'Dorufinzu no dansu (Dance of the Dolphins)'

TITLE IN JAPANESE: ドルフィンズのダンス

COMMISSION/ASSIGNMENT: This image was rendered as a full page for a Japanese Seijin ("adult," 成人) manga periodical publishing clients who were open to supernatural settings in Tokyo, first in 1990, and again in 1994 courtesy of my agent Ken ("Kenji-san") Wehage in Japan and Los Angeles. The unfinished spaces was required by the client to remain blank for their own insertions and graphics via digital render. In 1990 it was almost unheard of for an American to receive a payment in an art director capacity, but damned if I didn't get away with it.

Negotiating business in the Manga world is much like attempted hosting of the G-20 international diplomacy issues in the middle of the San Diego Zoo. By 1994, committee meetings with "Geijing" consultants and artists was more acceptable and in 1996 I saw seventeen of my renders integrated into several graphic novel publications shipped to me from Tokyo.

ABOUT THE RENDER: 'Dorufinzu no dansu' is drawn in the Gekiga (emotionally dark, adult-oriented, and sometimes deeply violent stories drawn realistically) tradition for the Seijin audience. The Shōjo audience was being targeted as well.

PUBLISHERS: Hakusensha, Inc. -- 株式会社白泉社, Kabushiki-gaisha Hakusensha) was a Japanese publishing company--and still is. Back in 1990, Several of its editors were looking for US influences as examples for its own in-house artists to emulate. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo.