By Tina Hoggatt
For the second
in our series of conference faculty interviews, our always fabulous outgoing Illustration Coordinator Tina Hoggatt grilled Kazu Kibuishi, creator and editor
of the comic anthology Flight and creator
of the webcomic Copper. Kazu is also
the author and illustrator of the wildly popular ongoing Amulet series and he recently illustrated new covers for
Scholastic’s Harry Potter series.
Tina: In what
unique ways do graphic novels serve story?
Kazu: I always
saw novels as a way to expand ideas, like taking a microscope to an idea. I see
comics as the opposite. Comics are often at their best when a tremendous amount
of information and, hopefully, wisdom are compressed into a very small amount
of space, and it is the reader who then expands the idea. As life grows
complex, newer readers who recognize that growing complexity will turn to
formats with compressed and universal storytelling methods to gather
information, so the need for comics and visual storytelling will grow over
time. When done effectively, graphic novels can be very powerful tools for
communication.
Tina: Tell us a
little bit about illustrating the new covers for JK Rowling’s Harry Potter
series.
Kazu: This was
not the kind of project that an author ever expects to do! In fact, I didn't
expect to get this job. However, when I was asked to give it a try, my focus
was to put myself in the shoes of both the young readers of my books who would
begin reading Harry Potter, and in the shoes of a fellow author who would
likely want to see their work endure like other modern classic works of
literature. With that mindset, I went into the project like a photographer
visiting Hogwarts and tried to make pretty pictures! It was a wonderful project
to be a part of, and brought me closer to my Scholastic family.
Tina: What are
you excited to be sharing with our Western WA members at the conference?
Kazu: I'm
always looking forward to hearing about other people's experiences and in
hearing their questions. Can't think of what specific things I want to share
other than my life's story. If I feel like I have helpful information to share,
then I'll be very happy to share.
Tina: What are
your most and least favorite genres?
Kazu: I enjoy
all genres.
Tina: What book
have you read the most frequently?
Kazu: Cannery
Row by John Steinbeck
Tina: What are
you reading right now?
Kazu: Mostly
non-fiction. Reading an autobiography by Akira Kurosawa, the letters of Vincent
Van Gogh, and even more current works like a recent book about Elon Musk that I
picked up at the airport. I often pick up bestselling non-fiction at airport
booksellers. Malcolm Gladwell is a favorite in these settings.
Tina: What books
are on your bedside table?
Kazu: Stories
of Your Life & Others by Ted Chiang, a small book about mindfulness (full
of quotes) that I picked up at a gardening store, and any one of the other
non-fiction books I am reading while on the road.
Tina: What
won’t I believe you haven’t read?
Kazu: Most of the
popular graphic novels. I rarely read comics, not because I don't like them,
but because when I do it feels like I'm at work. I prefer to read mostly
non-fiction books or watch sports.
Tina: What are
your favorite books of all time?
Kazu: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest
Hemingway, Cannery Row by John
Steinbeck, Nausicaa of the Valley of the
Wind by Hayao Miyazaki.
Tina: What
character in a book would you most like to be?
Kazu: It would
probably be Leon Redbeard (from Amulet).
See more of
Kazu’s work at http://boltcity.com
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