Gigi Murakami: The Queen of Black Horror Manga on Blending Japanese and American Styles

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Rob Lee:

Welcome to the Truth in this Art, your source for conversations at the intersection of arts, culture and community. I am your host, Rob Lee, and thank you for listening into this podcast today. And I got something special for you. My next guest is an Ignatz nominated mangaka illustrator, writer and content creator based out of New York City. Her work blends Japanese manga art with vintage American comic and pulp aesthetics, specializing in dark, fantastical, and dramatic themes.

Rob Lee:

Please welcome the queen of black horror manga, Gigi Murakami. Welcome to the podcast.

Gigi Murakami:

Hello. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Rob Lee:

Thank you for joining me. Thank you for for making the time and, you know, as I'm one to do and I I find, like, in doing the research, right, we travel in some similar circles. So, again Yes. It's it's pretty tight. So I wanna give you the opportunity to to introduce yourself in your own words.

Rob Lee:

I think a lot of times, our introductions, the ones that are given for us, We got a little bit more. We can do a little bit more than the ones that's written down on paper. It's always a detail that's missing. You know? So I wanna give the floor to you.

Gigi Murakami:

Yeah. Well, my name is Jiji Murakami. I am a New York native New York City native, and I'm based in Brooklyn. I am a horror manga artist and illustrator. I also am a content creator, and a small business owner.

Gigi Murakami:

I'm also a writer. I write my own stories, but I feel like I'm I'm not sure if that's I feel like that's not enough to be like, I'm a writer. I feel like I make manga. Like that's that's enough. But, yeah.

Gigi Murakami:

I am also an Ignatz, I was also Ignatz nominated for my story presenter. I am published in biz currently, and I will be, or I am. I'm published in, Abrams also, but, the book is not out yet. We we can get into that though. But yeah.

Gigi Murakami:

I am still a baby in these streets, still figuring out my way, but I am really excited to be embarking on this like this weird new kind of creative journey, as a person being me in this world. That's

Rob Lee:

that's a really great way to put it. It's like me as a person

Gigi Mukakami:

in this Me as a

Gigi Murakami:

person, just like with all my intersections and all my stuff, like, I'm out here just doing me. You know? Just trying to trying to trying to be the happiest me I can can be.

Rob Lee:

Envious. No. But I I I appreciate that. And in and I'll I'll describe this before I start going into my questions. Right?

Rob Lee:

Because

Gigi Murakami:

Sure.

Rob Lee:

You you watch you you're you're a pop culture person. I I I get it. And so you're gonna get this reference, especially based on the subject matter of a movie you haven't seen, but I know you know about it. We talked a little bit about long legs, what have you. And Right.

Rob Lee:

I think of sort of when someone is, you know, hunting them the killer or what have you, you see these these dots. It's like, here's a string leading here. Here's another connection. That is what I'm doing when I'm researching people.

Gigi Mukakami:

That's the

Rob Lee:

only way I can find it. So there's a board in the studio with your face on I'm kidding.

Gigi Murakami:

There's no way. Oh my god. It's giving it sunny in Philadelphia, that meme. Like

Rob Lee:

It's good.

Gigi Murakami:

It's good. It's like

Rob Lee:

I have been described as Charlie in the past, so that's a different story for a different podcast.

Gigi Murakami:

Oh my gosh.

Rob Lee:

So you you touched on New York City native. That's the Bronx. Right?

Gigi Murakami:

Yes. I was born in the Bronx. Yeah.

Rob Lee:

So I I read a little bit about some of your early, you know, interest. You had some personal favorites, Tales from the Crip, Twilight Zone, and video games like Silent Hill. So how did some of that early exposure to like horror and sci fi kinda shape your creative vision?

Gigi Murakami:

Oh. That is a good question. I think that having those influences so young, having those like interests so young, and then those like sticking with me, I don't know. I think it just it solidified that like this is something that's very important to me. And like, it's not it's not something that I just got into frivolously as a kid.

Gigi Murakami:

Like, as we tend to think of, like, childhood experiences, like, oh, that's whatever. Yeah. It just I don't know. It it's it's been yeah. Just like it stuck with me.

Gigi Murakami:

So like yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I feel like I'm not answering your question right.

Gigi Mukakami:

No. No. No. No. No.

Rob Lee:

I I think that I think sometimes the, you know, the answer I'm sure you'll have something, you know, Japanese around us to, you know, really get point of pride. I think sometimes the simplest answer is is like

Gigi Murakami:

It's the answer. Right? Maybe.

Rob Lee:

I'll I'll add I add this this this sort of sensibility that I have, right, where, you know, I don't know if it had anything, but I'm gonna assume that it did. You know, as a kid, you know, I'm born in 85, so 40 is creeping up, like, in the in the sauntering sauntering darkness. And, you know, one of the first men one of the earliest memories I have was my parents just having a party, and they somehow leave me in the room watching, like, Friday 13th,

Gigi Murakami:

4. Oh.

Rob Lee:

Like, by myself. I might be 4, might be 5. Who knows? And it's just that's what it was. And maybe it had some effect on I watch a lot of slasher movies now, and I was and I told you about my dimensions.

