Interview With Melissa DeJesus

By David Rasmussen
1st Apr 07

Rasmussen : Good day, please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us abit about yourself… and… sorry… (cough cough)… uhm… how do I put this… you wouldn't happen to be related to a certain Mr. DeJesus of AmeriManga fame would you? (Sorry for the obvious question).

Melissa DeJesus : Hello, my name is Melissa DeJesus and I'm an illustrator and cartoonist. I studied animation in college as my major. I'm currently the illustrator for Sokora Refugees and and an upcoming strip called My Cage. Around my college years, a few friends and myself created Estrigious Studios. And no, I'm not related to Robert DeJesus. I get asked that a lot.

Rasmussen : Ok then, honestly, do you get tired of people confusing you for a family relation to Mr. DeJesus? And, strange question, if some day you do end up running into Mr. DeJesus somehow (if it hasn't already happened)… then what?

Melissa DeJesus : No, I don't get tired of people asking, it actually happens infrequently. I did get to meet him once at Katsucon a few years ago. I bought one of his books and asked him to sign it for me. He took a glance at my name tag to write "To Melissa" and saw my last name. He said "Oh! You have the same last name." I said "Yeah...." I might have told him people ask if I'm related to him because I draw too, but I can't remember. We might have chuckled at that and that was it. I'm pretty sure he didn't know who I was. I was still in early stages of Estrigious.

Rasmussen : The secret origin of Melissa DeJesus, tell us a bit about yourself prior to schooling at the School of Visual Arts.

Melissa DeJesus : Well, I've been drawing since I was 4. Took a few art classes and went to an art High School where I majored in cartooning. Since elementary school I knew exactly what I wanted to do up until college and did what I needed to pursue that.

Rasmussen : Tell us abit about going to school at the School of Visual Arts, what was that like and what is involved in the classes you took there?

Melissa DeJesus : I really enjoyed SVA and made sure I made the best out of every class I took. My animation classes helped me a lot with my drawing in general and classes like "script writing", and "acting" helped me realize I could expand more with my art and storytelling. A history of film class I took in High School also helped me a lot with my history of animation classes. Along with the dozens of different art history classes I took, I took a lot of drawing classes as well. One particular class I really enjoyed was a wildlife watercolor class where we visited the Bronx zoo every week to paint watercolor pictures of the animals. The instructor for that class was amazing.

Rasmussen : The all girl team of Estrigious Studios. Tell us abiut about them, the projects you worked on with them, and their present disposition at this time? Also, for those readers interested in seeing your early work (and the works of your associates with E.S.) can you tell us where readers can get ahold of their works?

Melissa DeJesus : Ah, Estrigious! Two of the members, Aro and Hwan, I met in High School. The three of us attended SVA and met the other two girls Becky and Jen. We all shared common interests and quickly became friends. One day Hwan said "We should make an illustration book" and the rest is history. We decided to give ourselves a name to represent the five of us and then started attending conventions as a Studio. We launched the website shortly after our first con self-published two books. We currently have no copies of the book left but you can always visit www.estrigious.com to see new and older works.

As a group we animated the short cartoon segment seen the movie Super Troopers. We also did freelance animation for an online animation website call Urban Box Office (which is not currently running anymore). As of today all the members are working on separate projects. Becky is doing East Coast Rising for TOKYOPOP and American Virgin for Vertigo. Jen is also working on a book for TOKYOPOP called Off Beat.

Rasmussen : You mentioned that two of your collegues from Estrigious are working at TOKYOPOP, but where are (if you know) the other two (Aro and Hwan) working? Also is it easy or hard to stay in touch with your Estrigious associates these days (now that you are all working separate careers and lives)?

Melissa DeJesus : Hwan and Aro are working and living their own lives. They still draw of course and I do speak to them often. Over the years, and working on our own projects, it has become more difficult to keep in touch. The Estrigious site had suffered because of this but we make it a point to meet each other and get together whenever we are all in town. Jen and Becky had moved out of New York at few years back. We keep pretty good contact otherwise and hopefully the site and blossom again with our works.

Rasmussen : Hmm… I have to check those out then. The short feature that appeared in Super Troopers, if you can please tell us about how that project came about and it's creation from start to finish, and what you thought of it once you saw the finished product in the movie?

Melissa DeJesus : I believe one of the members from Broken Lizard contacted Becky after seeing our stuff on our website. (attending conventions and promoting the website really pays off). We signed a contract and created the animation while still at SVA, using the school's facilities of course. We were invited to attend a screening with everyone involved in the movie and once we saw our animation on the big screen we got all giggly and started laughing. It wasn't until we saw our names and studio name in the credits that we really felt like we did something right, all our persistence and hard work really paid off. It was a great accomplished feeling.

