This is a continuation of the previous post. It is the second part of the interview with Aoyama Gosho which was printed in the April 2014 edition of the Monthly Conan Newspaper. For part one, please view the below link.
http://meitanteikonanplot.blogspot.jp/2014/03/special-post-two-part-1-interview-with.html
Enjoy.
Q(Questioner): So, you originally wanted to be an animator, and in college you were part of a manga study group. Why did you change to wanting to become a manga artist?
A(Aoyama): That's because I like making stories. And, I also like manga. And, I couldn't just suddenly go from wanting to be an animator, to wanting to be a director. But, as a manga artist, I'm really effectively always working as a director. So, really, it's just because I wanted to write stories.
Q: But it seems your father was completely opposed to it right?
A: Not just my dad, but really my whole family was opposed to the idea. They told me I should probably stop, when I told them I would become a manga artist. They said "I knew an illustrator. He could draw a crab so life-like that it looked like it would jump off the page. But despite that, he died poor. Do you want to be like that?" But, from the time "Magic Kaito" came out their responses changed. I always go back to my hometown on New Year's and I'll draw pictures and sign autographs that people requested from my family, and one time, I was sitting in the living room drawing, and my old man came in, he asked me to draw (Nakamori) Aoko-chan, and I just thought "Yes, I won!"(Laughs)
Q: By the advice of your upperclassman in college, you decided to aim for your manga debut, but originally you took your manuscript to a different company? Is that right?
A: It was Kodansha's weekly published Shonen Magazine. When I drew the prototype for Magic Kaito, I got an honorable mention or something, and just when I was thinking I was gonna draw for that magazine, the editor changed and the new guy didn't seem to like my style. He said "If you want to continue, you'll need to change your drawing and writing style." I didn't really like the sound of that, and and editor at the time, who would later become editor-in-chief, told me that if I didn't think changing my style sounded good, then I should probably just go to a different magazine. So I went right on to Shonen Sunday and made my debut drawing non-serialized stories.
Q: Did you ever think you would fail as a manga artist, or did you regret your decision?
A: I completely thought that. I didn't think it would be this busy! It's more difficult being a manga artist than becoming a manga artist. When you're new, you want to hurry and get a serialized story before you're forgotten so you spend every day drawing names (Rough story boards for manga), but once you actually get serialized, it's way busier. (Before you're serialized) It's beyond your imagination. "Detective Conan" is particularly busy. In the days I was drawing "YAIBA" it was way more peaceful. The pictures were difficult, because it was an action manga. If I hurried I could get the names done in about a day, and could get everything finished in about 5 or 6 days. Then, with my left over time I'd go play baseball. My assistant would be like "Let's go play ball!" And, I still had free time left over. If I tried to do that while making "Conan" it'd be too difficult...
Q: Usually, your work week is 3 days for the name, and 4 days for the manuscript?
A: Yes. And my daily routine is usually, I go to sleep at about 10 am, and wake up at around 1 pm, that's when my assistants usually arrive. I'll usually write a sign that says something like "Wake me up when you get here -Aoyama-" So, my sleep time is about 3 hours. It's usually like that. I'll work and then at around midnight I'll usually get tiered and tell them I'm gonna go sleep for about 30 minutes. They'll wake me up, and we'll work through to morning. And that goes on and on for 20 years. (Laughs)
Q: What about your meals?
A: When I wake up, I'll always eat udon or soba or something. Then at about 7 pm I'll usually order something. I'm always ordering delivery. But in the middle of the night I'll go to a convenience store or something. A long time ago, sometimes my assistants would make something. Now that we're working off computers we're even more busy and my assistants don't have time to make any food either. Our dinner is from a convenience store! My favorite thing from there is oden. It's delicious and healthy.
Q: After 20 years of working, have your methods changed?
A: After about 3 hours of work, I'll take about a 30 to an hour and a half break. Maybe sleep for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes sleep, I'm rested enough.
Q: Do you have any superstitions?
A: When I'm about to start work I'll spin my chair before I sit down. It's sort of become a habit.
Q: Do you ever think "Based on that spin, it feels like today's gonna be a good day"?
A: No, not really. (laughs) It's just a stupid habit of mine.
Q: I heard that tendinitis is common among manga artists, but do you take any precautionary measures?
A: Well, it seemed like I was headed in the direction of developing it, so, probably over 10 years ago I switched to using milipens (type of pen). A long time ago I just used the regular G-pen, but that requires more pressure and my hands would hurt, but when I draw with milipens I could draw all the lines very easily. "YAIBA" was completely drawn by pen, but I guess "Conan" was only done with pen in the beginning. With the thick and thin lines in Conan, with a regular pen you could just do it with one stroke, but with a milipen, you have to go over it several times to get the right thickness. If you're a person who's never used a pen, then you won't know that amount of pressure that needs to be applied, so if you're just starting out as a manga artist, please use a pen.
An other thing that's changed is the about 3 or 4 years ago we switched to using computers for the drawing, and we don't have to apply tone by hand anymore.
Q: The Conan movie that is coming to theaters in April "The Sniper from a Different Dimension", it has some very pivotal and mysterious characters like Akai Shuichi and Okiya Subaru making their first appearances in a movie, and they seem to play a key role.
A: Well, I can't really say too much, but if you go see it, a "certain something" gets confirmed in the movie. It may be the first time a movie gets there before the manga on a main plot point. If you're a fan, you won't want to miss it. It's very cool.
Q: In the manga, Akai presence has been gradually becoming felt.