Rob Lee:

I was Jason Voorhees for, like, 5 years in a row and, you know, things of that nature and or even growing up. And you see certain tropes of of movies and things of that nature and really getting into the minutiae of of horror, I always look back at some of those early early movies. And,

Gigi Mukakami:

you

Rob Lee:

know, and when there's the opportunity to see a revival of it, I'm like, oh, I feel like I'm at home. I was always there, you know. And and it's something about that that's just sitting there that, you know, maybe colors sort of my sensibilities in the media I'm into and the sort of universe of people that I'm interested in talking to at times. Like, you know your people when you see them. I don't know.

Rob Lee:

Maybe that's a more long winded version.

Gigi Murakami:

That's true. No. No. No. For sure.

Gigi Murakami:

You definitely know your people when you see them. And I yeah. I totally agree with that. I totally agree with that. I think when I think back of, like, when I was watching, Tales From the Crip as a kid, I feel like it's hard to kinda describe it, but, like, I feel like that was, like, my space, like, my time.

Gigi Murakami:

When I did watch it, it was, this was in the nineties, the early nineties. So that's, you know, that's me aging myself. But, when I grew up, we did not have cable. It was only like just like standard national TV. And, every Saturday, Tells From the Crip would come on at, like, I think, like, 12 AM or something like that.

Gigi Murakami:

12 AM or, like, 1 AM. And

Gigi Mukakami:

we

Gigi Murakami:

we only have 1 TV in the house, and by that time my mom was like knocked out. And so like, that would be like my me time. And I didn't have a lot of that time at that age. I had an older sister, but like, I don't know. It felt like very it felt like one of those things that happens when you're a kid.

Gigi Murakami:

Like, similar to like you watching, Friday 13th as a kid. And it's like, does anybody know that this is on? Like, am I the only one that's seeing this and like experience experiencing this? Like, at that time, it was like I don't know. It just felt like my my time, my space, like, my private moment, but as a kid.

Gigi Murakami:

And it is so, like, it's so weird to describe it like that, because it's like, kids don't have private moments. But it's like, no. Really. Like, it it was yeah. It was super fundamental.

Gigi Murakami:

It was super fundamental. Just like it's it's you ever see those memes where, like, kids are in the playground, and the joke is like like, it's you at, like, 5 or 6 years old, and you discover sentience for the first time. And you're like, I have fingers, like, what what are we doing here? And there's another kid across the playground, like, having the same moment as you, and they're like,

Rob Lee:

Just freaking out.

Gigi Murakami:

It's Liz is freaking out. I feel like it's that happening, but in a smaller on a smaller scale. Like, as far as, like, your taste and, like, your ego, like, who you are and, like, what you enjoy. Like, that's happening as a kid in a smaller scale. Like, that's that's what I think was was what was going on with me when I was watching these things when I was younger.

Gigi Murakami:

It wasn't even so much that I could really understand these stories or like relate to them. But I internally, I felt like just intrinsically drawn to them. Like, this is this is something that is like very important and private and like special for me. That's like the best way I could describe that.

Rob Lee:

I dig that. And I I think there's also sort of this that that specialness, that sort of me time maybe. I I feel that as well where, you know, especially as I even look at it now, yes, since we're we're talking about it, I started thinking, like, when I mentioned to, like, my family or anything along those lines, like, yeah, I'm gonna see a horror movie. I don't do none of that. I'm like, yo.

Gigi Murakami:

It's always always every action.

Rob Lee:

Yeah. Yeah. And before I move into this this next question, I remember the show back in the day, and, like, you know, I have, like, the shutter network had the whole thing. Right? Shutter.

Rob Lee:

I remember back in the day, it was chiller. And

Gigi Murakami:

Mhmm. Mhmm.

Gigi Mukakami:

You

Rob Lee:

know, I remember, you know, when Tales from a Crypt would come on regular TV. I remember this one episode where it was the maybe he's a mortician and his son was really tall, and he, you know, somehow he killed his son. His son fell down the steps, and he came back as a zombie with no feet because he couldn't fit him in a coffin. So he cut his feet off or have you often. And I remember that and especially being tall.

Rob Lee:

I was like, yo, this is what's gonna happen. And and this other show that terrified me, especially, like, being a fat kid growing up was

Gigi Murakami:

Fellow fat person growing up. Hell, yeah. There's this

Rob Lee:

show called, monsters. And, if you haven't you should watch if you haven't seen it. It's it's wild. And where It's

Gigi Murakami:

not the cartoon. Ah, monsters. Right?

Rob Lee:

No. No. No. This was, like, almost the companion piece for, you know, Tales from the Dark Side in that era. Right?

Rob Lee:

And the it's a little more it's a little cornier, but it worked where the setup is is a family that literally they look like monsters, and they're watching the TV show and it sees different vignettes. It's, you know, sort of a, it's sort of it's a series in that way. And the one episode that sticks out, it was a guy who was just eating way too much, and he just went on a diet. And the food in the refrigerator started talking to him. Don't eat us.

Rob Lee:

And I was like, this is a lot for me. And it has, like, the puppets and their tomatoes. I was like, he's eating tomatoes, but, you know, he's not gonna eat

Gigi Murakami:

Why why did that unlock a core memory? Like, wait, maybe I have seen this.

Rob Lee:

You probably have

Gigi Mukakami:

seen this.

Gigi Murakami:

Why does that sound familiar?

Rob Lee:

Terrifying.

Gigi Murakami:

Oh my gosh. Okay. You may have to send me, like, a link because that I I swear that's opened up, like, a core memory. I'm, like, I think I've I think I've experienced this before.

Rob Lee:

You've you've probably seen this, and I think, you know, they echo some of that, that visual language in Requiem of a Dream with the refrigerator.

