American Asian Male Cartoonists
by unknown
Fall 2004

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While the combination of the words "Asian" and "comics" immediately brings to mind Japanese manga, Asian American comics take many different forms. Do to the flexibility of the medium, Asian American artists approach their work with all different styles, themes, motives, and intentions. Adrian Tomine, Tatsuya Ishida, and Oliver Chin are a few of the Asian American male artists currently in the business. In viewing their work, one can see the wide variety of topics and styles that can be realized in a comic.

Adrian Tomine is most well-known for his Optic Nerve series, some of which are collected in his latest book Summer Blonde. He has also had work published in The New Yorker, in the collection The Best American Nonrequired Reading for the years 2003 and 2004, on album covers for various bands, and in poster form for the popular band Weezer. His work often looks at the lives of young twenty- and thirty-somethings struggling with loneliness and relationships, and the latest in his Optic Nerve series deals directly with the lives of three young Asian Americans. Tatsuya Ishida explores a different medium with his Sinfest web comic. In Sinfest, which employs simple four-panel comics and a host of repeating characters, Ishida uses satire and an absurd sense of humor to explore themes like relationships, existentialism, religion, and politics. The lesser known Oliver Chin is the artist of the 9 of 1 series, where he explores the post-9/11 political climate.

http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/artBio.php?artist=a3dff7dd5641ba http://www.sinfest.net

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