Culture

Mourning What You Were Never Fond Of


Set in the author’s home town on the island of Maui, Hawaii, R. Kikuo Johnson’s forthcoming graphic novel, “No One Else,” centers on a young boy, Brandon, and his divorced mother, Charlene. At the beginning of the book, Charlene, a nurse, juggles, with little help and uneven success, the responsibilities of raising Brandon, appeasing a difficult supervisor at work, and caring for her ailing father. The reader feels that the status quo cannot be sustained, and, soon enough, it isn’t. Johnson’s dreamlike vignettes capture a family in the aftermath of loss, during a time of transition and, possibly, renewal, as they live through moments that are at once quotidian and monumental. We recently spoke to the author about drawing inspiration from memory, his influences, and finding points of connection with others through his work.

What kind of feedback have you been getting from people back home in Maui?

I set “No One Else” among the sugarcane fields that covered large swaths of Maui until just a few years ago, when Hawaii’s commercial sugar industry closed shop. I don’t go into detail about this history in the book, but I made the theme of mourning the loss of something you were never fond of central to the story, and early readers seem to be connecting those threads. Also, I snuck in a couple of in-jokes that locals seem to be getting a kick out of.

Are there other Hawaiian writers and visual artists who inspire you?

Herb Kawainui Kāne (1928-2011) was an artist, a historian, and an author who was a key figure in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance of the nineteen-seventies. His paintings of ancient Hawaii and Hawaiian mythology are ubiquitous in the islands; I grew up seeing his paintings in museum dioramas, textbooks, and hotels. I suspect I’m not the only kid from Maui who can’t conjure up an image of old Hawaii that isn’t filtered through Kāne’s vision. Until recently, I wouldn’t have cited him as an influence, but as I log more years as a professional illustrator he increasingly stands out to me as the rare draftsman who drew narrative images that really matter.

Did the publication of your April 5, 2021, cover for this magazine, “Delayed,” alter your career?

That cover was my first ever piece to go viral. The experience broadened the way I think about making art in general. I used to think the ultimate goal was personal expression, but the generous and emotional messages I received in response to “Delayed” showed me that the right drawing can give others a voice.

This excerpt is drawn from “No One Else,” by R. Kikuo Johnson, which will be published in November by Fantagraphics.


New Yorker Favorites



READ NEWS SOURCE

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.