Gigi Murakami:

Oh, yes.

Rob Lee:

Yeah. Yes. Which is also terrifying.

Gigi Murakami:

Terrifying movie. Like, I'm I was already a dare kid growing up, like, you did not need to have I did not need to see that movie.

Rob Lee:

I wanna keep that. Just

Gigi Murakami:

I wanna keep my arm. I wanna keep my sanity. I just all of the things. Yeah. That was my god.

Gigi Murakami:

I yeah. That's that is

Gigi Mukakami:

it's an extreme movie. We can move on from that. Let's move on.

Gigi Murakami:

Let's move on. Extreme movie. We I can move on from there. Let's move on. Let's move on.

Gigi Mukakami:

So talk talk a

Rob Lee:

little bit because I see, you know, vintage pulp influence. I see Japanese manga, obviously, that influenced your work. So talk a bit about those influences in in some of the messages, like, with within your work, like, you're you're aiming to convey, like, it's that those multiple influences. You have, like, blackness. You have the female experience that is is in there.

Rob Lee:

And, you know, and we're definitely gonna talk about Resenter in a moment, but I see those in, but I wanna hear it from you, you know?

Gigi Murakami:

Right. So I have always really been super drawn into like the old, like EC Comics covers, and like, I'm a huge movie buff. So I like I love seeing, a lot of the, like, drawn movie covers and stuff like that. Which we don't do, anymore. It's it's like, how many heads can you photoshop into a image nowadays?

Gigi Murakami:

Which is like, it could be done well, but sometimes it's just not. But, I am a fan of, like, interesting, posters and like old horror comic covers and pulp, covers and stuff like that. And of course, like I I love manga and I love anime, and like all of the stuff that's coming from Japan. So my kind of big thing with these has always been like trying to figure out not always. I didn't this really clicked in like 2020, but like trying to figure out how to like, put these 2 together.

Gigi Murakami:

And to be quite honest, something that didn't like something that I wasn't like super cognizant of, at that time was how much I really did like movie posters, and like, these, like, illustrated covers and stuff. And like, also, like, horror book covers and stuff like that from like the seventies, eighties time. I I knew aesthetically, like, back in my brain, like, aesthetics, like, that was that was rich for me. Sure. But it wasn't something that all of these things, like it wasn't something that you could see in my work.

Gigi Murakami:

And so, you know, with my, I guess, awakening, finding my artistic voice during the pandemic, I wanted to make sure that I always kept that. So I like, you know, I have all my knickknacks and stuff like that online, that I found online, and put up on my wall and stuff like that. Yeah. I just Yeah. I feel like I'm not answering your questions properly.

Gigi Murakami:

I feel like I'm giving you context, but no answers.

Rob Lee:

No. No. No. You're you're doing great. And and that's and that's the thing, like, you know, you get into the thinking of what goes into it.

Rob Lee:

So like, you know, it's a unique podcast. We were like, oh, tell me about your work. I don't do that. I'm like, Yeah, I'm curious what you got. So.

Rob Lee:

So if you will, let's let's shift a little bit. You know, let's talk about specific work. Let's let's go into the ripper realm a little bit. Let's talk about presenter. How, you know, let's talk.

Rob Lee:

Let's talk about it. How long did it take to complete the project? You know, for folks to who are undeped, uninitiated, give us sort of the byline of what presenter is and give us some of those details, like how long it take to complete, like sort of the project as it is currently and some of your insights on the creative process and sort of where that initial idea came from, like, sort of that that piece, the the the genesis, if you will. Not the Sega genesis, but the never mind. That's a bad joke.

Gigi Murakami:

So, the genesis of presenter, where did it come from, And also timelines. Right? So Resenter so just, what Resenter is. Resenter is a story about a young woman named Jackie, who is murdered at her job one night and she, wakes up in this place called the death zone, and she has the opportunity to get revenge on her killer from beyond the grave. She meets this, woman named Raya, who is a ripper.

Gigi Murakami:

And rippers are like the grim reapers of this world. And upon meeting Raya, she, offers Jackie 3 options. 1 is to basically transition into a new form, be reincarnated. The second option is that revenge option, which is, the primary function of rippers. And then the third option is for Jackie herself to become a ripper.

Gigi Murakami:

And that is that's basically the crux of the story. And Jackie obviously chooses to become a ripper. And so that's yeah. That's the crux of what Resenter is about. How did it come about?

Gigi Murakami:

Actually so Resenter, I got started in 2021, is when I I believe I started planning stuff out and started getting, some some like initial pages and sketches done and stuff like that. And the idea of resenter actually, the crux of it came from my own feelings of like resentment and like feeling wronged, in my own personal life with like family, friends, mentors that I respected. That I felt like, I poured into a lot as a student, but didn't receive that back as like, you know, from like my mentors. And, you know, during the pandemic, we just had a lot of time to like sit and think about everything. And in my own personal life, I was thinking a lot about, some situations that had happened and that were not resolved.

Rob Lee:

Sure.

Gigi Murakami:

And feeling for the first time, like, very angry about these things. Especially because the person that kind of committed these things, might die because of COVID. And so there was a lot of me digging very deep and like figuring out like how I feel about not just this particular person.

Rob Lee:

Sure.

