In the 1990s (and probably even now) imaginative young kids went through a "Japanesian" phase in their teen years where they became obsessed with Japanese dramatic cartoons and art (called "anime") and just about anything from there. Some of these fans undertook learning the Japanese language and they dedicated their artistic talent to creating fan art in the anime style. Even more, fan-Americans wanted to visit far-off Japan in person. But what about the reverse? Were there Japanese fans who were equally caught up in Americana? Certainly there were because the Japanese animation style was originally built on American models and Disney cartoons. So, in the summer of 1998 these two intrepid girls, Saori and Mizuho, made the journey to America as part of a student exchange visiting program. They stayed with the same mother whom I had depicted falling asleep on a guest couch. It must have been quite an adventure though their English language skills weren't that good. And what did they eat in America? Did they consume exotic foods like hamburgers, chili, or clam chowder (this was in Massachusetts)? No, we took them to our favorite Japanese restaurant! I got to draw them in this little sketch and they did a lot of giggling.
Black tech pen on sketchbook page, 5" x 5", August 26, 1998.
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