Interview with Mad Rupert, author of Sakana
September 2023
Sakana, the story of life and love in a fish market, is coming back from its hiatus soon! The strip comic style webcomic began in 2010 and follows Jiro, Taisei, Yuudai, and Chie as they navigate their relationships and learn to face their feelings. We asked creator Mad Rupert, author of Robber Robert and artist of Bunt!, for an interview to celebrate the series return.
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Sakana has been your baby for 13 years. What has the webcomic journey been like for you over the past decade?
It really has been over a decade, hasn’t it! There have certainly been ups and downs, periods where I was updating as much as I could, and also long hiatuses. I feel like webcomics have always been an amazing space to practice my craft and stretch my writing and drawing skills alike.
You can kind of do anything you like with webcomics, and oftentimes people come up with wackier, and imho more interesting concepts than if they were beholden to a large publisher. Not that I haven’t made my fair share of traditionally-published comics and graphic novels… but there’s just something so gratifying about coming up with your own wild story and working towards its end on your own time. Webcomics are incredibly tough and time consuming, but also the ultimate form of self expression.
What is the origin of Sakana? What made you want to tell this story?
Sakana actually started as a class project when I was a junior at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I had been accepted into the Sequential Art department’s yearly Japan trip to study comics and cartooning in Tokyo for a few weeks, and our final project was to create 11 comic strips based off of something that made a strong impact on us during the trip.
We had visited the old inner market (now demolished) of the Tsukiji Fish Market at 4am one morning, and it was the most incredible place I’d ever been, so I decided to craft a short story that took place in the market. Beyond the first 11 strips, I decided to continue the story for as long as I could as a way to practice the comic techniques I was learning in class.
That was over a decade and 600 strips ago! It really has become the most ambitious project I’ve ever undertaken.
Do you have the ending already written? Do you see a conclusion in sight?
Yes! I’ve always had something at least resembling an end in mind throughout most of the comic’s lifespan. For a long-format comic like SAKANA, I think it’s very important to have a rough ending planned out as early as possible, otherwise it becomes difficult to keep the narrative moving in a satisfying direction, drop little tidbits of plot that will pay off later, or even maintain your enthusiasm for the project.
To be clear, the details of Sakana's “end” have changed many times, which is only natural with a very long project like this. But I’ve always kept crucial details the same: basically certain characters in a certain place at a certain time doing certain things (to keep from getting too spoilery haha.) HOW they get there, WHY they’re there, and WHAT exactly they’re doing will ebb and flow as the years go by and I myself get older and older. But having a general sense of the end in mind has kept things moving all this time. The story’s got one more volume to go, and then I’ll be done!
Your hiatus is a result of working on a traditionally published graphic novel, coming in 2024. Is there anything you can tell us about your book?
My new graphic novel is called Bunt! and it’s a collaborative effort between myself and my dear pal, Ngozi Ukazu (author of popular webcomic Check, Please!) Ngozi wrote the book and I drew it, and we’re both really proud of what we’ve made! It’s already available for preorder all over the place and it will officially be out in stores in February 2024. We’re really looking forward to getting out there this fall and winter and spreading the word about it!
You recently successfully completed a Kickstarter for an 18+ comic, Robber Robert, as well. What is it like balancing these different narratives, genres, and mediums of publishing comics?
It’s definitely been a struggle at times to balance everything, and I definitely don’t recommend working on 3 giant projects at the same time! I finally had to admit that I couldn’t do it all at once, which led to me putting Sakana and RR on hiatus to finish Bunt!, and then keeping Sakana on hiatus while I finished up RR.
I really burned myself out on comics for a while, and it’s been a huge struggle to get myself back to a good place with my work. Finishing Bunt! and RR Chapter 1 has really helped reenergize me, but I can always feel myself trying to overload my work schedule again and again. It’s my greatest weakness as a professional artist.
What keeps you inspired?
Making something for myself, practicing my craft, and putting my own stories out there are all huge driving forces in my life. Learning to stop overwhelming myself with work has also helped a lot. Looking back on all the art I’ve made and all the different things I’ve tried makes me feel like I can do anything I put my mind to, so long as I give myself the time and space to enjoy the process.
Do you have any webcomic or graphic novel recommendations?
