Nick Costanzo
Oct 8, 2007, 10:35 pm
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THREAD : MANGAMERICA #17: CRAZY CAT RUSH
Started at Oct 14, 2006 06:10 pm by raul grau
Visit at http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=40414
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[Post 1]
Author : raul grau
Date : Oct 14, 2006 06:10 pm
Title : MANGAMERICA #17: CRAZY CAT RUSH
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/mangamerica.jpg" hspace=10 align=left border=0 alt="Mangamerica logo">By Marcina Riley, fantasyfiv@yahoo.com
Crazy Cat Rush
Tokyopop has impressed me a lot lately with their recent push of original titles. Many of these artists are contest winners from their “Rising Stars of Manga” competition. It’s quite a welcome surprise to see these artists with their own titles out in the market. More importantly, these titles are made by long term fans of the medium. They know what makes good manga, and so far the choice of titles coming from Tokyopop has been diverse. They haven’t forced these guys into a mold. At least, not one I’ve seen, and I’ve picked up a number of their titles. I’ve liked almost all of them, but so far the one I find most appealing is My Cat Loki by Bettina Kurkoski.
The story is pretty typical and yet the approach is unique. Ameya is a cat lover and an artist. He’s a sensitive soul, so, of course, when he lost his beloved cat years ago, he was heartbroken. Now, his art suffers, his life somewhat suffers, everything is somewhat depressing. The only person in his life who forces him to get out is his agent, Ms. Chacha. Everything changes when Ameya finds Loki, a stray cat. He takes Loki home and is immediately taken with him. Loki, on the other hand, would probably prefer to be out in the world again. As I said, the story is original in its approach. Ms. Kurkoski makes Loki a sort of a cat boy. It’s not that he has the power to change forms, but rather, that’s how Ameya sees him, almost human.
Giving Loki and the other animals in the series human-like qualities is brilliant. It’s like getting a picture of the animal world. It’s very entertaining. One thing I like the best though is to see Loki act like a cat would, by putting one paw on Ameya’s knee, or by barely touching him with his head half down trying to apologize. The animals are human, but still retain their animal-like characteristics. Bettina Kurkoski talks about being inspired by her cat, and I can see that. I used to own a cat, and I can safely say that Loki acts like a real cat. The scene in which Ameya gives Loki his brush reminded me so much of my cat Chi-chi that I was shocked. I’ll spare you the girly details, but the woman did her research.
The art is pretty fascinating too. However, I do have one complaint. I don’t like it inked. A lot is lost from the original pencil. The pencils are detailed and much is done with shading. Unfortunately, the inks and screentones don’t have the wonderful detail that her pencils do. That leaves a sort of open and plastic feel to the art. It’s not bad by any means, but when you see the color cover and the pencils, which are very beautiful, it makes me feel like the inks restrict the art, rather than enhancing it. Still, the style is unique and adorable. Ameya looks male, and Chacha looks female. Ameya doesn’t suffer from that thin and broad shoulders problem that some manga men can get. Chacha looks like a healthy woman, not a large-breasted young girl. Kurkoski also does a wonderful job with paneling. The flow’s not hard to understand, and angles are nice. I love the attention she pays to Ameya’s shoes when he runs out on Ms. Chacha.
There’s something fangirl about the book too. Almost like Ms. Kurkoski knew other artists would be reading it. It is particularly clear with Ameya’s college friends become known as Studio Lunar Dragon. It reminds me of a Western Doujinshi circle. I had to laugh a bit with they appeared. It’s something like homage to Ms. Kurkoski’s roots. I mean her own freelance studio.
As I said earlier, I’m really impressed with the slew of original work out there, and My Cat Loki is definitely one to pick up. It’s cute and adorable. It’s not something geared for only one audience either. Although it has a bit of romance, it is still very accessible. I think it might be a bit too cutesy for some, but it’s good for both young people and old. I like how it’s something that I can relate to. No, I’m not an artist, but I’ve had pets. I’ve faced losing someone close to me. I’ve had to learn to grow and move on. By facing those issues, this book definitely leaves an impression.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
Marcina Riley has a secret obsession for catboys and catmen.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and are not reflective of Comixfan or its other staff in general.
