SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Lost in Taiwan
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.markcrilley.com/
CITY: Novi
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 374
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born May 21, 1966, in Hartford City, IN; son of Robert H. (a minister) and Virginia A. Crilley; married Miki Hirabayashi, May 2, 1998; children: Matthew, Mio.
EDUCATION:Kalamazoo College, B.A., 1988.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Artist, illustrator, cartoonist, and fiction writer. Young Men’s Christian Association, Changhua, Taiwan, English teacher, 1988-90, 1993-94; Morioka English Academy, Iwate, Japan, English teacher, 1991-93.
AVOCATIONS:Oil painting.
AWARDS:Thirteen Eisner Award nominations, for “Akiko” comic books; Great Graphic Novels for Teens selection, American Library Association, 2008, for Spring, Summer, and Autumn.
RELIGION: Presbyterian.WRITINGS
Also author and illustrator of “Akiko” comic books, beginning 1995.
“Miki Falls” series was optioned for film development by Paramount Pictures and Brad Pitt’s Plan B production company.
SIDELIGHTS
Mark Crilley is the creator of the popular “Akiko” series of comic books featuring a spunky young Japanese-American protagonist named Akiko and her out-of-this-world adventures. He has also penned a number of books about the plucky heroine, including Akiko and the Great Wall of Trudd and Akiko and the Journey to Toog, that have won fans among older elementary-grade readers. In addition, Crilley has published two novels featuring an intrepid monster combatant named Billy Clikk as well as the critically acclaimed “Miki Falls” series of graphic novels. “Ever since I discovered that there were people out there willing to pay me to make up stories and draw strange creatures all day,” he wrote on the Random House website, “I knew there was no turning back. ‘This,’ I thought, ‘is the job for me.’ And I still think that, every day.”
Born in Indiana in 1966, Crilley moved to Detroit, Michigan, as a child and passed the time by drawing constantly. Although Crilley was a good student in school, he was also known for being shy and rather reserved—that is, until the fourth grade when he discovered a yet-unplumbed talent for making up humorous one-liners during a school talent show. Soon acting was vying for first place as one of Crilley’s career possibilities, although art was always a possibility. A friendship with Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator David Small, who at the time taught at Kalamazoo College, pulled the young man back into the arts arena. As Crilley recalled of Small in an interview for Authors and Artists for Young Adults: “He took me under his wing and got me to work harder, to learn from the masters, to always strive for excellence as an artist.”
After Crilley graduated from Kalamazoo College in 1988, his career veered off both its preordained courses; moving to Asia, he taught English in Japan and Taiwan for five years. It was this time in Japan that inspired his first foray into comic books as he penned the first incarnation of Akiko on the Planet Smoo. After he returned to the United States, he found a publisher in Sirius Entertainment in Dover, New Jersey, and his “Akiko” comic-book series was off and running, quickly becoming an underground phenomenon.
Inspired by both Japanese anime comics and early twentieth-century cartoonist Winsor McCay’s popular fantasy comic strip “Little Nemo,” Crilley’s “Akiko” comic features a ten-year-old protagonist. With round eyes reminiscent of the anime style, Akiko also has unwieldy braids à la Astrid Lindgren’s heroine Pippi Longstocking. As feisty as Pippi, Akiko finds herself drawn into otherplanetary adventures, accompanied by her unearthly sidekicks Spuckler and Mr. Beeba. Other friends include a brainy robot called Gax, and Poog, a disembodied head.
The first series of Crilley’s “Akiko” comics were eventually adapted into book form. As Crilley once told SATA, “One of my comics found its way into the hands of Lawrence David, an editor at Random House Children’s Books. Though I had no experience in writing (apart from my own comic books), Lawrence felt confident that I would be able to create a series of four novels based on the first eighteen issues of my ‘Akiko’ comics.”
Crilley’s first four novels for Random House— Akiko on the Planet Smoo, Akiko in the Sprubly Islands, Akiko and the Great Wall of Trudd, and Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor —proved as popular with young readers as his comic books had. In the first work, the Japanese-American fourth grader travels to Smoo, where she is assigned by King Froptoppit to see to the rescue of the kidnapped Prince Froptoppit. The saga continues through the next three novels as Akiko and her unusual friends travel through a number of amazing lands, encounter serpents and other evil creatures, and ultimately find themselves confronted with the reason behind the prince’s kidnapping.
In a School Library Journal review of Akiko and the Great Wall of Trudd, Elaine E. Knight praised Crilley’s young protagonist as “a strong female character whose leadership holds her strange band together.” While some critics were less than impressed with the written text of the series, others looked favorably on Crilley’s efforts, Booklist reviewer Francisca Goldsmith praising Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor as “a fun introduction to [the] genre” for “youngsters unfamiliar with” science fiction. Knight continued her praise of the heroine in a review of the fourth “Akiko” installment, noting that in Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor “the bickering dialogue among the adventurers is amusing and Akiko herself shows strong leadership in helping them work as a cohesive team.”