Gigi Murakami:

But about all these things that have been happening in my life where I felt like I was done wrong, or I was important to, or like I, I, I was doing more work, emotional labor, and more emotional work than what I was receiving. And feeling very upset about that, and, like, very bitter about that, and, like, not obviously, like, I can't gain revenge in the same way that, like, you can ever sense her. Yeah. But I did wanna figure out how to explore those things that was not just therapy. Yeah.

Gigi Murakami:

And, personally, I really love revenge tales. Kill Bill is one of my favorite movies.

Rob Lee:

You get

Gigi Murakami:

it. Right? Prisoner, I think it's 704 Satori, is also a big, like, a big, like, dope revenge tale that I enjoy. Which aesthetic wise is also like how Jackie's design came to be.

Gigi Mukakami:

Okay.

Gigi Murakami:

But yeah. I love these types of movies. But the the main thing that they all had in common was that there was, like, an assault on a woman, like, a sexual assault. Right? And I kinda tired of that.

Gigi Murakami:

We could kinda leave that alone, leave that in the back. And so I did wanna I did want Jackie's revenge to not be, like, any assault that she'd be getting to not be of, like, a sexual nature.

Rob Lee:

Yeah.

Gigi Murakami:

And for her to fill her, like, resentments and her, her need for revenge from that. So that is the genesis of, Resenter and how it came to be. So it it is not my story, but it is it was born from very strong feelings that I had. Yeah.

Gigi Mukakami:

That's great.

Gigi Murakami:

Thank you. Yes. That is a special spiel.

Rob Lee:

It's it's one of those it's one of those rare instances where I get to talk to the creator or something that I dig and it's like, yeah, fill in those blanks. Yeah. Tell me more. And I, too, love revenge. In fact, that movie review podcast I was sharing with you, the last review I did was kill the old for last year.

Gigi Murakami:

So yeah,

Gigi Mukakami:

I I

Rob Lee:

was like, this is great. We get into the minutiae with it. But, yeah, you know, love or good revenge story, love something that's that's done well. And, you know, when confronted with those three options, I'm like, oh, I'm petty. I look.

Rob Lee:

I'm petty. I'm like, look. I'm I'm a do this.

Gigi Murakami:

Oh my gosh. So felt. So felt. Yes. I people ask me sometimes, like, what options I would choose and I I think when I was writing the story, I I might have gone with option 2.

Gigi Murakami:

I'm not even gonna hold you. I might have gone with option 2.

Rob Lee:

I've I've sitting there. I was like, come on, make make make the don't make the narrative choice. Make the real choice and a real choice is option 2.

Gigi Murakami:

I think I might have gone that route, but I like at this point in time, I'm okay to just be reincarnated, honestly. I'm okay to just, like I'm okay. I was wrong. It's fine. Whatever.

Gigi Murakami:

We'll get through it.

Rob Lee:

I I hold on to that. I will find a way that one is known, like, for whatever reason, Candyman sticks out to me so much these days upon re watching

Gigi Mukakami:

Oh, for sure.

Rob Lee:

I'm gonna be around. Paint me on a wall. You're gonna see me. You're gonna see

Gigi Murakami:

For sure.

Rob Lee:

Walk out of my mouth. That was a weird way to put it. But you're gonna walk out of my mouth in Cabrini Green.

Gigi Murakami:

For sure though. No. That's like that's for sure for sure. That's a real thing. Like, I I think in that sense, like, I am I too am petty.

Gigi Murakami:

Like, yeah. I I will not do to you what you did to me, but there will be some psychological warfare, like, come on. Like, what?

Gigi Mukakami:

Look. We

Gigi Murakami:

Like, we will then we we'll still get, like, a little bit of vengeance. Like, we ain't no Mother Teresa out here. Like, stop it.

Rob Lee:

I will hire a street team to plaster your neighborhood with my signage. You know, just Oh,

Gigi Mukakami:

for sure.

Rob Lee:

Like, oh, hey, I would just do it. It's like the Kevin Smith bit from those early seasons of this podcast. He's just like, just producers throw some money at it. And it's like, whenever there's a problem, throw some money at it. That is literally how I approach pettiness now.

Rob Lee:

Maybe years ago, it's just like, I'm just gonna show up at your restaurant. It's gonna look wild. Oh. I have a very specific person in mind when I say this. Moving on.

Rob Lee:

So one one of the things and and and I like that you you touched on, like, movie posters. Right? And one of the things about the the the cover art for Resenter, it really stands out. It's visually striking. What significance or or imagery were you aiming to create with it, and how does it set the tone for the story, you know, held within?

Gigi Murakami:

For the one shot or for the initial first chapter?

Rob Lee:

For the initial first chapter.

Gigi Murakami:

For the initial first chapter, I so first of all, I really like Satoshi Kon. He is the director of Perfect Blue, Paprika. He also did, Tokyo Godfathers, and, Millennium Actress. And he was also among artists, and a rather good one, earlier in his career. But, there is a scene in his movie, Paprika, where I kinda wanna describe Paprika.

Gigi Murakami:

It's it's a bit of a it's a chaotic movie.

Gigi Mukakami:

It

Gigi Murakami:

is. It is. But it has to do it has to do with the dreams and, like, how like like, jumping into people's dreams. So there's a lot of, like, very trippy y, visuals. But, there is a scene in Paprika where, the main character, is split in half.

Gigi Murakami:

Mhmm. You have to watch the movie to get it. Honestly, it's it's a lot of dream logic that happens, but the main the titular main character is she is 2 people, and she becomes split open, and you'll you can see, like, her actual self within the titular character, Paprika. That is a terrible way to describe that. Watch the movie.

