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Professionals are Amazing "Give it everything you got when you draw," was what he had told me. I had heard from my days as an assistant all the rumors about how Akimoto-sensei worked, such as "He only works 5 days a week" and "He always has 2 or 3 stories stocked up for emergencies" -- basically that he was an amazing person who did his work in a very "professional" manner. When time came for me to do a weekly series, I finally realized how amazing that was when reality seeped into my bones, and now, I stare out of my window every day out at the flock of snow-egrets that fly by my window, thinking "Wow, professionals are amazing." (This is fiction.) One day, I asked Akimoto-sensei."How does one get faster in
drawing names (creating the ideas for stories)?"Akimoto-sensei instantly
replied to me."Give it everything you got
when you draw." DO-N!!I really felt that. I received
a really good one. That was a golden right straight punch. Perhaps that was a thought that meant nothing
unusual to the author himself, but Akimoto-sensei, I really felt it! Now, I regret asking such an unskilled
question, and I stare out of my window today like every other day out at the herd of monkeys that fly by my
window. (A delusion.) But actually, there supposedly was a time when even Akimoto-sensei screamed out in agony
about drawing a story every week. I was a little relieved by that, and I hope to mature and become more skilled
so that I can become a man that can give such words to younger authors as well. I will give it everything
I have.By the way, there is one
sentence that is becoming a standard line for Jump authors to receive in their fan mail."Please continue your series
longer than Kochikame."You know that's
impossible.For those of you that don't know KochiKame (short for Kochira Katsushikaku Kameari Kouenmae Hashutsujo), it is the longest running series in Weekly Jump, the magazine that carries our beloved One Piece. It is about a money-hungry, gamble-happy, rather troublesome (laugh) police officer named Kankichi Ryotsu and his not-so-ordinary life in a little police box with his two ultra-rich fellow cops and a "mean" boss. This series started way back in (if I'm remembering correctly) 1976, and has the record number of compilations to date. This was a comment that Oda-sensei made in a short essay at the back of volume 122 (each volume of KochiKame as of late has a short essay from someone in the industry). Also, if you by any chance develop a curiosity for it, the perfect opportunity is to check out the anime version of KochiKame, as it's airing right before OP (starting April 22, 2001).... |
