Rivkah chat

Jamie Coville has a nice interview with Rivkah that covers lots of ground, from technique to the Big Questions of Life. Here she is on OEL manga:

I actually don’t think we’re competing against the Japanese comics on the shelves. People who enjoy the pacing and style and art of manga but don’t like the Japanese perspective because of the unfamiliar cultural content can be satisfied with a variety of titles and genres written from an American or Canadian or English or Australian perspective.

On the other side of that question, neither do I believe OEL is competing against OEL. I have yet to see TOKYOPOP publish two similar original titles, and I still believe there is yet more to be made.

… what she likes about manga:

A lot of Japanese art has a focus on line rather than form. I simply love the line quality because it’s so elegant and fluid—almost ethereal—when compared to many American comics.

… and self-publishing:

It doesn’t work for people who’ve never been published. It works for those who HAVE, and who’ve done a good job making a name for themselves. It is incredibly difficult to get a self-published book in mainstream bookstores… I also don’t believe it’s possible to distance oneself enough from a work to self-edit. It takes a team to make it happen.

(via Manga Talk.)