Text/Fox Poet Snow Hair
Interview/4Gamer
Mention the name Tetsuo Hara, you may be a little unfamiliar. But if you talk about Kenjiro and Hokuto Shinken, you must have begun to think of the famous line: "お前はもう死んでいる" (you are dead). Tetsuo Hara is the comic book author of "Hokuto Shinken".
A famous scene in "Big Dipper God Fist"
Since graduating from high school, Tetsuo Hara has been engaged in manga creation, and has gone through 40 years of painting career, in addition to "Hokuto Shinken", he has also created manga such as "Broken Army Star", "Hana No Keiji", "Fist of the Sky" and other manga, is a manga artist who can be called a legend, especially good at depicting "a man who can charm men".
Tetsuo Hara not only drew manga, but also created children's picture books and many posters and illustrations. Not long ago, he was also drawing an original card drawing for a Magic character, "Lacquer Moon Que du".
Lacquer Moon Que Du
Magic is the world's first TCG game, with nearly 30 years of history and a worldview that spans many cultural backgrounds. This time, tetsuo Hara created a character from "Kamikawa", a Japanese-style world that was once similar to the Japanese Sengoku period and has now entered the Cyber Era, and this world is also the place where the story of Magic's latest series "Kamika: Neon Dynasty" takes place.
Few manga artists have been able to continue to create for 40 years, and still maintain the high creative enthusiasm and breadth of creation of Tetsuo Hara. What stories did he have in his painting career for so many years, and what kind of mood did he have when he created it? To this end, not long ago, 4Gmaer interviewed Tetsuo Hara, and we are authorized to reprint it here.
Draw with as much pressure as possible
4Gamer：
Please pay more attention today, let's go straight to the main topic. Please tell us your thoughts when you received the original Magic painting commission.
Tetsuo Hara:
I'm excited to be able to draw illustrations for the world's most famous card game. I liked illustrations with sci-fi elements, so I wanted to create a "river of gods" world with both Japanese and cyberpunk elements, so I gladly accepted it.
What kind of requirements does Wizards (the producer of Magic) have for this linkage card drawing?
I first received some setting materials related to the costume of The Lacquer Moon Kuidu, the buildings of the Divine River Time and Space, and the world view. On this basis, the conditions were also stipulated that "the fearless smile of The Lacquer Moon Kuidu galloped on the tiles, drew his sword, and threw the sword in his hand", so he painted in this direction.
Fairly detailed regulations.
Obviously, it is just an illustration, and there is a feeling of running, and you have to draw a sword, and you have to throw a shuriken, and there are too many necessary elements. Although I feel that "it's a little too much pressure...", if you say to me, "Feel free to play with it," I will draw too easily, so it is better to bother.
Have you ever accepted this kind of demanding job before?
I painted more on the basis of the original. In other words, "under various conditions, how interesting it is to be able to recreate it." Because I have been doing this kind of work, I am very accustomed to such a commission.
This time, because the text of the card will obscure the lower part of the illustration, the structure is also fully considered that only the upper part determines the design. Like the setting of the building has been done quite well, although I want to add as much as possible, but the time is really a little insufficient (laughs), the background is a bit unclear.
What are your thoughts on the worldview of "Shenhe: The Age of the Neon Dynasty"?
A bit like the world of the movie Blade Runner, there are strong Elements of Japanese And Chinese Style. I was very inspired by the setting of the data, and the idea that "torii gates are connected in the air like a highway" also touched me deeply.
In addition, things like dragons are swimming, and although the tiled building has neon and LED lights, this near-futuristic feeling is also very powerful. Those clothes are probably also designed by young people. Although I certainly don't use this design, I will also have the feeling of "(This) design is very interesting..."
For the first time after high school, I didn't use an assistant
What was the hardest part of this illustration?
The hardest thing is indeed the tiles. Because I don't use a ruler very much, it is too much trouble to hand paint the tiles piece by piece. And it took a lot of effort, but because the text of the card was invisible (laughs).
The building in the background is also, although it is covered, it must be painted well, which is also very laborious. Before, I only drew people, and the rest was handed over to my assistants. But this time I painted it all myself, and I had to satisfy myself (laughs). This is of course a matter of course for painting.
