Derek Kirk Kim, Myself, and Gene Yang... in that order, right?

When I was in high school, I met two comic artists that have a huge influence on me today. They have huge voices of Asian-Americans in comics, and have attained critical acclaims and tons of awards. They are on top of the industry! (Photo: taken when I was in high school! I look the same don’t I?)

I met Derek Kirk Kim when I took a comic book illustration class at the Academy of Art University. I’ve seen him throughout the past few years, and then he was invited to Comics Art Forum here in Savannah, where one of the other visiting artists mistook me for Derek. I didn’t know of his online comic Same Difference until later. He won the Triple Crown of the comics industry for it when it was published as a graphic novel, winning the Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz awards. And then he went on to win another Eisner for a short story in a book he did with Gene Yang!

Gene Yang is a computer science teacher at my rival high school. He stopped by to promote the book he had just published with First Second. I remember my art teachers and the librarians were all aflutter when he visited. His book American Born Chinese won an Eisner and was the first graphic novel nominated for a National Book Award.

Derek tells me that he’s been mistaken for every Asian cartoonist when he’s at conventions, including Frank Cho and Clio Chiang (who is a girl! Just kidding, he didn’t say Clio). When Gene Yang wrote a comic about the lack of Asians casted in the movie The Last Airbender, it penetrated the comics community and solidified my stance against the movie for the same reason. I’ve looked up to both when I started doing comics, and still do. Their simple styles work with the kind of stories they tell: uncomplicated, but deep. I hope that in the future, I’m not compared to how much I resemble them, but that my work can stand up to theirs.

Andrew Yip?

Or Jeremy Nguyen?

This one is way too uncanny. I only know of Andrew Yip through my friend Sam Wolfe Connelly. Sam says I am the Savannah knock-off to his Virginia original. What’s even  weirder is that Andrew Yip does stand-up comedy. Taking it into an even weirder level is that he seems to be influenced by Demetri Martin’s “Visual Aid” humor, and includes jokes that are drawings (like me!).

He’s based in D.C., so if ever I do comedy up there, I hope the clubs don’t introduce me as him. But somehow I think it might be better to be him than myself. It should also be noted that Andrew Yip has a photography doppelganger. Which is weird, because I, Jeremy Nguyen, have a photography doppelganger, too. I’ve said it so many times, but I must defeat Andrew Yip and gain his powers like Jet Li does in the movie, “The One”.

Do you have any Asian friends? They probably look like me! Send any photos you have of them to me at jeremywinsagainATgmailDOTcom. If you DON’T have Asian friends, snap some photos of some Asians you see on the street. Chances are they look like me, too!

If you don’t want to admit that you stalk people, then I will. I have a Facebook account, a Twitter, and I’m subscribed to at least 50 blogs in my Google Reader. Among them are artists, designers, and even old funny men who don’t really know how to use the internet (like comedian Louis C.K.). Many of these blogs I found after reading one article on their site, and they continued to publish more and more valuable articles.

Some blogs I added to my list after their authors let me know they read mine. I like finding out who is viewing my website because usually they have content I’m interested in seeing myself. Here are 3 people who have checked me out, or who I’ve checked out, and now I follow to see what’s new in their worlds. They also happen to be Asian girls.

1. Michelle Nguyen of MengInspired -

Michelle and I have never formally met, but she reigns from my home city, San Francisco. She liked my work even before I got this website over a year ago, when I was still pressing “Publish Post” on my blogspot account. Her account, on the other hand, is perfect for her hilarious, quick-hitting comics. Frequently, Michelle will find a moment in her day when a clever quip is quipped or retort is retorted. Her comics are pure and simple, doesn’t even use panel borders, and shines a light on some of small conversations we have that don’t even matter. They will make you laugh out loud, not because they are stupid, but because they are cleverly absurd. And even though they are seemingly drawn with any writing utensil she has at the moment, her writing and timing shines in her comics.

See her work here, MengInspired!

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2. Heather-Lynn of Make Something Super -

Heather once told me my website was pretty hilarious. That’s always refreshing to hear, because I pour myself into this site. What I like about her is that she pours herself into her blog as well. Her illustrations are cute, bright, and very charming. They don’t hit you over the head with why they are made or what their are supposed to mean; they are simply made and made by her. She’s a student in motion graphics, and even her typographic designs shares the same qualities as her digital paintings. I’ve noticed how romantic her outlook on life is and its reflective in her work. There is something zen-like about it, and I imagine that “making something super” everyday is way for her to harness creativity in a short single session. Take a look through the blog and you’ll find yourself smiling on every page.

See her work here, Make Something Super!

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3. Ali Wong, comedian

I don’t know Ali Wong personally, but I definitely do watch her progress as a comedian. She was named the best comedian of San Francisco and has recently moved to New York to take over the scene. She’s pretty dirty, very dirty you might say. She does some great physical stuff, and definitely plenty of poignant outlooks on Asian culture. She touches plenty of Bay Area landmarks, but she’s got lots of material that isn’t area-specific that kill. Just judge for yourself:

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All three have web presences that rely a lot on handmade or hand-drawn designs. That’s the appeal that these blogs have for me, that DIY attitude that shows off the artist as the sole creator of everything on the site. I’ve been inspired by each one, and my personal work has adopted some of their techniques, if you’ve noticed. For more information about these artists, click their websites and see more. If you enjoy their work, feel free to stalk them, too!

The parallels to me and Osamu Tezuka are pretty close. Osamu is a Japanese cartoonist best known for creating AstroBoy. Though he is Japanese and I am Vietnamese, it is quite uncanny that we both wear glasses and wear black hats. Ofcourse, his is a beret and mine is not. Thanks to Zach Bassett for making the connection!

Do you have any Asian friends? They probably look like me! Send any photos you have of them to me at jeremywinsagainATgmailDOTcom. If you DON’T have Asian friends, snap some photos of some Asians you see on the street. Chances are they look like me, too!

This incident doesn’t make my blood-boil, because for one thing, it’s Miley Cyrus. To be honest, I’d do the second panel regardless of her doing the slanty-eyes move. This girl is just a mess of a person, and we all know where she’s going to end up when she’s older. It’s sad that she’s as big as she is. And it’s sad if any child sees her as a role model.

But hey, it’s my first appearance! I love showing up in comics, and for this particular comic, it couldn’t be done by any of the hosts of the shows, even though it’s a tabloid story for Elle O’Elle to do. It just wouldn’t make sense for her to do it though. Maybe I’ll show up in the future!