... an interview with artist Mario Rojas.
Mario and I do not greet, we are usually quite rude to each other as a matter of fact. This comes from long years of learning way too much about one another, and having lived various embarrassing experiences together.
** If you know what "LC" stands for, you know we are tight...
Mario and I do not greet, we are usually quite rude to each other as a matter of fact. This comes from long years of learning way too much about one another, and having lived various embarrassing experiences together.
** If you know what "LC" stands for, you know we are tight...
LC: What does "Giri" mean?
MR: Giri
is a Japanese word often used as responsibility or duty of honor. It is
that which drives a samurai or any person of honor to do the right
thing uphold the 7 principles of the Bushido philosophy. 
LC: what made you want to start creating comics? And more specifically this (Giri) comic?
MR: A combination of a deep love for the art form, a few
drops of talent and a desire to share with readers the kind of stories I wanted
out there and could not find in stores.
LC: Tell us about Giri, what is the plot and story line?
MR: I always try to avoid this question because I find the
answer too simple to impress new or curious readers. I guess GIRI is a classic
samurai revenge story set in a futuristic westernized cyberpunk dystopian
post-apocalyptic world. It follows the self-exiled ronin Ryoku Arashi and his
quest to discover and exact revenge on the murderer of his family.
LC: How did you come up with it?
MR: Oh, I knew the ingredients from many years reading
similar genres. I just put them together to form a personal recipe I would like
to feast on. I sliced it up and set some plates out hoping others will take
some and actually find it delicious.
 |
| MR:I include futuristic sci-fi accessories like necklaces and bracelets with hovering glow beads, holographic earrings that project any image and photonic tattoos made with bio luminescent ink |
LC: How do you get inspired? and how do you keep coming up
with more parts to the story?
MR: The beginning and end of the story where written almost
immediately. The journey from point A to B is often written by the characters
themselves. I know their personality and sometimes they correct me on the plot
along the way. Other times is simple day dreaming and fantasizing of things I
would have liked to see in other books, movies or comics.
LC: That is pretty cool. :)
LC: That is pretty cool. :)
LC: Most of the characters are Japanese? Does that mean the costume
you chose for them is mostly a Japanese influenced wardrobe?
MR: The main character is of an unspecified western
ethnicity who was adopted and raised by a Japanese family in the Japanese
Sector of the futuristic city. There is German Sector as well as a Native or
Ethnic Sector. But it is not exclusive as much as an Italian person is not
forbidden to live in Chinatown.
LC:How did you come up with each characters
"costume"? And was it important that it be functional for their
characters role?
MR: This is a very delicate matter. As far as the fashion
problems of superheroes go? Things started brewing somewhere around the 1980s
when writers started coming up with more realistic or serious story lines and
characters. The idea of colorful tights, capes and underpants over your
trousers started looking more and more implausible for a grown man to wear in
public. I am in no way against classic superhero duds. As a matter of fact I
despised the 1990s for destroying the classic look of many of my beloved
characters and replacing them with more edgy, space age costumes that simply made
no sense (a plethora of pouches and pockets, useless or inconvenient
accessories, belts and armors). i.e. Some genius even went as far as attaching a
2-foot long chain to Thor’s hammer. How’s it gonna fly off and come back with
that damn thing on it??
But I digress, after much thought I opted to make all
costumes in my books appropriate, useful, logical or at least explainable to
the situation at hand.
Ryoku, the main character, wears simple clothes that can be
worn in the city or mountain where he lives. They are durable and keep his
athletic movements unhindered. His trademark trench coat was a little
indulgence of mine based on many bad ass characters in other books or movies.
The most prominent being Gambit from the X-Men. And even this coat seems pretty
useful to him in an urban or rural setting, keeping him warm as well as keeping
him cooooooooooool.
The rest of Ryoku’s gang wears costumes of their day to day
lives. Kitsune uses athletic wear combined with a martial arts gi and some
martial arts protection gear. Toro and Sid tend to wear everyday clothes of
motorcycle enthusiasts. Teckie wears a more futuristic trench coat based on
fashion trends of the elitist Sector 1 that give a nod to his cyberpunkishness.
