Audrey Magazine - 4/07

Asian Americans making noise.

They call him the “Voice of Asian Neuroses.” After all, Tak Toyoshima, the artist behind the comic strip “Secret Asian Man,” has no problem bluntly addressing Asian American issues through his thick eye-browed Asian American character. The comic strip has been controversial since its beginnings with its political content and opinionated take on issues like race, gender, religion and sexual orientation. Toyoshima says the strip is about “the minority experience and a celebration of diversity.” “Secret Asian Man” has been printed in publications in Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Atlanta, and appears weekly in Boston’s Weekly Dig, an alternative newsweekly Toyoshima helped start. Now the 7-year-old comic strip has been signed with United Feature Syndicate, a distributor for cartoons like “Peanuts,” “Dilbert” and “Boondocks,” making it the first daily American comic strip featuring a lead character of Asian descent. That means as of May 7, newspaper readers across the country may find “Secret Asian Man” in the comics section of their daily rag.

Toyoshima has worked for New England Comics on “The Tick” and self-published a comic book, The Couch. Born and raised in New York’s Tribeca district and a graduate of Boston University, he now lives with his wife and son in Boston.
More of his comics can be found on his website www.secretasianman.com.