How do you feel people with progressive ideals or intentions should work within institutions that have such a long history, like the New York Times? I think everyone needs to be as self-aware as they can be, and to accept different things about themselves. I think people should challenge themselves to think outside of that and also extend understanding towards other people who are still learning. Can I use Dave Chappell as an example? Have you seen his new special? You should watch it, it’s really interesting. He addresses some of the criticism he’s gotten from his previous specials. To use the phrase again, he’s not a profit of social justice, he’s just a fucking comedian. He’s not running for office or anything, he’s just standing on a stage making jokes. That’s his thing, and to condemn him as “bad” is an oversimplification and you’re not looking at his context or acknowledging that he as a straight black man from a certain time is processing these things at the same time we all are. It’s just that his processing is public. That applies to a lot of people, right? Not for people like Harvey Weinstein—he should totally be condemned. But there’s just so much nuance that I think people are unwilling to consider, and it’s frustrating. I think a big part of it too is that, accepting that nuance also then means that you’re maybe guilty of some of it as well. Of course! Everyone is a little bit guilty! I think thinking in black and white terms is naive and foolish. Thinking about producing merch—even if it’s sewn ethically, maybe the thread was made in a place without ethical practices. There’s no escape from this, and it’s because we’re mired in a system that oppresses people. I feel like that’s the thing we need to be critical of, instead of just individuals. What has it been like working in an environment like the New York Times? Everyone is very aware of what’s happening—obviously, because it’s their job. The art department is very mindful of reflecting what’s ethical or trying to make good choices. We try to create a good balance of who we assign things to, and I really appreciate that they care. There’s always room for more, but they’re definitely in the right camp. I really do like that about working there. Op-Ed illustrations specifically are legendarily stressful because you get the assignment at 12, sketches at 3, and then the final at 6. So you and the illustrator have 6 hours to turn around this piece that’s sometimes really heavy and political. Sometimes it’s lighter and it’s about kale salad or whatever, haha. But yeah, if you think that’s stressful, imaging doing it every day as an art director. IT’s really intense but you learn so much reading these great pieces. Some of them you don’t agree with, because they don’t always pose a liberal perspective. Sometimes it’s John McCaine writing a column. So you just get exposed
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to all different sides and opinions and viewpoints. It helps me understand the world better. What stuff are you working on at the moment that you can talk about? My friend Anne Ishii—she does Massive Goods and she’s an amazing writer. We’re working on a graphic novel. She’s writing it and I’m drawing it. It’s about the pain of loving someone. It’s not a romantic story, it’s about friendship. I’m really excited about that and it’ll be my first long form project. I’ve been making notes about my family. They lost their house a few years ago through the recession and moved back to Korea. That brought a lot of stuff in me to the surface, and I’m going to turn my feelings into art, basically. I want to figure out a way to do autobio comics in a not too depressing or whiney way, so I’m working op that. I’m writing more now that I want to do illustration less. I’m focusing on more personal projects, really. Are there any projects that you’d like to embark on that you just don’t have the time or money for at the moment Yeah, I want to do really big paintings. Maybe I’ll do that in my 40s. Maybe I’ll have time then, haha. But for now I need to focus. I use to think that I could do everything, but really you can’t. You can’t do it all well. I’ve been doing so many different things that are okay, but what I really want to do now is pick a couple and do those things really really well. So I’m going to try that. What do you feel like you still struggle with as an artist? What hurdles do you still see in front of you with your work? Hmm… I’m kind of lazy. I know what it looks like on the outside, but I actually procrastinate a lot and I’m kind of lazy. I mean, that’s a self assessment, so maybe I’m reacting to the shape I feel for not going to Stanford or something. I don’t know what it is, but I do feel like Asian immigrant families put a lot of pressure on academic performance, but I went to art school, you know? While doing nothing for periods of time is important to my creative process, I just worry that it’s too much sometimes. Especially when I’m doing design or art direction on site, it’s really draining and I don’t have time to work on my personal stuff, and I feel guilt about that. Maybe I should bring that up with my shrink, haha. Okay well, rather than feeling bad about being lazy, I should instead feel okay with taking the downtime that I need to recharge creatively. How about that? Let’s frame it like that. That’s healthier, haha.
