Night Fisher

In what we predict will be the most impressive comics debut of 2005, Kikuo Johnson has created an intimate and compelling graphic novel-length drama of young men on the cusp of adulthood.

First-rate prep school, S.U.V., and a dream house in the heights: This was the island paradise handed to Loren Foster when he moved to Hawaii with his father six years ago. Now, with the end of high school just around the corner, his best friend, Shane, has grown distant. The rumors say it's hard drugs, and Loren suspects that Shane has left him behind for a new group of friends.

At home, an unprecedented "B" on Loren's typically straight "A" report card has his father concerned. Dad's interrogation, however, is stemmed by an unexpected telephone invitation that Loren can't resist.

Loren accompanies Shane to a weathered house in the harbor shadows. With the friends he meets there, he endures a night of drug deals, petty theft, crystal meth, porn, and a stray punch in the face.

The pressures of high school seem suddenly inconsequential in the morning. No longer seeking approval from anyone, Loren's strong work ethic becomes self-imposed, further veiling his escalating drug use.

Loren is strung along late one night as the boys break into a construction site and drag some valuable equipment into the trunk of his S.U.V. A police chase ends with Loren in handcuffs as his baffled father struggles to understand what the hell is going on.

At school, Shane's acceptance to MIT makes the front page of the campus paper. When Loren offers his congratulations, Shane coldly suggests that they should keep their distance from each other until a court date is decided. Loren is once again left behind.

What sets Kikuo's drama apart is the naturalistic ease with which he explores the relationships of his characters. It is at once an unsentimental portrait of that most awkward period between adolescence and young adulthood and that rarest of things — a mature depiction of immature lives. Visually, Johnson captures the languid tropical climate and strip mall tackiness of Hawaii in a rich chiaroscuro style reminiscent of Milton Caniff combined with the sensual ink work of Paul Pope or Jessica Abel.

"Johnson's debut is not only remarkably assured but astonishingly fresh, one that refuses to trade in the usual hoary high-school cliches....A dark, grand, sweeping dream of a book." Kirkus Reviews

"A closely observed story--specific in its details but broadly recognizable from the lives of a million young men--in an expressive, inky style... an excellent naturalistic story of these young men in this closely examined place." Steve Ponzo Multiversity Comics

" is bound to make waves." Bust

"Starred Review. Johnson draws with a confident bravado that is particularly impressive in a young cartoonist, and his narrative skills are equally assured. His depiction of Hawaii, while creating a visceral sense of place, avoids the standard "tropical paradise" cliches. Much of the story unfolds at night, allowing Johnson to show off his skill at using solid black areas to shape powerful compositions. Seldom has an artist's initial graphic novel been this accomplished and rewarding." Booklist

"Johnson is a first-rate cartoonist in so many ways.... He's definitely a cartoonist to watch, and I look forward to reading his next book." Robert Stanley Martin

"The gritty coming-of-age story also delivers strong plot and dialog like a fistful of poi." Pol Culture

"The honest and relatable plot keeps the readers attention without needing to fall back on cliche storytelling techniques, all the while building you to anxiously await the next installment. Hopefully Johnson will do another graphic novel with this set of characters soon." Book Collector

"Drawn with sweeping black brush strokes, [] is done completely in absence of color. This, however, helps to magnify the tone of the story and brings a subtle heaviness to the work. The artwork itself is excellent.... Johnson does a great job conveying character's moods and emotions through angles, posture, and facial expressions. ...[I]f you enjoy these realistic and unapologetic looks at adolescence I recommend giving a read." Sparkplugg.com

"Johnson's storytelling is clear and masterful, and his characters' body language says as much about them as their words. An exciting debut from a talent to watch." A. Alba Hawaii Book Blog

"A compelling yet unsentimental coming of age story. It's a portrait of awkward adolescence on the cusp of adulthood illustrated with the darker, more realistic tones of teenage life. is filled with bold artwork, psychological intricacies, and mature depictions of immature actions. ... R. Kikuo Johnson has proven himself as a masterful storyteller in his first graphic novel." Publishers Weekly

2006 Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award Winner; 2006 Harvey Award Winner, Best New Talent.

by R. Kikuo Johnson
First-rate prep school, SUV, and a dream house in the heights - this was the island paradise handed to Loren Foster when he moved to Hawaii with his father six years ago. Now, with the end of high school just around the corner, his best friend, Shane, has grown distant. The rumors say its hard drugs, and Loren suspects that Shane has left him behind for a new group of friends. What sets Kikuo's drama apart is the naturalistic ease with which he explores the relationships of his characters. It is at once an unsentimental portrait of that most awkward period between adolescence and young adulthood and that rarest of things - a mature depiction of immature lives.

The first book from an amazing new talent.

In what we predict will be the most impressive comics debut of 2005, Kikuo Johnson has created an intimate and compelling graphic novel-length drama of young men on the cusp of adulthood. Loren Foster was handed an island paradise when he moved to Hawaii with his father six years ago. But, with the end of high school just around the corner, his best friend Shane has grown distant. Their friendship is put to the test when they get mixed up in a frivolous crime that leads to an arrest.

What sets Kikuo's drama apart is the naturalistic ease with which he explores the relationships of his characters. Visually, Johnson captures the languid tropical climate and strip mall tackiness of Hawaii in a rich chiaroscuro style reminiscent of Milton Caniff combined with the sensual ink work of Paul Pope or Jessica Abel.

Kikuo Johnson's debut graphic novel is a compassionate, hard-nosed coming of age story, an unsentimental portrait of that most awkward period between adolescence and adulthood, and that rarest of things-- a mature depiction of immature lives. Kirkus Reviews writes, Johnson's debut is not only remarkably assured but astonishingly fresh, one that refuses to trade in the usual hoary high-school cliche s... A dark, grand, sweeping dream of a book.

An intimate, compelling drama of young men on the cusp of adulthood. Johnson explores his characters' relationships with natural ease; his unsentimental portrait of late adolescence is a mature depiction of immature lives.

R. Kikuo Johnson has created an intimate and compelling graphic novel-length drama of young men on the cusp of adulthood. First-rate prep school, S.U.V., and a dream house in the heights: This was the island paradise handed to Loren Foster when he moved to Hawaii with his father six years ago. Now, with the end of high school just around the corner, his best friend, Shane, has grown distant. The rumors say it's hard drugs, and Loren suspects that Shane has left him behind for a new group of friends. What sets Johnson's drama apart is the naturalistic ease with which he explores the relationships of his characters. It is at once an unsentimental portrait of that most awkward period between adolescence and young adulthood and that rarest of things: a mature depiction of immature lives. Visually, Johnson captures the languid tropical climate and strip mall tackiness of Hawaii in a rich chiaroscuro style reminiscent of Milton Caniff combined with the sensual ink work of Paul Pope or Jessica Abel. 2006 Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award Winner; 2006 Harvey Award Winner, Best New Talent.

R. Kikuo Johnson was born in 1981 on the island of Maui, Hawaii. After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design (BFA '03), he moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he currently draws comics and plays the ukulele. He returns to Maui as often as possible.