Crilley continued his “Akiko” book series with stand-alone chapter books. In Akiko and the Intergalactic Zoo the well-traveled preteen is rewarded by King Froptoppit with a visit to a zoo on Planet Quilk, but when the greedy zookeeper realizes that his latest guest is actually a potential specimen of an Earthian, Akiko finds herself in trouble. Escaping from this pickle, Akiko is thrust into another in Akiko and the Alpha Centauri 5000, when Spuckler enters his jury-rigged spacecraft in a trans-galaxy race and needs his Earth friend to sign on as pilot. In School Library Journal, Knight remarked that the book “clearly shows its comic-book roots,” while in Booklist, Goldsmith praised Crilley for including “generous doses of wit as well as moralizing,” creating “an adventure story that packs gender equity” while casting aside racial—and planetary—bias.
When Poog mysteriously disappears while en route to his home planet, Akiko (now in fifth grade) agrees to help Spuckler, Mr. Beeba, and Gax search for their ally in Akiko and the Journey to Toog. Knight praised the “breakneck episodic plot action, cartoon illustrations, bantering dialogue, and scores of onomatopoeic words.” In The Training Master, the youngster heads to Zarga Baffa, where she enrolls in a demanding program for Intergalactic Space Patrollers. The series’ comic-book origins “show in the anime-influenced art, derring-do adventures, and Akiko’s indomitable spirit,” Carolyn Lehman remarked in School Library Journal. Discussing his popular series on the Random House website, Crilley observed that the theme of the “Akiko” novels is “the important role a child plays in the world, and how, in many instances, a little kid has more sense than the adults surrounding her.”
In Akiko and the Missing Misp the series heroine is in sixth grade. It is the first annual Middleton Mega MangaFest, and Akiko meets Akiko Robot. She then travels to planet Smoo, but Mr. Beeba mistakenly sends her back in time. Stuck twenty-five years in the past, Akiko must make sure not to alter history. She also must rescue the Misp, a powerful crown that gives the bearer absolute power over planet Smoo. Akiko meets her friends in the past, but they have not met her yet, and thus she must work alone. Critics praised Akiko and the Missing Misp as a delightful addition to the series. Applauding the book in Kirkus Reviews, a contributor noted that “this fun, light sci-fi romp fits in nicely with its predecessors and is a pleasant addition to this long-standing series.”
Crilley introduces a new action-adventure hero in Creatch Battler, the first volume of the “Billy Clikk” series, which focuses on an inquisitive twelve year old who learns that his parents—supposed owners of an extermination company—are actually employees of the Allied Forces for the Management of Extraterrestrial Creatches. The AFMEC is a secret organization that keeps the world safe from a variety of monstrous beings. When a saber-toothed orf invades the Taj Mahal, Billy accompanies his parents to India, where they encounter an even greater danger. “As with the Akiko books, the pace is breathless,” observed Francisca Goldsmith in Booklist, and Knight commented that Crilley’s “story incorporates comic-book-style action … and lively, wisecracking dialogue with a subtle message about courage and responsibility.” In a sequel, Rogmasher Rampage, the youngster, now an AFMEC trainee, joins forces with Ana Garcia to defend a secluded Chinese village from hideous beasts. “The writing is slick and clean,” noted School Library Journal contributor Tasha Saecker, and Goldsmith also complimented the tale, applauding Crilley for including “broad humor, a dash of suspense, and lots of delicious made-up words.”
Spring is the first title in Crilley’s “Miki Falls” series, a quartet of graphic novels about a young woman’s unusual relationship with a spiritual being. Influenced by manga-style comics, the works center on a curious and independent high-school senior named Miki Yoshida. While pursuing Hiro Sakurai, a handsome and brooding new student, Miki learns that he harbors a secret: Hiro is a Deliverer, a supernatural being who is entrusted to preserve love in the world. “The soft, gentle romance between Miki and Hiro is brilliantly juxtaposed with the darker elements of the story,” observed a critic in Kirkus Reviews, and a contributor in Children’s Bookwatch praised Spring as a “gentle, at times hopeful, and at times heartbreaking story about young love.” Writing in Booklist, Stephanie Zvirin cited Crilley’s colored-pencil art as a highlight of the work, noting that his “pictures cleverly instill the story with abundant emotion, humor, and drama.” According to Publishers Weekly reviewer Brigid Alverson, “the style of the book is Crilley’s own. … His storytelling style is cinematic, with closeups, reaction shots and frequent cuts back and forth between scenes.”
Continuing the “Miki Falls” series with installments for each season, Crilley followed Spring with Summer and then Autumn, in which Miko and Hiro continue their forbidden romance. Another Deliverer, Reika, tells Hiro and Miki that they should run away or face the consequences. The couple travels to the home of Toshiko Yamada, an older man who used to be a Deliverer. Critics applauded the book’s romantic story and soft pencil drawings. According to School Library Journal contributor Sarah Krygier, the characters “are recognizable as Japanese,” but “Crilley clearly has an American influence, and his fashions look to be straight out of a neighborhood Target store.” Jennifer Sweeney, writing in Kliatt, was also impressed with the story. She remarked that “readers will cheer for Miki and Hiro and will be captivated to see this plucky young couple overcome the odds stacked against them.”
