Illustrators Arise: Cube Watermelon

What's up, creative people? Guess what, it's now time for another round of Illustrators Arise! If you're new and you don't know what that is, it is basically one of the oldest features on this blog where I introduce my favourite illustrators from across the globe by having them over for an interview every month. Are you psyched? Let's get started, then! This month's special guest is the author behind the hit webcomic series KiwiBlitz - with over 800 fans on Facebook, Mary Cagle a.k.a. Cube Watermelon. Ever since I found her on deviantART - back when her username was ShikakuSuika -, I've been quite smitten with her adorable style and witty personality. When she's not drawing for KiwiBlitz, you can find her teaching English at elementary schools in Japan and doing 50 things at once.

Hello, Mary! To start with, would you please tell us of how you started drawing and why you continued on?

Oh jeez, like most people, I started when I was a little kid. I remember that I always wanted to trace my coloring books instead of using them for their intended purpose. Which might be ironic, considering my specialty nowadays. But things like Sailor Moon and Pokemon are what really got me interested in drawing characters and telling stories.

Oh wow! Another SCAD graduate! What did you learn there, other than art and would you recommend other people to go to art schools?

Oorf, that's a tough one. To be honest, unless you can get a really good scholarship, I have trouble recommending art school to anyone. It's so much money!! I definitely learned some things there, but I probably could have learned most of them at a community college or something. I saw way too many peers getting into serious debt to tell anyone they should try doing the same. That said, I wouldn't be able to get my current job if I didn't have some sort of bachelor's degree, so I'm at least grateful for that.

What kind of materials do you usually use?

It depends on the project. 90% of the time, I work entirely digital in photoshop with my intuos tablet. For my Let's Speak English comics, though, I use bristol board and pens from the 100 yen store ;)

Let’s talk about KiwiBlitz! It started out in 2009, I believe. How did it all begin? Did you imagine it would last this long?

I was in my first year of college, and I really wanted to have a webcomic of my own. I'd created Steffi and Ben previously for some character contests on deviantART, so their personalities and ideas for their world had been floating around in my head for a while. But I still had a very poor idea of where KB was going when it started.

With over 15 tracks so far, KiwiBlitz seems to have become quite a huge hit! Are you planning on having it printed out and sold at some point?

Oh yeah! I've actually printed a few volumes in small on-demand runs, for sale at conventions. But now that I'm in Japan, I decided to hold off until KB is complete to make another book. At that point, I want to kickstart a big fancy omnibus of the whole thing.

Around 2 years ago, you moved to Japan to teach English at elementary schools in Kurihara. What motivated you to make this decision? What have you learnt from the experience?

Basically, I was at a crossroads where I had to decide what to do with the coming year. My art business was going okay, but it wasn't at a point yet where I could definitely rely on it being stable. The last thing I wanted to do was get another crappy day job, So I finally got the motivation to try for an English teaching job. It's something that I always had as a kind of pie-in-the-sky goal, as a good way to save up some money while learning about another culture. Obviously Japanese media has influenced my work the most, so it was the obvious choice.

We can see in your tumblr page that you draw comics from your daily life living in Japan. What has been the most memorable experience you’ve stumbled upon?

Yeesh, I dunno if I can pick out just one! I think the biggest thing I'll walk away with is just the feeling of how great it is to work with kids and introduce them to a whole new world they're unfamiliar with. I'm generally the only foreigner my students interact with, but they're always so enthusiastic and friendly and sweet! It's a good feeling.

Your style is suitable for children and you teach children on a daily basis. Do you see the influence one field of work has on the other? If so, how?

Absolutely! I draw a lot of flashcards and whiteboard art and such at school, and sometimes the kids ask me to draw on their notebooks or whatnot. It's definitely helped me hone my speed drawing skills! And let me tell ya, nothing ups your confidence as an artist quite like showing your work to children and having them react like you're some kind of wizard.

What does the future look like for Cube Watermelon?