Gigi Murakami:

Just watch the movie. You'll see what I'm saying. But that imagery of, like, a woman being, like, kind of ripped open

Rob Lee:

Mhmm.

Gigi Murakami:

I thought was so cool. It was really striking to me, on initial watch. And then, when it came to resent her, because the idea of rippers was so big, like, that word and, like, this, like, cool factor of, like, from Sasori, with, like, the long black trench coat and the hat, and like, I like that am I allowed to curse?

Rob Lee:

Please.

Gigi Murakami:

That shit was so fucking cool to me. And I was like, okay. And my, like, when Jackie first came about, I drew her first and the the titular, like, title was instead of resent her, it was it was just like Jackie the Ripper. That was just like this idea that I had. So the idea of ripping was like very clear and like very like neon lights in my brain.

Gigi Murakami:

And so when I saw that image, that like scene in Paprika, I was like, yeah, that's so dope. And I was thinking like, yeah. Rip ripping. Like a woman ripping open, and like, let's let's continue that. And then on top of that, whenever I'm working on like not whenever, but earlier on when I was, getting into horror, specifically with, like, black women.

Gigi Murakami:

I was always wanting to mess around with, like, the optics of, like, like, beauty and, like, ugliness. Sure. Without getting mean. I've I'm always very cognizant of that, because as black women, we have enough meanness around our beauty and aesthetics. And so if I am going to be mean or if I am gonna be grotesque, like, doing it in a way that's like, narratively driven, and not just to be like offensive or like or mean.

Gigi Murakami:

Really really just like mean.

Gigi Mukakami:

But

Gigi Murakami:

I do like that dichotomy, that like, just the position of like beauty and ugliness with women, and like, I think that's kinda cool. And so that's where the cover, the idea from the cover came from. Just like this emphasis on like, something being ripped apart. The dichotomy of like like, feminine beauty and like ugliness. And also, like, narratively speaking, like, Jackie is now being reborn into this new entity.

Gigi Murakami:

Yeah. She's shedding her old skin, so to speak. She's not really this, like, human creature anymore, and she's, like, in this new space, and, you know, her eyes change, and, like, she's just different. So that is where that, came from for the initial chapter one cover.

Rob Lee:

Thank you. So so I I I You're welcome. No. No. No.

Rob Lee:

No. I have one and I because because, like, it it again, like I said, it's filling in the holes, which is it's just really great for me. And, you know, I I'm I'm assuming, but I I wanna hear it as far as the design for Rayo. What was the what was an influence there for sort of that look? Because I I I see it in my head, but I wanna hear it from you because I I it's a it's a name that comes to mind, but please who who

Gigi Murakami:

I I hope we're thinking the same name, but Raya has about 3 different, influences. One of which being, Viola Davis. Another the heavier, more visual influences though are, Grace Jones and Angela Bassett.

Rob Lee:

Nice. Nice. Nice.

Gigi Murakami:

That was not who you were thinking. Who were you thinking then?

Rob Lee:

No. No. No. No. No.

Rob Lee:

You hit it. You hit it. I I love it.

Gigi Murakami:

Oh, did I? Okay.

Rob Lee:

The Grace Jones thing. Absolutely.

Gigi Murakami:

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. No. Yeah.

Gigi Murakami:

Definitely, like, that is that is Rhea. It's it's a mix of, it is a mix of, like, a certain prestige with, like, Viola Davis, like, a certain richness. But also, like, a certain, like, unhinged, like, auntie, like, at the club, kind of, like, with Grace Jones, and, like, let's drink, and I don't give a damn. Let's just have fun. So that is definitely, like, Rhea's personality for sure.

Rob Lee:

And I I like that you you confirmed because as I'm as I'm reading it, I was like, Jackie, rapper. I was like, hold up. Are we doing it? That's like, we are. We're here.

Rob Lee:

We're here. I love it. So in terms of even the, you know, I'm going to move into this next question in a moment. Were there any other like items that you're like, you know, as far as design, as far as like the aesthetics of our character, maybe dresses that you wanted to include in there? And it's just like the people who are supposed to get it, they'll get it.

Gigi Mukakami:

Mhmm.

Rob Lee:

Because I was feeling a little Zora Neale Hurston in in a in a in some of the visuals, but maybe Or Yes. Yes. Maybe I'm reaching.

Gigi Murakami:

So I honestly, I just I wanted to make something this is gonna be so unsatisfying. I'm sorry. I'm gonna make I just wanted to make something that looks cool, but also, like, would would be something that I could draw over and over again without it being, like, too much, to be honest. Absolutely. I do think though, with a little more care to, like, Jackie's design, as far as, I mean, as far as Rae's design, there's there is care there.

Gigi Murakami:

I wanted Rae to look because she she is an older woman, but she's not, like, an old lady. Yeah. I wanted her to look a little more youthful. So she has, like, this, like, mesh, this is like mesh blouse with, like, this tube top under. It's like in the in a blazer and like, I did get that outfit from Viola Davis.

Gigi Murakami:

So shout out to you Viola. I don't know if she had the mesh on. Maybe she did have the mesh on. I'm not sure. With Jackie's outfit though, I think little nods that might be gathered, but I think people might gaslight themselves out of it is like Janelle Monae.

