The Amused by Akiko Page

I'm extremely pleased to announce that for today's column (and another later on in the week, as his time permits), Mark Crilley, creator of the wonderful Akiko, has consented to an interview. To commemorate this occasion, and to make any Akiko fans who are new to this site right at home, I've created a new page, dedicated to Akiko, that will display this interview, and gathers together links to all the review of Akiko so far (as new Akiko reviews are added, it will automatically update).
     Here then, interviewed for your amusement, is Mark Crilley:

AiR: One of the great things about Akiko is that it really is an all-ages comic book. What were some of your favorite comics as a kid?

Mark: My older brothers and I were "DC" kids, with Batman, Superman and the Flash figuring very high on our list of important heroes. I remember Richie Rich, Archie and Li'l Lotta, but don't recall being particularly blown away by these comics, or by comics in general. They were more a springboard for acting out our own adventures in the backyard!
     In fact, I didn't get serious about comics until just a few years ago, after I got the deal with Sirius. Since then it's been a crash course on how comics work, what comics readers want in a comic, etc. I'm still figuring things out, one issue at a time!

AiR: Are there particular comics creators by whom you were influenced?

Mark: I think I was in college when I first began to examine the drawing styles of comic artists. A friend of mine worked for Fantagraphics at the time and sent me copies of Love & Rockets, and the Complete Crumb. When I came across Little Nemo in Slumberland, I was very impressed, and have doubtlessly received quite a bit of influence from Winsor McCay.

AiR: You mention on your web-page that you were in Japan recently. How is your work received in Japan (aside from the flight attendants)?

Mark: I've only received one letter from a reader in Japan, who found Akiko in a shop somewhere in Yokohama. Akiko is not imported into Japan in any great number, and I doubt that anymore than a handful of people in Japan have even heard of it. (My visits to Japan have nothing to do with Akiko. I just go there to have fun!)

AiR: Finally, the catch-all question. Is there anything in particular about Akiko that you'd like to share with us?

Mark: I hope that Akiko readers can spread the word that this comic can be enjoyed by more than just children. Akiko got pegged as a kids comic early on, and I think the label scares a lot of people off. I wish people could think of Akiko the same way they think of Calvin & Hobbes. People don't label Calvin & Hobbes as "a great strip for children," they just recognize it as a great strip, period. I think the comic industry's thirst for an alternative to grim and gritty comics leads some people to sanctify certain books as "good for kids," when what they really are is "good for everybody."

Interviewed for your amusement:

Part Two of our Amused in Review interview with Mark Crilley.

AiR: Do you find that Akiko fans have strong favorites among the characters? (Personally, mine is Akiko, followed by Spuckler, but I know my friend Johanna is crazy about Poog.)

Mark: They certainly do. Poog and Spuckler regularly show up as favorites. Gax and Akiko probably come in second, and Mr. Beeba is definitely last, sometimes being beat out by Bip and Bop!

AiR: Do you have long-range (or short-range, I suppose) plans for projects besides Akiko?

Mark: I'd love to take on a different project someday, but I think Akiko deserves at least several more years of work. I think a creator has to establish something very solidly before moving onto something else. It would be interesting to illustrate someone else's story, though, if the opportunity ever came up.

Air: It's my pet theory that authors who actually have something to say in comics invariably have read stuff other than comics. Do you have any favorite non-comic books or authors?

Mark: I generally read biographies and non-fiction. I've read biographies of everyone from Charles Schultz and Walt Disney to Ella Fitzgerald and John Lennon. Oddly enough, I don't follow the writing of any particular author, but tend to choose books according to their topic. In my case, I really should be reading more comics, actually, because I hardly read any comics at all! Sadly, meeting the deadlines of Akiko greatly cuts down on my reading time.

AiR: How long does it usually take you to do an issue of Akiko, start to finish, back-up stories, letters column, covers and all?

Mark: Around 30 days, start to finish, with about 4 - 6 days off to "recharge." I try to complete at least one page per day.

Thanks to Mark for agreeing to do this. Be sure to visit him at his Akiko web page, and keep on reading Akiko! (You are reading, Akiko, aren't you?)