A: It's a very scary and cool image. In the manga, various mysteries are going to be cleared up. Of course that is to be expected from a mystery series. (laughs) Like the waterfall that Holmes fell over with Professor Moriarty (Reichenbach), the place where Akai was shot was called Raiha Ridge. (Reichenbach in Japanese is ライヘンバッハ or Raihenbahha which if you take out the middle becomes "Raiha") And after Holmes fell into the falls, he was still alive right?
Q: So that's a clue isn't it.
A: Yeah. Of course I'm a big Holmes fan. But Akai's name I took from from "Mobile Suit Gundam".
Q: In the explanation of the key characters on the site for the movie, it is written that the FBI investigator James Black is a fan of Mine Fujiko. Was that decision influenced by the "Lupin VS Conan" movie?
A: That's sort of a fan service. It's sort of interesting when stuff like that is written. Black knows about various things. And those character explanations were also written by me. At first, only Akai's was long, so I made the others match his length, and added the bit about Fujiko.
Q: Nowadays, the manga artists of the original work are becoming more and more involved with the theatrical version of the movies as well, but I've never heard of the original author even writing the character profiles on the movie's site.
A: Am I the most involved manga artist? I just added a few notes to what the advertising department wrote. There were several hints in the parts I wrote. I wrote several very fishy things.
Q: Why is it that you are so involved?
A: I just like anime. I originally wanted to be an animator after all. I just ask if I can see any news before they release it. They let me get away with a lot.
Q: Speaking of originally wanting to be an animator, what do you think about the anime series?
A: There are times when I think "thank you for taking it to such an extent," but there are also times when I think about how they went through such trouble to draw it, and it's ended up like this. When things are good I tell the editor over the phone "tell them they're doing a good job."
Q: The anime has things that the manga doesn't like sound and movement. Have there been any other effects by the anime on the Conan world?
A: Yeah, in the "Moonlight Sonata Murder Case" (manga volume 7, anime episode 11) Beethoven's Sonata "Moonlight" is flowing through Moonshadow Island. You can't hear the music in the manga. When I was drawing it I could here it myself, but that can't be conveyed to the reader. But it can to the viewer with the anime. I thought that was really cool and exciting.
Q: Do you ever take inspiration from other manga artists who have had long running series or manga that have been made into successful anime, or from voice actors?
A: Of course. I'm influenced strongly by the voice of the actors, definitely. I'll have an idea for the voice of a character in my head. Conan is voiced by Takayama Minami, and Mitsuhiko, at first I sort of was drawing him with more of a mischievous face, sort of like Suneo (a character from Doraemon), but Otani Ikue has a cute voice, so I started drawing him with a cuter face. And Conan always says "あれれ？(roughly, a cutesy kid way of saying "Oh? What's this?")". Originally he said that in the first volume but didn't really say it after that, but when Takayama said it in the anime, it was cute, and I started having him say it more. In the beginning, it was only my influence on the drawings, but the influence of others is good. I'm very glad, and I'd like to say thank you very much.
Q: You like sports too right? I heard you like the Giants, and soccer. So, what do you think about Japan in the World Cup this year?
A: It's great isn't it. I like Honda Keisuke who went to AC Milan. I was thinking "this guy is good" before he started really making a name for himself. He's got a big mouth doesn't he. He looks cool. He's a man of his word. He's number 10 for AC Milan....that's so cool. It seems like he's gonna do something really great. I hope he gives it his all.
Q: Do you watch European Soccer?
A: I used to a long time ago. I really liked (former Italian player) Roberto Baggio. I liked Serie A. And I really liked Juventus because Baggio originally played with them. Their uniform was really cool too, with the black stripes. It actually influenced the uniform of the Tokyo Spirits in my manga. So, yeah, I like Juventus. Usually I'll take a vacation once every 4 years, and I'll go see the World Cup. I went to see in person the '98 France World Cup, with Japan vs Argentina. I'm gonna go with my editor this year too.
Q: Conan's Super Kick Shoes have soccer influences as well don't they.
A: Conan began serialization in '94, and it was around that time that the J-league had just started ('93). So, I'm sorry for hopping on a fad like that.
Q: There are also Kendo and martial arts motifs aren't there.
A: That's because I was in the Kendo club at school.
Q: Changing topics, about a news paper, you haven't designed one have you?
A: No, I haven't. But the Nikkan Sports News Paper printed a full page advertisement of the Bell Tree Express. I was so happy. I framed it and hung it in my room.
Q: Sports newspapers themselves play important roles here and there don't they. With the Sumo wrestling record chart etc., I'm glad the contents in real life are different than the story. But anyway, lastly, could you give a message to your fans, especially the young people.
A: Thank you for supporting me these past 20 years. And thank you for your future support as well. If you're thinking "should I give up on becoming a manga artist? Is it too difficult?" No...I have fan letters saying "I think I want to be a manga artist.", but I just want to say, be prepared, and resolute.
Q: When you've ended Conan, are there any themes you'd like to try out?
A: Journey to the West! I really like it. And, I wanted to do something like that. But, well, too many years have gone by. If this were when I was drawing YAIBA, I could easily do it, but now it would be too hard.
I'd like to draw some kind of Science Fiction too. That'd be good. If I could have a break from Conan, I'd draw that. (laughs)
Q: Lastly, could you give a few words to the readers of the Monthly Conan Newspaper, about the core of Conan.
A: The next movie is a production that couldn't be done as a manga. It could only be done as a movie, and it's very cool. It couldn't be done in the manga, and it has a lot of ties to the original story. This could only be done in anime. And, because this couldn't be done with manga, there's a ton of action packed cool stuff in it. Normally, the movie wouldn't go ahead of the original work and reveal something about the story. This is the first time. If people think "What? Is that all?" I don't know what I'll do. (Laughs) We can probably only do this with a movie. You'll probably think "Ah, I see." So, please look forward to it.
(The End)
