BDs, mangas, communauté !

Okay, here goes. From the very beginning.

I used to work for Midtown Comics as a person who updated their website. Part of my job was scanning all of the week’s new comics so we could post the cover art. This included graphic novels, magazines, etc. Whatever looked interesting to me would be set aside to read during my lunch break (a day before official release, I might add).

A D&D magazine came in. I found an article inside covering tengu as a playable race (I think in 3.5). For some reason, I was crazy about this idea and scanned every page to take home for reference (which I… can’t seem to find now). I drew up a tengu, named him Kenka after my favorite izakaya, and tried to decide what class he should be. I created a backstory for him which involved him being a monk/guardian of a temple, having some kind of interaction with a human girl, and then having the nearby village fuck his shit up. From there, he was supposed to be a bitter, human-hating, kind of stoic fighting type (the original drawing of him was with a scythe). That obviously changed.

I didn’t end up getting to play him since our DM said we should stick to non-monster races to keep the game simple. I was heartbroken, but let it be. He was cast aside for a few years. 

Then, I moved to Japan. Being here has sent me into a TERRIBLE RELENTLESS HURRICANE OF INSPIRATION. There were temples and artwork and just all kinds of amazing stuff literally everywhere. Even in train stations and back alleys I could find something inspirational. I talked to Japanese clients every day and they would be more than happy to chat with me about mythology. Feeling a renewed love for Japan, I dug up my tengu and drew him again.  And again. And again. 

At the same time, I had started studying Buddhism in depth. I tore off his anger and turned him into a character unlike any I’ve had before. Someone compassionate and trusting, who is so willing to love and forgive that it throws him into all kinds of trouble — someone whose strength doesn’t lie in fists or marksmanship, whose power comes from his heart. I felt guilty for drawing him because I know my fans preferred (and probably still do) Fishbones. But I couldn’t help myself. I drew him over and over until his story forced itself into a .doc file. 

I have literally not drawn this much since high school. For the past 6 or 7 years, I’ve been in a slump, drawing only a few finished pieces a year, finding no joy in art, and only creating something because I felt useless and pressured. 

Karasu makes me happy, and the fact that people like you look forward to it makes me even happier. Thank you.

As for his ending, you don’t really want me to spoil it do you? I will say that he has plenty of happy moments ahead of him. I hope you’ll see them through to the end.