AsiansOfMixedRace.com Interview: Sno E. Blac

AMR.com: Is it true or is it a rumor you were upset with me because I have Italian to go along with my Korean and Irish mixture?

SEB: LOL. Well, my publicist only said it because he thought it would stir up some controversy and then I would become super famous..haha j/k When will the press stop with these rumors?!!

AMR.com: Alondra Smiles is receiving great reviews and has won numerous awards. How much fun did you have making the movie and how does it make you feel that it has done so well?

SEB: It was my first "real" experience on a feature film and I was in shock with the whole process. I must have really had fun because filming it went by so fast! I feel wonderful that it is doing so well. It's not too big of a surprise to me that Alondra Smiles is doing so well just because when I read the entire script for the first time I fell in love with the story and knew it was going to be amazing. Sure enough, it was! We had the best cast and crew to work with. Shoutouts to the Villa family for making it all happen!

AMR.com: One could say your career started when you won Miss Georgia Teen. Can you talk about your emotions after being announced winner and what did your mother say to you before the competition that stays with you to this day?

SEB: Well, it was my third attempt at competing for a beauty pageant title and I really wanted to win. When it happened I again was in so much shock. When the announcer called my name as the winner it just sounded like some mumbling and I wasn't sure whether to step forward or not! I competed amongst 90 girls that year. My Mom told me the night before the finals that if I won this competition, it would change my life. She was right. I think she knew it was mine. ;o)

AMR.com: Was it always your aspiration to model or was it a stepping stone to bigger things?

SEB: I think it was more of a stepping stone because a good friend of mine got me into the whole modeling thing when I was 12 years old but I always knew even as a kid that I wanted to be on t.v.

AMR.com: Your resume shows your versatility but if you could only do one thing, which is it and why?

SEB: Acting! I love being in front of the camera and being on set.

AMR.com: Of all of your accomplishments, which are you most proud of?

SEB: This is a tough one because three of them come to mind but I suppose winning the title of Miss Georgia Jr. Teen at the age of 14 years old means the most to me because it was the first time I desired something with all of my heart and didn't give up until I attained it. It showed me that if I could do this one time, I could keep having more successes and things my heart desires with patience, perseverance, and hard work.

AMR.com: You’re recording an album. When is it due for release and are there any other upcoming projects you’d can talk about?

SEB: This is my first and I can't wait to share it with everyone but unfortunately I can not disclose any details at the moment. It's a surprise. I am currently working on a Miramax film called "Magic Max" which I play the girlfriend and also you can check me out in OYE magazine (August '08 issue).

AMR.com: Do you consider being Hapa an asset to your career?

SEB: Absolutely! It is such an advantage these days to be ethnically diverse. I can play almost any ethnicity...well almost...lol.

AMR.com: Why did you choose the name Sno E. Blac?

SEB: Well, I didn't actually choose it. My father knew that I wanted something unique and after mentioning this to him a year later he calls me up and tells me this is the name! It sort of just came to him out of the blue. Almost from God which is why it's so special to me. I do say it's my real name just because my father gave it to me.

AMR.com: You were a military brat. Of all the places you lived, which did you like the most?

SEB: Seoul, Korea was cool because I got to spend time with my Mother's side of the family. I also liked living in Niceville, Florida. The beaches are great!

AMR.com: How much of the travel contribute to your growth as a person?

SEB: A LOT! I never lived in one place more than 5 years. Which meant I was always the new girl at school and had to make new friends every time I moved. I also learned to overcome adversity. Growing up as a mixed kid in the south was pretty difficult. Racism still exists sadly.

AMR.com: Did you grow up with other kids who were Mixed Asians?

SEB: In Florida I would go to an American church w/ my family on Sunday morning and then in the evening my Mom and I would go to a Korean church and also once during the week. I had a few mixed Korean friends which was pretty cool. In fact I felt the closest to them.

AMR.com: Any words of advice for those who want to do what you are doing?

SEB: Believe in your dreams and yourself. Never ever give up. Had I given up on becoming a beauty queen I would have never won!

AMR.com: Do you have a mantra or words you live by?

SEB: If you believe it, you can achieve it!

AMR.com: What is the best thing about you do?

SEB: It's different every day, every hour, heck, even every minute. It's a roller coaster ride. You never know what will happen next.

AMR.com: What is the worst thing about you do?

SEB: Creepy guys that want to take advantage of you.

AMR.com: Who is Sno E. Blac?

Sno E. Blac is driven, personable, bubbly, a child of God, a loving daughter, sister, and friend. Sno E. Blac does not worry about what people think of her. Has a heart of gold and always hopes for the best.

