Word Out 2011

The art and design of being a Ninja is the theme of this non-fiction graphic book (I am not going to say novel as that is not accurate enough) and we were lucky enough to get to interview one of the authors Matt Alt. So breath deep and prepare to learn a little bit about a varierty of topics.

 1. Is writing a graphic novel any different from writing a regular novel? (obvious differences aside)

The big challenge was, Ninja Attack isn't fiction. It's based in fact. 
All of the ninja who appear in its pages are real people. We gave the 
artist very detailed instructions about how to draw each illustration. 
That involved a lot of research. That was one of the big challenges 
with this book, actually. Ninja are sneaky. They weren't well 
documented back in time — they were spies. There's even an old saying 
along the lines of, "if you have a reputation, you aren't doing your 
job as a ninja." Keeping quiet was everything for these guys (and gals.)

 2. A graphic novel is a very visual format for books, do you prefer the visual component for writing and character development? Or does it matter to you?

I've always loved comic books, and manga in particular. So it was a 
natural sort of thing for Hiroko and I to combine our interest in 
writing with imagery. We live in Tokyo and have a lot of manga artist 
friends. Whenever we'd go out, we'd talk about ways we could work 
together. Ninja Attack and its predecessor, Yokai Attack (which is all 
about monsters from Japanese folklore) are the product of those 
friendships. Our manga artist friends are so talented that they 
inspired us to try making something together.

3. What is the best advice you have ever received as a writer?

"Cover your butt." It's something Hiroko told me once. It sounds 
funny, but what it means is, "you can write or say anything you like, 
so long as you can support it." It's important that the things you 
write are supported by some kind of fact, or internal logic. In the 
case of Ninja Attack, that meant doing our research so we know what we 
were talking about. Not making things up as we went along. Doing the 
hard work of reading lots and lots and lots of books on the subject, 
to make sure we knew we were adding something new to the discussion 
and not saying what had been said before. I think you can apply that 
to fiction, too; you can have your characters say or do anything so 
long as that works in the context of the character and the story. That 
logical framework is really important.

4. What is the best advice you can give for young and aspiring writers?

Two things. One is to read constantly in the genre you want to work 
in. And two is to keep writing. Really. It's as simple as that. Even 
if you can't sell your work right away, keep working at it. It's 
important to consider your audience, but it's also important to stay 
true to yourself and satisfy yourself.

5. Historically graphic novels and comic books have been given a negative reputation for not being as "intellectual" or "stimulating" as other novels, in the case of your book you are also incorporating Kung Fu movies that have also had a negative reputation. Was this a conscious effort? Coincidence? None of the above?

I think that reputation is an old-fashioned way of looking at things. 
I'm in my thirties and grew up with amazing works like "Maus," which 
is a portrayal of the Holocaust in graphic novel form. I think an 
artform can be as lowbrow or as highbrow as the creator wants to make 
it. There's no such thing as a "bad" genre or style. It's all in how 
you use it. That is true about books, movies, or anything at all, 
really.

That said, we really enjoy martial arts flicks from Japan and China 
and all over Asia. They can be a lot of fun. We wanted to incorporate 
some of that fun into what we were doing, without letting it take 
over. Maintaining that balance was key, because Ninja Attack isn't 
fiction.

6. Can Ninja's really be as appealing as the novel/book presents them?

Truth is often stranger, and more interesting, than fiction. We think 
the real-life stories "behind the masks" of actual ninja make for 
pretty compelling drama.

 7. If a reader can'take one thing away from the book "Ninja Attacks" what would you want it to be?

That history is often even more compelling than fiction.

8. Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate!

10. If a graphic novel were to be created about your life who would you want to write and illustrate it and why?

Wow, that's a good question. Good because I've never heard it before! 
Hiroko and I would be honored to have any of the artists who worked on 
our books illustrate our life stories!