Tonoharu by Lars Martinson
Foreigners in Japan
Tonoharu: Part One is the first installment in a graphic novel series by Lars Martinson. With exquisite, tightly wrought illustrations and natural dialogue, Martinson chronicles expatriate life in Japan. The cast includes a depressed young American language assistant and a group of eccentric Eastern Europeans. They’re the only foreigners in a small Japanese village, and some strange event will transpire among them, leading to their departure.
Another Year in Japan...?
The story begins with a prologue. An English assistant wonders whether he should sign another contract at the school where he works and remain in Japan. He is ambivalent. On the one hand, he doesn’t love his life in the boondocks. But he doesn’t want to feel like he’s giving up, either. As he considers his situation, the story of what happened to the tragicomic Dan Wells, who held the position before him, unfurls.
Solitary Expat
Anyone who has lived abroad will recognize the feelings of incompetence and awkwardness Dan seems to perpetually experience. He fumbles, berates himself, and isn’t learning the language. Depressed, he wanders through long, empty days in the village of Tonoharu, his gaze always directed downward.
The Glamorous Expat Life
Equally familiar is Constance, a language assistant who lives in a nearby village. Although she too is new to the country, she can order in Japanese, using complete sentences. She already has a social network. And she knows how to plan lessons for her classes.
Offensive Expats
The wealthy Europeans who live in an old temple represent another type of foreigner that is especially common in Asia: the ones oblivious to their host country’s beliefs. They think “the natives are adorable” and throw wild parties. Their objectification of the local population has a violent edge to it. Other typical expats make appearances too, like The Bitter Guy.
Japanese Woodblock Printmaking
Lars Martinson’s book is based on his own observations while employed as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan. As a young comic book artist, he was attracted to Japan and decided to live there while he worked on a graphic novel. His artwork, however, isn’t influenced by the hugely popular manga but rather references nineteenth-century Japanese woodblock prints. The crisp, tight lines and ordered compositions create a singular, specific atmosphere, a world unto itself, that makes the story run.
The Artistic Process
Martinson has written extensively about the experience of making Tonoharu at the blog on his Web site. “Introducing My Graphic Novel: Tonoharu” is, he admits, “shameless self-promotion.” But it’s also an honest look at the creative process and the struggles he has dealt with taking on a large-scale project. The posts offer insight into the project and advice for other comic book artists and storytellers.
Tonoharu: Part One by Lars Martinson was published with Pliant Press in 2008. ISBN: 978-0-9801023-2-1
Tonoharu: Part One
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