Katsuhiro Otomo was honored with the Winsor McCay Award for career achievement at the Annie Awards that took place this saturday in Los Angeles. Here some quotes by Katsuhiro Otomo as published on Los Angeles Times by Charles Solomon
On his work:
"The truth is, I don't read or watch my own creations, when I'm creating something, I'm 100% immersed in that universe, so when I'm finished, I'm ready to journey to a different world. Once a work is completed, it belongs to the readers and viewers."
On the award:
"I'm honored to receive such a fabulous award but I don't think about awards when I'm working."
On his beginning years:
"When I was in high school, I had a vague idea of wanting to become a manga artist or a movie director, having grown up in the countryside, I had no idea how to enter such an occupation. But I knew that to begin, I had to move to Tokyo."
On his approach to movie making:
"I don't try to make my viewers or readers like something, I think my works that receive praise show exactly that. They're pieces I thought were intriguing — I was fully alive in those worlds. I don't know exactly what the Japanese audience — or another country's audience — is feeling, but I don't believe that everyone who goes to movies goes to see a happy ending every time. If everyone was happy, movies and entertainment would be unnecessary."
On his involvement in the adaptation of AKIRA to a live action film:
"I illustrated the manga then directed the animated film: I will not be involved a third time."
On making live action pictures:
"I would love to make live-action films, but have not had many opportunities. I'd have to start by finding trustworthy staff, which is very difficult. But I will do it. I'm thinking of making a live-action film next."
