Contrast: So you were born in Hawai‘i?
Jasper Wong: Yep, I was born and raised in Hawai‘i. To tell you the truth, I was a big time nerd growing up in the Islands. I wasn’t a surfer, a skater, or something cool like that. I wasn’t even popular with the ladies. My best friend was my right hand and I spent a lot of time nerding out on comic books and video games. I probably tugged out a load to She-Hulk more than once. Actually, I was so socially awkward that I thought I discovered masturbation. It was my dirty little secret and I actually imagined that I’d become rich and famous with this revelation. Patent it and make billions. Bam! I win...in life! But, when I found out that everyone did it, then my dreams of fast cars and loose women were crushed under the large leather boots of reality. Ok, that was probably too much information. But, one thing is for damn sure though, I spent a shitload of time drawing in those black and white composition books, you know the ones they force you to buy for school. Day in and day out, I drew superheroes and created flip book animations on the corners with stick men blowing the living crap out of each other with fireballs and Mortal Kombat karate moves. It was my escape from my inability to be “cool” because in my world, the one in my head, I was The Fonz! The coolest cat on the planet. Henry Winkler, eat your heart out.

And how was it, growing up in the Islands?
Due to my uncoolness and my penchant for self-love, I didn’t really appreciate the island life as much as the next kid. Probably because I spent too much time at home with She-Hulk comics. So, I left for greener pastures. At least, I thought they would be greener. I still haven’t found a place as beautiful as Hawai‘i yet. I mean certain locales have been close, but I still get homesick often. I jumped on an airplane the first chance I got while singing John Denver songs. “So kiss me and smile for me, tell me that you’ll wait for me. Hold me like you’ll never let me go. Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane. Don’t know when I’ll be back again. Oh babe, I hate to gooooooo.” So, at the ripe age of 18, I flew out to Portland, then off to San Francisco, Kyoto, and now Hong Kong.

So you went to Kalani High, did you move away for college?
Yep...I’m a victim of the Hawai‘i public school system. Back in my day, before the invention of them damn TVs and them whatchamacallits...you know them Game Boys...we had to walk five miles to school in ten inches of snow (laughs). I’m not that old. But, when I was going there, Kalani High School was not the best place to be…creatively. I seriously had no guidance and that led to a string of mistakes, such as going to Lewis and Clark for graphic design (bad idea). However, in retrospect, maybe that helped with the progression of myself as an artist. The self-learning and self-guidance led me to where I’m at today or maybe that’s just a load of existential bullshit. I don’t know. So yeah, when I moved away, it was for school. I went to Portland and studied graphic design, which was a really bad choice, since their design department is really lacking in so many ways. When the professor started asking me to teach the class on some days, then I knew I was going to learn diddly-squat. That’s when I packed my bags and moved to San Francisco, where I studied graphic design and illustration at the California College of Arts and Crafts...they removed the “Crafts” when I was going to school there. But, I’m still representin’ the “Crafts” on my diploma! Rock on!

What are your best memories from Hawai‘i?
My best memories from Hawai‘i? Like I mentioned before, I was a real nerd that spent too much time loving himself...literally. Aside from those lonesome nights with She-Hulk, I fondly remember the handicapped section at Ice Palace; riding cardboard sleds down the hills of Kaka‘ako Park; body boarding at Sherwoods; late nights at Zippy’s; backyard BBQs; and so much more. Hawai‘i is filled with great memories and it’s real hard to pick out the best from the bunch. It’s the same for all the other places I’ve lived and visited... You know, it’s just hard to pick and choose.

What about memories from your travels?
Some definitely stick out more than others, such as: streaking in Japan; getting kicked out of a department store in Taiwan for dressing in a skin tight pink outfit while high-fiving sales girls and trying on women’s shoes; wearing a bunny suit to an Akon concert in Hong Kong; being karaoke rock stars till the break of dawn; hanging out naked while listening to Hank Williams in a sauna located in the middle of the woods of Finland; going to a hippie gathering in Lille, France; chilling at a café in Tijuana in the midst of a drug war; speaking in front of 500 people at the Esquina Norte design conference. Dude, the list goes on and on and on...and new memories are constantly being created.

What’s the best thing about traveling?
More than anything, the most awesome thing is all the people you meet, all the variety of folks coming from different places and backgrounds. You connect with them and build life-long relationships with buddies from every corner of the Earth. To this day, I can travel to a lot of places and I’ll have friends that will make me feel right at home.

Do you find a lot of cultural difference everywhere you go? Where is your favorite destination?
Yeah, there is definitely a lot of differences between each place, too many to count in fact. It wouldn’t be fun if they were all the same. One thing is for sure though, Hawai‘i will always be home. Hawai‘i is a special place that is unique to the rest of the world. It has its own culture, food, and even its own way of speaking English. There is no place like it. Like Dorothy said in The Wizard of Oz, “There is no place like home.”


ジャスパー・ウォング
ジャスパーは現在香港に住んでいるイラストレーター。先月、自分のギャラリーを香港にオープンしたばかりだ。ホノルル出身の彼は素晴らしい色使いと奇抜な発想で大人気。子供の頃、大好きだったコミックに影響を受けているジャスパーは、
「ArchiveMagazine」に世界のトップ２００イラストレターに選ばれている。