The Manga Memoirs Blogs!

"You ever wonder how long it takes for a thief to break into your car? I'm Andy Rooney...I'm stealing your car."


Action lines!!! By the way, I have no idea why I chose Andy Rooney as the mascot for the Manga interviews---well, that's not entirely true---he is/was (I'm not sure?) a weekly contributor to the long running news program, 60 Minutes. They did interviews?

Dance!

The third in our series of interviews with your favorite Manga Memoirs writers! That's right! Today, well not really today, I sat down with the fellow behind the fantastically sweet story of young love and mayhem (real or imagined) at Expo '86.

Without further adieu, I give you the Nick Andreychuk (aka genrewriter) fireside chat...or document exchange via email. There might have been a fire, how do you know?


Go Team!

What compelled you to tell this particular story?

It's definitely the most memorable Canadian-Japanese encounter from my life. And I'd venture to say that the events of the day described in A Day to Remember influenced my life in ways that are still impacting me to this day.

Why is a comic the best format for it?

A Day to Remember features a young boy just about to enter high school, a time of life when everything is so dramatic and emotional. The visual storytelling techniques employed in manga are perfect for getting across the hyper realism of what I was going through at that time.

What do you love about Manga or comics in general? (art,pacing etc.)

I love looking at great art, but it's much more than that. Comics can show readers what the creator is imagining in a way that no other medium can. With the right writer-artist team, there really is no limit to what can be shown on the page.


What brought you to reading comics?

I don't remember when exactly I first started reading comics; probably somewhere around 5 years old. I know I used to receive a comic in goody bags from other kids' birthday parties, but the bulk of my comics came from flea markets, where I'd take my allowance and buy as many cheap used comics as I could. As to what specifically brought me to reading them? I just had to read one and then I was hooked!

What do you hope readers take away from your memoir?

I hope it'll remind people how important it is to reach out to other people, regardless of language and cultural barriers. You never know where new friends will come from or how much the kindness of a stranger will brighten someones day...or even change their life.

What is your ideal soundtrack for this story? (or did you soundtrack your writing process?)

West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys

--While Japanese Girl is technically from the "East", Canadian Boy traveled west from Ontario to BC for Expo 86, so the song?s lyrics 'East end boys and west end girls' really resonated with me at the time. Funny enough, the rest of the lyrics have no relevance to A Day to Remember whatsoever.

Take These Broken Wings by Mister Mister

Take My Breath Away by Berlin

Mad About You by Belinda Carlisle

Something's Happening Here by Michael Koren, sung Nancy Nash

--This was the official song of Expo 86. It was played throughout the fair, but most notably during the nightly fireworks display.

Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone) by Glass Tiger


The Cliche? question: What is your favorite Manga of all time? (or comic)

Yeah, right, as if I can answer that! Seriously, I've enjoyed so many comics/manga throughout my life that it'd take me way too long to narrow it down to one all time favourite.


What is the first Manga/comic that you read?

I don't have a specific memory of one particular comic. I know I started out with the typical superheroes: Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, and The Hulk. I also read a lot of Archie and Richie Rich, and at some point moved into stuff like Tales from the Crypt.

What do you find most challenging/satisfying about writing for this medium?

The most challenging aspect is telling a moving story with static images. And the most satisfying thing about writing comics is seeing the art bring the story to life. It excites me every time.

What are your aspirations for your creative career? What do you wanna be when you grow up? (a spaceship, fire fighter, Superman etc.)

I wanna be a rock star! But I can't sing, so I'll settle for being a best-selling author and blockbuster screenwriter. I just want to have a career telling stories, and hopefully writing comics will always be a significant part of my life.


Fin.



Updates!

Several of the books are complete as of this post, though I'll not reveal which and for what magical reason. I've got to maintain a semblance of secrecy here, c'mon You do not want to know how we make the hot dogs...seriously.

I'm still Twittering...tweeting...twits....what the hell do we call these things now?!

I'm still thinking about the order of the books and I've thrown together a tentative track list, if you will.

It's right HERE! (well below, so, umm...you like stuff?)

Exchange Students
A Walk In The Park
Portrait Of A Small Town
A Day To Remember
Traveller
Where We Meet
Heaven Revolution
Kireji

This is tentative, writ large. That being said, I really like the flow of this list. I've taken into consideration the tone (mood and art style) of each book. 'Exchange Students' is a nice way to intro the overall theme or brief for the anthology, while Kireji is a VERY strong choice for last story. You'll also note that I decided to mirror the second and second to last stories, rather than book ending Holden's stories.

Coming Soon! More interviews! Navel Gazing (by me!)





MorganJ
Editor-in-ohmywordthedeadlineisalmosthere!