| 3/18/2008 | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Lauderdale resident Lars Martinson, who is also a Roseville Area High School graduate, will release of his graphic novel "Tonaharu: Part One" in May. The novel uses crisp prose and striking drawings to tell of some of Martinson's experiences as an English teacher in Japan. |
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Reflections on Japan
Lauderdale man pens graphic novel about his experiences
George Fairbanks
news editor
For Lars Martinson, creating his graphic novel "Tonoharu: Part One" was a way to reflect back on his experiences as an English teacher in rural Japan, an experience Martinson found both challenging and richly rewarding.
Martinson, a 1996 Roseville Area High School graduate who currently lives in Lauderdale, recently received a $10,000 grant from the Xeric Foundation to help publish his novel.
Tonoharu is the name of a Japanese town, and Martinson said he liked the way the name sounded and thought it would make a good title for his book.
"It's actually really close to where I lived in Japan," he added.
Martinson taught English in Japan from 2003-06 and also spent time in the country as an exchange student while he was in high school. He fell in love with the country during that exchange visit.
"It was just a wonderful trip," the University of North Dakota graduate said.
Martinson explained his main character, Dan, is a fictional creation who encounters many of the experiences he had while in Japan. Using a fictional character rather than writing with a strictly autobiographical focus allowed room for more creativity.
Martinson also explained he used the experiences of some of his friends as material for the novel.
In the book, Dan struggles with being one of the few foreigners in his community and attempting to learn the language and culture. It's clear Dan is also battling loneliness.
"That's obviously part of the experience," Martinson notes.
Martinson said his own experience while teaching was an initial excitement followed by a period of doubt and worry.
"It takes a couple months for the alienation to set in," he said. "I was probably the only foreigner in the town."
While many Americans thinking of Japan only picture Tokyo, with its bustling commerce and grasp of technology, Martinson said rural Japan is developing at a much slower pace.
"If you went into a school, you'd be surprised at how low-tech it is," he explained.
The book, published by Pliant Press in a partnership with its distributor, Top Shelf Productions, is composed with elegant drawings and crisp, clear prose.
Readers get a clear sense of Japanese culture as well as the risks and rewards of moving to a foreign country, particularly one with a culture that goes back centuries.
A fortunate combination
Martinson's childhood friend and fellow RAHS graduate Chris Kelly, who currently works for the Japanese Consulate in Japan, said he's long figured his friend would find a career in comics.
"Since fifth or sixth-grade at Brimhall he's been making comics," Kelly said.
Kelly, also an experience Japan-traveler, said he appreciated Martinson's thoughtful portrayal of the culture.
"It's very interesting to me how he depicted things in the book; some of the places he mentions are places I was," Kelly noted.
Ultimately, Kelly said he's just pleased to see his friend continue developing his art.
"It's a beautiful book; he's taken it to a whole new level," he said.
Martinson said he found Japanese people to be shy, reserved and very polite. His English-language students, however, were quicker to warm to him.
"The kids loved me," he said with a laugh.
The graphic novel allows Martinson to combine his love of comics with a long-form narrative.
"I've known since probably junior high that I want to write comics," he explained.
The explosive popularity of graphic novels, which started in Japan before hitting America, has proven to be fortunate timing for the author.
"I never imagined the popularity of Japanese culture would come into the market," he said.
He did some of the work while he was still in Japan, explaining English teachers have a lot of downtime between classes and he took the opportunity to study the language and draw.
One of his inspirations is newspaper comics from the 1920s, he said, pointing to Little Orphan Annie as an example. Martinson noted he thinks comics from that era were crafted with a sense of beauty and artistry that's lacking from contemporary newspaper comics. In his novel, he sought to capture the spirit of the comics from that by-gone era.
Martinson added the novel is also a way for him to share his memories of his experience to an audience beyond his friends and family, who have already heard plenty about his adventures.
"People get sick of hearing about it sooner than you get sick of talking about it," he laughed.
Future plans
Martinson envisions his novel as a four-part series and hopes to continue handling much of the marketing himself.
"For me, doing the marketing myself, everything comes down to economics," he explained.
His ultimate goal, he added, is to turn his passion for his art into a living-wage profession.
In the meantime, Martinson is set for another Japanese adventure. He'll be returning to the country in April after being awarded a two-year scholarship to study calligraphy.
"Tonoharu: Part One" will be available in May at local bookstores and on amazon.com. For more information about the book or Martinson, visit www.larsmartinson.com.
George Fairbanks can be reached at gfairbanks@lillienews.com or at 651-748-7813.
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