Every year, San Diego Comic-Con attracts numerous comic artists from around the world who come to see the sights and meet their fans. NaRae Lee, the artist for the graphic novel adaptation of James Patterson's Maximum Ride was Yen Press' special guest at the 2009 show. She made the trek from South Korea to San Diego to help Yen Press celebrate the first anniversary of the debut of Yen Plus magazine, where her comics are featured monthly.
While Korean manhwa is still making in-roads with American comics fans, Lee had a built-in audience for her work: the legions of enthusiastic fans for the Maximum Ride novels, who have already made these books bestsellers among young adult readers.
With such a high-profile project on her plate for her American debut, how did this fresh-out-of-college talent catch the eye of Yen Press Senior Editor JuYoun Lee? And how is she handling meeting the deadlines of a monthly magazine?
Check out my interview with NaRae Lee for the answers to these questions and more. Also, while you're at it, check out my review of Maximum Ride Volume 1, a contender for the best new global manga release of 2009.
Image credit: © Deb Aoki, © James Patterson, Hachette Books Group
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