Gigi Murakami:

Early Janelle Monae was definitely, like, an influence for Jackie's, uniform. I did mention Sasori. Anybody who is, like, into, like, underground, like, Japanese Pinky films will for sure spot like, Sasori and Jackie's design. But yeah. I I mean, I was also like, influenced by, Vampire Hunter d and also, V for Vendetta.

Gigi Murakami:

V from V for Vendetta, who was like a phenomenal character. I just I love I love V so much, so much. Oh, sorry. My, uh-oh, my headphones are doing a thing.

Rob Lee:

Oh, no.

Gigi Murakami:

Sorry. My head my my Bluetooth, like, left and then it came back. Can you hear me?

Rob Lee:

I can hear you.

Gigi Murakami:

Okay. Okay. Perfect. Perfect. It came back.

Gigi Murakami:

Sorry about that.

Rob Lee:

Are you good?

Gigi Murakami:

It just it it does that. I don't know why. But, yeah. So yeah. For Jackie's design, you can see like, you can see all these other, like, small notes of, like, characters in the past and stuff like that.

Gigi Murakami:

But, yeah. V v for Vendetta, so good. So so so good. I would love to make a character similar to V. I don't know if it would be in Rensenser.

Gigi Murakami:

Although, I think a character similar to V in Rensenser would be kind of fun. But, yeah. Those were some of the little, like, things in their design.

Rob Lee:

Nice. Yeah. I wanna figure out a way to get a Guy Fawkes going on with the but I'll workshop it. I'll figure it out. It'll be bait shaped.

Rob Lee:

So I I wanna move into this sort of, like this this last sort of wrap up question, if you will, as we wrap up here. Like, your your work and you touched on it, that your work explores, like, the black female experience or I hate when people say the experience. It makes it seem like it's only 1, but a common black, you know, female experience through horror and through, you know, sci fi as well. What impact do you, you know, you hope or to leave on the viewers, on the audience, if any? And, like, what advice would you give, like, black women wanting to go into manga, wanting to go into the horror genre?

Rob Lee:

You know, as you say, you're a baby in this game, so it's like it's fresh for you. You're not this sort of, like, stage of, I'm a master. Yeah. I'll get yours, you know, being removed from it. So what are your what are your thoughts in that area?

Gigi Murakami:

Black women trying to pursue horror, truthfully should just go for it. Mhmm. I am of like, I this is funny. I was having this joke earlier with a friend. I was like, I think I am like the creative friend that is like becoming the embodiment of the Shia Labeouf, just do it.

Gigi Murakami:

Because, like, anytime, like, anytime my creative friends are, like, having a problem, I'm, like, aggressively, like, pumping them up and, like,

Gigi Mukakami:

don't talk about my friend that way. You are great. You are fantastic. Do it.

Gigi Murakami:

I feel that like, as creatives, like like black creatives, and especially as like female creatives, or like non binary creatives, it's like, it is hard to feel like you can sort of fit in. Sometimes it's hard to just even figure out like from which angle to start with. That was something that was bothering me a lot earlier on. And I think as long as you're like workshopping these things, that should not be like, I don't think these are an excuse to not do the thing. I think you can workshop these things and like, find your way still.

Gigi Murakami:

You asked me another question that was like before that. And I I am struggling to remember that question.

Rob Lee:

Let me pull it back up. Let's see.

Gigi Murakami:

Roll roll up the scroll.

Rob Lee:

You, your your characters have a unique look that blends with them in manga? Is that the question?

Gigi Murakami:

No. Not no. Not that one. It was all in this, like, same thing of questions.

Rob Lee:

Got it. Got it. Let me pull no. I definitely do have to pull everything back. Let's let's go back.

Gigi Murakami:

Oh, no. No.

Rob Lee:

No. You're good. You're good. So as we wrap up I'll I'll just read read the whole question. As we wrap up, your your work explores the the black female experience through Experience.

Rob Lee:

Sci fi. Yeah. Yes. So what impact, you know, do you you hope, and what impact impact? Yeah.

Gigi Murakami:

What impact? That was the question. I have ADHD, Rob. You gotta you gotta give me the questions one at a time. I'm

Rob Lee:

look. I'm I'm I talk too much, so please.

Gigi Murakami:

The impact that I hope that my work will have is, well, I have like a few shorts, but Resenter is like my main, like, larger work. So, with Resenter, I suppose, I hope that people will challenge their beliefs and challenge their thinking and expand their idea of like perspective and, morality. I am finding that in our particular time in this country, there is a lot of like weird division that's happening. There's nothing wrong with having a very strong belief. But I do think that if it's at the expense of expanding your own ideas or like expanding, like, expanding your understanding of the world.

Gigi Murakami:

Like, if it's at that expense, it's not a good belief system, I think. I think we should all, like, be thinking more broadly about the things in our lives. How we treat other people, how we, treat ourselves, especially. But like, I would hope that's a big ask, with Resenter, but I would hope that with this tale of, like, revenge and, like, morality and, like, I would hope that people can sort of have a stronger understanding that, like, understanding somebody else's point of view and perspective is just as valuable as getting your own points and perspectives across.

Rob Lee:

Mhmm.

Gigi Murakami:

And, like, taking taking that in. I think for my work on a wider level though, I want people to take away that, like, black people can do really cool shit. Like, we just we can. We have, and we should continue to do these things. I I would hope that, like, I I could I would hope, humbly, to be an example of that.

Gigi Murakami:

But yeah.