I’m a big fan of anything fantasy or sci-fi, especially if the narrative approaches the fantastical elements in a weird, unique, and kind of gay way haha. My favorite manga is currently Delicious in Dungeon, but I’m also a fan of historical series like Golden Kamuy and Bride’s Story. For webcomics, I love anything by Evan Dahm, like his long-format series Rice Boy and Vattu.
As for Hiveworks comics, there’s too many to list individually but my current favorites are Fairmeadow by KP, and Tiger, Tiger by Petra Nordlund.
Any advice for new readers of Sakana?
I would say…despite its high page count, it’s not that long of a read! The strip format keeps it moving at a pretty quick clip when read all at once (but it certainly didn’t feel like that over the last 13 years updating one page at a time!) I know that the format and the black and white rendering might feel a little dated in the current era of Webtoons and full-color stories, but I’m too stubborn to change now, and I really appreciate anybody giving it a shot!
Also, no matter who you are, or how much you dislike him in the beginning, Yuudai will probably be your favorite character.
You can read Sakana for free at sakana-comic.com and print books are available at hivemill.com
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The Contestants Are Here!
Thank you for your patience, I'm now ready to announce our contestants for the Obscure Character Showdown! There are 300 characters, split up into 6 groups of 50.
Here's how the schedule will work: Day 1 is Group A Round 1 Part 1, Day 2 is Group A Round 1 Part 2, Day 3 is Group B Round 1 Part 1, Day 4 is Group B Round 1 Part 2, Day 5 is Group C Round 1 Part 1, and so on and so forth until we reach Group F Round 1 Part 2, and then the next day we'll fold back over for Group A Round 2. I'm splitting up the rounds because tumblr can interpret posting many polls at once as spamming, and each group contains 25 polls, so. 13 one day, 12 the next.
I expect to start polls by Wednesday, May 31, but I may be a little later than that. I'll keep you updated.
The polls will be tagged with 'obscurecharactershowdown,' 'obscure poll,' and their group letter and round number.
Under the cut is the groups and matchups. Thank you all for your submissions, and I'm sorry if your submission didn't get in! If it was a submission for your OC, a mythological figure, a Real Life Thing, an album character, a commercial character, etc, then you may not be out of the running yet. Be patient, I have something else I'm working out!
Please don't come into my inbox, replies, dms, etc, and tell me that a character I chose isn't actually obscure at all. No one's media experience is universal, and from my own experiences, I picked to the best of my ability.
GROUP A
Juan Salvo (El Eternauta) vs The Faceless One (Masters of the Universe)
Leila Vernon (The Magic Misfits) vs Malaya Walters (How to Be a Werewolf)
Rosalia Rossellini (Trauma Team) vs Hotwire (Transformers Universe)
The Blue Electric Angels (Matthew Swift book series) vs The Protagonist’s Mother (Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk)
Syksy (Farragone) vs Chaerin Eun (Surviving Romance)
Miyabi Hanakouji (Persona 2) vs Valier / Reinhardt (The Demon Prince Goes To The Academy)
Merim Felspar (Three of Hearts Podcast) vs Gracefeel (The Faraway Paladin)
