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Fast forward a year, and Benjamin was TokyoPop's special guest on a February 2010 edition of the TokyoPop Insider webcast from Paris, where he is fresh off a visit to Angloueme, France's mega-comics festival.

TokyoPop Senior Editor Lillian Diaz-Pyrzbyl and participants from the audience asked Benjamin questions about what he's been up to since New York Comic-Con, the personal tragedy that inspired Remember and his current and upcoming projects.

PART 2: BENJAMIN TALKS TO TOKYOPOP INSIDER... FROM SPACE?

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: Please welcome Benjamin! He's a fantastic comics creator from China!

Benjamin: It's nice to have the opportunity to talk with everyone.

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: Where are you now?

Benjamin: I'm now in Paris. I'm just here for business to participate in some events. I don't consider it home in that sense.

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: Where is home for you?

Benjamin: I consider the Earth to be my home! (laughs) I'm an extra terrestrial being, like E.T.!

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: Glad you could join us here! (laughs)

Benjamin: I'm glad to talk with everyone from outer space! (laughs)

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: It was almost a year ago when Orange came out in North America, and we sold out our supply there. What are your impressions of NY Comic-Con, and how did it feel to have your comic debut in the U.S.?

Benjamin: The whole thing caught me by surprise. I didn't have the slightest idea what the comics scene was like in the U.S. I wasn't prepared for what would happen at New York Comic-Con.

When I was embraced by fans and people were asking for my signature, I was totally shocked. It was a nice surprise.

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: I wasn't there, but I heard you did beautiful sketches for your fans. That was a nice gesture - thank you for doing that!

Benjamin: It's my honor.

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: Have you attended other similar events around the world? How did that New York event compare to other similar events you've attended in Asia or Europe?

Benjamin: The difference is huge. I've participated in events in France and Germany - the fans here are very young and enthusiastic - that's different than the fans I encountered in China.

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: Was this your first time in New York City? What were your impressions of the city?

Benjamin: Actually, all of my perceptions of New York City came from movies. New York is a place with lots of high rise buildings and people fighting! (laughs, mimics punching) But when I was there, there were lots of cool, beautiful people walking the streets!

One thing that really surprised me is how similar it looks to China's big cities. I've been in other big cities in Europe, but New York shares lots of similarities with highly developed cities in China. The people in New York are always busy - there's lots of things always going on at the same time.

REMEMBERING THE REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT INSPIRED 'REMEMBER'

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: In the year since Orange has come out, it's been nominated for YALSA, book list for ALA, and it's been well-reviewed here. Benjamin's unique art style gets a lot of comments for its painterly style and vivid colors. Can you describe how your art style has evolved? How did you develop this?

Benjamin: I've been learning a lot from American comic books. At first, I tried to imitate the lines, the flow of American comic books. But after a while, I thought I was just imitating. So I worked hard to develop my own style.

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: Remember was published before Orange - do you have a sense that your work changed between the two stories?

Benjamin: Actually, there's a big difference. It's a record of how I pursued my own style. I can see the difference between the two.

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: It's interesting, because the first story in Remember is about a comics creator. Does this mirror your own experiences?

Benjamin: Yes, exactly. Back then, I had never been outside China, so I felt quite desperate and frustrated with what I was doing. I didn't see any outlet from my situation. That story is a reflection of that frustration.

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: Have your feelings changed since then? Do you feel like you're part of a global comics community, or that your style will influence other creators?

Benjamin: Well, since I've moved to outer space, I don't care if China doesn't like my work, or if the older generation does't get my work, I don't care. (laughs)

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: Good for you! Keep doing what you're doing, because we really like it. Do you think that part of Orange's success here is because teen angst is universal, or were you talking about something that is specific to life in China?

Benjamin: Well, actually, I didn't write the story to be well-received by international audiences at all. When I wrote it, I was inspired by what happened around me.

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: Orange begins literally with a big bang, with a body crashing into a car, but it has an open-ended ending. Why did you decide to end the story that way?

Benjamin: Well, there's no ending to Orange. It's like my own experience. I tried to jump off a building, but I decided to write more instead. So it's kind of like my own story - my own story is open-ended, with no ending.

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: During the creation of Remember, you mention that you were in the hospital for a while. How did that impact your crafting of the story?

Benjamin: That experience had a big impact on me. I was chasing some girl, then I tripped over a fence and broke my arm. I tripped over something, then fell from somewhere high. That made me kind of famous, because people talked about how Benjamin was chasing after some girl and got injured. So it was a big tragedy for me.

I was deeply hurt by that, because I felt that Chinese society, people like me are vulnerable and can be hurt easily. But that didn't happen only to me - that happens to many other Chinese too.

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: Like being stigmatized for your actions?

Benjamin: I wouldn't use the word stigmatized - I was more hurt by people.

Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl: Wow, that's really scary.

Benjamin: I felt anguish and fear at the same time. That's reflected in the character - he thinks he's a cool guy who can do anything, but that's not the case.