Didn't you use an assistant when creating "Lacquer Moon Kuidu"?
Because this commission includes the condition that "I hope that all this illustration will be drawn by myself". Completing the entire illustration from beginning to end by myself is the first time since I was in high school, and I haven't painted it in decades.
Since my debut in Weekly Shonen JUMP at the age of 21, the newsroom has assigned me an assistant, and all of them have the opportunity to paint by myself, but unexpectedly.
I see. This is the case in a weekly magazine with a tight schedule.
Because of this, this is a job that requires considerable enlightenment to take over. I'm also too old, and the burden on the body is too great (laughs). However, when the decision is made "Do it!" "When you are enlightened, you must try to draw the most troublesome picture as much as possible.
This reminds me of the days when I painted "Big Dipper God Fist", when I always sent the original manuscript out before the deadline. While saying , "It's too late!" While staying up late to paint (laughs).
However, when I was in my 20s, I could paint for 20 hours without taking a shower for a week. That's not the case now.
Although there is a deadline, but to be able to continue to paint for such a long time, I think your concentration is also extraordinary. "Big Dipper God Fist" is one of the masterpieces of the golden period of "Weekly Shonen JUMP", and for readers like me, weekly publication is a matter of course, but the sweat behind it is extraordinary.
At that time, the comics were all drawn with pens and pencils on paper, but was the illustrations drawn on paper or digitally?
It is painted on paper, and the material is an airbrush. I was a generation who used an airbrush, and I was influenced by many painters, including Harumi Yamaguchi, who adopted a "photorealist" approach, and Kuyama Ki, who created mechanical women. Therefore, the atmosphere can best be expressed when using an airbrush.
(Editor's Note:
Harumi Yamaguchi: Illustrator who uses an airbrush to depict realistic women;
Kuyama Ki: An illustrator known for her metallic skin and mechanical female illustrators, who was responsible for the design of Sony's robotic pet "AIBO", the picture below is a mechanical dinosaur created by Kuyama Ki)
So this time I also decided to use an airbrush, but because I didn't use it for too long, I didn't have ready-made tools at hand.... I wanted to buy it again and find a variety of places, but now it is all painted motorcycle models, and the airbrush for illustration is basically not sold. Moreover, it may be because the performance has become stronger or miniaturized, it is difficult to draw strong lines, and it took a lot of effort to debug at the beginning.
In addition to the two of them, have you been influenced by any other painters?
I love Frank Faraget's paintings, and his approach to cutting gives me a great reference. About 20 years ago, I was also influenced by the way Alex Ross's characters were smeared and how light appeared. In this illustration, the sci-fi ninja's worldview is like a lighting ornament, and he also uses many of his techniques.
(Editor's note: Frank Faraget, an American illustrator active in the field of science fiction and fantasy illustration.) Rao in Big Dipper was influenced by Faraget, whose life ends with the famous line "My career is full of regrets", and Alex Rose, an American comic book writer known for comics such as "Heaven Comes" and "Marvels", is widely known for his approach of "posing in the same pose as the characters in the paintings, then photographing them and then drawing them as illustrations". ）
In the heyday of digital painting, what was the reason for deliberately using paper and spray guns?
Because from now on, in the direction of art, I hope to leave all the original paintings I have painted by my own hands. So this work is also a good opportunity. I can paint while nostalgically remembering my teenage years.
The famous claim that Fist Shiro of Hokuto Shinken was inspired by Bruce Lee is famous, but was he influenced by real-life characters when he created Kizuki Kueidu?
Kizuki Kueido is already a decided character design, so there is no design based on "real people".
The existing design and setting must be adhered to, and the expression of "fearless smile" is also fixed. On this basis, it can be reflected where I painted... After thinking about it, he added elements from Lao from Hokuto Shinken and Keiji Maeda from Hana no Keji to his fearless smile. Also, even if I create Japanese style paintings, I will definitely add Western elements. If you don't do this, the picture won't settle.
What does it feel like to "fix the painting"?
It is in my paintings that the handsome selling point is revealed. Like the performance of muscles, if you can't make people have the vision of "wanting to be such a man", I may not draw. I think that if there is no such thing as a vision in the painting, the charm of the character cannot be conveyed to the reader. The reader must be made to feel, "I want to be such a man."