In the final book in the series, Winter, the reasons behind Miki’s fall through a window in Spring are finally revealed. Indeed, the Deliverers, it seems, are behind the incident. Hiro and Miki are almost able to escape and build a life together, but just as they appear to have succeeded, the Deliverers catch up to them. Nonetheless, Miki refuses to leave Hiro, and the couple must make a sacrifice if they wish to be together. The illustrations in this installment reflect the turmoil the couple must go through, with images bleeding from frame to frame and taking up overlapping pages. Sweeney, again writing in Kliatt, noted that “Miki is a strong, dynamic female character, who is both headstrong and naive, creating a pleasing blend of easily relatable traits.”
In his self-illustrated 2021 young-adult graphic novel, My Last Summer with Cass, Crilley delivers a coming-of-age tale about a pair of childhood friends who face a harsh crossroads in their friendship. Cass and Megan have been best friends for as long as they can remember, spending summers together at a cabin where they always created art together. Cass finally moves to New York when her parents divorce, and Megan talks her parents into letting her spend a week with her friend in the city. But now Megan sees that Cass has totally changed, sporting tattoos and recognized by all the other artists. Cass pushes Megan to begin to find her own way and not let her conservative parents dominate her. They find common ground in once again making art together, but their friendship is deeply challenged when Megan goes to extreme lengths to keep her parents from seeing their collaborative artwork.
Reviewing My Last Summer with Cass in School Library Journal, Alea Perez termed it a “beautifully depicted friendship and self-discovery story that misses the mark.” Writing in Booklist, Sara Smith had a higher assessment, noting: “Cass, with her strong sense of self, and Megan, who is still discovering who she wants to be, ultimately clash in a big way, and while the two friends’ journey is difficult, it’s heartwarming.” Smith also felt that the “textured coloring, in a varying pastel palette, makes the pages inviting and warm.”
In a Nerd Daily website interview with Elise Dumpleton, Crilley remarked on his personal inspiration for this graphic novel: “ My Last Summer with Cass is very loosely based on a real-life friendship I’ve had since high school with a man by the name of John Walter. He moved to New York City in his twenties and became a film editor and director. I noticed that he seemed much more daring than I ever was, and I began wanting to tell a story that showed just how different two creative people can be. John and I have never had any big conflicts in our friendship, though. That part is pure fiction, thank goodness!”
Crilley shares drawing and illustration technique in a number of books. Among them is his 2015 The Realism Challenge: Drawing and Painting Secrets from a Modern Master of Hyperrealism. The book opens with a short section on art materials and then presents thirty exercises that take learners through a step-by-step approach to draw and paint the world around them. Among the techniques are how to depict light and shadow, how to use color, and how to depict various surfaces. “Those with modest artistic skills can greatly improve their ability to draw and paint realistic objects by following the tips and tricks detailed here,” noted Heather Halliday in Library Journal.
Crilley employs the graphic novel format in another how-to art book, The Drawing Lesson: A Graphic Novel That Teaches You How to Draw. “This 144-page book delivers exactly what it promises: a graphic novel that teaches readers to draw,” commented a Kirkus Reviews critic. The work actually does offer a novel, a story about twelve-year-old David who desperately wants to learn how to draw. He meets the artist Becky on a park bench, and he talks her into giving him lessons. She agrees, and in addition to dealing with drawing basics such as proportion, negative space, perspective, and lighting, Becky gives David some important life lessons, and soon his drawing improves. The Kirkus Reviews critic further noted: “Crilley develops his characters fully, making this a true novel and not simply a narrated drawing lesson. An original and accessible way to learn to draw.” Similarly, School Library Journal contributor Benjamin Russell pronounced the book “an artful balance of character and technique, of observed human moments and carefully pitched instruction, that will appeal to students with artistic aspirations.”
In an online Children’s Book Review interview with Bianca Schulze, Crilley commented on the inspiration for The Drawing Lesson: “I’m inspired by my memories of learning how to draw years ago, especially my experiences with children’s book illustrator David Small, who was a mentor for me when I attended Kalamazoo College back in the 1980’s.”
“I’ve been blessed,” Crilley once told SATA. “Very few people are lucky enough to do something creative and get paid for it. On one level simply getting by in this way is all the achievement I’ll ever need.”
BIOCRIT
BOOKS
Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Volume 50, Gale (Detroit, MI), 2003.
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 1, 2000, Chris Sherman, review of Akiko on the Planet Smoo, p. 1243; January 1, 2001, Shelle Rosenfeld, review of Akiko in the Sprubly Islands, p. 958; January 1, 2002, Francisca Goldsmith, review of Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor, p. 856; May 15, 2003, Francisca Goldsmith, review of Akiko and the Alpha Centauri 5000, p. 1660; April 15, 2004, Francisca Goldsmith, review of Creatch Battler, p. 1453; September 1, 2005, Francisca Goldsmith, review of Rogmasher Rampage, p. 132; March 15, 2007, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Spring, p. 58; February 1, 2021, Sara Smith, review of My Last Summer with Cass, p. 38.
