Mark Kalesniko
Author of Mail Order Bride
About the Author
Works by Mark Kalesniko
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Kalesniko, Mark
- Gender
- male
- Short biography
- Mark Kalesniko, born and raised in Trail, British Columbia, started his art career studying at the David Thompson University Center in Nelson, B.C. In 1981, Kalesniko relocated to California to study at the California Institute of the Arts. After receiving his B.F.A. in Character Animation, he worked in the animation industry as a layout artist. Projects he has worked on include The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Mulan, and Atlantis, all for Disney.
By the 1990s Kalesniko branched out professionally into adult-themed comics and graphic novels. His first, “Adolf Hears A Who” (1991), an eight page story about Hitler’s last minutes in his bunker, was published by Fantagraphics Books in the anthology Pictopia. Fantagraphics later published the one-shot comic S.O.S. (1992), the story of an Asian girl lost at sea; Alex (1994), about an alcoholic ex- animator who moves back to his home town; Why Did Pete Duel Kill Himself? (1997), the story of young Alex dealing with the death of his favorite actor; and finally Mail Order Bride (2001), which focused on interracial relationships.
Alex, Pete Duel and Mail Order Bride were also published in French language editions by Paquet Editions and Mail Order Bride also was published in a Spanish language edition by Ponent Mon.
He recently completed Freeway, the story of Alex’s life in Los Angeles, for a January 2011 release. (Alex, the original comics series, was released as a graphic novel in 2006.) Kalesniko lives in Glendale, California with his wife and fellow layout artist, Jennifer Yuan. - Nationality
- Canada
- Birthplace
- Trail, British Columbia, Canada
- Places of residence
- Glendale, California
- Associated Place (for map)
- Canada
Members
Reviews
Kalesniko manages to mix together heartwarming, sad, triumphant, angry, hopeful, pathetic and unfair across several characters and all throughout the story of Mail Order Bride in this story of two individuals finding comfort in mutually unrealized expectation. Kyung and Monty are married and at first it appears both might try to make the best of things for the thing they think they wanted. Of course, there's that pesky problem of finding out that small thing you think you wanted doesn't show more actually satisfy you wholly...or that the fantasy never quite lives up to the reality. And this is where Kalesniko's story takes off in fantastic ways. Kyung and Monty's story demonstrates the dangers of playing at a game of intimacy without a true foundation or the boundaries of an emotional bond. show less
This novel really blew me away. During the hour I spent reading it and being immersed in the little world inhabited by Kyung Seo and Monty Wheeler, I was completely oblivious to the world around me. We watch as Monty, a comic book store owner meets, marries, and tries to integrate into his life his mail order bride. We experience his fear, clumsiness, and sorrow-joy as she accepts her duty and takes him to bed. And, we feel a pang of pity as we realize why he was that way. Then, the story show more truly begins as we start to learn what his hopes were when he "bought" her and what he does to cope, plus we see how he treats her as another of his collectibles and controls her environment.
The drama and intrigue continue as we watch these characters grow and learn to live together - or rather, to live in Monty's world. Kyung is a fascinating woman and we watch as she attempts to get more out of her life while trying to remain loyal to her husband. The book continues to peel away layers from both of them and when the climatic confrontation explodes, your own feelings (as a reader) have taken so many ups, downs, and twists that you're left gasping. When the dust settles, it is a sad and sombre mood that leaves you really wanting more - and really wanting more for Kyung.
Everyone should own a copy. It is that good because it works on so many levels and the imagery itself speaks volumes... even in its silence. show less
The drama and intrigue continue as we watch these characters grow and learn to live together - or rather, to live in Monty's world. Kyung is a fascinating woman and we watch as she attempts to get more out of her life while trying to remain loyal to her husband. The book continues to peel away layers from both of them and when the climatic confrontation explodes, your own feelings (as a reader) have taken so many ups, downs, and twists that you're left gasping. When the dust settles, it is a sad and sombre mood that leaves you really wanting more - and really wanting more for Kyung.
Everyone should own a copy. It is that good because it works on so many levels and the imagery itself speaks volumes... even in its silence. show less
An animator who is stuck in a huge traffic jam on his way to work muses about his life, work politics and faded dreams. The many frames of the traffic jam weren't very interesting, and the animator was drawn as a dog, which was a little disconcerting (everyone else was human).
This was a strange little book. It's not up to the standards of The Sandman, but there was something compelling about it.
Awards
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Statistics
- Works
- 9
- Members
- 212
- Popularity
- #104,833
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 6
- ISBNs
- 10
- Languages
- 2