Perhaps infused with such feelings, Hara's manga is full of characters who are attractive to both men and women. Is the original card drawing this time different from the character in the manga who poses as a signboard?
If in the manga, the composition like this illustration is not clear to see the expression, so most of them use the bust and waist above the composition.
Elements of various movements, such as "showing a fearless smile," "drawing a sword," "throwing a shuriken," and "running on a tile roof," are represented in the manga using plural storyboards. Therefore, it is rare to capture the overall image of the character and store all the information in a painting.
It is a technique that is not seen in ordinary manga work. What was the situation when painting the background?
While drawing, adjust the parts that do not match the impression. Like the background of the city, I also want to design it myself. When painting, it is often the case that "if it were me, I would like to do this". For example, if you want to paint the golden urn a little bigger, add some lighting here, and put some energy blocks there. But these were good experiences and very happy.
The illustration of this painting will be condensed into an 8.8-inch X 6.3-inch card, do you have any feelings about this?
Although the illustrations are F4 size (33.2 cm X 24.2 cm), I am used to publishing paintings that have changed their original form. There is text on the comic, and the size of the single line will change. I don't usually paint strictly according to one size, and I use whatever I want. After accepting the commission, just work hard to create.
Tetsuo Hara shows the "Lacquer Moon Kuidu" that has been digitized
4Gamer:
Don't have much resistance to how things have changed?
I'm probably not the same kind of cartoonist who does everything by myself. I was originally a half-hanger, and I was more accustomed to painting with the original, and I worked with a variety of people to create works. In that sense, I'm probably a lot like a chef. There are ingredients, and then make up for the deficiencies, you can serve delicious food. Then, it would be nice to be able to inject your own ideas back in.
Can you tell us how you feel after you finish this work?
Next I want to draw some miscellaneous fish characters and evil people. I don't know if it's in line with magic's setting, it's the kind of guy who will appear in the corners of the painting (laughs).
Compared to other things, the characters of Magic and Shenhe are designed to be very free, even if the worldview and direction are different, they can coexist with each other. I wanted to use such a world as a stage to draw a team of sci-fi ninjas.
The original teacher's sci-fi ninja team! I really want to read it. Although the serialization of "Children of War" is busy, it is very much looking forward to it.
Entertainment is not absolutely necessary for people, so it must be done to the death
Next, I would like to hear the original teacher's opinion on manga and work.
One of the great charms of Hara's manga is that there are many "manly men who make men obsessed with them" in the works mentioned earlier.
For example, in "Hokuto Divine Fist", Boxer Shiro, Ren, Rao, Torch, and Shu Kill. Keiji Maeda and Naoe in "Keiji of Hana". There are also Kasumi Shiro of "Fist of Heaven", Pan Guanglin and so on. Whoever is a charismatic man, how did they create these characters?
"Fist of Heaven" is a prequel to "Big Dipper God Fist"
Perhaps he had a vision for such a person when he was a teenager. I wanted to paint because there were handsome people. Therefore, when I was a elementary school student, I painted Yusaku Matsuda. However, it is not that I want to be such a person. It may be the same as the mood of wanting to present the hero image with a painting.
It is precisely because of the infusion of longing that this purity will touch the reader's heart and make them think of "wanting to be such a man".
And not only handsome characters, but also characters with various human desires are also a major feature. Villains like those who appear in "Big Dipper God Fist" and "Fist of Heaven" have indescribable charm. Speaking of which side of the teacher is more intimate with a man or a villain?
If I had been in the world of Big Dipper, I would have said, "I shouldn't have painted here!" "Then the guy who was killed in the corner of the frame." There may also be a villain who says, "I heard you can paint, draw a portrait of me!" And then I drew it (laughs). In fact, when I was in elementary school, there was really a person like the eldest who asked me to draw.
In the world at the end of the century, I still carried out my own painting career, and I think this is the gesture of manhood.
Speaking of painting, it is now easy to collect information through the Internet, communicate with friends on chat software, and carry out activities. But on the other hand, it is easy to compare their paintings with other people's, and many people feel that "their paintings are too bad" and are deeply shocked.
