< Continued from page 1

Q: Victor, since you got the assignment while you were still in college, did it surprise you to get considered to draw a full-length comic story? Had you drawn comic-style stories before?

Victor Hao: It was my childhood dream to draw a full-length comic! I have drawn small comics when I was young, mostly tournament fighting kind of stories. I grew up reading Dragon Ball and Slam Dunk, but between the two, I'd say Dragon Ball had the biggest influence on me.


Those stories inspired me so much, I wanted so much to be a comics artist.

Q: So you're very familiar with the shonen manga type stories, and, as I understand it, you're also into video games?

Victor Hao: Yeah, I played a lot of Super Nintendo RPG games growing up. I think most of my character designs are most influenced from those games.

Q: Had you played table RPGs like the ones the characters play in King of RPGs?

Victor Hao: Once with Jason!!! It was pretty cool! I liked the combat a lot, and I love how Jason gets really into it! He's just like Theo! (laughs)

Jason Thompson: Victor and the others were raiding this castle full of goblins, and there was much almost-dying and narrow escaping. (laughs)

MONSTERS, ACTION, MAYHEM AND SOME MANGA IN-JOKES

Q: Both of you have mentioned the shonen manga influences in King of RPGs -- any titles in particular? How are these titles echoed in King of RPGs?

Jason Thompson: The biggest influences for me are Yu-Gi-Oh!, Shaman King, and Iron Wok Jan. The Yu-Gi-Oh!

influence is inescapable in a comic in which people get really excited about board games. Shaman King is one of my favorite shonen manga, and Iron Wok Jan has a sort of cynical, demented mood which I like a lot.

Q: I can see the Yu-Gi-Oh! aspect in King of RPGs, but what are the Shaman King references?

Jason Thompson: I love the way Shaman King mixes a lot of historical and cultural information in with a fighting manga, and a lot of the humor is very meta and adult.

Q: One thing that other reviewers have mentioned is that you've put in a few wink-wink/nudge-nudge jokes for manga readers.

Jason Thompson: Yes, I couldn't resist! (smiles)

Q: I noticed one of the player casts a magical attack spell called "Red Colored Elegy" (the title of an avant-garde gekiga title by Seiichi Hayashi) Do you have a favorite "manga insider" moment that you inserted into this story?

Jason Thompson: I don't know... Victor, what's your favorite?

Victor Hao: I put Sasuke and Naruto in the comic as the figurines! (laughs)

Q: (laughs) I'll have to look for that!

Victor Hao: Yes, find them if you can! (laughs)

Jason Thompson: There are a lot of Yu-Gi-Oh! references, from the subtle to the blatant. Also, see how many of the costumes you can recognize in the vampire live-action role-playing scene.

Q: Ha! Okay, that should be fun!

GEEK HUMOR FOR GAMERS AND MAYHEM FOR MANGA FANS

Q: One way that King of RPGs is different than most shonen manga you've mentioned is that geek humor is a big part of it. There are a LOT of gamer in-jokes amidst the mayhem!

Jason Thompson: Yes, I kind of felt like I was writing two comics: one, a Penny Arcade/Knights of the Dinner Table-style nerd comic with a lot of in-jokes, and a shonen manga story. One result has been that King of RPGs has more dialogue and just more stuff happening than is usual in a manga. But it's still not as dense as the typical American/indie comic, I think.

Q: You sent me a few preview chapters of King of RPGs to check out about a year ago, but even I was surprised at how over-the-top batshit things got in the second half of Volume 1!

Jason Thompson: Why, thank you! (laughs) I take that as a compliment!

Q: It is, it is! I don't use the term "over-the-top-batshit" lightly. (laughs)

Jason Thompson: I have to admit -- originally the comic was a lot tamer. Originally it was more like Genshiken or Dramacon. Victor even drew some pages from that earlier version.

Q: Oh? What made you decide to change the tone?

Jason Thompson: Well, some people who looked at early drafts of the comic felt it needed more "something." I'd like to put them up sometime after the book comes out, actually.

Anyway, one of the early editors who looked at the comic -- a TokyoPop editor, actually -- said "This is just some people playing games. This needs more motivation, more drama." So then I started making things crazier. But I think it's still ultimately character-driven. The conflict between Rona, Shesh and Theo is the main drive of the story.

Q: So, for example, were Rona, the manic anti-gaming policewoman and Gavin, the greedy rival player later additions to the story?

Jason Thompson: Gavin Slane was always in the story. Rona was invented later. Well, both Rona and Shesh are the mayhem, although Rona would deny it.

Q: So have you shown the story to RPG players or other gamers? What has the reaction been so far?

Jason Thompson: I've gotten some good reaction from some D&D players. (smiles)

Victor Hao: I've told some of my D&D friends about the whole tabletop RPG manga idea and they immediately loved it!

Q: Do tell! What have they said?

Jason Thompson: Well, there's lots of RPG in-jokes, so they like those. (smiles) Luckily, my friends have pretty thick skin about the depiction of RPGers as maniacs.