In this Conversations with Your Chinese Auntie episode, I speak with Misako Rocks. Misako is a Japanese manga artist who shares her inspiring journey from growing up in Japan to becoming a published manga author in the United States. The conversation covers Misako's childhood, her determination to move to America, and her struggles and triumphs in the manga industry. Misako also discusses the cultural nuances of language and her passion for teaching manga to children. The episode delves into Misako's dreams of expanding her manga series and her aspirations for an anime adaptation.

Bio:

Misako is a Japanese manga artist who’s published a number of books all over the world. Her manga graphic novels Bounce Back and No Such Thing as Perfect. Bounce Back was selected to be on the 2021 Best Graphic Novels For Children list by the American Library Association. She also released a new activity book series, How To Draw Kawaii Manga with Misako Rocks to show bubbly and kawaii manga character/fashion making.

Misako's new graphic novel Sew Totally Nala(Bounce Back Vol.3) is set to be released by Feiwel and Friends in the fall of 2025.

Misako has been featured on the BBC and NHK documentary about her comic book life. She was featured on the NBC TODAY show and collaborated with Playstation to promote Ghostwire: Tokyo.

Besides making books, she teaches online manga classes for kids through my online community, Learn Manga with Misako. www.learnmangawithmisako.com

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Timeline:

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 00:51 Introducing Misako: A Japanese Manga Artist 01:20 Learning Languages and Cultural Differences 11:26 Growing Up in Japan 19:48 Journey to America 24:07 Diving into Manga 24:56 Discovering Manga and Early Aspirations 25:43 Pursuing a Manga Career in New York 27:33 Challenges in the Publishing World 30:55 Transition to Teaching Manga 33:57 Inspiration from Students 36:08 Achieving Success and Future Dreams 38:37 Family Influence and Personal Determination 41:00 Balancing Career and Personal Life 41:40 Future Aspirations and Closing Thoughts