Rasmussen : You were involved back in 2000 with the online animation branch of Urban Box Office, what kind of work did that involve?

Melissa DeJesus : We assisted the animator. Coloring the frames on the computer prior to animating.

Rasmussen : On being a teacher of cartooning for children over at community college, what does that imply in terms of teaching? Also how important is it to teach such skills such as artistic talent and expression to young growing minds?

Melissa DeJesus : The courses are really short, so I try to teach and inform them of things that can help them as they grow artistically, after the course is over and I'm not there anymore. I've had so many different kids over the years with different needs that how I teach changes every semester. In general, I teach them correct terms and the technical aspects of creating a comic while allowing them to draw what and however they like. I teach them ways they can practice their art so than can improve over the years, teach them some drawing games, and drawing exercises to help them relax and clear their mind when they struggle to think of an idea or draw a picture they seem to just can't get right. I want them to have all the right information as they grow older but still have room to explore and develop their own unique style.

Rasmussen : Your first full work doing a graphic novel (Sokora Refugees), tell us abit about the title and the work that goes into this (and how it differs from the work you did with Estrigious Studios in the past)?

Melissa DeJesus : Sokora Refugees is a fantasy comedy about an average girl who doesn't feel as smart, pretty or talented as her friends and classmates. She then gets taken to another world where an elf believes she can save them from impending doom. (But she really doesn't care.) Working on Sokora Vol.1 was tough for me. Being my first professional graphic novel work,I had to learn to work with editors, a writer and other people who would ink and tone my penciled pages.
I had to pencil 1 page a day and then send chapters off to the inkers, and then in turn, send it off to TOKYOPOP for scanning, toning, and lettering.

Very different than the work I did with Estrigious. We had way more artistic freedom and received help from each other when needed. We also used our time to experiment on different aspects of our art and weren't stressing over deadlines.

Having other people work on my art was hard to deal with because I felt like in the end it didn't fully represent my work when credited as Illustrator of Sokora. For volume 2 I convinced the editors to let me ink the pages myself and for volume 3 hopefully ink, tone and letter pages myself. Well, at least have someone I know tone and letter it for me whom I can supervise at the moment.

Rasmussen : Comparing your artistic style from your first works in comics with Estrigious versus your present work with TOKYOPOP, how has your work evolved from your beginning to now, and do you see your work further evolving as time goes on?

Melissa DeJesus : Its hard to say, from when I was working on our Estrigious books I was already in college. High School was were I had all my big evolutions in my art style. Everything slowed down in college and when I worked on my animation I had to keep my style consistant. After college I took a year long break from my art (and what a big mistake!) I came out of my break starting on Sokora vol.1 and I felt really rusty. I had to relearn certain things and felt I needed to reinvent my style again. Even up until now its still changing and yes, I do see my work further evolving as time goes on.

Rasmussen : I take it, as a personal estimation on my part, that you are a fan of the anime/manga genre (if I may make that possible observation), what series (if the above is true) are you into right now, and is your present style owe anything in terms of inspiration to your past or present favorite anime or manga series?

Melissa DeJesus : Yeah, I've been a fan of anime and manga for years, since the beginning of High School. At that time, I was inspired by so many of my favorite artists (even game artists) that all of those influences eventually molded into the style I have today. Even now, my style is still changing but my influences are not necessarily anime or manga inspired anymore.

I do read a lot of manga, but I don't watch as much anime anymore. Right now I'm reading D.Gray Man, Berserk, Death Note, and Welcome to the NHK.

Rasmussen : You told us about your manga favorites, but you didn't mention if you also follow the works of any AmeriManga (aka OELManga for the PC) talents. Do you? If so which talents are you presently reading in terms of work?

Melissa DeJesus : Oh! I try to read all of them! Especially close friends and people I know, like Becky, Jen, Amy Kim Ganter, and June Kim. I think its exciting to see americans brace the style of japanese comic art and make it their own. I'm always checking out new OEL manga. I've also met some of the other artists that work for TOKYOPOP and it's always really nice to meet the other artists.

Rasmussen : At any point do you see yourself taking on the task of writing and drawing your own titles at some point in your future? If not what is possibly the one (or more) hurdles that you see keeps you from becoming a writer/artist?

