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Taki Soma takes lots of photos of her food and her cat. Therefore, I love her. It makes her relatable. I feel like I could send her pictures of my food and bond. For now, I’ll just enjoy her art work from afar.
What was the first thing that you were proud of drawing/writing?
I was maybe 6 yrs. old or so, my bio-dad took me out to see E.T. – afterward, I drew the alien over and over again from every angle I can remember so I could hold his image close to me. I wish I still had the drawings to see how wrong I was, but also to relive that pride I felt then.
What are you working on now?
A story close to my heart which started off as a webcomic many years ago – with a move, a life-changing tragedy and few other things in the mix – I didn’t get to finish up, or even get to the middle of it. I want to retell as a comic both for myself and those who were reading it called ‘You’ll never die…’
A noir revenge story with a sci-fi twist.
Who has influenced you the most as an artist?
Picasso.
Is that silly?
I don’t think so. He was amazing and what I do know about him, I’ve admired and incorporated into my creativity.
But of course, every artist I encounter, I think there is something I can learn from and be influenced by.
Who is your favorite female superhero/villain/comic book character
Remember Spoiler? Yeah, she was cool. From what I remember, she was a teen mom, she’s clumsy and unsure of herself but she was amazing when she spread her wings.
I also just loved her costume with her full face mask and cloak.
Maybe? We are all guilty of allowing our eyes to interpret the world around us so I can’t help but feel as if there is a certain expectation of something… but what that is, I’m not exactly sure.
I have had many instances where after learning that I’m Japanese, some either say ‘so, where’s your manga stuff?’ or ‘oh, I see the manga influence in your work now.’
Again, I don’t think people are attempting to pigeonhole me – more that there just aren’t a lot of Japanese people doing western style comics (oh look, I’m doing it too) to make it a non-issue.
Are you an introvert or extrovert?
Depends on the situation and who you ask! I personally believe that I’m an introvert especially after going through a couple of life-changing traumas, but I think most of my friends see me as an extrovert.
Where do you find your inspiration?
I get asked that often, and my answer is always ‘life, thinking and breathing.’
What do you do if you have writer’s block?
Just keep writing, even if you feel it as unimportant or simply dumb – ideas can sprout from so many sources. I also love to talk about storytelling with others. It helps me focus on it and see it form a solid life when you speak it out loud.
Have you had any interesting or awkward experiences since you’ve been an artist/writer?
hrm… I’m generally awkward anyway so I can’t blame the art or writing on that, I don’t think… but interestingly, I found my writing ‘voice’ when I was working at Walgreens many many moons ago – whenever I had to leave a note for the next shift so they knew what needed to be stocked or whatnot, I would write it humorously. And I’ve been told by many that my notes made them laugh every time and they’ve started to look forward to them.
Beverage of choice?
Sparkling water!
When was the last time that you dressed up for Halloween?
2015, I borrowed my friend’s Chewbacca mask and jacket – both 7x too big for me which (imho) made the costume that much better. But it was so dang hot and I had just a tank top on underneath that I wasn’t comfortable walking around in that forced me to leave the party early. Sorry Chelsea!
What do you want people to know about you?
I workout regularly. I’m proud of that fact and I think it’s really very important to make it a habit especially as we all age. It’s good for the soul, your heart, your mind, your creativity – if you can find a regimen that you can stick with, DO IT!
Taki Soma on Twitter @takisoma
