if TPop had some creators onhand for a change.

[tania del rio]

Great job, Felipe!

I love your art - it's so unique and expressive. I also like the fact that your stories are derived from personal experiences. It should be fun to read! Good luck!

Tania

[Felipe]

Originally posted by JasinMartin
Any chance you'll be in San Diego? It'd be cool if TPop had some creators on hand for a change.

Tokyopop will be having some of its original manga creators present at the San Diego Con.
I’ll be there on Saturday, July 16th.
I’ve got a Manga Creator presentation at 4pm that day.
If anybody’s around at that time, please come down and check it out. I’ll be talking about MBQ and projecting interior page images along with other stuff.
After that there should be a book signing at the Tokyopop booth; to all those interested, please buy MBQ!!!

I’ll also be at Anime Expo in Anaheim on Saturday July 2nd.
I’ll be promoting MBQ there as well. The panel should be at 11:30 am.

I’ve updated my website: http://www.felipesmith.com

The front page now displays the 6 main characters of MBQ. When you click on them a separate image with their respective info pops up.
So if time allows, check the site out, and click away! Find out about the characters of MBQ!!!

Lastly, http://www.amazon.com is already shipping out volume 1 of MBQ, so those how’ve ordered through the site might be able to read it BEFORE it’s even out in bookstores on July 12th! All right!!

Thanks again for the support everybody, much appreciated!

[jasinmartin]

Originally posted by Felipe
Tokyopop will be having some of it’s original manga creators present at the San Diego Con.
I’ll be there on Saturday, July 16th.
I’ve got a Manga Creator presentation at 4pm that day.
If anybody’s around at that time, please come down and check it out. I’ll be talking about MBQ and projecting interior page images along with other stuff.
After that there should be a book signing at the Tokyopop booth; to all those interested, please buy MBQ!!!

Cool!

I’ll also be at Anime Expo in Anaheim on Saturday July 2nd.
I’ll be promoting MBQ there as well. The panel should be at 11:30 am.

It's too bad this isn't a few days later, then fans could attend both cons in one trip, potentially bolstering attendence for Anime Expo...

Lastly, http://www.amazon.com is already shipping out volume 1 of MBQ, so those how’ve ordered through the site might be able to read it BEFORE it’s even out in bookstores on July 12th!

Diamond had it on their ship list yesterday, but I didn't get my copy...