Melissa DeJesus : Of course, I do see myself writing and drawing my own titles in the future. I think the only thing that keeps me from doing it right now is that I already have work with writers and I've become inexperienced writing my own stuff. I don't feel as confident with my writing as I am with my art because of that. For Sokora volume 2, I did write a 5 page mini comic in the back of the book and I'm really happy with it. I had so much fun creating those pages. The funny thing is, it was meant to be a short strip and ended up being five pages. So, while I work with other writers I'll be practicing my own writing and once I get the chance, I'll come out with my own title.

Rasmussen : A day in your life, tell us abit about a typical workday for you?

Melissa DeJesus : Oh boy, no two days are the same in my life. Freelance work is something I still can't get used to.
For volume 2 I tried to pencil and ink a page a day. If I pick up any other freelance work (usually illustration work and currently an animation gig) I tend to slack on my pages a bit and that tends to last a few weeks. Shame on me because I end up giving in my work late.
And since I work at home, I tend to break away from my work to cook, clean, and run errands.
My poor hobbies are crying out for attention. I guess cooking has become my hobby. I really enjoy it.

Rasmussen : Besides cooking what other hobbies do you have (that you hinted at in your Day in Your Life question you haven't done in awhile)?

Melissa DeJesus : Oh yes...my hobbies. I used to paint model kits (anime figure garage kits). I loved them so much that I continued to buy the kits and not paint them. I have like 20 in my closet and I just ordered two more. I was also an avid gamer (I like to think I still am). But after college and now my work, I can only find time to play hand held games on my Gameboy DS and PSP. And, like my model kits, I'll still buy games and not play them.

Rasmussen : Working with Segamu on Sokora Refugees, what is that like?

Melissa DeJesus : It's been a great experience I have to say. Segamu's story and ideas are things I've been familiar with and enjoy drawing. In the beginning back on Volume 1 it was hard for me to layout pages from his writing. My pacing was a lot slower than his but he's very open to my suggestions.
He also gives me a lot of room to express my visual ideas and allow me to change some panels as I see fit. He's been really great to work with.

Rasmussen : 2007. Besides Sokora Refugees Volume 3 what else can we look forward to from you in the coming months? Will you be doing any other titles for either TOKYOPOP or any other studios, and will you be tackling any writing chores in the near future?

Melissa DeJesus : I would love to write my own story sometime in the future. I've had some ideas I've been developing lately. After Sokora 3 though, I will be starting a new series but at the moment I can't say what or with whom. Most likely I won't be writing it.

Also, I'm excited to say, I will be illustrating a comic for newspapers debuting in May!
It won't be in all newspapers but readers are encouraged to write their local newspaper and ask for the strip entitled "My Cage." Check out www.myspace.com/mycagecomic for news and info.

Rasmussen : If you can, can you give us a preview of what Sokora Refugees Volume 3 will be like (without revealing too much)?

Melissa DeJesus : The story will come to a conclusion in Volume 3 but not without some new characters.

Rasmussen : Applying your own experiences as a neophyte manga talent from your past, how easy is it for new creators to run into trouble concerning plagerisim (either accidental or deliberately) when trying to make a name for themselves as new talent in the industry? Also what can be done (in your opinion) to curtail the temptation towards plagerisim from amongst the potential would be manga creative "gene pool"?

Melissa DeJesus : Well, its hard to say. It can be easy for a beginnner to accidentaly plagerize their favorite work. All beginners tend to copy their favorite artists, comics, and/or books and that eventually stops when you discover your own style. If the artist/creator is still in that phase, they still have a lot to learn and should avoid trying to get published until they have a full grasp of what they want to accomplish and how they are going to do it. I tried making my own comics in Jr. High School and and had a few years of experimenting in the "anime" style before being published. Even then I had a lot to learn. I learned and experienced a lot in those years and even now I feel like there is more to learn and explore.

I think any and all artists and writers should immerse themselves in everything around them and learn to be influenced by the world they're in. If you only read one type of book or comic, your probably going to draw or write like that one type. If you read everything and really look at all types of art, your going to have a lot of ideas and many ways to express them.

In my opinion, if you're an aspiring comic creator, and you want to avoid potential plagerism, read more, watch some movies, go to the park, do something different. The more open your mind, the less chance you have of plagerizing. (And also do research before publishing, there can be a fine line between copying and paying homage.)

Rasmussen : Any final words for our readers?

Melissa DeJesus : Hmm, all I can say is in the upcoming months and years hopefully you'll be seeing my work in more and more places like comics, newspapers, and even television.
And for aspiring artists and writers…go out there and show your stuff! Create a website, advertise yourself everywhere, take as many jobs as you can handle and you'd be surprised where it can take you, The only thing than will hold you back is your fear of trying.

-- David Rasmussen 1st Apr 07