I draw my inspiration from places. When you come to New York, there are some things you can only think of when you're in New York City; for example, the New York Salad project.

I was working here in New York during the day, and at night was making food, chopping vegetables. I was looking at the garlic, then I sketched it. Then the garlic turned into a fairy... (everyone laughs). So here in NYC they have lots of tiny fruits and vegetables they don't have in Japan.

So this was about three years ago that I did these sketches and put them together as a book in Japan. And then based on this book, NHK in Japan did a 3D animated series.

So that's an example of another idea that I only got from being here in New York. Tako man is another! (makes climbing motion)

Q: Can you explain a bit about your upcoming project, Shinjuku? Like what's the format -- will it be a comics story or an illustrated novel, or...? And what's the story about?

Yoshitaka Amano: For Shinjuku, we haven't decided whether it will be illustrated or a comics story. We're talking about it now. This is an original American project that in development with Dark Horse.

So the story takes place in the near future. It's set in Los Angeles and Shinjuku, and it involves the yakuza and other unsavory characters and subterranean monsters. (lots of appreciative ooh's from the audience)

So this will be pretty crazy, but collaborations are like this. Like the Sandman collaboration, you don't go in with a 100-percent idea of what you'll be doing.

It keeps growing and evolving as you work on it.

Right now, these last couple days we've been talking about what kind of angle we are going to take. My co-creator was supposed to be here, but we're right in the middle of the project.

Q: Are there any plans to have another exhibit in NYC like your 1999 exhibit, Hero?

Yoshitaka Amano: Yes please. I would definitely like to do that.

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MORE ABOUT THE DARK, INTRIGUING WORLD OF SHINJUKU

I was curious to know more about Shinjuku, so I sent a few questions to Michael Gombos, Dark Horse Comics' Director of Asian Licensing to get a few more details. Here's what he had to say about Shinjuku, which is due out in Summer 2009 from Dark Horse.

Q: Could you tell me a bit more about Shinjuku? Will it be a sequential comics story, or an illustrated novel, or something in between the two?

Michael Gombos: There is quite a bit of info on Shinjuku available, and some of the images can be found at the Amano Zone on the Dark Horse website.

I crept into the tail end of the Amano panel, and transator Kevin Leahy told me, "I wish you would have just come up and told us about it, but I didn't know you were there," and I didn't want to steal Amano's thunder, as it were.

It's basically what we're calling an illustrated novel — every page of text will face an illustration. At least we think there will be enough illos to do that, but that is what it is in theory. So, we have decided it, but Amano-sensei is giving us freedom on this project (yet another reason he's one of the best people to work with) and he is focusing on the art.

Q: So what format will this book be presented in? Will it be a single volume or the first of several?

Michael Gombos: Right now, we're planning one large volume, that will be perhaps issued as hardcover, as well. It will be black and white with red spot color on certain illos.

Q: So how does this collaboration between mink and Amano-sensei work out? Is Amano working from a completed novel that mink has written, or is it more of a back and forth between the two creators?

Michael Gombos: It is a novel mink has written, but Amano liked it so much that he wanted to do illustrations for it, and be associated with it. I know mink and Amano talk often about it, and I believe that some of what mink is doing is inspired, in turn, by Mr. Amano and his ideas.

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• Visit the Amano Zone at Dark Horse Comics for more info about Yoshitaka Amano's art books and illustrated novels.
• Check out Amano's World, Yoshitaka Amano's official website
• Visit the official Vampire Hunter D website
• See an animated clip from Yasai no Yousei: NY Salad