In these times, as a man among painters, please give some advice to those who want to become illustrators and cartoonists.
Although I will compare myself with other people's paintings, the painting is free, there are no rules or certificates or anything like that, and there is no need to care at all. Just say "What's wrong with my painting!" ", and then take out the work on the line.
The most important thing is creativity, as well as ideas for painting. As long as you pour out your feelings, you can convey the beauty of this painting. If I don't paint well, I can't paint. There are more people than I can draw. But it is precisely because there are so many people who like my paintings that I can continue.
Pour out your ideas and paint for people who love you?
Those who are depressed by comparing themselves to others, no matter who it is, show the painting to others, and find someone who will like the painting is the most important. If you get a favorite, you will have the motivation to paint again.
The evaluation that I think is completely different from the evaluation that others see. Even if there is a part that you don't draw well, because you can only hand it in until the deadline, the other party will be very happy.
Indeed it is. Sometimes I feel that I am not very good at writing, and sometimes I receive responses such as "good articles".
When I was a student, I didn't study at all and painted every day. When a teacher who was as big as a sumo wrestler and often carried a bamboo knife found me, I thought I would be treated, and the teacher praised me.
My mom was also happy that I could draw. It's a bit of an exaggeration, but as long as you paint, you get the qualification to live (laughs). If you have such a feeling, can't you continue to paint?
First of all, find someone who appreciates their talents. You debuted at the age of 21 with the motocross comic "Don Quixote" and this year is your 40th year of painting, what is the secret of your long-term persistence?
It's important to be motivated by those around you. There is also not to forget the heart of "secondary two".
In fact, I am also a very negative person, so the encouragement of the people around me is very important to me. Coamix, founded in 2000, was unsustainable because I didn't have a companion, and I needed a partner who could make up for my lack. Writers who produce big hits are also writers who are very much consumed.
Examples of not being able to continue after selling well are indeed often heard.
After the comics suddenly sold well, didn't people think you could eat for a lifetime? However, this is not the case, not only is there a top tax rate of up to 80 to 90%, the money is almost impossible to save. And after the big hit, you have to keep drawing in the future (laughs).
If you have to keep painting, your creativity and body will be consumed very much.
When I was painting "Hana no Keiji", I had a problem with my eyes, and I couldn't think of anything to draw. It was really painful then. I even thought about quitting my job as a cartoonist.
In that feeling of life hanging in the balance, what supported me to continue to paint was Nobuhiko Horie, the president of Camix, and other colleagues. I started a company independently, and if I didn't draw it, the company wouldn't be able to stand. Human beings are creatures that are dependent, and after being relied upon, they will be very happy. Gaining motivation from my younger colleagues, I finally got the drive.
Being dependent on can give you joy and vitality.
I was able to do it now, thanks to the support of everyone in various forms. In terms of health, too, when I felt that it was no longer possible, new medical methods appeared, which saved me at the moment when my life was hanging. So I thought, just do it for a while, and just go on.
Our work is entertainment-related and not something that is absolutely necessary for people. Because of this, we must fight to the death, and we can't be sloppy.
Of course, if you are interested, you will be very happy. However, in the world of art, only those who have talent and struggle desperately can survive. In painting the world, you must find your own way to win.
"Fist of Heaven" uses the word "friend" to convey the preciousness of friendship and companionship. In the process of your continuous work, the presence of friends is also very important.
Yeah, friend (laughs). Thanks to my friends, I was able to live as a creator, as a person, to this day. If you don't paint, if you disappear, it's no different from dying. Coamix has also launched blockbusters like Valkyrie at the End, and it's great that I wanted to start this company.
I have always insisted on my work with a kind of consciousness. It makes it feel like you've been in a mood of not relaxing. So finally, a few words to the readers.
Regarding the "Lacquer Moon Kuidu" I painted, it would make me feel very happy if there was one person in the world, and two people were happy about it. And I'm even happier if I use this card to enjoy the game.
The worldview of Magic and The River of God is very interesting, and I would like to draw another five or so. Be sure to make such a request to Wizards of the Coast (laughs).
Thank you so much.