Ryan Inzana
Author of Ichiro
Works by Ryan Inzana
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Pratt Institute (B.F.A. in communication design)
- Occupations
- comic artist
- Short biography
- Ryan Inzana is an illustrator and cartoonist from Brooklyn, New York. His illustrations can be seen in publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Nation and The Progressive. Ryan’s comics work has been published in World War 3 Illustrated, New York Waste and online in Slate Magazine. His graphic novel, Johnny Jihad, was chosen as one of Booklist’s top ten graphic novels of 2003. He is currently at work on a semi-autobiographical graphic novel series entitled God-less America, a brutal memoir of the life and times of a footloose artist in the belly of the beast in Brooklyn, New York, to be published by NBM
- Places of residence
- Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- New York, USA
Members
Reviews
Ichiro (Asian Pacific American Award for Literature. Children's and Young Adult. Honorable Mention (Awards)) by Ryan Inzana
Immediate reaction to this book *gasp* samurais! But it's not that at all. It's actually more profound than that. Ichiro is a half American half Japanese. He idealizes his father who fought in Iraq. He carries around a solider book that once belonged to him and generally thinks he knows it all. His perspective about war changes when he goes from his home in New York to Japan as a result of his mother gaining a job opportunity. He is to live with his grandfather who shows him what war really show more is about.
The book interweaves the legends and past with Ichiro's story. And then it gets even better when he actually goes into a different world and sees the world of the Gods he's been hearing so much about. All of a sudden these bird creatures and all around freaky looking things are there and he soon realizes that all is not right in their world either. But before all that you might be wondering "What's up with the raccoon behind him?" Well that raccoon starts the story off. it is actually a tanuki - a shapeshifter and he'll become very important in Ichiro's story.
Wow. Not at all what I expected to be. I guess I just looked at the cover assumed and then asked for it. I loved the legends described in the book. It brought more to the story. As well as the descriptions of modern day war especially the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing. The way Ichiro reacts to it was in a way that you would think someone who just had changed their mind. And for a kid it's a big deal especially the way he acted in the beginning. Again like he knew everything. He acts like he's cool and nothing affects him with his sunglasses on but the truth is he's hurting. This was a great beginning to this story and I REALLY want to know what happens next! The end just left you with a hole wide open to the plot. Ugh. Darn you authors... so cruel.
Loved the artwork. Sorry I can't find any from the book but I put the picture below because it seemed appropriate. You guys should check out his website: http://ryaninzana.com/illustration.html to get a feel of what he can do.
http://shesgotbooksonhermind.blogspot.com/ show less
The book interweaves the legends and past with Ichiro's story. And then it gets even better when he actually goes into a different world and sees the world of the Gods he's been hearing so much about. All of a sudden these bird creatures and all around freaky looking things are there and he soon realizes that all is not right in their world either. But before all that you might be wondering "What's up with the raccoon behind him?" Well that raccoon starts the story off. it is actually a tanuki - a shapeshifter and he'll become very important in Ichiro's story.
Wow. Not at all what I expected to be. I guess I just looked at the cover assumed and then asked for it. I loved the legends described in the book. It brought more to the story. As well as the descriptions of modern day war especially the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing. The way Ichiro reacts to it was in a way that you would think someone who just had changed their mind. And for a kid it's a big deal especially the way he acted in the beginning. Again like he knew everything. He acts like he's cool and nothing affects him with his sunglasses on but the truth is he's hurting. This was a great beginning to this story and I REALLY want to know what happens next! The end just left you with a hole wide open to the plot. Ugh. Darn you authors... so cruel.
Loved the artwork. Sorry I can't find any from the book but I put the picture below because it seemed appropriate. You guys should check out his website: http://ryaninzana.com/illustration.html to get a feel of what he can do.
http://shesgotbooksonhermind.blogspot.com/ show less
Ichiro (Asian Pacific American Award for Literature. Children's and Young Adult. Honorable Mention (Awards)) by Ryan Inzana
Good story that is part fantasy with a Japanese-American boy who returns to Japan with his mother and gets involved with mythical beings. Has good comments on the futility of war and remembering Hiroshima also.
I picked up this book because it is made up of two things I like very much... graphic novels and japanese mythology. I enjoyed the art style very much, and the way the creators imagined the world of Japanese mythological beings is unique and imaginative. But I found myself wanting, over and over again, to smack the main character upside the head.
This book would be better divided into two separate stories, or if the beginning were shortened. The beginning shows young Ichiro learning about the history of Japan and his own heritage while the second half has him tumbling into a parallel world filled with creatures of his ancestor's country's mythology. The transition between the two is beautifully illustrated, with history and realism being shown in stark black and white while the mythological realm is depicted in bold colors, though show more the two styles, much like the ideas they depict, often mingle until they are difficult to define. The problem with the two incredibly different, albeit complimentary, stories is that, while both are interesting in their own way, the historical storyline will be too dull for the mythologically-inclined and the mythology will be rather fantastical for the historian. show less
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- Works
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- Also by
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- Members
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- Popularity
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- Rating
- 3.5
- Reviews
- 17
- ISBNs
- 8