Ragna the Bloodedge (Blazblue) vs Shigeru Watanabe (Sakana)
Tragedian (Pathologic) vs Shin Kazama (Area 88)
Morga Eirsdottir (Arcana) vs Shadow Joker (Kaitou Joker/Mysterious Joker)
Rose Red (Ghost Quartet) vs Jacopo Bearzatti (The House in Fata Morgana)
Teardrop (BFB) vs Catherine Winters (Love, Money, Rock'n'Roll)
Nin (Paranatural) vs Naarah (CatGhost)
Rose Hsu Jordan (The Joy Luck Club) vs Seijyu (Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru/Mashin Hero Wataru)
Itakura Akira (Talentless Nana) vs Daryl Zero (Zero Effect (1998))
Tarisa Manandal (Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse) vs Whisper (Golden Treasure: The Great Green)
Isaac Yaga (Thistlefoot) vs Raikou Shimizu (Nabari no Ou)
Kasane Fuchi (Kasane) vs Taïs (Aïnako)
Kozlov Leifvich Grebnev (Biomega) vs Rosa Ushiromiya (Umineko no Naku Koro ni)
Bowie (Ginga Senpuu Braiger) vs Cyber 6 (Cybersix)
Kim Boksil (How to End an Unrequited Love) vs Zolophilia (Disciple of the Lich: Or How I Was Cursed by the Gods and Dropped Into the Abyss)
Kate (Shadow’s House) vs Michael Tutori (Wii Music)
The Guardian (Hyper Light Drifter) vs Salim Condo (La quete d'Ewilan books)
The Queen of Hearts (Fool's Run by Patricia McKillip) vs Jyu Free (Dobutsu no Kuni/Animal Land)
Tom (Deltora Quest) vs The Player Square (Adventure (Atari))
GROUP B
Elliot Hemlock (Devil's Candy) vs Sulfus (Angel's Friends)
Togou Mimori/Washio Sumi (Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero & Washio Sumi is a Hero) vs Fengxi (Legend of Luo Xiaohei)
Shinozaki Yusuke (Shinozaki-kun no Mente Jijou) vs Yellow Tempest/Yellow Storm (Ending Makers)
Hiroki Dan (Brutal: Satsujin Kansatsukan no Kokuhaku) vs Tirsiak (Spooky's Jumpscare Mansion)
Tau-indi Bosoka (Seth Dickinson's Masquerade series) vs Sugar Peace (High Card)
Anima (Why Shouldn't a Detestable Demon Lord Fall in Love?!) vs Rinzen (Avatar Legends)
Walter Walzac (The Brave of Gold Goldran) vs Hoshi or “Star��� (Arakawa Under the Bridge)
Lex (Cryptid Crush) vs Marshall (U.B.Funkeys)
Pappy van Poodle (Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball) vs Cockroach Boy (Nekra Psaria)
Denzil and Cuthbert (Count Duckula) vs Mama Fireplant (Super Mario World TV series)
Isaac (Awful Hospital) vs Naki Kokuriko (Ayakashi Akashi)
Tughril Mahmut (Shoukoku no Altair) vs Mark (Galactik Football)
Mistake Bradley (Home Sweet Home (1981)) vs Oopsy Bear (Care Bears (2007 series))
Yin Yu (Heaven Official's Blessing) vs Jinwoo Shim (New Recruit)
Xuanli (Lanxi Zhen) vs Tenna (Johnny the Homicidal Maniac / I Feel Sick)
Ssrin (Exordia) vs Kondou Seiichirou (Isekai no Sata wa Shachiku Shidai)
Hikaru (Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu) vs Dr. Albert Krueger (Therapy with Dr. Albert Krueger)
Chris Wise (Anna and the Apocalypse) vs Chase Beckley (Elevator Hitch)
Cindy Caine (Halloween Horror Nights) vs Uncle Flipping Hades Terwilliger (The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, by Daniel Manus Pinkwatee)
Juliana Valverde (The Hazards of Love) vs Red Savarin (Solatorobo)
Bennett (Hello Charlotte) vs Ruan Nanzhu (Kaleidoscope of Death (死亡万花筒))
Eve (Serina: A Natural History of the World of Birds) vs Senri (+Anima)
Nero (The Boy Who Fell) vs Yee (Outlander Fantastic Princess)
Atl (Certain Dark Things) vs Sheila (Witch’s Heart)
Josh Rumbles (Celia's Journey - a series by Melissa Gunther) vs Queenie (BACK)