Children’s Bookwatch, August, 2007, review of Summer.
Entertainment Weekly, June 26, 1998, “Mark Crilley: Cult Cartoonist,” p. 90.
Family Life, March 1, 2001, review of Akiko in the Sprubly Islands, p. 87.
Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2007, review of Spring; October 1, 2008, review of Akiko and the Missing Misp; May 1, 2016, review of The Drawing Lesson: A Graphic Novel That Teaches You How to Draw.
Kliatt, July, 2007, George Galuschak, review of Spring, p. 34; September, 2007, George Galuschak, review of Summer, p. 28; March 1, 2008, Jennifer Sweeney, review of Autumn, p. 31; March 1, 2008, Jennifer Sweeney, review of Winter, p. 31.
Library Journal, March 15, 2015, Heather Halliday, review of The Realism Challenge: Drawing and Painting Secrets from a Modern Master of Hyperrealism, p. 106.
Library Talk, September-October, 2000, David Linger, review of Akiko on the Planet Smoo, p. 41.
Publishers Weekly, January 17, 2000, review of Akiko on the Planet Smoo, p. 57; June 18, 2001, review of Akiko on the Planet Smoo and Akiko and the Sprubly Islands, p. 83; August 27, 2001, review of Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor, p. 86; September 29, 2003, review of Akiko and the Journey to Toog, p. 67; May 24, 2004, review of Creatch Battler, p. 63; August 21, 2007, Brigid Alverson, “Harper Hopes Teens Fall for Miki Falls.”
School Library Journal, February, 2000, Lisa Prolman, review of Akiko on the Planet Smoo, p. 92; November, 2000, Lisa Prolman, review of Akiko in the Sprubly Islands, p. 113; April, 2001, Elaine E. Knight, review of Akiko and the Great Wall of Trudd, p. 105; November, 2001, Elaine E. Knight, review of Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor, p. 113; October, 2002, Susan Weitz, review of Akiko and the Intergalactic Zoo, p. 100; September, 2003, Elaine E. Knight, review of Akiko and the Alpha Centauri 5000, p. 176; December, 2003, Elaine E. Knight, review of Akiko and the Journey to Toog, p. 112; July, 2004, Elaine E. Knight, review of Creatch Battler, p. 104; July, 2005, Carolyn Lehman, review of Akiko: The Training Master, p. 72; October, 2005, Tasha Saecker, review of Rogmasher Rampage, p. 156; July, 2007, Alana Abbott, reviews of Spring and Summer, both p. 123; May, 2008, Sarah Krygier, review of Autumn, p. 153; July, 2008, Alana Abbott, review of Winter, p. 119; November, 2016, Benjamin Russell, review of The Drawing Lesson, p. 124; February, 2021, Alea Perez, review of My Last Summer with Cass, p. 79.
USA Today, July 15, 2003, Penny Schwartz, “‘Akiko’ Series Soars on Fun, Fanciful Flights,” p. D4.
ONLINE
Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/ (May 21, 2021), “Mark Crilley.”
Children’s Book Review, https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/ (July 14, 2016), Bianca Schulze, “Illustration Inspiration: Mark Crilley, Creator of The Drawing Lesson: A Graphic Novel That Teaches You How to Draw.”
Mark Crilley website, http://www.markcrilley.com (May 51, 2021).
Nerd Daily, https://thenerddaily.com/ (March 15, 2016), Elise Dumpleton, “Home Writers Corner Author Interviews.”
Random House website, http://www.randomhouse.com/ (April 1, 2008), “Mark Crilley.”
TeenReadsToo.com, http://teensreadtoo.com/ (April 1, 2008), interview with Crilley.
Worlds of Westfield, http://westfieldcomics.com/ (August 30, 2002), Roger Ash, “Mark Crilley Interview.”*
Mark Crilley
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the American artist and author. For the Scottish footballer and football manager, see Mark Crilly.
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Mark Crilley
Crilley at BookExpo America in 2018
Crilley at BookExpo America in 2018
Born May 21, 1966 (age 57)
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Occupation Artist, Illustrator, Author, and Comic Book Writer/Graphic Novelist
Nationality American
Notable works Akiko, Miki Falls, Brody's Ghost, The Drawing Lesson, Mastering Manga,
Spouse Miki Crilley
Children 2
Website
www.markcrilley.com
Mark Crilley (born May 21, 1966) is an American comic creator, artist and children's book author and illustrator. He is the creator of Miki Falls and Brody's Ghost. He produces instructional videos on drawing on YouTube in various styles, including manga-styles.[1] He was at one point an English teacher in Fukushima, Japan, as well as Changhua, Taiwan.[2]
Early life
Mark Crilley was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, United States to Robert and Virginia Crilley. He began drawing from a very young age. He graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School in 1984, proceeding to Kalamazoo College, where he befriended children's book writer/illustrator (and 2001 Caldecott award winner) David Small. Small greatly affected Crilley's artistic development as an illustrator and writer.
