Sequential Tart - 6/99

Declaration of Independents
Tak Toyoshima — The Couch
by Barb Lien (barb@sequentialtart.com)

This month we launch a new semi-regular column where we highlight books out of the mainstream that have caught our eye at conventions or in stores. Barb Lien recently picked up a book called The Couch, which is about murder, paranoia, and something nasty (actually something both cute and nasty) hiding in the couch of the murder victim. Barb says "The art is great, the plot is unique to say the least, and the whole thing is imbued with a sense of Gen X paranoia that I find really affecting". The creator's name is Tak Toyoshima, who is also known as the inker on The Tick and Barb tracked him down to get the lowdown on The Couch . Read this and then go buy a copy : The Couch — coming to all good conventions near you soon!

Sequential Tart: Background info?
Tak Toyoshima: Born in raised and New York City but now I live in Boston (it's much easier on the constitution). I've been teaching pre-school for the past six years and this fall I am finally a full-time freelance artist. Those poor children. Comic books are my main drive but I've been known to do other things like magazine illustrations, tattoos, helmets, cars, murals ... mostly legal.

ST: Comic book projects you've been involved in?
TT: About a year and a half ago I drew a 12-page comic book called The Hooligans. It was written by my good friend Rob Larsen (wanna see his wigged out site? http://pages.prodigy.net/hkmadness/). It was basically "Druuuunk iiiin Spaaaace!" At the same time I was working on my own comic called The Couch. That's is also my current project. I also ink for New England Comics doing The Tick. I work on the Heroes of the City title inking the pencils of Gabe Crate. I just did a cover for the Halloween Special and am doing inking as well as pencilling in a book called Y2K also published by New England Comics.

For now The Couch is on a holding pattern and I am doing my best to balance N.E.C. work with finishing The Couch. What I will probably end up doing is publishing the entire story in one graphic novel as opposed to the original three issue series plan. I am exposing the already printed Couch #1 to as many people as I can at conventions, stores, mail order and online orders. And there's an upcoming project that I have a few pin-up style illustrations for. All I can say at this point is that it involves The Blonde Avenger.

Secret Asian Man is another ongoing project that I am involved with. Shovel magazine is a free Boston based monthly magazine centered on progressive and creative culture. Every month I do a 2 page comic called Secret Asian Man in Shovel. It is about the trials and tribulations of being an Asian-American.

ST: Tell us what your comic is about?
TT: The Couch is an unusual mystery. It starts with the murder of a local punk kid named Jesse. He is shot in the face with a shotgun and killed. His blood soaks into the couch and mixes with all of those lovely things you find between your cushions: hair, dead skin cells, old take-out food, love juices ... you know. As a result Couch is born. At first it has no idea what is going on but slowly starts to realize that it is Jesse and proceeds to try to solve, for all intents and purposes, its own murder.

ST: Tell us why people might be interested in reading it?
TT: That's a good question. For me, the telling of the story is a kind of therapy. The emotional core of the story stems from the sudden death of one of my best friends a few years back. We went to tons of hardcore and punk shows here in Boston. He was this wigged out larger than life kind of guy. Then suddenly he was gone. The official report was that he was hit by a cab and killed. But there was a lot of unanswered questions surrounding his death. For a while the most far fetched scenarios seemed possible. I guess I feel like other people must have gone through similar situations or have been caught up in something that they felt they had absolutely no control over. You just have to learn to deal with it all one thing at a time. How you emerge from the experience is usually a lot different than you expected. That's what happened to me in real life and that's what happens in the story.

ST: Who do you admire in comics/film/music/other pop-culture areas?
TT: In comics/comic art — Frank Frazetta, Sam Keith, Bernie Wrightson, Frank Miller, Simon Bisley, Dave McKean, Bill Sienkiewicz, Vaugh Bode...In film — my man is Akira Kurosawa. But I also dig Stanley Kubrick. In the animation world Hayao Miyazaki. In music — Stevie Wonder, The Beastie Boys, a tie between S.O.D. and G.W.A.R., Madonna (yes Madonna) and Smashing Pumpkins because they gave all their ticket sales money to charity. That takes some serious yabos. In other pop-culture areas — William Gibson for writing, Jet Li for butt kicking action, and those nutcases who climb buildings and jump off with a parachute and get away in a cab before the cops show up.

ST: Why have you gone the indie/self-publishing route?
TT: In the end it is the freedom to tell whatever story you want. But all the other baggage that comes with self-publishing these days certainly is a rude awakening. I didn't go into this thinking it was going to be easy but when you look at the real competition in the comic book world, it's superhero books. I love superhero books but it's not what I want to do. But face it, that is the big chunk of current comic book readers. So what do I do? I look towards those who don't already read comic books. There are a lot more of those people. We just face the monumental task of getting their attention. I have found the most dedicated, innovative creators on the front lines spreading the good of comic books beyond the current readership. I find great company in this charge.

ST: Where is your comic available?
TT: I am approaching smaller distributors like Cold CutDistribution, Hawaii Hobbies, and several on-line sites that allow small publishers to display their wares (Comic Book Clearinghouse and soon Comicon.com at http://www.comicon.com). I also attend conventions (Boston, Maine, New York City, Chicago, San Diego) And there's always mail order through ads in the Comic Buyer's Guide. Once I get a website up I want to link with a lot of non-comic specific sites.

I am also selling something known as The Couch Kit.
The Couch Kit includes:
The Couch #1 signed
The Couch Ashcans #1 and #2 signed
The Couch refrigerator magnet
Hand made Glow-in-the-Dark Couch figurine!
An original sketch of The Couch personalized to you!
AND every order will receive a FREE copy of Shovel magazine.
All for only $10! (+$3 shipping)
http://members.tripod.com/~carltoon/0a-stompin.html (This is one place it is available for sale)

ST: Any other comments you'd like to share?
TT: What sites like this one are doing is critical to the future of self-publishers. I feel like there are far more sites dedicated to small press books than big industry books. The internet is where everyone can actually have a fair shake. I've surfed in and out of comic sites for a little while now and all I have to say is that there are far more interesting things happening at these sites than any big "order now!" site out there. Small pressers, let's stop trying to feed off the carcass of the speculator's market. There's a whole other world of people out there that would love this stuff.

Oh, and I'll be in San Diego for SDCC at the N.E.C. booth.