Shima Shinya on Writing in The High Republic and the Importance of Stories of All Kinds
Shima Shinya worked on The High Republic manga stories with fellow storytellers Justina Ireland and Daniel Jose Older.
Last year when I was wrapping up my coverage of The High Republic upon the release of Trials of the Jedi, I boldly praised the 10 writers that worked so incredibly hard to bring every element of the Star Wars era together. The praise was absolutely warranted! But unintentionally, I left someone out of that list — because there are actually eleven of these incredible humans. And the moment I realized my error, I knew I had to reach out to Shima Shinya ASAP.
Shima co-wrote and designed characters for the various Edge of Balance manga volumes published throughout The High Republic. These were some of my favorite stories from the era! So naturally, I had a few questions for Shima about art, stories, and a galaxy far, far away.
Please enjoy my interview with Shima — and when you’re talking about Star Wars and The High Republic, don’t forget to include their amazing contributions to these stories as well!
Meg Dowell: What first made you realize you wanted to be an artist?
Shima Shinya: Since I was a little kid I knew that I’m not made for a full time office job. I was always late at school for no reason, rebellious to some teachers for some reasons, that I concluded that becoming a freelancer is the only way. But I wasn’t sure what kind of artist I wanted to be. So I studied art in university, hoping to use my skills one day. Then luckily I met my editors thanks to my Rogue One fanart. I never had expected to be a manga artist, but I definitely feel lucky.
Do you remember a story from your childhood that made you fall in love with stories?
I grew up watching movies with my parents, and Star Wars was one of the first movies I ever watched. I was probably 3 or 4, seeing Leia being a badass princess... It definitely affected my personality. I also remember reading my mother’s manga collections, especially Moto Hagio’s works. Her storytelling is beyond marvelous. Even as a child I could see the power of stories.
What was it like to work with Justina Ireland and Daniel Jose Older on the Edge of Balance manga series?
It was super fun! Justina guided me through the first volume, helping me build up the characters and the world, she also made sure to give me freedom to create. Then with Daniel, Viz editors and I asked him to give us a plot, so that I can develop stories and details from there. It was because the Edge of Balance must align with all the stories that were already published or being developed at the same time, but we didn’t have the whole picture.
Daniel - as well as Justina - was part of the main story development, so without their guidance and ideas I could not do it. I usually work alone so I really enjoyed the process, bouncing back ideas to make it better. For example, I came up with the local sentient creature, Banchiians, then Daniel gave one of them a name and a story. And Daniel gave me the idea of this Force-sensitive creature, Zimtok, then he let me design her. Also it was absolutely fun to work with another artist, Mizuki Sakakibara — seeing her art realizing what I wrote was pure joy.
The stories told in Edge of Balance are all about overcoming fear and finding strength within yourself to overcome obstacles. Why are these themes important to you as an artist and storyteller?
We don’t have the Force or a lightsaber, but we all have fear and obstacles in our lives. I think characters like Lily can resonate with you because she has flaws and problems to overcome, just like ourselves. I think one story may not be able to change a person or the world instantly, however I always hope that stories I create can help readers to understand themselves and the world around them better, or to look at things from a different angle, even for a little bit.
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