RCMG - RAGING CHEETAH MEDIA GROUP

THE COLLECTOR'S SERIES: LANE TERASAKI
RAGING CHEETAH CHATS WITH LONGTIME COMIC ART COLLECTOR AND CONVENTION VETERAN LANE TERASAKI

March.28.2008
By Alan Y. Shih
Senior Editor
Staff Writer

Raging Cheetah continues our series of exclusive interview content: THE COLLECTOR'S SERIES! We sit down with the fans - veteran collectors of comics, original artwork, commissions and convention sketches, to hear their stories and share their experiences from shows like Wizard World, Anime Expo and Comic-Con. So if you're a fan of comic book shows worldwide, read on!

RC: Where are you based, and what comic book or anime shows do you regularly attend? Favorite annual convention?
Lane: I am based in San Jose, California. I regularly attend four comic book shows (WonderCon, Wizard World L.A., Super-Con, San Diego Comic-Con) per year. I also attend APE, FanimeCon, and Anime Expo but from the opposite side of the table.

RC: Favorite annual convention?
Lane: Currently my favorite convention is Wizard World L.A. I really enjoy how laid back the show is and getting to hang out and mingle with the creators there. Standing lines are pretty well organized and the smaller hall arrangement is much easier on the feet. I'm getting tired of having to punch and kick my way through a crowd of Klingons and Jawas to get from table to table in San Diego.

RC: Which artist - past or present, domestic or abroad - would you most like to get something from right now?
Lane: If I had to choose one, I'd absolutely love to get something from Ryuichi Ikegami (of Crying Freeman fame). He is the artist on my favorite comic/manga, Sanctuary. It's not the most action packed or flashy book he's ever drawn but he has a way of giving all his characters those subtle gestures and reactions that make them feel that much more real and powerful. I don't think anybody else could have done justice to the amazing story than he did.

RC: Give me your single favorite sketch-related memory.
Lane: Besides being amazed at witnessing masters like Jim Lee or Travis Charest at work, I'd have to say a very memorable sketch was provided by Erik Larsen. With a standard sketchbook in hand I asked Mr. Larsen for a Savage Dragon sketch. He proceeded to flip through my sketchbook and check out other pieces I had gotten. When he got to the last piece he noted how the artist had used so much Sharpie that it bled through the paper to the next page. We talked about how this was pretty common but he didn't want to waste the page. He gave it some thought and proceeded to draw a Savage Dragon with morning beard using the bleed through dots for the stubble.

Another good time was had at the second floor bar just following Super-Con '06 in Oakland, California. Adam Hughes, Allison Sohn, Phil Noto, and Aaron Lopresti were on hand with a few con-goers for an entertaining round of Star Wars quotes spoken by a cat.

RC: Very nice! Yer gonna have to get us a scan of that Larsen piece one of these days.... Okay, best website to check out new sketches and commissions?
Lane: At present I have to say that comicartfans.com is the best place to see new sketches and commissions. It's a great place to see pieces done at shows you couldn't attend and a way to put names/faces to sketches you might have seen being done in person. It is also a great way to meet new friends and fellow collectors. I've met many comicartfans members throughout the years at various conventions and many are very gracious and friendly people (like yourself) that truly appreciate the medium and its creators.

RC: Hey thanks, Lane. Likewise, it really was a pleasure meeting you! Speaking of commissions, what's the most you've ever paid for a single commission piece, and did that work of art turn out to be the most cherished in your collection?

Lane: I think the most I've ever paid for a single commission piece thus far was $400 for the Mai by Brandon Peterson but I could be wrong. I can't say that it's the most cherished as I cherish just about everything in my collection equally. I really enjoy art so I see and take something new from each piece. For example, this piece really has an intricate and detailed background that just amazes me. I swear I find a new shape/message every time I look.

RC: Hmm, we're gonna have to see a scan of that someday, perhaps in your CAF gallery? Tell me a little bit about your life outside of this hobby. Where would I be most likely to bump into you outside of the seasonal comic conventions?
Lane: I am a tangled mess of chaos and confusion.

RC: Go on...
Lane: By trade I am a game programmer working at GlobalVR. I have been working in the games industry for the past eight years. The last title I helped ship was NASCAR Racing for the arcade.

I am also a member of BAAU (Bay Area Artists Unite) which is a forum based art community. Once a year we put together and sell an anthology book crafted by the various club members. I believe I was published in four of the six books thus far. Ever since college I've been active in promoting comic art while working ever so slowly at getting better at it myself, hence the fondness and appreciation of collecting professional comic art.

Where would you bump into me? Sadly you are more likely to bump into my virtual self playing World of Warcraft or some other video game. Outside of the above commitments and my many machinations for taking over the world I have very little time to do much other than obey my two very demanding cats.

RC: Ahem, not so sad. Actually, I was on my way to get a copy of World of Warcraft myself.... Okay, last question. Best piece of advice for someone new to the scene looking to get a hold of a Jim Lee sketch?
Lane: Besides paying exorbitant amounts on eBay? I would suggest patience. In fact I think it took me nearly five years of trying before I got my first Jim Lee sketch. Jim is an extremely nice and giving man who can't always give out free sketches to every person who asks. Be sure to be one of the first five in line and you'll have a very good chance at one. If he isn't doing sketches be thankful for his time and wish him well. And be sure to say hi to Eddy Choi while you're there!

RC: Sure will! Thank you!

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