Oliver Chin (O) and Phil Amara (P) interviewed by Leonard Chan (L)

Oliver Chin and Phil Amara are co-authors of the new book “More Awesome Asian Americans: 20 Citizens Who Energized America.” This is their second book in a series that marvelously highlights Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders that are worthy of your attention.

Read our interview and find out why their book stands out among the new crop of AAPI biography books.

L: Hello Oliver and Phil.

I’ve known Oliver for quite awhile now – you’ve done many book signings for us over the years. Thank you. This is my first time communicating with you Phil. Nice to meet you.

For our readers, could you tell us a little bit about yourselves, your backgrounds and interests, your careers, and how you met. I believe that “More Awesome Asian Americans” is your fifth book collaboration, is that correct? 

P: I worked as an editor for one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles creators, as well as Kitchen Sink Press, the publisher of The Spirit. I co-created The Nevermen, and Sky Ape. In Oregon, I worked as an editor for Dark Horse Comics (Planet of the Apes, Terminator, Predator, DC Comics crossovers, Madman, Sock Monkey) and wrote for Star Wars and Aliens. Now I’m a teacher for Boston Public Schools, and created the Mighty Writers program to introduce students to the power of animation, film, and, of course, comic books. When I’m not writing about comics, I write about food for the Boston Phoenix.

O: I met Phil when he was at Dark Horse and I was Director of Sales & Marketing at Viz.

Before we collaborated on five books, I published Phil’s storybook The Treehouse Heroes & the Forgotten Beast and the artist Juan Calle’s storybook Good Dream, Bad Dream: The World’s Heroes Save the Night!

L: Can you tell us how you came up with the “Awesome Asian Americans” and “The Asian Hall of Fame” series? In your introduction to the first Awesome Asian Americans book, you cover the reasons for why you wrote the book. Can you get into that for our readers and maybe even expand on that?

O: We wanted to create series that would excite readers. Phil suggested a book about famous inventions from Asia. In the Asian Hall of Fame, we prioritized creations that were still very popular today and focused on one per story. By employing the theme of time-travel, we inserted readers into the middle of the journey. Then illustrator Juan Calle invigorated each adventure with comic book energy and motion.

Meanwhile, we saw how other publishers were producing books on notable women and other groups, usually matching a portrait with a short profile. We thought AAPI deserved their own book. In Awesome Asian Americans, we provided more substantive biographies (6 pages per person), addressed how these notable individuals dealt with prejudice, and featured Juan’s action-packed illustrations (3 per person) to convey the dynamism of their personalities and accomplishments.

L: I imagine the whole selection process must have been very difficult. What was your process in selecting who to write about? Did you have some people you knew of, way before you even started, that you wanted to highlight? Were you looking to fill certain categories such as scientist, entertainers, athletes, artists, etc. or was it more people driven – you found the people and you just made sure you didn’t have two in the same category?

O: We wanted diversity and balance. 50% women and 50% men. People from all parts of the 20th century. Trailblazers from a rainbow of vocations and whose families came from different countries of origin. Some who may be household names but others whose fame may have waned over the decades or perhaps deserve greater recognition for their contributions.

L: Phil, since you are also a food writer, was it important for you to get some chefs in the two books (David Chang in the first book and Helene An in the second)? How did you decide on these two? Oliver, I think I had a conversation with you once about the pilot Katherine Sui Fun Cheung. How did you decide on her versus some of the other notable AAPI pilots?

P: As a kid, I couldn't get enough of Martin Yan on PBS, and of course in the Boston area, Joyce Chen was another big name. I was quite motivated to write about David Chang, and glad Oliver included him. As an inventive chef, he's up there with the likes of Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adria, without a doubt.

O: While there have been some children’s books on other AAPI female pilots, we profiled Katherine Sui Fun Cheung for three main reasons. First, she was the first AAPI woman to earn a pilot’s license. Secondly, she was a peer of Amelia Earhart, which enabled us to weave in more aeronautical history. Thirdly, the arc of her life traced the evolving expansion of women’s rights.

L: Tell us some of your favorite people that you wrote about for the Awesome Asian American series (especially some of the ones in the latest book), what new and interesting things you learned about them, and also some of the things that didn’t get in the books that you wish could have gotten in if space allowed.

P: The ones that were the most fun to write were wrestler The Rock from the first volume and artist Jim Lee from the second. I came close to working for the WWE at one point. The latter connects with my decade as a comic book editor, though I never worked with Lee. The one that surprised me was Isabella Abbott. Learning about her, and the fascinating life she coaxed out of studying seaweed, that was an eye-opener.

L: In stories about people creating things, the research process is often just hinted at, passed over quickly, and not really given a lot of credit. Tell us a little bit about your research process and the development for these books. Clearly, from the great writing, it shows that you spent a lot of time on research.

O: Thanks! Since misinformation can abound on the internet, we gathered information from more print and digital sources. We read books and magazines to gain more context and fact check. We watched videos, documentaries, and news reports. Fortunately we interviewed some people (or their families) directly, and welcomed their edits to make their chapters more accurate and informative.

L: There is a lot of information contained in each of the biographies. Did you ever consider just doing individual books on some of them – maybe in picture book format? Could that be in the works down the road?

P: We covered such a range, and I'm glad we did it compendium. As a teacher, I think we created two essential volumes on a myriad of Asian-American personalities. It really runs the gamut from scientists to influencers. They're wonderful reference books for the contemporary student, packed both with visuals and information.

L: Have you covered just about everyone you wanted to or do you think you could continue this series for the foreseeable future as more people become available to write about? Can you tell us if a third book in the works?

P: If I had one guilty pleasure to include in a future volume it would be Wah Min Chang. This special effects designer worked on the original Star Trek and The Time Machine movie from the 1960s. He was ahead of his time. His designs are resonant, even prophetic. Unsung is putting it mildly.

L: I just noticed that you have a fourth book in the Asian Hall of Fame series coming out in September called “The Discovery of Chess.” Could you give us a preview?

O: The red panda Dao transports Emma and Ethan back to ancient India to learn how the world’s most popular game was created. They see how rajas placed their armies and war strategies onto a playing board. Then the curious travelers zip back to the future as chess migrated westward, across oceans, continents, and the internet! Learn about the evolution of iconic pieces, the accomplishments of legendary players, and the game’s enduring cultural influence around the globe. Readers of all ages will appreciate the game of kings... and queens!

L: Thank you very much for doing this interview and we wish you much success on “More Awesome Asian Americans: 20 Citizens Who Energized America” and your future endeavors.