Upon graduating from college in 1988, Crilley moved to Taiwan, then Japan, and once more in Taiwan in 1993. He made his living by teaching English. It was while living in Japan, in the fall of 1992, that Crilley came up with the comic book Akiko and created his first adventure comic book.[3]
Akiko
Main article: Akiko (comic book)
Akiko is an American comic book series written and drawn by Crilley and published by Sirius Entertainment. The series ran for fifty-two issues and was a thirteen-time Eisner nominee. The comics have spawned a series of ten children novels from Random House Children's Books. The collection includes:
Akiko on the Planet Smoo (March 2001)
Akiko in the Sprubly Islands (September 2001)
Akiko and the Great Wall of Trudd (March 2001)
Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor (September 2001) (ends adaptations from comic)
Akiko and the Intergalactic Zoo (April 2002) (original stories begin)
Akiko and the Alpha Centauri 5000 (March 2003)
Akiko and the Journey to Toog (September 2003)
Akiko The Training Master (February 2005)
Akiko Pieces of Gax (November 2006)
Akiko Flights of Fancy
Akiko and the Missing Misp (November 2008)
The story has been described as a cross between The Wizard of Oz and Star Wars, centering on the adventures of Akiko, a Japanese American girl, on and around the planet Smoo, and other whimsical lands. She is accompanied by her alien friends, Mr. Beeba the well-read professor, the courageous but impulsive Spuckler, Gax the worn down, kind robot, and Poog, the Toogolian, floating, purple head.
Miki Falls
Main article: Miki Falls
Miki Falls is an OEL manga series created by Crilley and published by HarperCollins under its HarperTeen imprint. It is structured as a four-volume series; each book taking place during one of the seasons over the course of a year. It follows the main protagonist Miki Yoshida in her senior year of high school, and she plans of making it the better year yet. However, a strange new boy arrives in town and Miki is going to find out what he's up to. It has been optioned for development as a feature film by Paramount and Brad Pitt's productions company.
Brody's Ghost
Main article: Brody's Ghost
Brody's Ghost is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. The story, set in the near future, is that of a young man unaware of his psychic abilities. Only when he is approached by a ghost girl named Talia in need of his help he begins with a training process to awaken and master his powers.
Book One in the Brody's Ghost series was released July 14, 2010. Book Two was released in 2011. Book 3 was released in May 2012. Book 4 was released April 2013. Upon release, the series received positive feedback including a grade B+ from Detroit News's Eric Henrickson.
Brody's Ghost contains several differences from Crilley's previous work, Miki Falls. The story follows a male main character and contains more action and fighting sequences.
How-to-draw books
Crilley has published three manga-drawing instruction books: Mastering Manga, Mastering Manga 2: Level Up with Mark Crilley, and Mastering Manga 3: Power Up with Mark Crilley. In addition to these three manga books, Crilley has published The Realism Challenge (2015), a book on drawing hyper-realistic drawings of everyday objects, and The Drawing lesson (2017), a graphic novel that aims at teaching readers how to draw through the adventures of David and his mentor.[4]
Personal life
Crilley distributes drawing advice to artists via YouTube videos and his DeviantArt account. His YouTube videos teach beginners how to draw various manga and anime characters, as well as animals, how to use perspective, and more. In August 2010, he starred in some how-to-draw videos for Funimation on demand. Crilley's wife, Miki Crilley, whom he named Miki (the character in Miki Falls) after, is from Japan. The two have a daughter, Mio, and a son, Matthew.[citation needed]
Biography
I was raised in Detroit, Michigan, where I began drawing almost as soon as I could hold a pencil in my hand. Graduating from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School in 1984, I proceeded to Kalamazoo College, where I was befriended by children's book writer/illustrator (and 2001 Caldecott award winner) David Small. David's example was instrumental in suggesting the course that my writing and illustrating would eventually follow.
Upon graduating from college in 1988, I embarked on a series of jobs teaching English in the Far East, first in Taiwan, then Japan, and once more in Taiwan in 1993. It was while living in Japan, in the fall of 1992, that I invented Akiko and fashioned her first adventure, a 33-page comic book story entitled "Akiko on the Planet Smoo." Returning to Michigan in 1995, I found an eager publisher for the tale in Sirius Entertainment, of Dover, New Jersey. Sirius published the story as a one shot in December of 1995, with a new series, entitled "Akiko", to be launched the following spring. In those first years of creating comics, I managed to produce new issues of Akiko at a rate of ten or more per year, and found a small but dedicated readership among comics fans.
In 1998 I was chosen by "Entertainment Weekly" magazine for a spot on the "It List", their annual issue dedicated to the "100 most creative people in entertainment," sharing the honor with Chris Ware as one of two comic book creators to be featured that year.
This led to Random House Children's Books inviting me to write and illustrate a series of novelized adaptations of "Akiko" for young readers. The first in the series, "Akiko on the Planet Smoo", was published in March of 2000; the tenth, "Akiko and the Missing Misp", hit stores in November of 2008.
