We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Kawagiwa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
My creative career straddles several industries that are tangentially related but still share many aspects in common. Top of mind is that no matter how polished or effortless a creative work looks, it invariably went through a lengthy process and many iterations that will never see the light of day. There’s an unseen world of creativity.

In illustration, this takes the form of thumbnails and sketches that remain forever on the drawing board or sketchbook. Even the loosest sketch presentations are preceded by tons of unseen “pencil mileage” that went into learning that skill. In poster design, there are countless comps that the client is presented with and lots of revisions. Many get very close to completion, but will remain forever under NDAs, never for public consumption. Comics require changes at every stage, even if they’re creator-owned as in my case. This is in written drafts, possible layouts, characters/background/prop designs where a thousand decisions are made.

What’s often shown online or in final print are just the fruits after many unseen failures. Only seeing results can paint the impression that art making is sheer talent without practiced and honed skill. Given enough determination, nearly anyone can develop it given enough time and drive. I love seeing handwritten notes in the margins of notable works or napkin sketches of big ideas. Something like a simple storyboard drawing can get the gears of a massive film machine moving if it connects with the right person. A story told well doesn’t draw attention to it’s suspension of disbelief, but there’s value in appreciating the heart and work that goes into crafts of all sorts.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a longtime freelancer, I’ve come to realize my weapon of choice isn’t a lance, but more like a trident that points toward three arenas. The first prong is in pre-production, which includes concept art and storyboarding for commercials, music videos, and TV. This part involves shaping the story visually from the written page. The second part is in marketing and covers the realm of key art. This focuses on what to present to the public in the form of a poster, billboard, digital image, or packaging. The last prong is my creator owned work, which includes comic books and the brand my wife Christina and I made called “Kit n’ Rivet”. These are the smaller scale projects inspired by our tastes, wrapped into a medium that we can helm on our own. It’s taken time to find these niches, but I’ve grown an appreciation for these uniquely challenging fields and use what I’ve learned from each to inform, and hopefully elevate my work in the others.

I deeply love the craft of film for how many moving parts need to work in concert in order to execute well. Writing, directing, acting, editing and countless other skills and personalities need to come together to make it work. Being near the front of the train when it just starts to move is storyboarding. As an ADG 800 union illustrator, I enjoy working with directors to develop the beats of a narrative so the whole crew can understand a vision. I first started working on storyboards for student films and luckily over time, built up experience on many commercials, music videos, and finally to film/TV with “Waffles+Mochi” for Netflix.

In key art, when I work as part of a team, we distill the whole of a story and its themes into one image to be effective at a glance. At this stage, the film or show is in post-production or completed. The challenge is to create something that’s recognizable, impactful, and memorable to an audience without the luxury of undivided or prolonged attention. Many voices need to be considered, including show-runners and studio producers, while still elevating the art. I’ve been fortunate to work with many recognizable studios including Fox/Disney and Paramount.

Conversely to film, comics lets a very tiny team, potentially just one person, take on all the production roles to tell a complete story from start to finish. As both writer and artist on my “Sunless Circus” books, it’s a hands-on creative process where I can tell a story of my own. The idea started as just as an 8-page anthology short about a robot acrobat boy who dreams of running away from the circus to become an accountant. I was spurred to keep going after surpassingly getting a response back from a fan letter I had sent to Stan Lee and I’ve slowly crafted the world with the books growing in length and complexity. I’m currently working on the fifth issue. With the reading experience being more active compared to passive viewing, it’s my intent to sow a deeper connection with an audience through a very tactile medium. I also tend to create items that tie in with the story like fortune teller cards, postcards, and tickets to create a sense of interaction with the books.

Expanding on these types of projects, my wife and I made “Kit n’ Rivet” to encompass other prints, comics, pins, and products we’ve made both individually and together. We have an online presence and occasionally take this moniker on the road akin to a tiny traveling show with vintage carnival and Wild West show vibes. Exhibiting at comic conventions and craft shows has definitely been a boon for building both confidence and communication skills. I usually recommend starting with friends at the onset to bolster motivation. Trying, failing, and learning is a much more palpable process when you’re around people you like. The first show I ever did was A.P.E. in San Francisco with friends Ralph Miranda and Stephen Yan. The three of us only had a few items to sell and our table could comfortably display everything we had. Now, many years later, a “Kit n’ Rivet” setup could fill an entire corner booth with just our products, thanks to some persistence and a love of antique trunk product displays.

I enjoy the versatility of my professional trident where at least one of these avenues always keeps me sharp and creatively engaged. Learning the different pipelines of creative ecosystems took some time to understand, but opening up, connecting sincerely, and sharing with people that are equally enthusiastic about what they’re working on has helped. The company you keep has so much influence on the motivation and opportunities that might spring up. I’m thankful that I’ve known so many encouraging folks to stick to this path.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As an Orange County native, it can be hard to choose from so many options. I’m not far from the well-known theme parks of Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm and certainly recommend a visit to those from out of town. For a little more local flair though, I’d say a stroll in Old Town Orange for its antique markets and unique little shops. Also nearby my area is a very eclectic bar called The Cauldron, which is sort of witchy themed and right up my alley as a Halloween aficionado and DIY maker of props. I’m recently discovering more of Downtown Fullerton and like the Comic Book Hideout, where during Artwalk nights, features local artists. As a Cal State Long Beach alum, I’d recommend spots around Long Beach as well including the Queen Mary and some of the bars and shops around Ocean and Second Street. If they’ve got kids, the El Dorado Frontier Theme Park is a charming little stop for little ones. For beaches, I would show around Corona del Mar, Huntington Beach, or Santa Monica. If there’s still time on this hypothetical trip, a boat ride to and walk around Catalina Island would also be fun!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As a my multi-comma job titles would infer, I’ve enjoy the variety of fields I’ve been able to dabble in. However the one with the most career highlights, like illustrating a “A Not Suitable for Children’s Book” for the “Deadpool 2” Blu-ray (A Clio Award winner!) came in meeting the folks that would found the design agency, Foundry LA.

I initially got acquainted with the group through mutual friends through exhibiting at events like San Diego Comic-Con and WonderCon. After working on “The Art and Soul of BladeRunner 2049” book with one the co-founders, it segued into my introduction to the world of entertainment design and key art. I continue to be wowed by the level of skill, passion. and good nature contained in this small team that have worked on high profile properties like Avatar, Indiana Jones, Paw Patrol 2, and titles for Netflix. They also work on smaller, heartfelt independent projects and when a when I’m called in, I count myself lucky to be among a tight-knit and capable crew of leaders and creatives that continue to inspire.

www.foundry.la

Website: https://www.chriskawagiwa.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sketchboy01

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ckawagiwa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitnrivet

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/sketchboy01

Other: https://kitnrivet.com https://www.etsy.com/shop/KitnRivet

Image Credits
Dino Espinosa

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