 by
Benjamin Ong Pang Kean
TOKYOPOP’s Rising Stars of Manga 2 winner,
Bettina M. Kurkoski, is set to become
the next manga-ka to debut her creation, My Cat Loki in 2006.
“I was one of the many talented winners of TOKYOPOP's
Rising Stars of Manga competition,” Kurkoski
told Newsarama. Her winning entry, Axis Lumen, appeared in
Volume 2.
According to Kurkoski, My Cat Loki
is a story based on the idea of people that treat their pets as
if they were human. Main character, Ameya,
seems to have taken the idea one step further, psychologically 'seeing'
his cat as human. It's a comedy and love story about finding trust,
love and inspiration in the most unexpected places.
“After winning RSoM, [TOKYOPOP] really seemed to express great interest
in getting me on a series,” she recalled. “If
not as a creator, then as an artist. After the first two
projects I was put on failed, I was asked again to create and propose
a project, TP again expressing their great interest in wanting me
on a project with them. That's when My Cat Loki was brought
in. It took me about a week or so to put together enough information
and character designs to pitch the project to one of the editors
and voila! This is the result of that first pitch!
  
Kurkoski
said that the real inspiration for My Cat Loki came from
her own real-life experience with the four-legged felines in her
life. “I have grown up with cats my entire life,
with one cat in particular that really has a play in my heart. My cat, Morris. I had him since I was 3 or 4 and he lived to
be 20 years old. Right from the very start there was a special bond
between us, he was always there when I needed him. He was the best
cat I have ever had and I know that there will never be another
like him. You would not believe the stuff I made him do when I was
young, like dressing him up in doll clothes when he was a kitten
and pretending that he was my baby. Though he scowled at me, was
mortified and completely embarrassed, he still let me do that to
him. He was the [ibest[/I] lap cat! Whenever I was sick, he was there in my lap taking
care of me. It still hurts that he's been gone for 8 years now,
and I still can't seem to get over that fact. My Morris is the inspiration
for the story, Ameya being a bit of myself,
Loki being a bit of Morris, so this series is dedicated to his memory.”
As for the character Ameya, it’s no wonder
that he is a prolific artist living in a small fictional New England coastal town. Just like Kurkoski herself who’s a rising star manga-ka in the making.
“He's a gentle, shy and caring man, often times lost in his own
world, a real space cadette, which is
very evident in how he treats Loki more like a human than a cat.
But despite his surface cheerfulness, there's a sadness and pain
he hides from the outside world. Loki is almost Ameya's opposite, he's quite timid and quite stubborn with
a bit of an attitude, as evident by the often present scowl he sports.
His lack of trust hinders his ability to get close to anyone.
  
There is also “Ms Chacha,
a quirky, flirtatious, enthusiastic go-getter! She has been Ameya's
agent since the beginning of his career and can be credited for
much of his success and his well being, having been at his side
for the best and worst of times in his life. At times she pushes
Ameya a little farther than he wants to
be, having nothing but the best intensions for him.
 “There's
a lot of character interaction that I really don't want to give
away just yet without spoiling the plot. So I guess you'll just
have to wait for the book to find out what happens!”
Kurkoski admitted that she grew up on
American comics. “My main inspiration that really got me into drawing
comic art during my late high school years and into college was
Jim Lee, as well as Joe Madureira later on. It wasn't until after
college that I got into anime and manga. Despite having grown up
in the 80's watching cartoons that at the time I was not aware was
anime, the one movie that launched me into the anime/manga world
was Akira. After watching it, I was completely sucked in!
I began incorporating a more anime/manga style into my then Jim
Lee/Joe Mad inspired style, and it has since evolved to what it
is to date! As for Japanese artists inspirations, I'd definitely
have to say that Yu Watase, Yukiru
Sugisaki, Kazuya Minekura and Kubo Tite are a definite
inspiration,” she said, and added that her favorite manga and comics
include (in no particular order) Fruits Basket, Bleach,
Genosomaden Saiyuki,
Demon Diary, Blade of the Immortal, Yami
no Matusei, Loveless, Naruto,
Pita-Ten, Alichino, Pet
Shop of Horrors, DNAngel, Hot
Gimmick, Gravitation, Full Metal Alchemist, Hana
Kimi, Rurouni Kenshin, and Sandman.
 The
first volume of My Cat Loki is currently scheduled to be
in stores in July 2006. When not working on My Cat Loki,
Kurkoski works at the local picture framing
shop as an assistant manager as well as work as a freelance illustration
for private commissions. “While in college, I had several comic
strips published in the campus newspaper. During college and for
a few years after, I also taught comic book art out of my house,
later teaching at my hometown's community art center.
“With My Cat Loki, I hope to achieve a better understanding
of how the professional world works in the comic art field. Though
I've grown up drawing my own comics since a very young age, I still
feel there's a lot left to learn, especially with the growing
technologies. While in college, I did everything, including lettering,
by hand. But with today's technological advancements and the programs
available for the field, in order to be ahead of the game, I have
to learn how to create the same work using those technologies. I'm
finding it a little difficult to adjust sometimes, but at other
times I am ever grateful those technologies exist. Beyond the technical
end of the book, I also hope, like most artists, to finally get
my name out into the world and make my presence known.”
For more on Bettina Kurkoski, visit her
official website at www.dreamworldstudio.net
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