Rob Lee:

I truly believe that you are. And as I've been saying, you know, for the last few weeks, since, you know, I've prepped for the research and and coming up on us doing this conversation, I've been talking it up. I've been gassing it up and gassing your work up, and, you know, folks are like, who is she? What does she do?

Gigi Mukakami:

And I

Rob Lee:

was like, well, this is here's here's the link. You should go there. You should check it out. It's fantastic. And, you know, just it's been a pleasure to to chat with you about it and, get some of those those sort of blanks filled in.

Rob Lee:

So with all of that good stuff and as I'm continuing to gas you up, with all of that good stuff sorta out of the way, now to go into the rapid fire portion, which some people, they're like, look. I'm getting off the ship. Other people are like, alright, keep it going. So I got 4 of them I got 4 of them for you, and as I tell folks all the time, don't overthink them. Whatever is the first answer is like, look, I said what I said.

Rob Lee:

That's sort of what it is.

Gigi Murakami:

Okay.

Rob Lee:

Alright. You mentioned, Satoshi Kon. Favorite Satoshi Kon.

Gigi Murakami:

Favorite movie?

Gigi Mukakami:

Yes.

Gigi Murakami:

Perfect Blue. That's the first I ever saw. That was the goat, like, Perfect Blue.

Rob Lee:

As the person who's seen Perfect Blue and, Paprika, like, sort of back to back, and I watched it with a partner, and she was just like,

Gigi Murakami:

It's a leap.

Rob Lee:

Oh. She's like, this is wild. She's like, I am never singing. I don't wanna have a double, and I started just, humming parade from Paprika. She's like, can you stop?

Rob Lee:

I was like, no.

Gigi Murakami:

It's so good. The music in Paprika is so freaking good.

Rob Lee:

So good.

Gigi Murakami:

Shout out to, oh my gosh. Susanoo, Hirasawa, who does the music for Paprika. He's like, kind of like, he he was Khan's like right hand man when it came to music. He did Paprika, Paranoia Agent, Millennium Actress. He did it like, they collaborated a lot.

Gigi Murakami:

Their work just like it just messes so well together. It's so good. But yeah.

Rob Lee:

Here's the next one. What is a horror trope that you know is corny, you know is goofy, you know is overused, but you love it. You're like, I more of that, please.

Gigi Mukakami:

Oh.

Rob Lee:

Because tropes get a bad name.

Gigi Murakami:

Tropes do get a bad name. Oh, man. You're telling me to, like, rapid fire and I can't. If it's just, like, first thought, final girl, I don't know. I I feel like that's not people aren't trying to get rid of the final girls, but, like, I don't I don't know.

Gigi Murakami:

I do I do like the final girls though.

Rob Lee:

Same.

Gigi Murakami:

But I just I don't know. This is rapid fire. I'm trying not to think so hard.

Rob Lee:

No. Same. Same. When I watch these sort of, like, long form, we're going over the history of horror movies, like, into the darkness or what have you. I'm like Right.

Rob Lee:

Sitting here and I've watched 9 hours of heads exploding and limbs flying off. I was, like, all of it. Just just keep going. Can it can it be 15 hours? I don't care.

Rob Lee:

And when the final girl thing pops up, whether it's in a slasher movie or what have you, I'm, like, oh, no. No. She's great. Oh, she's not the final girl. Wow.

Rob Lee:

When they try to change it and curse it.

Gigi Mukakami:

It up.

Rob Lee:

Yeah. This is also movie related. This is the next one.

Gigi Murakami:

Okay.

Rob Lee:

No so this is sort of a rewatchable question. Is there a movie that no matter where you catch it, it could be in the first minute of the movie or in the last 5 minutes of the movie. You're like, I'm finishing this. I'm gonna finish watching this. What's the movie for you?

Gigi Murakami:

If we're talking horror, it's probably House of A Thousand Corpses.

Rob Lee:

Okay.

Gigi Murakami:

I really like House of A 1000 Corpses. I actually I met Rob Zombie this last month. That's why I have this sweater on. This is like my new comfort sweater now. And I told him how much I really appreciated House of A Thousand Courses.

Gigi Murakami:

And he was like, that? Really? And I was like, yes. Yes. That movie helped my helped me develop my visual library and, like, aesthetic library so much.

Gigi Murakami:

Like, I yes. Yes. Absolutely. House of a 1000 Corpses without without fail. Non horror related, probably Moulin Rouge.

Gigi Murakami:

I I do enjoy musicals. As much as it doesn't look like I do, I really enjoy musicals.

Rob Lee:

That's that's that's great. That's great.

Gigi Murakami:

Yeah. So here's the I saw both of those, like, at a fundamental, like, at a crucial time in my, artistic development. Yeah.

Rob Lee:

I'll throw out my corny one and just so it feels like there's an exchange here. It's it's it's Rocky, 5 for me. No. Rocky 4 rather, when he beats up Russia.

Gigi Murakami:

Okay. Oh, that's yeah.

Rob Lee:

This is just a music video. It's just Yeah. A 85 minute music video.

Gigi Murakami:

Yeah. A patriotic, music video. Very patriotic.

Rob Lee:

Look, I they can make it if I can redo it and just make it a Pan African flag that's on my

Gigi Mukakami:

trunks. Okay.

Rob Lee:

I'm I'm gonna move on because this is gonna go on the road. Here's the last one. Here's the last one I got for you. And I'm thinking of a specific thing because you said it during a podcast. Mhmm.

Rob Lee:

Worst movie poster you've seen in the last year?

