SHUEISHA Inc. All rights reserved.
Below are Kubo's comments regarding this work.
"They wanted to use illustrations that I had originally drawn for Shonen Jump and print them on Japanese washi paper. When I heard about this, I was pleased, but at the same time, I wasn't sure what the finished product would actually look like. Now, when I see the finished product, the vivid colors and delicate lines that are unique to manga are recreated quite beautifully , and yet, the artwork appears to be different from ink painting and other traditional methods. The collotype printing process was used to print the black lines first, and then add more colors as needed, and finally to print the black sections again. This is the same order that I used to create this exact illustration. First, I drew the picture with ink, then I applied solid black, and printed it. After that, I applied coloring, and then finally, I added another layer of solid black. The process was also similar in that I didn't use white pigment to illustrate the white areas. I used the whiteness of the paper to express the white of the eyes, teeth, clothes, and so on. Washi paper changes color slowly over time, and I am looking forward to seeing how this illustration will appear in my children's or my grandchildren's time."
