Most people probably aren't into reading ancient Chinese military treatises for fun. If you've read Sun Tzu's The Art of War, it was probably in high school, or perhaps it was given to you by an overzealous boss trying to get you motivated to make a big sale. But what if ancient China was thrown 30 years into the future, where Wall Street is militarized and China is the dominant economy? In their graphic adaptation of the ancient Chinese text, author Kelly Roman and illustrator Michael DeWeese want to bring the text to life. Even if it means losing blood over it.
The graphic novel won't be released until 2012, but on May 19th Roman and DeWeese will be holding an event in Chinatown's Columbus Park in which they will have their blood extracted and used as ink to stamp three-chapter samples of the book. And if that sounds intense, that's kind of what they're going for.
So of course, the blood thing. What gave you that idea? Kelly: The book takes place in the future when Wall Street is militarized and China is the dominant economy. It’s a violent, bloody world. I also wanted the event to symbolize the five years of blood, sweat and tears Mike and I poured into the project. A sexy female doctor in a lab coat, maybe knee high boots, taking my blood in front of a live audience, then using it for ink, it’s a dream come true.
Mike: This blood stamping thing is Kelly's brainchild. He doesn't know it yet but I'm going to be pushing for a sexy shirtless male doctor to draw my blood.
Kelly: That doesn’t surprise me. I think that’s a great idea.
Are you worried about, umm, running out of blood? What'll you do if you start to get dizzy?
Mike: I'm not really scared of getting the needle or losing blood. Actually the only thing I'm afraid of is someone getting handed their blood stamped copy of the book and going "Ew gross."
Kelly: If there’s a hugely positive response, we’re open to taking Blood, Sweat and Tears on the road. HarperCollins is publishing the book in North America, and it’s also been sold to publishers in Spain and Brazil so far. A publishing house in the UK will probably buy it next, maybe South Korea, the rest of Europe. We could shed our blood all over the world, in which case running out might become an issue.
What first gave you guys the idea to adapt The Art of War? Why this book over any others? Kelly: I wrote the first draft in 2006 and then rewrote it in 2007 when China’s sovereign wealth fund started investing in Blackstone, an American private equity firm. It was the first time the Chinese government had invested in a Wall Street firm. China has over $400 billion set aside for investment in Wall Street and other enterprises around the world, and twenty years from now that amount could be in the trillions. I wanted to paint a picture of what the world might look like if China began defending its investments with military force. The Art of War was written 2,500 years ago in China, and it’s arguably the chief strategy used in China’s current rise to power. The text has never been more relevant, and it will continue to be as China grows. Their influence over financial markets, global freedom of speech and our culture in general is only increasing.
Mike: When we first started collaborating on this five years ago, I wasn't really aware that China was growing in power to such an extent. Early on in the book there is a scene depicting Times Square in which it has been drastically altered to incorporate Chinese architecture and advertising. When I first drew it I remember thinking that if this were to ever happen, and most likely it wouldn't, it would be a very long ways off. However, once I watched the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it was such an announcement to the world of where they were and where they were going, suddenly the metaphor of Times Square having Chinese influence seemed immediately plausible.
This is your first venture into publishing comics. Why start with such an ambitious project?Kelly: It’s the kind of book I wanted to read, a combination of sex and violence and philosophy and cultural analysis. I have a gut feeling that America is craving a metaphorical depiction of China’s rise—it’s in the back of everyone’s mind. No one has ever married The Art of War with an epic narrative before. There are a few illustrated versions out there, all of which are awful, none with strong characters or a storyline that really brings the text to life. I wanted to see Sun Tzu as a living, breathing, flawed genius. He oversees China’s investments around the world and is rendered through the eyes of his protégé, an American with a tortured past and a death wish of sorts—the protagonist named Kelly Roman who is drawn to look like me. Writing the story through this alter ego made the book fun to write, especially during the sex scenes.
Mike: In truth I didn't feel like this was an overly ambitious project. I was fresh out of college and ready to try my hand at anything when Kelly first approached me with the idea.
What do you hope your adaptation will accomplish, not just for you but for people who aren't familiar with The Art of War? Kelly: I want to start a conversation about what it means that China is becoming enormously powerful. The Chinese flag is red to symbolize the blood spilled in the Communist revolution. A lot of American blood has been spilled defending freedom, especially the freedom of speech. Fighting for freedom of speech in China is fighting for freedom of speech everywhere, because media companies today are global enterprises and they are listening to what China has to say about the content they create and distribute. Avatar grossed $193 million dollars in China, which means the Chinese market is critical for media companies that own not just Hollywood studios but broadcast news and book publishing and much of the content on the web. So when we see China make someone like Ai Weiwei disappear because he critiques the Chinese government, we need to gives these dissidents our support by following then on Twitter and we need to keep a close eye on how global media companies are covering their demise - or not covering it. China’s influence is even more powerful in the financial world, where the book spends most of its time. People need to think about this stuff, but I want people to be moved emotionally by the story first and foremost, and then realize they are gaining a deep, intimate understanding of The Art of War along the way.