In May 2016, this current school year will end and I'll most likely return to America. I love it here, but I also want to return to focusing on my art career eventually. My general plan is to sort things out back home, then move to Seattle to be closer to many of my comics friends. Seattle is also a great city in general with a nice Japanese community too, so I'll be able to get a lot of the stuff I'd otherwise miss from here.

What kind of wisdom would you impart on newbie illustrators out there (including me)?

Life studies, whether it's people or objects or environments, really are the best way to learn almost anything art-wise. I still hate doing 'em, but looking back I know that many of my coloring skills came from learning light and shadow in still-life class. But as an independent artist, you also should never feel guilty for just doodling what you like. We can't all be perfect at everything, and I think we all struggle with accepting that whenever we've grown comfortable in our niche.

A little note from me

With an incredibly adorable style, neat finish and digital clarity, Mary's artworks always give this modern, kiddy look which can also be hardcore but friendly to the eyes. The cutesy of her lines and shapes and her witty personality create a compatible edge when put together. Personally, I also love the wide variety of her colour palette and the way she handles her fluid lines beautifully. Because I've been following her for years and years - maybe even before KB started, it's been absolutely amazing to see how she's grown as an artist yet still stays true to herself. She also doesn't limit herself to one genre, in terms of webcomic and entertainment that she enjoys, and it's like she has so many things to offer. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to more of her growth as an artist and more projects she might delve into in the future.

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Semarang Day 3 pt. I: The Reception

This post was continued from the previous one. We started bright and early today because as bridesmaids (well, not really, since Islamic weddings don't need bridesmaids), we had to get made up and have our hair styled like two hours before the procession - and there was a long line of relatives. Yup, it was 6AM when we departed to meet up at the hotel where the reception would be held. You better believe I was still sleepy. If there was an empty spot, either at the hairstyling or the make up station, someone better filled it so as not to take too long. If someone was done with hair and makeup, they should go to the bathroom to change into their respective uniforms. Mine was too small on me - even after it was taken out! - that the buttons keep popping open whenever I move. Real sexy, I know. The skirt is a bit of a wrap, which was just tricky to put on. After we were done, we were asked to leave the hotel room because it was way too crowded. So we went downstairs and took some photos while we waited for the others - which felt like ages.

The whole outfit is courtesy of my cousin bride (except the earrings which are from Julikäfer)

When everyone was finally done and the men arrived - which was later since they didn't need make up and hair, lucky bastards! -, we all got ushered to the ballroom hall, where the decorations are already up and the food adorned the room. The men had a harder time in walking that I did. Ha! That's for not having to get ready at six! The first hour was spent by all the small families to take photos together. There was a photo booth and, boy, was it popular. Afterwards, it's the usual: the bride and groom came in, the line for the handshaking started forming and the time to eat began. We all spread out to see all the food and grabbing what we liked and only realised an hour later that we could've eaten like civilised people in the VIP room. Damn! To be honest, the reception was kind of boring, I just thought of sleeping the whole event. But let's talk about the make up and hair for a second, shall we? While the make up looks good on me, the make up artist obviously didn't participate different skin colour because it looked horrid on my sister. I love that the hairstylist went with a french twist because I didn't specify, I just wanted to wear the ornament. And there's that. Next post will be about the after hour.

Untold Travel Story: Avventure a Roma (2011)

If you have been following me for over 3 years, you’d know that whenever I travel, I will almost always write about it on this ol’ blog. But there are travel stories that I have yet to share, mostly because it all happens before the blog. But I’d really love to reminisce and write about them, mostly because these stories are worth telling and I may never see these people again. Maybe one day when I'm old and decrepit, this would be proof that I did indeed meet them. Enjoy!

The one and only time I ever had a girls’ night in abroad was when I went to Rome in December 2011. My Studienkolleg girlfriends and I flew to Rome, when the upperclassmen were struggling with their final exam. There were 6 of us in total: me, my Chinese friends (Dan and Yi), my Madagascar friend (Mimi), my Hungarian friend (Melitta) and my Albanian friend (Dorieta). Dori was actually the one who came up with this idea and ended up having a group of girls. We flew with Ryan Air and stayed in a hotel whose name escapes me at the moment, the expenses came up to about 90€/person. She and Melitta did all the booking and we paid them back afterwards.