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The messages has been download from Comixfan Forums at http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums at 05.10.2007 10:40:10
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THREAD : MANGAMERICA #17: CRAZY CAT RUSH
Started at Oct 14, 2006 06:10 pm by raul grau
Visit at http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=40414
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[Post 1]
Author : raul grau
Date : Oct 14, 2006 06:10 pm
Title : MANGAMERICA #17: CRAZY CAT RUSH
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/mangamerica.jpg" hspace=10 align=left border=0 alt="Mangamerica logo">By Marcina Riley, fantasyfiv@yahoo.com
Crazy Cat Rush
Tokyopop has impressed me a lot lately with their recent push of original titles. Many of these artists are contest winners from their “Rising Stars of Manga” competition. It’s quite a welcome surprise to see these artists with their own titles out in the market. More importantly, these titles are made by long term fans of the medium. They know what makes good manga, and so far the choice of titles coming from Tokyopop has been diverse. They haven’t forced these guys into a mold. At least, not one I’ve seen, and I’ve picked up a number of their titles. I’ve liked almost all of them, but so far the one I find most appealing is My Cat Loki by Bettina Kurkoski.
The story is pretty typical and yet the approach is unique. Ameya is a cat lover and an artist. He’s a sensitive soul, so, of course, when he lost his beloved cat years ago, he was heartbroken. Now, his art suffers, his life somewhat suffers, everything is somewhat depressing. The only person in his life who forces him to get out is his agent, Ms. Chacha. Everything changes when Ameya finds Loki, a stray cat. He takes Loki home and is immediately taken with him. Loki, on the other hand, would probably prefer to be out in the world again. As I said, the story is original in its approach. Ms. Kurkoski makes Loki a sort of a cat boy. It’s not that he has the power to change forms, but rather, that’s how Ameya sees him, almost human.
Giving Loki and the other animals in the series human-like qualities is brilliant. It’s like getting a picture of the animal world. It’s very entertaining. One thing I like the best though is to see Loki act like a cat would, by putting one paw on Ameya’s knee, or by barely touching him with his head half down trying to apologize. The animals are human, but still retain their animal-like characteristics. Bettina Kurkoski talks about being inspired by her cat, and I can see that. I used to own a cat, and I can safely say that Loki acts like a real cat. The scene in which Ameya gives Loki his brush reminded me so much of my cat Chi-chi that I was shocked. I’ll spare you the girly details, but the woman did her research.
The art is pretty fascinating too. However, I do have one complaint. I don’t like it inked. A lot is lost from the original pencil. The pencils are detailed and much is done with shading. Unfortunately, the inks and screentones don’t have the wonderful detail that her pencils do. That leaves a sort of open and plastic feel to the art. It’s not bad by any means, but when you see the color cover and the pencils, which are very beautiful, it makes me feel like the inks restrict the art, rather than enhancing it. Still, the style is unique and adorable. Ameya looks male, and Chacha looks female. Ameya doesn’t suffer from that thin and broad shoulders problem that some manga men can get. Chacha looks like a healthy woman, not a large-breasted young girl. Kurkoski also does a wonderful job with paneling. The flow’s not hard to understand, and angles are nice. I love the attention she pays to Ameya’s shoes when he runs out on Ms. Chacha.
There’s something fangirl about the book too. Almost like Ms. Kurkoski knew other artists would be reading it. It is particularly clear with Ameya’s college friends become known as Studio Lunar Dragon. It reminds me of a Western Doujinshi circle. I had to laugh a bit with they appeared. It’s something like homage to Ms. Kurkoski’s roots. I mean her own freelance studio.
As I said earlier, I’m really impressed with the slew of original work out there, and My Cat Loki is definitely one to pick up. It’s cute and adorable. It’s not something geared for only one audience either. Although it has a bit of romance, it is still very accessible. I think it might be a bit too cutesy for some, but it’s good for both young people and old. I like how it’s something that I can relate to. No, I’m not an artist, but I’ve had pets. I’ve faced losing someone close to me. I’ve had to learn to grow and move on. By facing those issues, this book definitely leaves an impression.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
Marcina Riley has a secret obsession for catboys and catmen.
<center><hr width=75%></center>
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and are not reflective of Comixfan or its other staff in general.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The messages has been download from Comixfan Forums at http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums at 05.10.2007 10:40:10