In 2004 Random House published my first new creation since Akiko, "Billy Clikk: Creatch Battler." The second book in the series, "Billy Clikk: Rogmasher Rampage," hit stores in the fall of 2005. My novels have been featured in USA Today, the New York Daily News, and Disney Adventures Magazine, as well as on CNN Headline News.
My latest creation, the four-volume manga series "Miki Falls," was published by HarperCollins over a period of just eight months from 2007 to early 2008. Kirkus reviews called is "stellar" and the American Library Association put it on their official list of recommended graphic novels. It has since been optioned for film development by Paramount Pictures and Brad Pitt's Plan B production company.
I now live in Michigan with my wife, Miki, and our children, Matthew and Mio. I sincerely hope I can spend the rest of my life doing just what I'm doing today: writing, drawing, and speaking to young readers at schools and libraries across the nation.
Biography
I was raised in Detroit, Michigan, where I began drawing almost as soon as I could hold a pencil in my hand. Graduating from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School in 1984, I proceeded to Kalamazoo College, where I was befriended by children's book writer/illustrator (and 2001 Caldecott award winner) David Small. David's example was instrumental in suggesting the course that my writing and illustrating would eventually follow.
Upon graduating from college in 1988, I embarked on a series of jobs teaching English in the Far East, first in Taiwan, then Japan, and once more in Taiwan in 1993. It was while living in Japan, in the fall of 1992, that I invented Akiko and fashioned her first adventure, a 33-page comic book story entitled "Akiko on the Planet Smoo." Returning to Michigan in 1995, I found an eager publisher for the tale in Sirius Entertainment, of Dover, New Jersey. Sirius published the story as a one shot in December of 1995, with a new series, entitled "Akiko", to be launched the following spring. In those first years of creating comics, I managed to produce new issues of Akiko at a rate of ten or more per year, and found a small but dedicated readership among comics fans.
In 1998 I was chosen by "Entertainment Weekly" magazine for a spot on the "It List", their annual issue dedicated to the "100 most creative people in entertainment," sharing the honor with Chris Ware as one of two comic book creators to be featured that year.
This led to Random House Children's Books inviting me to write and illustrate a series of novelized adaptations of "Akiko" for young readers. The first in the series, "Akiko on the Planet Smoo", was published in March of 2000; the tenth, "Akiko and the Missing Misp", hit stores in November of 2008.
In 2004 Random House published my first new creation since Akiko, "Billy Clikk: Creatch Battler." The second book in the series, "Billy Clikk: Rogmasher Rampage," hit stores in the fall of 2005. My novels have been featured in USA Today, the New York Daily News, and Disney Adventures Magazine, as well as on CNN Headline News.
My latest creation, the four-volume manga series "Miki Falls," was published by HarperCollins over a period of just eight months from 2007 to early 2008. Kirkus reviews called is "stellar" and the American Library Association put it on their official list of recommended graphic novels. It has since been optioned for film development by Paramount Pictures and Brad Pitt's Plan B production company.
I now live in Michigan with my wife, Miki, and our children, Matthew and Mio. I sincerely hope I can spend the rest of my life doing just what I'm doing today: writing, drawing, and speaking to young readers at schools and libraries across the nation.
MARK CRILLEY
Mark Crilley is the author and illustrator of more than forty books, including several acclaimed graphic novels, for which he has received fourteen Eisner Award nominations. His work has been featured in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and on CNN Headline News. His popular YouTube videos have been viewed more than 400 million times. He lives in Michigan with his wife, Miki, and children, Matthew and Mio.
Open to picture book, b&w/interior, cover, and graphic novel illustration work.
Agent
Ammi-Joan Paquette
Author Chat With Mark Crilley (Lost in Taiwan), Plus Giveaway! ~ US Only
May 24, 20237 Comments
Written by Cherokee Crum, Staff Reviewer
Posted in Authors, Giveaways, Interviews, News & Updates
Today we are very excited to share a special interview with author Mark Crilley (Lost in Taiwan)!
Read on to learn more about him, his book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Mark Crilley
Mark Crilley is the author and illustrator of more than forty books, including several acclaimed graphic novels, for which he has received fourteen Eisner Award nominations. His work has been featured in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and on CNN Headline News. His popular YouTube videos have been viewed more than 400 million times. He lives in Michigan with his wife, Miki, and children, Matthew and Mio.
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About the Book: Lost in Taiwan
In this exciting graphic novel about stepping out of your comfort zone, a traveler finds himself lost in Taiwan with no way of finding his brother—but he soon learns that this forced disconnect is helping him explore and experience the big wide world around him.
THIS WASN’T PAUL’S IDEA.
The last thing he’s interested in is exploring new countries or experiencing anything that might be described as “cultural enrichment.” But like it or not, he’s stuck with his brother, Theo, for two weeks in Taiwan, a place that—while fascinating to Theo—holds no interest to Paul at all.
While on a short trip to a local electronics store, Paul becomes hopelessly lost in Taiwan’s twisting, narrow streets, and he has no choice but to explore this new environment in his quest to find his way back to Theo’s apartment.