Because we chose the no-baggage package, we could only bring hand luggage - or, in our case, carry-ons. This was during my learning-to-knit phase, Mimi taught me. So we both got our knitting supplies in our bags and knitted on the plane - and the hotel. We arrived there after dark - it was winter so probably around 6-ish -, checked in and went out for pasta and pizza. It was the worst! It was tasty but really expensive - for expat students, anyway - and really tiny portions. Afterwards, we went to the nearest supermarket (next to a Carrefour) that was still open and bought as much food as we could for the following days. Little did we know, it was the first bad experience among a dozen more.

The next day was dedicated to exploring the town. Now we’re talking! First, we obviously had to go to the Colosseum. But, because we hadn’t booked a ticket in advance, we had to stand in a long line. So we decided not to go in. Instead, we took tons of pictures outside and bought souvenirs for our loved ones. We witnessed the first sighting of Italian pick up lines when a vendor told Yi, “You’re so pretty, I would let you have something for free.” What a line! She picked something and he stuck to his words; it was for free! Then we moved on to our next destination: Piazza Venezia. Rome was so small, we decided to go on foot. On the way, Melitta and I got gelatto, obviously. Once we arrived there, we walked up steps and Dorieta was on the lead. She lay on top of them to get her pictures taken, which we didn't realise until the authorities yelled at her to get up. We laughed so hard.

After visiting Fontana di Trevi - and doing the coin-toss thing, we had lunch at a small restaurant inside one of Rome’s small alleys. Again, expensive, but generous portions this time. However, not very tasty. Yi, who’s lactose-intolerant, had to suffer through her spinach pasta, which wasn’t satisfying at all. Afterwards, I wanted to go to this small woodworks store, with a Pinnocchio seated in front of it. I just wanted to take pictures with this lovely puppet. The second sighting of Italian pick up line: when Dorieta wanted to buy cola from a vendor and it was too expensive, he said, “Kiss me and I’ll give it to you for free!” She declined, by the way. We stopped by Piazza di Spagna, the shopping district. There were so many people sitting on The Spanish Steps, where the sun hit it just right. A young man offered us roses, as a form of flirting it seemed. We all accepted and had our photos taken with the flowers. But, apparently, the man wanted money in return. We returned the roses instead, of course.

Then off to Vatican City with us! Obviously, we didn’t buy the ticket to get into St. Petersburg. So we just took tons of photos on the churchyard. We saw this huge and tall Christmas tree, which was missing its star. Afterwards, we had dinner at the hotel - eating persimmons we bought from a nearby store - and had the best girls’ night in ever. We talked about plenty of private stuff, things I don’t think I could ever talk about with even my best friends. It was nice to unwind after that LONG walk. The next day, we checked out and embarked to Villa Borghese gardens only to appreciate nature and fooled around. We caught our flight at 3PM and flew back to Germany.

The best part of this trip was obviously walking through small alleyways of Rome. It was my dream! Some stereotypes are true: you can literally see vespas lining the streets. They came in various colours and models. It was also very funny to see the Romans speak with their hands. Rome wasn't all to different from Jakarta, except for the city structure and various renaissance buildings. The last night with all the girl talk was also quite relieving and eye-opening. Despite the bad experiences, I enjoyed the trip very much. I only wish I had remembered to take out my camera throughout the journey - all these photos were taken using my friends' cameras. Writing this post makes me miss these girls. Hope we can see each other again someday.