Tanuki being his sister in more than just genetics but also as part of the
cyber-bio-engineering project that created them, also wears a more futuristic
look, this is a basic black ops style get-up tailored specifically to work
with her abilities.
Other characters wear simply the military uniform adequate to
their position in office. These uniforms have been designed based on the
simplicity of totalitarian military thinking with some nods to old Meiji
Japanese police uniforms. Dassen wears a shoulder pad on his sword arm as means
of defense while using his Zweihänder. Although, he probably doesn’t need it
considering all his cybernetic upgrades. Probably the guy wears it out of pride
for his swordsmanship or just militaristic pomp.
LC: Did Ryoku's costume have anything to do with your "Churro Masticado" jacket?
MR: "EL Churro Masticado" was a leather jacket, not a trench coat. It is
very similiar to the one being worn by Miguel Toro, the tall power house
fighter. I've been dying to incorporate it into Giri and make Ryoku switch
from his trench coat to a biker bad ass leather jacket. But I think it
would take something away from the beloved orangey trench coat look. How
would Superman look with a black cape on? Maybe not so bad. But it
would take his look away. Maybe some day Ryoku will tatter that old coat
enough to switch looks.
It is not uncommon for me to put my clothes on my characters. Dark ended up wearing my black medium length rain coat and Jupiter ended up wearing my washed up black hoodie.
It is not uncommon for me to put my clothes on my characters. Dark ended up wearing my black medium length rain coat and Jupiter ended up wearing my washed up black hoodie.
LC: Did you do a lot of research for these costumes, or was
this something you came up with on your own?
MR: Mostly I came up with it. The idea is to try and combine
every day known or futuristic wear with some classic martial art elements when
applicable. I did some research on the things I needed to give authenticity to.
The Japanese uniforms. Some biker or martial arts gear and some of Hati’s
African fashion choices.
LC: Is it hard to keep all the details the same for all the
different parts of a comic strip? How do you manage this?
MR: I keep a digital color palette for each character as
well as establish a basic design sketch when I first come up with each one. I
also keep a bunch of my own comics around my desk to constantly check for
little details my drunken brain may overlook.
LC: So Giri V wasyour last installment of these series. Is
this it? or do you have something else in store for us?
MR: Nope. Giri is a seven part story. I still have some
loose ends to tie up and the grand finale to deal with. I have also been
writing various other scripts. “Dark & Gloom” and “Jupiter Jonze” being
some of the most recent which I plan to unleash as soon as good
fortune favors me. Both of these have to do with a more contemporary and
younger crowd and will involve elements of the occult, horror, magic and
mythology.
I am also currently working on an art project called
“Kepler” with Colombian artist Jorge Restrepo which explores the “what ifs” of
terraforming and colonizing space. I have based the look and fashion of these pieces
on 1960s and what ideas they had for the future. It’s been a fun trip down the
groovy decade.
LC: If I were a character in Giri what would I be?
MR: I picture you quite well off in Sector 1 with the
diplomats and bon-vivants. Although your appreciation of martial arts, heroic
sense of justice and obsession with cute pigs would probably make you cross
paths with Ryoku’s gang and join forces against the oppression even from your
state of the art sky rise abode.
LC: I like that :)
LC: I like that :)
LC: What would my costume be like?
MR: I imagine you would keep a nod of your kung-fu gi and a
long sash on to indicate your pride and respect of the martial art you practice.
And wear a streamlined high collar Sector 1 leather jacket on top because it
offers minor physical protection as well as weather coverage and gives you some
pockets for make up or shuriken (laughs) and it just looks cool on! The rest of
the gear would be some sort of modern yoga stretch pants with protective lining
to prevent muscle wear and tear and some state of the art kung-fu slippers that
allow agile kicking and fast unencumbered movement. I imagine you wear the hair
in a bun tied behind just like when you work out.
LC: That sounds so cool! I love that description of me! <3 |
| I suppose my Kung-Fu practice does make me character worthy. This was a while back, I have earned my green sash now, which FYI is the 4th sash. |
LC:Would you draw it for me?
MR: Most certainly.
 |
| "LC" as a Giri Character! LOVES! I think I need this outfit... |
 | ||
| Mario and I <3 |
 |
| Don't forget to check out Honduran Independent Comics: HERE. |