AMR.com: How do you spend your downtime?

SEB: Check my MySpace. :o) www.myspace.com/snoeblac.

AMR.com: Football season is starting up and I know you’re a fan. Who is your favorite team?

SEB: I always dreamt of becoming a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader but I love Cali so either the Chargers or the 49ers!

AMR.com: You have an affinity for cheesecake and my fiancée makes the best ginger cheesecake. Do you want the recipe?

SEB: OMGOSH YES! Ginger cheesecake? I never tried that before and trust me, I've tried every kind of cheesecake.

AMR.com: And finally, do you have anything you want to say to your fans?

SEB: Thank You for all of your support and love. I can't tell you guys how much it means to me. I love reading your messages about how I've touched your lives in some positive way. If you'd like to keep up to date on all of my current projects and events please check out my official website www.snoeblac.com or www.myspace.com/snoeblac AND don't forget to always believe in yourself and your dreams!

AsiansOfMixedRace.com Interview: MAW Productions' Martheus Wade



AMR.com: I went back in time and pulled out “Ties That Bind.” In addition to the fact that is one bad ass chick on that cover, how does it make you feel to see the growth of Jetta as well as Jetta’s following?

MW: Dude! You did go far back. I still look at that book and shake my head. That was our first published work and it hurts my eyes. It feels weird for me to look back at that and see where we are now. In some ways, I feel the same as I did back then. I’m still working hard on a project that I love. Most of the time when I work, I’m in a bubble. Once the book is completed, I go into promotion mode with conventions and podcasts and traveling. Once that’s over, I go back into creative mode. I don’t really get the chance to stop and take a look at what we have accomplished. When I do, it’s pretty exciting. I’m very thankful to everyone who has supported us and Jetta over the years.

AMR.com: Who makes up the MAW Productions Crew?

MW: There is me, and my wife Janet Wade. I am the creative director and writer/illustrator for Jetta. Janet is the inker as well co-writer on some of the projects. Kevin Williams is the editor as well as sales representative for our studio side of MAW. He also publishes Muley the Mule and Friends, a family friendly comic book geared to all ages. We also have a new guy, Josh Wells, who will be taking over the website.

AMR.com: Who came up with the character of Jetta?

MW: Jetta was my creation from when I was in the 7th grade. I was playing Ninja Gaiden and I thought it would be a cool character to have a female ninja. I was always a fan of Wonder Woman and I loved the movie Ninja 3 the Domination which had a female ninja lead. I came up with Jetta shortly after.

AMR.com: When coming up with a storyline, is it laid back or is it a war room atmosphere?

MW: It’s pretty laid back. I pitch my story idea to the group and they either love it or make fun of it. Lol. All of the story elements have been written down from beginning to end. I know how the Jetta saga begins and ends. Janet and Kevin help me to gel that all together given the current continuity of the story. All in all, we remember that we are friends first and foremost. Everything else falls into place.

AMR.com: How much work goes into the production of an issue?

MW: There is a lot of work that goes into one issue of Jetta. It takes us one year to produce a book. That includes, first written draft, edits, re-writes, edits, penciling, inking, colors, digital lettering of every page, re-reading, edits, re-reading again, and more edits. It’s A LONG process.

AMR.com: Every issue seems to top the last one. Do you find any extra pressure to outdo the previous issue?

MW: Not really. I have the plot points for the entire Jetta series done. The way we have structured the story is that every book builds on the next. It’s like a slow cooker that builds until the pot explodes. As long as we follow what we have laid out, the ride will be a fun one for us, and the readers.

AMR.com: Comic book aficionados know who Shi is. How was it to work with William Tucci and whose idea was it for A War Of The Independents Story, Arrow Of Destiny?

MW: Billy is one of the nicest guys you will meet in the industry. It was a blast working with him on this story and I hope we get the chance to do it again. He was the one that put the bug into my ear to self publish Jetta back at Dragon Con of the early 90s. So, to see Jetta with Shi is like things coming full circle for me.

The idea for the War of the Independents event is from my good friend Dave Ryan. He and Billy are really good friends. Dave called me up and asked did I want to do a tie-in crossover with Billy and I said, “Hell Yeah!”

AMR.com: What is Arrow Of Destiny about and what are your expectations?

MW: It was Japan in 1582. Oda Nobunaga was a cruel and bloodthirsty warlord. In his efforts to unify Japan, he slaughtered thousands of innocent men, women, and children, even killing the Sohei warrior monks of the Hiei Monastery and killing the head of the Toshigawa clan. The evil Oda Nobunaga was killed by a poisoned arrow at Honno-Ji Temple, shot by Tokoshi Toshigawa. This sacred arrow has been protected through the ages as it holds the key to unlock great evil. Fast forward to present day Japan. After years of undisturbed peace, an unknown evil threatens Honno-Ji again. Tenkai, a mysterious monk, must call on the help of a descendant of the Sohei (Shi) & the descendant of the Toshigawa (Jetta) to honor an age-old promise to protect the Arrow of Nobunaga.

