Breaking Through in Beijing
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Do you feel
that using this kind of exaggerated comic style expresses your story’s
mood, etc. better?
Readers like this kind of style more actually. I dare say if I use my illustrating style in my comics, all my efforts will only raise questions amongst the readers. They’ll say my comics aren’t as good as before. But I’m just about to take this risk, to draw my comics in my illustrating style…
Regardless of the style you use -- and you seem to experiment with several -- your subject’s consistently the young urban middle class in China...
Well, I’m interested in depicting this Chinese society -- its flaws, its beauty, its pretensions, its culture, its environment. I’m probably most anxious about drawing characters well. Even though I like to draw backgrounds, sceneries, landscapes very much, they’re less viable main themes for magazine usage. One day, I definitely, definitely must indulge myself in drawing a comic where the environment is the main deal.
What about the more fantastical stuff? Have you ever thought about drawing some superhero comics?
Yes! Very much, but my own comic research topic hasn’t been resolved yet. I don’t know when I’ll be able to draw superheroes…
How about when it comes to illustrations?
I have more interest in China’s real society. Even if I were to draw superheroes, they would be superheroes who lived in reality.
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You
studied fashion design in college. Do you use that education now?
No, it’s almost inapplicable to my comics especially since they take place in reality. They require clothing that’s a familiar, everyday brand. The creative leeway isn’t great.
Isn’t it a waste then?
I frequently alter clothes or add some small designs. Actually I dream of opening my own clothing store -- with the store in front and the factory at the back -- and producing and selling everything on my own. You see, in this country it’s very hard to buy beautiful clothes. China’s clothes follow all the stereotypes so they’re particularly meaningless. Even the most fashionable people dress so alike it’s insipid!
There’s too little time, though, and I can only abandon this dream.
So you can consider it wasted.