Entropian Reverie
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Speaking of movies, did you have any idea The Matrix would become
the hit that it did while you were working on it?
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I worked on the initial design phase of the Matrix for a couple of weeks.
I was mainly involved with designing the dojo in which Neo and Morpheus practice
martial arts. I had no idea that the movie would become such a phenomenon...
I was actually working at night on another movie about a robot repairman that
I believed would be a big hit. Hollywood can be quite an unpredictable place.
Right now, I’m working on the movie Evan Almighty and the Golden Compass, the sequel to Bruce Almighty.
Since you’ve worked on multiple films and games, how would you respond to Roger Ebert’s position on video games and art? He argues: “I [do] indeed consider video games inherently inferior to film and literature. There is a structural reason for that: Video games by their nature require player choices, which is the opposite of the strategy of serious film and literature, which requires authorial control.”
I think any form of media can potentially be elevated from ordinary mass culture to art, whether we’re talking about cinema, TV, comics, or video games. In my opinion, as soon as a form of media makes a lasting impact on the collective psyche of a society, it potentially can be considered art. I don't agree with Ebert’s argument that because the player can make choices that the video game is a less artistic or intelligible medium. I actually believe the contrary is the case. Interactivity is simply a new way of experiencing.
Don't forget that the interactive experience is still designed by an author or a game designer. In fact, Spore takes this idea a step further by allowing the player to create his own planets, complete with functional cities, social structures, etc. Empowering the viewer from passive consumer to active participant is an intriguing new art form in itself.
It’s definitely an interesting debate. So what other fantasy worlds do you admire?
I love the gentle fantastic realism of Miyazaki’s movies. Films like La Planete Sauvage and all the Fritz Lang movies also inspired me. I am an avid fan of H.R. Giger, Moebius, Enki Bilal, Frank Miller, and Mignola. Today I often indulge in well-made miniseries on HBO like Carnivale. My favorite recent fantasy movie was the last Harry Potter, which in my opinion was wonderfully directed and executed.
You’ve created a compelling world of your own in Entropia.
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Entropia is my first book and tells the story of a rebel princess
and her unwavering pursuit to end the occupation of her own country.
What inspired the stamp format?
I love to create sketchbooks. Last year I took some of those sketches and turned them into stamps. The stamps ended up on my website under the title Entropia: A Collection of Unusually Rare Stamps, and later evolved into the book. Many of the pictures were part of my travel sketchbooks. The first drawing I made in France at my parent’s place -- actually in bed. Later I made about forty more images while I was in a Starbucks in Tokyo.
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Each stamp tells the story of a particular event in Entropian history or
of a particular lead character. For example, there are multiple stories on
the notorious Marquis de Salade, The Secret Guild of Croissant Bakers, and
of course Queen Pingo, the main protagonist of the book.
What about your other sketchbooks? Are they all handmade?
I draw all the sketchbooks with Micron Fineliners. But the colors are produced
in Photoshop.