Gigi Murakami:

In the last year?

Rob Lee:

Yeah. Because there have been some doozies with AI being there and just people not respecting the game of actual good, you know, poster art? Because when you

Gigi Mukakami:

you mentioned

Rob Lee:

you mentioned the you know, sort of, like, you know, the photoshopped head. I started giggling in my because I've seen some. It's a lot of Marvel ones that aren't good.

Gigi Murakami:

It's like 20 people on the on the cover, and it's like, there's no way. All of these people can't be important. Like, we have to snip some of this, like, what's going on? In the last year I'm not gonna hold you. I've seen some pretty banger posters in the last year.

Gigi Murakami:

And I I follow a lot of graphic artists, graphic designers, on Instagram, and they will remake posters. And I I just I haven't seen a bad poster yet. I'm just gonna I'm just gonna lump on with your situation and say like, yo, any any posters in the past year that have been made with AI, probably probably trash.

Rob Lee:

Probably trash. Get them

Gigi Murakami:

out of there. There's so many good graphic designers online that are, like, killing it. There's really no need for,

Gigi Mukakami:

AI.

Rob Lee:

I feel I feel like Hold on. I feel like the whoever does I I knew the guy because I I interviewed a designer who is just dropped the guy's name, but or one of the guy's names. Whoever was doing the criteria and collection of these movies and they redo the posters, that's just hire that person. Just go minimalistic, go something that looks cool. And, you know, and before I close out, I'll I'll say this last piece, it's very kin to when I thought of, like, when you were describing it sort of, like, the these more pulp and sort of these more throwback aesthetics in these posters.

Rob Lee:

I think of, like, wasn't, like, the original Star Wars poster, like, painted? Like, what what are we doing with this garbage these days?

Gigi Murakami:

Give me one second.

Gigi Mukakami:

Give me

Gigi Murakami:

give me give me one minute. Because now now that we're talking about this, I gotta I gotta grab my book because

Gigi Mukakami:

I know

Gigi Murakami:

because this is another hero.

Rob Lee:

Do you get it?

Gigi Murakami:

Drew Struzan?

Rob Lee:

Yes.

Gigi Murakami:

Dude, yes. Yes. Yeah. He this man, like, he did the posters, and I forget that he did, Harlem nights posters also.

Gigi Mukakami:

That's

Gigi Murakami:

I'm trying to I'm trying to find, like, the Star Wars stuff that he did. I'm a I might struggle for a little bit. I don't know how much time we have, but this guy has done oh, here's some of the Star Wars ones. Oh, these are from the other movies, but he has done some of the most beautiful poster, like, movie posters.

Gigi Mukakami:

Yeah.

Gigi Murakami:

And it's like, how do we go from this?

Rob Lee:

Right.

Gigi Murakami:

Like, how do we go from this to like 20 heads?

Gigi Mukakami:

Like, what are we what are we even what is this conversation?

Gigi Murakami:

What are we even talking about? Like, are you kidding me? Like, the demanded angels in the outfit, like, oh, he just cover for Hook.

Gigi Mukakami:

Like, how do we how

Gigi Murakami:

do we go from this?

Rob Lee:

Higher.

Gigi Murakami:

How do we go from this to, like, AI and, like, photoshopping, like, 20 heads on a like, it just doesn't make any sense.

Rob Lee:

So let me let me close out here, and and thank you for that.

Gigi Murakami:

That's too bad.

Rob Lee:

That's I like to end the podcast when people are tight. So so I'll say this. Again, thank you so much for coming on to this podcast and and spending some time. And this has been fun. This has been enlightening.

Rob Lee:

And in these final moments, I wanna invite you to share with the listeners whether you can check you out, your social media, your website, all of that good stuff. The floor is yours.

Gigi Murakami:

Thank you so much. I also wanna say thank you for having me. I'm glad we were able to do this because, you know, it it it has been a little bit of a phone tag or email tag rather going on. But, yes, thank you so much. My name is Jujimur Kami, again, an horror manga artist and, illustrator.

Gigi Murakami:

I have a website online where you can find my stuff, jigimorakami.art. I also have an online store, jigimorakami.store. I made it very simple for people. I am online on Instagram, gg_morikami, and it's just at ggmorikami everywhere, literally everywhere else. Also, Resenter has, my one shot for Risner has been published by Viz Media.

Gigi Murakami:

You can read it on their manga app. It is literally plastered on all of my socials, like the link in bios. You will find it. But, yeah, that is that is where I am at. I'm all over the Internet.

Rob Lee:

There you have it, folks. I wanna again thank the queen of black horror manga, Gigi Murakami, for coming on to the podcast. And I'm Rob Lee saying that there's art, culture, and community in and around your neck of the woods. You've just gotta look for it.

Creators and Guests

Rob Lee
Host
Rob Lee
The Truth In This Art is an interview series featuring artists, entrepreneurs and tastemakers in & around Baltimore.
Queen of Horror Manga πŸ”œ NYCC
Guest
Queen of Horror Manga πŸ”œ NYCC
Gigi Murakami (ζ‘δΈŠγ‚Έγ‚Έ) | she/ her | Horror manga artist + illustrator w/ ADHD | ζ—₯本θͺž OK πŸ‘ŒπŸΎ | VIZ, Abrams Books, Wacom, Fangoria affiliated, Ignatz nominated |
Gigi Murakami: The Queen of Black Horror Manga on Blending Japanese and American Styles
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