Jhonen Vasquez -
Anime
Convention Personality of the Week - March 4, 2007
Artist
Jhonen Vasquez is so good that other artists are fans of his, big fans.
One of the biggest "fanboy moments" ever for Fred Gallagher, the
accomplished and successful creator of the Megatokyo series, came when
he met Vasquez at Anime Central. It was special for Gallagher, and just
as special for hundreds of fans who packed into the largest meeting
room at the New York Comic Con to hear Vasquez and pepper him with
questions - more people than had been in that same room to hear comics
veteran Stan Lee. Vasquez has generated such respect and enthusiasm
from fans because he's such an unconventional thinker and storyteller.
Rather than follow the pattern of muscled, fist-swinging superheroes,
Vasquez has created stories and characters which reflect the sense of
humor that you'll find among young, 21st-century readers who aren't
reached by conventional comics. That includes anime fans who have
fallen in love with the animated Invader Zim series. Conventional
thinkers at Nickelodeon didn't understand Zim and its odd tales of
alien invasions and a certain robot dog, but anime fans accepted it as
something from a kindred spirit. Media Blasters is still making strong
sales of Zim, long after the cable executives gave up on the series.
Artist
Jhonen Vasquez is so good that other artists are fans of his, big fans.
One of the biggest "fanboy moments" ever for Fred Gallagher, the
accomplished and successful creator of the Megatokyo series, came when
he met Vasquez at Anime Central. It was special for Gallagher, and just
as special for hundreds of fans who packed into the largest meeting
room at the New York Comic Con to hear Vasquez and pepper him with
questions - more people than had been in that same room to hear comics
veteran Stan Lee. Vasquez has generated such respect and enthusiasm
from fans because he's such an unconventional thinker and storyteller.
Rather than follow the pattern of muscled, fist-swinging superheroes,
Vasquez has created stories and characters which reflect the sense of
humor that you'll find among young, 21st-century readers who aren't
reached by conventional comics. That includes anime fans who have
fallen in love with the animated Invader Zim series. Conventional
thinkers at Nickelodeon didn't understand Zim and its odd tales of
alien invasions and a certain robot dog, but anime fans accepted it as
something from a kindred spirit. Media Blasters is still making strong
sales of Zim, long after the cable executives gave up on the series.