Semarang Day 2: Freetime Friday

Photos are taken using Canon EOS 600D with EF 18-135 mm and EF 18-55 mm lenses (2 cameras)

As I mentioned in the last post, my family went out to Semarang last weekend for a cousin's wedding. The ceremony was on Thursday and the reception was on Saturday, which means that Friday was a full day off! Woohoo! It was also the day my sister and brother came to town. So the other cousins and I brewed up a plan to roam the town like a bit of a tourist by riding on a tour bus. But first - since they had to work - my parents, Stepbro and myself went out to lunch at Taman Erlangga, where it is famous for its traditional food court layout, the lush trees as canopy and the breezy atmosphere. There were some musicians there to serenade our meal too. The best eating experience, I'd say. Afterwards, my parents went home while Milzam and I went out to Lawang Sewu. If you're not Indonesian, you may not know that this place is quite famous for its "paranormal activity," shall we say? It even has its own horror movie. Back in the days, this colonial building was used by the Japanese to torture the locals or imprison them. There are various tunnels under the building, connected to nearby hospitals and were used by the Dutch to invade the city. Needless to say, neither I nor Milzam had the guts to go down there, even in broad daylight. The only thing I regretted was the restricted access to the upper level.

Hand-me-down batik top + pants // DF Fashion shoes // vintage hat // Cotton On purse (Sis's) // photos of me by Milzam

After a disappointing tour around the torture chambers, we went to the train station to pick up my brother and sister and went to the meet-up spot my cousins and I agreed on. We waited quite long but she came late and the bus already left. We decided to just walk around to where the tickets were sold and stumbled upon an antique flea market in this tiny alleyway. There were tons of beautiful, lovely items for sold there, including a hat I've been eyeing for the past couple years. But more on that on my next post. We decided to buy the bus tickets for Saturday, after the reception, instead. Then we reunited with another cousin and - after praying - we went out to Pecinan (Chinatown) for dinner. There were tons of food stalls there and we were drooling as we checked them out and looked for a good place to sit. You have to be careful, though, because you don't know where the porks lay - unless you're allowed to eat that, then you're fine. We wrapped the night quite exhausted with a lot of inside jokes to add to the list and hit the sack for an early start in the morning.

May in Overview

Excited about...

Putting up my work for sale! This is actually something I've done for a while now. But it's the first time it's ever become successful. I'm not talking about commissions, though. I'm talking about something that I originally made with ideas from my own brain. And this is something I'm quite proud of. It's still a little sporadic because I'm not sure of the platform I should (and could) use. Please take a peek here to purchase!

Currently reading...

Wildwood Imperium! The last book from the Wildwood Chronicles! I know, I know, I'm quite late in this but they did get published quite late out here. It is one of those series where I just feel sad that it's ended, despite the happy ending. When a series makes you feel that all the characters are your friends and you're left wondering if you'll ever see them again by the end of it, it's a good story. No matter how long or quick they are. It's modern-day Narnia, if I may say so myself.

Currently watching...

Live-Report from Cannes. In case you didn't know before, I'm a film festival kind of girl. My favourite is obviously Sundance and then Cannes. And, guess what? It's happening this month and I am super psyched to experience it...through the internet. Yes, sadly, I'm not lucky enough to get invited and catch these feature films in person but at least I get to catch some interviews and seminars with all the perpetrators of motion pictures. Favourite topic: female roles in the filming industry.

Listening to...

Florence and the Machine's new singles. Florence always comes up with the best songs and her newest ones do not disappoint. What Kind of Man gives me so much feels that I watched it over and over again, trying not to cry. It's just so powerful and intricately done that I can't help but to feel absolutely moved. Ship to Wreck is just as chaotic, with a different vantage point. It hits close to home because it's a question I feel like I would be asking in another life.

Thinking about...

Learning how to drive. I think it's due time I do this. I mean, I've learnt 5 years ago, but not well, and I've forgotten most of what was taught. And it was with a stick, now we only have automatics. Also, I'm starting to get sick of not being able to get stuff done because I can't drive myself places. So it's high time I put an end to that.

Starting the month hanging out with my siblings and Cynthia // finally received this sweet package from Rebecca Green // Friyay with Cynthia again 'cause I can't get enough of her! // new adorable pyjama sets // finally met up with my old friend Ervina // every shipped purchase of ICGH comes with a custom-made thank you card // reading companions for the train trip // a band to accompany lunch under lush trees in Semarang // found a really cool antique café in Kota Lama