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Welcome to our first Creator Spotlight, where we talk with fan-favorite artists in the Tapas community. We had the pleasure of sitting and chatting with The Kao, the creator of Mondo Mango and our new Tapas Original Magical Boy. He talks about his creative process, influences, and any advice he can give to aspiring webcomic artists. Let’s get to know The Kao!

My style is heavily inspired by anime and manga because it’s what I grew up with. For Mondo Mango, it’s basically my way of drawing chibis but with bug eyes. I keep the features of characters very round. As for Magical Boy, the style is based on how I grew up drawing anime characters. I have trouble picking out how my “anime” style is distinctively unique but I can recognize that it’s very different than say, the style of Dragon Ball Z or One Piece. They are all anime but drawn differently, if that makes sense? Because there is a style there but I can’t really explain it, it’s just how I draw. To be honest, I feel it could be more stylized but I’m happy what I have so far. 

2. What are some of the difficulties you've faced when creating your comic/art?

When I first started Mondo Mango I had always struggled with coming up with ideas to draw. I used to only post when I had a great one, which would come once in a blue moon, so I didn’t post often. It wasn’t until I became more active in thinking and writing ideas down that I was able to create more content on a regular basis. That is why I encourage artists to write down their ideas. It forces you out of a passive mindset and makes your brain work. You’ll come up with more ideas this way. I’ll admit sometimes I don’t like any of the ideas I’ve written down when it comes time to draw. But then I’d force myself to think of something I do want to draw. It can take hours for me to think of something but the key fact was that I take the time to do so. Then I execute. 

I also do have my bad days where I feel like everything I draw is terrible or I feel like I’m too slow. This is especially true when it comes to my newer series, Magical Boy. I realized I had grown too comfortable with Mondo Mango, and starting Magical Boy reminded me of what it was like being a novice. I forgot how different a graphic novel is to comic strips and, this would be the first time I would be sharing a full story of mine to a large audience. I don’t really consider myself a writer so writing the story is extremely hard for me. It’s actually the reason why I haven’t made a graphic novel until now. And since I’ve been drawing chibi figures in Mondo Mango for so long, I have become rusty at drawing full human proportioned figures I’ve chosen for Magical Boy. It made me question my skills and the fear of wondering if people would like the comic flooded me again. It can get quite debilitating and I’d lose motivation or fall into a void of feeling unworthy. I know this is a feeling a lot of artists struggle with too. I then have to remind myself of my goals, the reason why I am making the stories I make. It’s to make a story that is important to me and to finish it for myself. If it’s not important to you, it’s not important to anyone else. I don’t want to lose to the regret of never starting or finishing a story because of fear and doubt. Like my favorite quote from Zig Ziglar, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you need to start to be great.” That is why I am where I am and I will continue to push forward into the bumpy fiery road that is my art journey. 

3. Is this your first time creating webcomics?

4. Would you say you prefer working digitally? Or is print something you enjoy as well?

Yes, I enjoy working digitally because it saves money in the long run from all the materials you would have to buy. It’s less messy compared to painting and it’s easier to share on the web because it’s already on the computer. Also, the undo button, lasso, and transformation tools are very convenient. Although, I still love the feeling of sketching in a sketchbook and testing out my ink pen skills. And I have a bad habit of wanting to buy lots of sketchbooks and pens even though I don’t draw with them as often. 

5. Are there any artists you admire? And do you draw inspiration from them?

I love Hayao Miyazaki’s work when it comes to storytelling and sceneries. His work relaxes me and drives me to appreciate the little moments in life. For comics, I am heavily inspired by Yusuke Murata, the artist of Eyeshield 21 and the revamped One Punch Man. I love his line work and action scenes and I strive to make my comics look just as epic. When it comes to drawing in general, I envy Kim Jung Gi, who does amazing perspective ink work. His work motivates me to always keep improving. 

6. Can you tell us a little bit about Mondo Mango?

7. Can you share with us how Magical Boy came about?

8. How has your experience been like working with Tapas?

It’s been fantastic, it’s like a little family. Everyone is so nice and understanding. Tapas really cares about their creators and values the work they put into their comics.

9. How do you like community interaction here at Tapas? 

That’s what I like the most about Tapas. The community here is great. It’s less of a competition for the best ratings or top comment and more about just enjoying the comics, I feel. For the most part, everyone is so nice and encouraging. I feel Tapas makes it easier to track notifications so you’re up to date on the interactions from your fans. They also have an awesome forum section where you can talk and discuss with other creators and readers alike, which is great!



10. Any upcoming plans, current work you are excited about?

Once I am done with Magical Boy, I'm thinking of looking into creating animation shorts on youtube. I’ve always loved making animation but never have time for them. I also want to make a comic book of short stories in different styles. A challenge where I further test my storytelling and technical skills. Both will take a lot of time so I’ll have to choose one to start when the time comes.