FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE MIDWEST MYSTIQUE
Dating in the Land of the Rising Sun

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA ‒ How favorable is the dating scene in Japan for Americans? It depends on your gender.

“It’s a lot easier for men than it is for women,” says Lars Martinson, a cartoonist who’s lived in Japan for five years. His latest graphic novel, Tonoharu: Part Two, explores aspects of the international relationship dynamic.

“Japanese men still expect to be treated as the proverbial ‘master of the house’. This makes it tough for American women who are looking for equal partnerships,” Lars said. “Conversely, it makes American men seem chivalrous in comparison, elevating their status in the eyes of Japanese women.”

One of the main characters in Tonoharu: Part Two, an American named Steve, takes advantage of the favorable cultural preconceptions about American men, and acts like a modern-day Casanova. The character represents a familiar type, Lars says.

“It’s not often that a guy from, say, Wisconsin can be perceived as exotic and mysterious, but in Japan they can. Some guys become intoxicated by their elevated status, and act like kids in a candy store.”

Tonoharu: Part Two will be out this December. The preceding volume, Tonoharu: Part One, is available now. For further details, visit:
http://pliantpress.com/media

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DRAWN-OUT DRAWINGS
Cartoonist learns the hard way how demanding his craft can be

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA‒ Shortly after arriving in Japan in 2003, cartoonist Lars Martinson began work on Tonoharu, a graphic novel about the experience. He estimated that he would finish the book in two or three years. Now, more than seven years later, he has just reached the halfway point.

It’s a familiar story in the world of independent comics. When cartoonist Chris Ware began Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth, he figured he’d be done with it in a summer; it ended up taking six years. Charles Burns spent a decade drawing his graphic novel Black Hole. Art Spiegelman devoted thirteen years to his Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus.

If Lars continues at his current pace, Tonoharu will take him even longer. So what is it about graphic novels that makes them so time-consuming?

“Unlike movies that have crews of hundreds, independent comics are usually the product of just one person,” Lars said. “It’s great in that they give you complete creative control, but they take a lot longer to finish, especially if you have an intricate art style.”

Tonoharu certainly falls into that camp. The book’s tight crosshatching is more evocative of woodblock prints than comic book illustration.

“I’ve always admired the detailed engravings in books from the nineteenth century, and felt that style would be a good fit for Tonoharu,” Lars said. “If I had known how long it would take, I might have reconsidered!”

Tonoharu: Part One is available now; the follow-up Tonoharu: Part Two hits shelves this December. For further details, visit:
http://pliantpress.com/media

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Yup, it’s press release season folks, where I write “articles” in the third person talking about how great I am. (That’s right, they’re boastful and deceitful! Yay!)

BTW, if anyone knows of a good way to disseminate press releases, lemme know; I have to plead ignorance on that point.

This week Tonoharu: Part Two received a paragraph-long review in Publishers Weekly, an important industry mag!

Warning: contains a few spoilers:
Publishers Weekly Review of Tonoharu: Part Two

It almost reads more like a synopsis than a review; I’m honestly not sure if the reviewer liked the book or not. (Though I do like that they described my art style as “fanatically cross-hatched”.)

But either way, Publishers Weekly is one of the book trade’s most important publications, so it’s great coverage to get. My thanks to “PW staff”* for the writeup!

*That’s how the by-line credits them; no reference to the name(s) of the actual reviewer(s). I guess that’s to protect their anonymity against disgruntled authors.

Buy Tonoharu: Part Two directly from me>>>
Preorder from Amazon.com>>>