Fred Chao

What was your first comic book experience and did that lead to your interest in writing and illustrating comics?

I’ve always loved comics. Calvin and Hobbes and Bloom County were the two that got me when I was really young. Then I picked up Groo the Wanderer and Spiderman. I do think I was good at observing the panel-to-panel storytelling, but more importantly, it’s always kept me loving a sense of humor in comics even though you may be dealing with subjects a bit heavier.

In regards to Johnny Hiro, I am really fascinated by your choice of having the main protagonist be an average guy overcoming supernatural tasks. It makes me feel as though this book is really for people who read comics. Maybe I’m speaking for myself, but I think that most of us would love the opportunity to have the greatest thrust upon and successfully overcome it. Before I put words into your mouth, what was your motivation in writing that type of protagonist?

As for the supernatural aspect, a lot of it was a reaction to choose doing a comic. I read just about everything growing up—novels, comics, essays, etc. But in my education, I dealt mostly with prose. After moving to Brooklyn, my place was broken into and my laptop was stolen. Not that the stories on it were great, but I had lost just about everything I had written, which kicked my butt. When I started thinking about Johnny Hiro, I wanted it to be appropriate for comics, not just to illustrate something that could be prose, but to utilize the visual aspect, milk it a bit. So a hyper-version of New York seemed appropriate, especially since that’s where I was at (with the break-in, and my waitering job, and odd run-ins with Bloomberg).

New York felt less like I was overcoming a supernatural thing, but more like I had to keep my head above water with everything going on around me. I just exaggerated those things around me. In that same way, I think maybe you are leading a heroic life with your decisions and small sacrifices, we just don’t look at it as such because we’re told these are regular things. Which they are, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t hard.

How do you feel like your writing and art have evolved during your work with Johnny Hiro? Because it seems like the character’s relationships have become increasingly complex.

I don’t know if my characters have gotten more complex as much as there’s more complex things happening around them, and for the most part, they just want to find a kind of stability within all that. But yes, you’re right, they’re all changing in tiny ways, doubting their abilities to get the small things they want, small things that are so important and keep them sane. And of course, that affects their relationships with each other in tiny ways. And things do get a bit heavier, closer to breaking points.

In the beginning, I had created a 32-page stapled issue, the Big Lizard In My Backyard chapter. I sent that around. Since I had never created a full comic before, I was ready for it to be rejected by most publishers. I wanted to write story with a beginning-middle-end, in case a publisher wanted that issue and nothing else. But I created characters and themes I could elaborate on in case a publisher did pick it up and want more. Luckily, AdHouse Books had done just that — liked the first issue and wanted a couple more for a larger story.

So my writing did get the chance to delve into the characters more. And I got a bit better at the art. I’d drawn a lot since I was young but I’d mostly done drawing from life. I wasn’t used to too much imagination in drawing. That was something I had to force myself to learn. I still love drawing from life, especially crown molding on buildings. I think I’m one of the few comic book artists that actually love doing backgrounds.

It’s funny, at the time my place was broken into, one of the books that got me into the idea of drawing comics was Farel Dalrymple’s Pop Gun War. It was a wonderful urban yet ethereal story, but one that had amazing attention to buildings. It really inspired me to put the effort into backgrounds. It’s so cool that Farel’s part of this show as well.

I love how you have incorporated celebrities like David Byrne, Judge Judy, characters from Night Court, etc. It doesn’t seem like that forced Scooby Doo guest star thing. What made your decision to utilize characters like that?

Heh. This is stupid. I grew up on a lot of TV. And media still means a lot to me, song lyrics really affect me emotionally, stories about people we’re familiar with do strike me. When I was writing the Smack My Fish Up chapter, the original script didn’t include Gwen Stefani at all. But I was listening to The Sweetest Escape song as I got to drawing the car chase scene, and something hit me. I’d noticed the lyrics to this song for the first time, that amongst this incredibly pop tune was a heartbreaking story. I was moved, and wanted to talk about that song and it seemed like an appropriate moment in the story.

In kind of that same way, David Byrne is my favorite music artist. I had read an incredible Judge Judy article that made her so much more intimate than the show ever portrayed her. And in my research of New York court procedure, I found an article talking about how Night Court was oddly the most accurate in its portrayal. I wanted this book to be really honest, because it is dealing with characters I love and a world so personal to me. The inclusion of celebrities instantly feels cheap, so I would have never done it if it didn’t move me in a genuine way. And I hope that somehow comes across in the book.

What kind of materials are you using and do they inform your illustrative style?

Since I was new at comics, I kept with a Windsor Newton #2 brush. I was kind of afraid and did what was recommended by comics professionals. Now I use a Pentel pocket brush pen—it’s beautiful and saves so much time compared to a dip brush.

What was it like having someone greytone your images as apposed to fully coloring it? That seems unusual.

I would have loved full color, though I take so long to color. But I felt like the illustrations were still too flat in pure black and white. So Dylan stepped up to the plate, said she’d do greytones, which would add more depth but still finish the book in an okay amount of time.

I hate to say this, but independent comics doesn’t lead to good pay. So you have to make certain decisions, let some things go. I knew if I wanted to spend as much time on a fully flushed out New York, I wouldn’t have the time to color. And I certainly don’t have the funds to hire a colorist. It’s just gives and takes.

I love Mayumi’s character and backstory. I think that she adds a lot to your story. For those who aren’t familiar with the book, could you tell us a little about her and what developing her character was like?

I love Mayumi as well. At first, she comes across like a Japanese stereotype—her English is far from perfect, she often says humorous things in dangerous situations. But as the story goes on, these characteristics play a revealing part in the stories. She is trying to be an editor, and though her English reading ability is fine, people doubt that she has the skills because of her speech. Mayumi’s mother was an action hero in Japan, so Mayumi isn’t as affected by the hyper New York as Johnny is. And people instantly think she’s not intelligent because of her speech and calmness within crazy danger, though really, she’s probably the most independent and emotionally strong of characters.

More importantly, she is an optimistic and honest person. I don’t think that’s a rare thing to find in New York, but I do think NYC does have a way of wearing down at those aspects of a person. I wanted to have a character that, through the day-to-day bullshit, was able to maintain that optimism and honestly, where it felt like those aspects were central to who Mayumi is.

I dunno. Glad you love her as much as I do.

Finally, any advice for aspiring comic creators?

This was actually the second comic I had tried my hand at after the laptop robbing. The first was a grand one in my head, dealing with mental illness and poverty. And though I like the world that was created, it was gonna be a long one. And there was no way I had the time or energy to finish it. I really do think in creating a first comic, it might be best to have something that does have a certain amount of resolution. And if you’re given the opportunity to expand, then go for it.