Mike: Years ago when I first mentioned to my sister that I was working on a graphic novel based on Sun Tzu’s The Art of War she said that her husband was reading it and she picked it up and started reading it herself and thought it "stupid.” She is not a military strategist, combat specialist, war aficionado, nor interested in stuff like that so I don't think she really understood it's purpose. So I hope mixing the text with a narrative might be able to put some of it into perspective. And on a side note for me, I hope this book lands me at DC illustrating some issues of Batman. Just putting that out into the universe.
Kelly: The DC universe. I’d love to write a Batman story, so count me in too. Maybe Batman in Beijing, fighting to free a Chinese dissident who knows a terrible secret.
What are your next plans? Kelly: We just launched a Facebook page and a Twitter page for the book’s protagonist. I use these pages to interact with fans as the character Kelly Roman, not the author. It’s like an extension of the book happening in real time. I also just launched a YouTube channel where we are posting videos that show what college students and other average Americans think about China becoming the most powerful nation on Earth. We'll have over 100 videos by the end of the summer. There’s a lot more I’m going to rollout over the next year. At some point I’m going to release an interview manual from Sun Tzu’s company that his HR department follows when they torture applicants. By the time the entire book is released in 2012, I hope a lot of people will be immersed in the book's world already. You can read the first three chapters right now on the book's website.
Mike: I'm working on little projects for myself here and there. I like to keep things close to my chest, not out of superstition, but just in case I get lazy and don't follow through with any of it. That way I only have myself to answer to.
Kelly: Very Sun Tzu of you!
You guys have both been New Yorkers for some time. What are some of your favorite things to do in the city? Kelly: I’m a second-generation New Yorker. My father grew up in Williamsburg before it was a cool place to live. He was a private detective in NYC for 30 years. My mom grew up on Park Avenue and became a nun. I love chilling in Brooklyn where I live, but a lot of my favorite special things to do are in Manhattan. Going to the old school Russian baths at Spa 88 on Fulton Street. Listening to Stacy Dillard play at Smalls jazz club in the West Village. Browsing comics at Forbidden Planet in Union Square. I got engaged to my fiancé at EN Japanese brasserie. And my other favorite place to eat has to be Shopsin’s in Essex Street Market. I love listening to Kenny and Zack Shopsin talk shit while I eat their raspberry mac & cheese pancakes.
Mike: I moved here from Virginia Beach about five years ago. My favorite thing about New York City is all the good food, so naturally my favorite thing to do in the city is eat. I start from one location in the city and walk to all my favorite bakeries gorging on cupcakes and doughnuts till I start feeling queasy. I cover a lot of ground on these outings, both in terms of travel and in quantities of food. I have friends accompany me on these ventures if they are feeling brave enough.
What would you say is your best "only in New York" moment? Mike: I was hanging out with a friend of mine and we got on the subway and as soon as the doors close we realize that it smells god fucking awful. I turn around and I'm sitting next to a homeless guy who’s holding his feet in his hands. I don’t mean to be mean, but it smelled horrific. If the dice were rolled different it could be any one of us. For weeks I'm telling people about how awful the smell was, particularly my roommate Mary because she can't stand foul smells. And I keep on saying to her "If you could only experience how awful it was" and then, low and behold, a year later Mary and I are getting on the subway and as soon as the door closes I see the very same man sitting there holding his feet and it is every bit as foul. Teary eyed we get off the subway and Mary goes to me "Was that the same guy?" and I go "Yeah." I pause for a moment and then say, "You know... he kind of looked like my dad." Mary said, "I was thinking the same thing." And that is the end of my stupid but true story. So yeah, I met my bizzaro dad twice on the subway and both times he made me teary eyed.
Kelly: A friend of mine is a Bleacher Creature and he took me to a Yankee game a couple of years ago. The Creatures all have season tickets in their own dedicated section of the outfield bleachers, and they essentially raise hell the entire game. They all wear Yankees jerseys and scream and cheer and sing songs and get ripped—baseball’s biggest fanboys. For a few hours I was one of them. It was totally amazing. I hope to get another chance to go this summer.
