The Cook of Comics

The original Ben 10 series is still hugely popular all over the world. Fans love the mix of action and humour and the relationship Ben,Gwen and Max share. It is just plain fun to revisit these early days,when the Omnitrix is still new to Ben and he is learning about what it takes to ‘Hero Up’. Cartoon Network Asia wanted to revisit the original series characters,but present them in a new way in CGI.

When and how did you get into the world of cartoons and animation?

I have always loved drawing and I grew up collecting DC and Marvel comics. During my middle school years,my family moved to the Kadena Airbase in Okinawa (Japan),where my love of comics and animation extended to Manga and Anime. This fusion of American and Asian comics and animation has influenced me as an animation artist.

Animation has graduated from Tom & Jerry to superhero,action-packed features. Technically,where does animation stand today?

Technology has replaced many tools,but not the individual artistry that is needed to create animation. Pencil,paper,brush and paint have been replaced by digital tools,but the skill sets remain. For example,a storyboard artist still has to have cinematic imagination and draftsmanship to draw panels. More animation is being produced now than ever before for both the big screen and television. From one or two traditional 2D animated films per year,now almost all animated movies are CGI,enough to have multiple nominations at the Oscar.

What draws you to this medium?

The fun of it,the storytelling,the drawing and the collaborative nature of the animation industry. Since I was a child,I loved drawing,specifically drawing cartoon and comic book characters. I grew up immersed in TV shows,comics,animation and movies. In my middle school years,with some close artist friends,we created a comic book company for our own enjoyment,where I wrote and drew my own characters. I also filmed mini-action movies with a Super 8 camera,featuring fight scenes with the neighbourhood kids. We all worked together to visually tell stories. The medium of the animation industry allows me to do all that today.

What sustains this constant activity of creating new characters,situations?

It’s a symbiotic relationship with creative people and the audience.

It has been since the dawn of time.

As human beings,we love stories and storytelling.

Now that there are special effects and 3D technology being applied to films,where does animation stand?

In live action,CGI done right can add reality to fantastical creatures. Jurassic Park is a great example of CGI adding to the live action-fantasy film experience. But animation will always have its own special appeal as long it doesn’t strive to mimic all aspects of live action. The best CGI animated films have live action,lighting techniques and realistic surface textures,but still retain classic squash and stretch animation,graphic design that is caricatured,and laws of physics that don’t need to be adhered to always.

Tell us about your comic book,Mecha-Nation. Is it available in the Indian market?

Mecha-Nation is a comic book that I created and is published by APE Entertainment. Mecha-Nation follows five high school students,who find that they have amazing new abilities and can transform into a new robotic fighting force for good. If you can’t find Mecha-Nation in India,the comic books,to be released this summer,can be ordered from the APE Entertainment website.