Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Brad Sun, graphic novel, kickstarter, Monkey Fist, Sun Bros Studios, Wesley Sun

My Worst Job, My Best Job – Monkey Fist Graphic Novel

Wesley Sun writes for Bleeding Cool:

Three books in three years. That's what Brad and I set out to do, and with our latest Kickstarter for Monkey Fist already underway, we're ready to reach that goal. Like all our books, Monkey Fist draws from our collective influences growing up together as brothers in Orlando, FL. And this time around, we're drawing from our teenage years back when the 90s were slipping away, the PlayStation 2 was just about to be released, everyone in art class was copying Akira Toriyama's style from DragonBall Z, and it was time to start figuring out what life was supposed to look like after graduation.

As comic writers we're always looking for inspiration from our experiences, and in Monkey Fist we mix together a tasty blend of Chinese folklore, over-the-top kung fu fights, a few giant monsters, and an existential exploration of the human condition. All that stuff is ridiculously awesome as is, but we've also made the choice to set our entire story against the backdrop of a fast food chain called Fishy Burger. So where did that come from?

Let me be honest. I've never worked in the fast food industry. I've never had to flip burgers or drop a basket in the deep fryer. I've never asked anyone if they want fries with that. Remember, I'm from Orlando. And if you're prepared to start at the bottom of the totem pole, Florida offers a secret avenue to gainful employment not typically open to everyone else. If you're willing to endure the theme music, the uniforms, the screaming children, and the nightmare fuel of watching your favorite cartoon character's head fall off from heat stroke … well, my friend, then you can get your very own job at the happiest place on earth.

Orlando has amusement parks. And we've got lots of them. Disney. Sea World. Universal Studios. It's not a bad first job for a kid fresh out of high school. I should've been grateful to be working at all, but it just didn't seem all that glamorous to me at the time. I'd complain about the sweltering heat, the lousy hours, and of course the drunk tourists yelling and occasionally taking a swing at us. But that really wasn't what made it the worst job I've ever had. Like the hero of Monkey Fist, the real torture of this kind of work came from the crushing sense that there was no way out – no inspiration, no creative spirit, and no signs of life from any of us while we joylessly took tickets and sold Mylar balloons.

Monkey sets out on his quest not because work conditions were horrible or because his boss was ever abusive. His desire to kick down the doors of Fishy Burger Corporate HQ has more to do with chasing after a true, spontaneous, passion for life – something rare, precious, and otherwise unknown in the monotonous grind of working behind the register – and something I can really relate to. When I think back on my amusement park summers, I remember how tragically ironic it was to be in a place where everything around me was inspired by animators, artists, and the most talented, creative minds in the business, but to have utterly no ability to be connected with any of it. Rather than allowing us to be creative ourselves, we were given pre-scripted lines to parrot back and narrow roles to assume. After just a few weeks I could start to feel myself becoming a mindless, listless drone. This became surprisingly apparent one afternoon when my boss asked me to get her a tuna melt and I caught a glimpse of what the future would hold for me if I stuck around too long.

"Hello. Could I please have a tuna melt?"

"No, I'm sorry. I can't make you a tuna melt."

"Oh, I see. Well then could I have a tuna sandwich, with cheese, heated up?"

"No, I can't do that."

"That's too bad. In that case, I'll have a cheeseburger, but I'd like to substitute tuna for the beef patty."

"No can do."

"I see. How about a grilled cheese sandwich, and I'll pay extra to add tuna."

"Sorry, I don't know how to do that."

The conversation was maddening, mainly because I understood how powerless we both were, but also because another guy in a big, rubber costume was on his smoke break right next to us. Looking back, situations like these – the most bizarrely frustrating times of my youth – are, in a funny way, ones I now regard as some of the most important and formative in my life. Even though I couldn't appreciate it at the time, my worst job helped fuel my desire to seek out and do what I truly love. Now I write comics, and I get to share them with fellow geeks and comic book lovers all over the world through Kickstarter. I get to channel all the rage, frustration, and folly of our humdrum, everyday existence into the comics we make and publish ourselves – and let's face it, that's a pretty amazing line of work!

Our next graphic novel, Monkey Fist, brings together elements from our own teenage search for meaning with a postmodern retelling of the Monkey King legends from Chinese literature. It's an ambitious project, but it's almost finished and we're rapidly approaching our funding goal. Just two short months after the campaign, our books will be rolling off the printer and we'll be sharing them with everyone who helped make this dream of ours a reality. I'm not a teenager anymore surrounded by creativity I can't be a part of. I'm a full-grown comics creator on Kickstarter. It's a lot of hard work, but it really is the best damn job I could ever ask for.

So in honor of all of us who didn't get our dream jobs the first time around, Brad and I would like to say thank you. And because talk is cheap (and comics aren't), we're offering a special deal to all the Bleeding Cool readers who back our Kickstarter this weekend. Starting right now and running through Monday (Feb 10), anyone who backs our Kickstarter at $25 or more gets a FREE copy of our last comic, Apocalypse Man. That's right, completely free! All you have to do is click the link below, back our project, and then drop me a note that says, "Holy Mackerel!" When the Kickstarter is over, you'll have Apocalypse Man shipped right to your door with Monkey Fist. This is our way of showing our appreciation for you, the backers who make our work possible. We couldn't do it without you, and we are so grateful for your support!

Kickstarter Page: www.kickstarter.com/projects/364698788/monkey-fist-a-graphic-novel

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Website: www.sunbrosstudios.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theSunBros

Twitter: @theSunBros

E-mail contact: wesley@sunbrosstudios.com

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