In an unfamiliar place with no friends—and no GPS!—there’s no telling what adventures he could happen upon. And who knows? Maybe it turns out he has friends in Taiwan, after all.
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~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I lived in Taiwan for two and a half years, teaching English, studying Chinese, and eating some of the world’s most delicious food. I wanted to create a graphic novel that would pay tribute to the people and culture of Taiwan, and to give readers a taste of what it feels like to be there.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
He’s kind of a secondary character, but I had fun writing the dialogue of Wallace, a cheerful fellow we don’t meet until pretty far along into the story. He’s my portrait of the type of modern, pop-culture-loving youth that I encountered over and over when I was living in Taiwan.
YABC: How do you know when a book is finished?
In some ways it never is really finished; you just reach a point where you say, “Okay, I need to stop tweaking things now!” But for me, it’s usually after one or two rounds of revisions with the editor, during which we’ve hopefully identified all the mistakes and areas where there’s room for improvement. Technically, the final step in the process is almost always creating the front cover art, and writing out the “acknowledgments” page.
YABC: What research did you do to write this book?
Well, lots of it is just drawn from my own memories. But I did scour the internet for photos and videos of modern Taiwan, so as to make sure the visuals would be accurate. There’s a “tea making” scene in the book that’s based on articles and videos about how to properly prepare tea in the traditional Chinese manner. I did similar research to make sure the “praying at the temple” scene would be accurate.
YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?
I’m lucky I’ve got a teenaged daughter in the house, whose way of speaking was a bit of a model for Paul, the book’s main character. I actually showed her the scene in which Paul is playing a video game, to make sure I got the details of that dialogue right.
YABC: What type of scene do you love to write the most?
I really enjoy writing dialogue. I love the challenge of reflecting the rhythm of conversation, with all the pauses and little facial reactions that are essential to everyday chats. If I’ve done my job right, you don’t just read what characters are saying, you “hear” the way they said it, and are aware of the emotions that underpin their words.
YABC: What other age group would you consider writing for?
I’ve got one or two story ideas that would only make sense for grownups, i.e. the main character needs to be an adult, or middle aged, or even older. Typically graphic novels aren’t written so much for grownups, so it’s tricky to find publishers interested in an idea like that. But I’d love to give it a try someday, if I’m given the chance.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
My next project is a two-book series that’s aimed at upper elementary and middle school students, due in stores this coming winter. It’s the first thing I’ve done in years that is focused directly on humor, and I’m having so much fun coming up with all the jokes and ridiculous situations. But the key thing about it is the format: These are highly experimental books that bring together comics, letters, diaries, and other unusual forms of storytelling. I can’t wait to see what people will think of them.
Title: Lost in Taiwan
Author/Illustrator: Mark Crilley
Release Date: 5/23/2023
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 1368040993
ISBN-13: 9781368040990
Genre: Young adult fiction
Age Range: 12+
~ Giveaway Details ~
Three (3) winners will receive a copy of Lost in Taiwan (Mark Crilley) ~US Only!
Lost in Taiwan | Author Interview | Book Tour
Posted on May 24, 2023 by Felicia
I’m so excited to be a part of the book tour for Lost in Taiwan that is hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. I was really excited to also be able to interview the author for this book!
INTERVIEW
How would you describe Lost in Taiwan in one sentence?
An American teenager finds himself completely lost in the streets of a large Taiwanese city, and must embark on a journey of discovery to find his way home.
Can you introduce us to the main character(s) of Lost in Taiwan?
Paul is a rather cynical guy who prefers fast food and video games to doing anything that might widen his horizons. Like many people who come across as sarcastic and bitter, he has put walls up around himself to avoid getting hurt by others. Of course, this story is about the day all that began to change, and the Paul we see at the end of the book is quite a different person.
Do you know from the beginning how your books will end or do you let your characters decide their journey?
I always have a pretty detailed outline of the entire story in place very early on. It’s especially important to have a satisfying ending worked out; then I can make sure all the scenes are building toward that ending. But I leave things open enough that if I get a good idea later on, I can ignore the outline and institute that change, for the good of the story.
Do you have a favorite scene, moment, or quote from the book?
There’s an early morning scene that transpires without a single word. In it, we see Paul get a canned coffee from a vending machine and go out for a walk among the rice paddies. This is drawn from my own memories of exploring Taiwan on my own. And I won’t give it away, but something kind of magical happens late in the scene that almost feels predestined by fate. It’s unlike any scene I’ve ever done before.
What is something readers will find in Lost in Taiwan that they may not realize based on the synopsis?
Most of the book transpires over the course of a single day. Since you stay with the main character Paul for the entirety of that day, you will hopefully get a deeply immersive experience that is fairly unusual in graphic novels. For example, the sun starts going down at one point, and you basically see the sunset, little by little, from one page to the next.
What’s something you hope readers will take away from Lost in Taiwan?
I hope it makes readers interested in the possibility of visiting Taiwan, or just travelling anywhere outside of their own country. At its heart, the story is all about the magic that occurs when you break out of your own familiar routines and begin to learn about the wider world outside.
What are three books you would recommend if someone enjoyed Lost in Taiwan?