As for expectations, I really don’t have any. I want the book to do what it is going to do and we hope that everyone who reads the book is going to like it. Fans of Shi will really learn more about Jetta and fans of Jetta will hop onto Shi as well. Now we just have to get the word out more! There is always more work to do.

AMR.com: The ending of Arrow Of Destiny leaves this question, will there be another Shi/Jetta issue?

MW: You will get the chance to see them together again in the War of the Independents books. There are no plans for a stand alone book for Jetta or Shi as of yet. Keep your fingers crossed. Billy and I will be talking soon.

AMR.com: Revelations was my personal favorite for obvious reasons with Arrow Of Destiny and Crucible a very close second. Which one is your favorite and why?

MW: Yeah. We know why Revelations is your favorite. Lol. [Ed.'s note: Martheus created a character in my likeness who proceeded to receive his whipping from Jetta. She hit me when I wasn't looking!] My favorite is a close race between Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa: Rain and Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa: Revelations. The two books together are so powerful and emotionally charged that you can’t mention one without the other. Those two books for us is the heart of what the story is. How do you pick up the pieces when you lose those things that mean the most to you? What makes a person good or evil? How can you truly have a life for yourself when destiny calls? These are questions that Jetta is struggling to answer and we invite the reader to answer those questions with her.

AMR.com: Can you talk about your spin off Turra: Gun Angel?

MW: If you have been following Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa or have frequented our website www.toshigawa.com, then you have noticed a hot white haired ninja that carries 2 guns instead of swords. Her name is Turra and she is stepping out of the shadows of Jetta and into the spotlight of her own book.



In TURRA: GUN ANGEL she travels back to her home of Japan in order to regroup the Toshigawa ninja clan which has been crushed by the evil emperor Terminus and his army of the Knave. However, she finds herself marked for death and hunted by the evil army at every turn. Along the way, new friends are made and old flames rekindle. The story takes place between Jetta: Rain and Jetta: Revelations and it is a fun adventure filled ride.

TURRA: GUN ANGEL is written by Janet and myself and illustrated by award winning, fan favorite artist, Andrew Chandler. Check him out here at andrewchandler.net. You can order it from our website at Toshigawa.com.

AMR.com: What are your feelings on Hollywood turning comic books into movies?

MW: I think it’s great. Especially when you take a look at things like the Watchmen trailer where comic book movies are starting to look like a comic book movie but take itself seriously.

AMR.com: What would you like better? Seeing Jetta turned into a movie, an anime series or a video game?

MW: I think I will take all of the above. Lol. We have been tapped by a few movie studios and special effects houses, however, nothing concrete has come out of it yet. We are still moving forward and I am going to be working hard to make those dreams a reality. So, if there are any movie, toy, anime or video game producers out there that are reading this and wondering, “what would make the next blockbuster,” feel free to contact me.

AMR.com: MAW Productions has been a fixture at the last few ComicCons. For those who don’t know what it’s about, can you give a little rundown on what goes on there?

MW: Take your craziest comic book fandom, mix it with movie fans, and amp that up to about 12 and you get comic con. Fast paced and in your face, comic con is where the hardcore comic book fans and the creators meet in an epic clash of pop-culture goodness. MAW Productions is always on hand to sell copies of Jetta as well as do signings and appearances around the con. If you have not gone before, you need to go at least once in your life. You owe it to yourself.

AMR.com: What’s next for MAW Productions?

MW: We have been writing the next book in the Jetta saga. This marks the beginning of the end for the series as we are making our way to the end of the saga. I am sad about that but I have always said that Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa does have an ending. We are getting to that end.

I have been branching out and doing work for IDW so I hope that will continue for a good while. We are also planning an art book filled with never before seen illustrations as well as some well-known illustrations from the crew. I have also been working with Sean Taylor, writer for IDW’s Dominatrix, on a co-created project that will hopefully see the light of day.

Part 2 of Turra: Gun Angel will be out by the end of this year as well. We have a lot of things happening all the time. So keep your eyes peeled for us.

AMR.com: Do you have any words for Jetta fans?

MW: Keep your eyes out for us. Don't forget, you can still order Jetta or any of our other books from us at Toshigawa.com as well as tell your comic book stores to order through Haven Distributors. Thanks for the support from the fans. Without you, we would not be here.