Today we’d like to introduce you to Oliver Ono.
Oliver, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was always in my head growing up. There wasn’t a lot to do in my rural Ohio town so in order to have fun I generally had to imagine it. Originally, I started drawing as an extension of the little stories I was constantly telling in my head. Putting things down on paper made them feel more real to me so drawing comics was the natural conclusion of that sort of life.
Throughout my school years, I pursued a lot of different interests but art was always a constant. I never did badly in any of my classes but never found anything that grabbed my attention career-wise. High school graduation crept up on me so by the time I started needing to look at what to do at college, art ended up being the only thing I could think of. Pretty much on a whim, I ended up at the Columbus College of Art & Design and for the first time in my life, my studies lined up with my goals. During my time at college, I was fortunate enough to publish a short story with Writer, Johnathan Hickman. That experience had a lasting effect on me and drove me to pursue comics.
After graduation, I moved to California where I’ve done freelance illustration and cartoon pitches while continuing to work on my comics.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I make fantastical comics that seek to bridge the gap between contrasting ideas and cultures. When I set out to make a new story, I always try and smash together ideas and interests that are personal to me. That can end up as giant robots fighting over small-town politics in the hills of the Midwest or ancient Japanese folklore characters in a 19th Century European setting. Stylistically, my goal is the same. I try and blend together Eastern and Western comic styles into something that’s not traditionally American but not quite manga either. In this way I want my work to be a reflection of the unlikely world I grew up in.
My mother’s family had lived in the same rural area that I grew up in for generations and my father was an engineer from the outskirts of Tokyo. We were the only Asian family in town. I grew up largely unfamiliar with my Japanese heritage though, in my area, it was my most defining feature. I was seen as a foreigner in the only homeland I had ever known. That culture clash is what I was born into and while it was difficult and isolating at times, I’ve always considered it my greatest asset. I still don’t feel part of one group or another but I think that lets me make my own opinions and seek the good in everything.
The cultures of the world are becoming more and more intertwined. It’s not always easy but it can yield some really beautiful results. Our city, Los Angeles is a perfect example of what happens when people come together. I hope that my comics can let people understand that though there’s a whole world of difference out there, everyone belongs.
Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
Getting your work online for everyone to see is the easiest that its ever been which is a great thing. Standing out from an increasingly crowded field, however, is not. I think being an artist today requires a more diverse set of skills than it ever has.
At this point, the skill gap between you and your peers tends to matter less than if you can just get people to see what you do. We as artists have to be our own publicists in order to stay relevant and It can difficult to decide what platforms you want to show your work on, whether to try and keep up with as many as you can or focus on one or two. At the same time, we still need to keep our visibility up in the real world as well so really its become more of a balancing act. Just hyper-focusing in your own lane doesn’t work anymore.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can check out my Instagram to take a look at what I’m working on currently or my website if you want to read some of my comics material. I’ll to be launching an ongoing comic on Line Webtoon this year so keep a look out for that as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: Oliverono.com
- Phone: (614)440-1543
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @oliverono
Image Credit:
Oliver Ono
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