Well, it’s a very different part of the world, but E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India is of course a classic, and one that portrays the meeting of two cultures in a very powerful way.
Michael Palin is a marvelous writer, and his Around the World in Eighty Days is a delightful account of a journey in which he did just that, with the restriction of never once travelling by air.
And I can’t resist mentioning my previous graphic novel, My Last Summer with Cass, which doesn’t involve foreign travel at all. But if you like the storytelling in Lost in Taiwan, you will find more of the same—and quite a lot that’s different, as well—in that book, which is something of a companion piece.
ABOUT THE BOOK
TITLE: Lost in Taiwan
AUTHOR: Mark Crilley
GENRE: Middle Grade Contemporary
RELEASE DATE: May 23, 2023
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indigo | IndieBound
Rep: Taiwanese
Synopsis:
A story about stepping out of your comfort zone—literally—on an unlikely journey to making new connections and learning to explore the big wide world around you, Lost In Taiwan is the latest from celebrated graphic novelist Mark Crilley.
THIS WASN’T PAUL’S IDEA.
The last thing he’s interested in is exploring new countries or experiencing anything that might be described as “cultural enrichment.” But like it or not, he’s stuck with his brother, Theo, for two weeks in Taiwan, a place that—while fascinating to Theo—holds no interest to Paul at all.
While on a short trip to a local electronics store, Paul becomes hopelessly lost in Taiwan’s twisting, narrow streets, and he has no choice but to explore this new environment in his quest to find his way back to Theo’s apartment.
In an unfamiliar place with no friends—and no GPS!—there’s no telling what adventures he could happen upon. And who knows? Maybe it turns out he has friends in Taiwan, after all.
Content Warning: Racial microaggressions
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Crilley is an American comic book creator and children’s book author/illustrator. He is the creator of Miki Falls, Akiko, and Brody’s Ghost. He is also noted for his instructional videos for drawing in the manga-style. Crilley distributes drawing advice to artists via YouTube videos and his DeviantArt account. In August 2010, he starred in some how to draw videos for Funimation on demand. Mark Crilley’s wife is Miki Crilley who he named Miki Falls after. The two have a daughter, Mio, and a son, Matthew.
Crilley, Mark LOST IN TAIWAN Little, Brown (Teen None) $17.99 5, 23 ISBN: 9781368040990
A grumpy teen finds himself lost in an unfamiliar city when his phone breaks.
It's been four days since Paul, a White American boy, arrived in Taiwan to visit Theo, his older brother who is teaching there, and he has shown no interest in sightseeing. Instead, he's remained in Theo's apartment, eating takeout from McDonald's and playing games on his phone. Paul finally ventures out when a friend tells him about an exclusive video game console, but when he arrives at the store after a long and winding journey through the city, the item turns out to be a knockoff child's toy. To make matters worse, Paul then drops his phone in a gutter, rendering it unusable. With no access to online maps and no comprehension of Chinese, Paul despairs of ever getting back. Fortunately, he's approached by Peijing, a friendly English-speaking Taiwanese girl who offers to take Paul with her on some errands around the city in hopes that he'll recognize a street or landmark. Along the way, Peijing introduces Paul to the local culture and cuisine and even teaches him a few words in Mandarin. The story's sincere message of broadening cultural horizons is accompanied by detailed illustrations that resemble pencil line art and watercolor washes. The images and stylized onomatopoeic sound effects capture the atmosphere of Changbei, a fictional city whose portrayal strongly and vividly evokes metropolitan areas of Taiwan.
A visual love letter to Taiwan. (author's note) (Graphic fiction. 12-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Crilley, Mark: LOST IN TAIWAN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A740905483/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e5191ed0. Accessed 9 Nov. 2023.
Lost in Taiwan
Mark Crilley. Little, Brown, $24.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-368-04088-4; $17.99 paper ISBN 978-1-368-04099-0
An apathetic white American teen must open himself up to new experiences to find his way home in a foreign country in this expansive graphic novel by Crilley (The Comic Book Lesson). Paul has been visiting with his older brother, Theo, in Taiwan for four days, but instead of sightseeing, all he's done is eat McDonald's and play games on his phone. While Theo is busy, Paul heads out seeking a video game store using his phone's GPS. But when the store is a bust and his phone stops working, he finds himself hopelessly lost with no way back to Theo's apartment. Paul eventually encounters Peijing, aChangbei native who offers to help him retrace his steps. As the pair traverse Taiwan's landmark teeming, twisty streets via moped, Peijing shows Paul everything he's been missing, such as cultural foods, serene rice paddies, and sacred temples. Softly penciled panels and a hazy color palette gently portray Paul's growing excitement in experiencing the world around him. The teens' conversations surrounding their dreams, their fears, and their futures provide a grounding counterpoint to their playful banter and bombastic adventure. An author's note details Crilley's connection to Taiwan. Ages 12-up. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. (May)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Lost in Taiwan." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 11, 13 Mar. 2023, p. 58. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A743366275/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=465ad60d. Accessed 9 Nov. 2023.