GROUP C
Bolt (Crypt of the Necrodancer) vs Mila (The Quest)
Iris (Drawn: The Painted Tower) vs Pearl Forrester (MST3K)
Queen Seles (Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within) vs Vella (Velouria Beastender Tartine) (Broken Age)
Mr Morris Lessmore (The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore) vs Garrett Miller (Extreme Ghostbusters)
Dr. Anna May (Scott the Woz) vs Ocoho (Radiant)
Bai Lang (My Tooth Your Love) vs Aleida Rosales (For All Mankind)
The Scorched Apostate (A Practical Guide to Evil) vs "Järnarmen" ("The Iron Arm") (Jönssonligan dyker upp igen (1986))
Aliya Elasra (Heaven’s Vault) vs Roc (Xenoblade 2)
Sawamura Tetsuo (Yuureitou) vs Kid Twilight (Story Thieves by James Riley)
Doris Frances Barbara (Blood & Syrup: A Vampire the Masquerade Podcast) vs Mikey McGil (The Skinjacker Trilogy)
Psianop the Inexhaustible Stagnation (Ishura) vs Gu Nanyi (Rise of the Phoenixes)
Sawtooth Rivergrinder (Freefall) vs Katook (The Katurran Odyssey)
Kim Koizumi (Chroma Key) vs NIL (Hyperbolica video game)
Kathryn (Fixation) vs The Spider Core (The Lab - Core Slingshot)
Satyarani (Raven: The Secret Temple) vs Alys Hunter (Prosiect Z/Itopia)
Bamba (Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger) vs Barago (From Far Away)
Grunty (The World Well Lost by Theodore Sturgeon) vs Ink (Going Home)
Rook (Griftlands) vs Rambler (Happy Happy Clover)
Elisabet Grimurdottir (Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness) vs Felix Iskandar Escellun (Last Legacy)
Nancy Neil (Snowboard Kids) vs THE-MEASURE-CUTS (The Blackout Club)
Nephis (Shadow Slave) vs Rina Shioi (Magical Girl Site)
"good" Tom (El Goonish Shive) vs Tomoe Tachibana (Trauma Team)
Enik (Land of the Lost (1978)) vs Ernő Nemecsek (A Pál Utcai Fiúk (The Paul Street Boys))
Dee Kennedy (Dayshift at Freddy’s) vs Eamon Bailey (The Circle by Dave Eggers)
Bob Sparker (Electricopolis) vs Kirinda (Juuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto Ranger)
GROUP D
Todoroki Kakeru (Chō Soku Henkei Gyrozetter) vs Lelee (Cursed Ones DnD)
Engine (Gachiakuta) vs The Exsurgent Virus (Eclipse Phase)
Therese 'Tess' Dombegh (Tess of the Road) vs Heart (Moonlight Chicken)
Captain Grace (Magical Girl Raising Project: Limited) vs Gongyi Xiao (Scum Villain's Self Saving System)
Es (Milgram) vs Fox (Mirrorworld series)
Kindersnatch (Prey and a Lamb) vs Copen Kamizono (Azure Striker Gunvolt)
Lady Bat (Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch) vs Pepper (Hello From Halo Head)
Marziale (NOISZ) vs Ulala (Space Channel 5)
Soloman (Soloman) vs Diggory Graves (Hello from the Hallowoods)
Matatagi Hayato (Inazuma Eleven GO Galaxy) vs Phon (3 Will Be Free)
Riley (Nexomon) vs Hizame (Amatsuki (Takayama Shinobu))
Brutha (Discworld) vs Colt / Coltia (Monster Rancher 2)
Raven (Gravity Rush) vs Holy Joo (Oh! Holy (Webtoon))
Kit Devlin (Kitty Corner) vs Kusuriuri (the medicine seller) (Mononoke)
Dandelion Tuft-Flores (Soil That Binds Us) vs Tin (Triage The Series)
Sparky & Whoosh / ポチ & タマ (Pochi & Tama) (Ribbit King (Kero Kero King DX)) vs The Biologist (The Southern Reach trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer)
Silver (Oneshot) vs Allumi Niumbirch (Shaman King Flowers)
Kronoculus (Costume Quest 2) vs Raven (Raven (CBBC))
Gary (Faith the Unholy Trinity) vs Appare Sorano (Appare-Ranman!)
