Amidst the realm of superhero tales, a comic book about a high school badminton player may seem rather unusual. But in the thematically diverse world of Japanese-style comics called “manga,” just such a story earned a recent CSULB graduate the coveted title of “Rising Star of Manga” and an opportunity to collaborate with a pair of the comic world’s elite writers.

Ravuth “Jimmy” Vann’s Beyond the Bird earned him a runner-up award in the Rising Stars of Manga 4 national competition sponsored by Tokyopop, one of the largest manga publishers in North America. The firm also distributes anime, or Japanese animated films.

Manga roughly means “random or whimsical pictures” and traces its roots to Japan’s 12th century. The style continued into the 19th century with the publication of manga by Japanese artist Hokusai. In the 1960s, Western television audiences became familiar with anime through “Astro Boy” and “Speed Racer.” Today, anime and manga genres have offerings for all ages and tastes, from child favorites “Yu-Gi-Oh!” and “Pokémon” to adult fare.

Vann, who graduated in May, took his Long Beach Polytechnic High School experiences and plugged them into the elaborate, detailed world of manga with its never-crack-a-smile approach to the challenges of 21st century life. Tokyopop editorial judges praised the book for its change-of-pace setting in the world of badminton, an Olympic sport popular in Asia. Sports manga is a genre all its own, addressing familiar Western sports such as baseball and tennis as well as a variety of Japanese board games.

“There even may be people who have never heard of badminton, but I decided to give it a little recognition because it reflected my own experience at Poly,” Vann explained. “It was a challenge for me to make it as interesting to others as it was to me. It tested my skill as an artist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Being a kid, I was always sort of talented as an artist,” he continued. “I drew all day long and I drew before I was introduced to comic books. I started drawing my favorite characters in comic books and mimicking styles. That’s what drew me to manga in the first place. Manga is geared toward a different crowd. It has a variety of stories that are more intricate and detailed. Some stories really make you think. That’s one reason why manga has been able to attract many readers from all over the world.”

He noted the strong connection between manga and anime, with titles often being turned from one art form to the other. In the United States, some 1,000 new manga volumes are expected to be published this year, according to Icv2, a pop culture trade group. Each July finds fans milling around the Anaheim Convention Center dressed as their favorite anime and manga characters while attending the annual Anime Expo, which drew about 33,000 attendees this year.

The “Rising Stars” award brought Vann to the attention of artist/writer Jimmy Palmiotti, co-founder of the Marvel Knights comics line, and writer Justin Gray. Under contract with Tokyopop, Vann will create the artwork for a series of three graphic novels titled “Zeroes,” to be published beginning next year.

“The story involves a group of misfit kids, some magic gems and the trials and tribulations of getting through junior high,” said Gray, who has written for such titles as “Hawkman” and “Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight.” “Jimmy Vann not only has a firm grasp on the manga style, he also incorporates his own special swagger to the illustrations that elevates the script beyond what Jimmy Palmiotti and I imagined when we set to work on the story. His character designs are crisp and inspired, a true talent poised to make a name for himself.”