Gaijin Dragon Slayer: drawing Japanese lessons

2 Mar 2006 Category: Features, Graphics, Japan, Worldwide

Out of the blue, PingMag discovered Peter Noble’s Gaijin Dragon Slayer, a self-assigned drawing project to memorize Japanese lessons. Well, this is certainly a very personal way to remember Japanese characters, but it looks like it might just work…

written by Uleshka

Studying Peter Noble’s strange drawings, PingMag got curious! We asked the British artist residing in New York WHY he suddenly felt the urge to learn Japanese without ever having visited Japan…. and why there has to be such a massive loss of blood in order to memorize a few Kanji.

Peter, the first time I came across Gaijin Dragon Slayer I immediately became obsessed with your brutal imagery, created to memorize certain phrases or characters… but since you don’t live in Japan and haven’t even been here, are not married to a Japanese or anything…. why bother learning such a tricky language?

That’s hard to answer.

My American wife, an artist - Liz Rosenblum - introduced me to Japanese movies ….and food! Not just the usual Sushi and Sashimi but cooked regional foods offered at Izakayas (which are just becoming more popular in NYC)! So this is basically how I became curious to learn more about Japanese culture.

But what made me attend my first class? I couldn’t get into an animation class - instead I chose Japanese…

Then, in order to learn Japanese better I started to draw out the phrases we used in our lessons. I immediately became obsessed with the combination of making art and Japanese. At first I only used Hiragana and Katakana, but lately I’ve also been using Kanji. The way the Nihon-go (Japanese language) just works with my drawing is what obsesses and drives me on to learn more.

Where does this violent name come from, then?

One night at my local Izakaya I came up with name Gaijin Dragon Slayer, which then became the name for the series of drawings using Japanese lessons as a starting point.

Is that where you draw, too? At an Izakaya, I mean?

Yes, I usually tend to work at our local Izakaya.

What are your drawings for you? Are they really just a method to memorize Japanese?

For me, these drawings are the most direct way to express the dual nature of existence: this is where two cultures collide and a laugh, or gasp of recognition takes place. 

Without the art there would be no obsession with Nihon-go.

What keeps you drawing, then?

I’ve always drawn as part of my daily life. I draw everything and anything. Recently I’ve found a way of combining my fascination with language. One flows into the other. I cannot understand without drawing. Now I cannot imagine learning Japanese without drawing. It’s a perfect circle.

But why all the splatter? 

Do you mean the “gore”? The cutting up of people? Probably due to watching too many Japanese horror films ;-)

I have a dark sense of humor. Some of the set phrases are too polite for me and that brings out the Akuma, the evil in me. Also, I seem to learn better when being a little bad.

I see (giggle)! Can you actually make a living out of your drawings alone?

Unfortunately, no. I have to make money elsewhere. Galleries have placed prints, some digital artwork went to museums like the Brooklyn Museum and the New York Public Library art collection and Fidelity in Boston. Between the small amounts of money I make from sales I have cleaned floors and toilets, peeled potatoes, sold advertising space and designed basic websites.

Ganbatte kudasai! Any plans to visit Japan at one point or do you prefer to treasure your pure imagination of Japan?

I plan to visit Japan late this year or early 2007.

As many Japanese are influenced by the fantasy of the West, I am influenced by the fantasy of Japan. I live off the shores of Japan in a sea of dreams…. even though this is certainly not the real Japan, one that is lived in by millions of Japanese.

Thank you very much for a little insight in your Japanese lessons. Maybe I would learn faster by drawing, too…

You can check out some of Peter Noble’s other work here.

12 Comments

1. Interesting! Drawing and doodling indeed helps a person learn. I know this because I draw in all of my notebook aswell.

   Posted by: bentong on March 2nd, 2006 at 8:30 am

2. looks like bootleg neck face drawings

   Posted by: oh word? on March 2nd, 2006 at 9:39 am

3. cool drawings

   Posted by: Kimi on March 2nd, 2006 at 2:43 pm

4. I’ll study now.

   Posted by: Claytonain on March 2nd, 2006 at 4:08 pm

5. [...] „It made a suspicious noise.” [...]

   Posted by: makowskiundpepe » Blog Archive » „Gaijin Dragon Slayer” on March 3rd, 2006 at 3:58 am

6. great!
   (almost) like Robert Crumb..;-)

   Posted by: makowski on March 3rd, 2006 at 4:13 am

7. [...] Checkout this interesting interview by pingmag of Peter Noble, a British artist living in New York. [...]

   Posted by: Riceplate » Gaijin Dragon: Art & Design on March 13th, 2006 at 3:05 pm

8. what is this sttle called

   Posted by: nicole on August 11th, 2006 at 4:20 am

9. ? what is his site called ?
   well…. http://www.gaijindragonslayer.com/ link at the top of the text

   Posted by: Uleshka on August 11th, 2006 at 2:32 pm

10. good stuff, keep it up.CHECK OUT HORIYOSHI 3 , DOMO ARIGATO

    Posted by: nic on January 22nd, 2007 at 1:01 am

11. I love the drawings. What type of tools do you use?

    Posted by: Molly on November 18th, 2007 at 2:50 pm

12. scary

    Posted by: splee on May 7th, 2008 at 9:10 am

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