Roxis Rosenkrantz (Mana Khemia) vs Abby and Zara (Doctor Who / Graceless)
Shijima Tsukishima/Shimeji (Shimeji simulation) vs Sym (I Was A Teenage Exocolonist)
Oona Wong (Kiki Strike Series) vs Cynthia (Incryptid)
Felix Leiter (James Bond franchise) vs Jefferson (Death's Door)
Gerald McBoing Boing (Gerald McBoing Boing (1950 short)) vs Gruftine (Die Schule Der Kleinen Vampire / The School for Little Vampires)
Nuch (Not Me The Series) vs Sad Ghost (Shattered Pixel Dungeon)
GROUP E
Percy Blakeney (The Scarlet Pimpernel) vs Sarah Collins (Dark Shadows (1966-1971))
Grace Summers/Poppy (Blood for Poppies (An interactive novel)) vs Tangie (The Tangerine Bear)
Pleck Decksetter (Mission to Zyxx) vs Zaknafein Do'Urden (The Legend of Drizzt (Forgotten Realms))
Tusk (Shrine II) vs Richard Conway (Gunpoint)
Zinn (Monstress) vs Detective Victor Spooky (Deep Night Detective)
Teddyco (Sanrio) vs Leonie Beaumort (Aviary Attorney)
Magda (Vapors) vs Yokoe Rei (School Zone Girls)
Mini Kapoor-Lopez (Pandava Quintet) vs Maki (Darker than Black)
Edward Manners (The Folding Star by Alan Hollinghurst) vs Reo Miyao (Bokutachi no Ikita Riyuu (Our Reason For Living))
Cian (Bear and Breakfast) vs Principal Shirley Oddwell (Oddport Academy)
Curse Bringer Angel (Baroque) vs Daniel da Silva (Think of England by KJ Charles)
S.T (Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton) vs The Cashier (Midnight Museum)
Inien (Thrilling Intent) vs Vola ('Pax' & 'Pax Journey Home' by Sara Pennypacker)
Seaweed (Gloomverse) vs Fangus Klot (Oddworld)
Osari Hikaru (B-Project) vs Stag Malinay (Krystar First Fragment)
Randy Rosebud (Maggie's Apartment) vs The Lacewing King (Honeycomb)
Akama (The Idiot (1951)) vs No Significant Harassment (Rain World)
The Nigh Furies (Wen Yan, Mo Xiao, and Hai Die) (The Wolf) vs Libby Day (Dark Places)
Sally Swing (Betty Boop) vs A (Tomorrow Will Be Dying)
Puck Reverie (OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes) vs Conrad (The Castle of Otranto)
Monmouth (100 Cupboards series) vs Goo (Inanimate Insanity)
Shrimp (The Upturned) vs Suren Darga (DC Comics)
Kim Jinhyuk (Antique (2008)) vs Cecilia Sylvie (Cross-Dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie)
Sullen the Magic Mirror (Barbie as Rapunzel CD-ROM) vs Bea (Brawl Stars)
Zachary Ezra Rawlins (The Starless Sea) vs Dash X (Eerie, Indiana)
GROUP F
Kiyoshirou Ushimitsu (As the Gods Will 2) vs Su Moting (God Troubles Me/Hanhua Riji)
Gabrielle (Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove) vs John Dough (John Dough and The Cherub)
Michiko Hada (Helter Skelter: Fashion Unfriendly) vs Corrun Crosslight (Spell Check)
Moondance k'Treva (The Heralds of Valedmar books by Mercedes Lackey) vs Liv (Spooky Month)
Ibuki Momoi (Dai-Guard) vs Etcetera (Cats (musical))
Li Ching Lung (DNA Says Love You) vs Fumi-ba (Kamen Rider Ghost)
Uguisu Anko (Call of the Night) vs Corona Hoshino (Swans in Space (manga))
Frog (QuickSpot) vs Karl (All Hail King Julien)
Wolfman (Darkwood) vs Kenna De Poitiers (Reign)
Granger (NeverHome game series) vs Chopfyt (oz)
the Doctor/Doc (Boyfriend of the Dead) vs Gaap Goemon (Mairimashita! Iruma-kun)
Magnate Arabo (Stars in Shadow) vs The God of Hunting (A Herbivorous Dragon of 5000 Years Gets Unfairly Villainized)
Iroha Irohazaka (Cipher Academy) vs Mission-chan (Mission-chan no Daibouken)
Forest Friend (Gris) vs Chiitan (Astro Boy)
Simon (Ma vie de Courgette ("My Life as a Courgette")) vs Ellie (Monster Tale)
Melatonin Protagonist (Melatonin) vs Topsy (The Only Harmless Great Thing)
Harp (Star Guardians) vs Dadish (Dadish)
Turnip (Chicory: A Colorful Tale) vs Sha Sheng Shi ("Killing Stone") (Qing Ya Ji (Yin Yang Master))
Guillermo "Dixon" Alverez (Rebelde (2022)) vs Avery (Hellbound Guardian)
Agent (Penguinronpa) vs Sasana (Nekogami Yaoyorozu)
Uhh… these guys? (Rhythm Heaven Fever) vs Fernando Carvalho (Ordem Paranormal)
Mallory (Escam) vs Elle (Starcrash)
Miyauchi Rena (Blue Reflection: Second Light) vs Adelade (A A Prime by Moto Hagio)
Yamabiki (Starving Anonymous) vs Tiger of the Wind (Monster Rancher (1999))
The High Ki of Twi (the enchanted island of yew) vs Malkah (He, She, & It by Marge Piercy)
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