In Conversation: Abby Denson and Utomaru
Jul 14, 2026
Abby Denson is the author of the Kitty Sweet Tooth books, illustrated by Tokyo-based artist Utomaru; and the solo booksDolltopiaandTough Love, among other graphic novels for young readers. Her work has garnered the International Manga Award, Moonbeam Children’s Book Award, and the IPPY Award. We invited Denson and Utomaru to chat about their newest collaboration, the YA graphic novel memoirMy Tokyo Summer, inspired by Denson’s transformative summer abroad as a teen
Abby Denson: I’m very excited about how gorgeous your art came out for this book
Utomaru: Thank you so much. I’m really excited, too
Denson: Since the book takes place in the 1990s, I wanted to ask you: How was the process of drawing My Tokyo Summer, and how did you use reference images and your own memories to proceed with that?
Utomaru: I was just a little kid back in the 1990s. So, I needed to do research to draw the characters’ fashion, such as Abby’s clothes and Yuuko’s hairstyle. I went to Jinbōchō, which is a famous used-book district, and bought many magazines from the 1990s. I also asked my friends who have personal photos from the ’90s. It was fun to work on
Denson: And did you have a favorite scene or page that you drew?
Utomaru: My favorite scene is almost at the end of the book, with Abby and Yuuko during the hanabi [fireworks] on the beach. I really loved illustrating that
Denson: You drew it beautifully
Utomaru: What was your favorite part to write?
“
You can learn something almost every minute when you’re somewhere new. —Abby Denson
”
Denson: One of the key scenes for me is earlier in the book. It’s the first time that Yuuko and I have hung out in person, and we’re on the street in Tokyo after spending the day drawing together. After dinner, I was saying goodbye to her, and I impulsively hugged her because I was so excited that we had met in person. Then it was a cultural shock because in Tokyo people don’t usually do a lot of public displays of affection on the street and she was not expecting that. So she kind of froze a bit, but then she was extremely gracious about it when I apologized because I realized I did something unexpected and surprised her. It’s a good memory for me now, and I think it’s very funny, but at the time it felt kind of embarrassing.
When going to new places, unexpected things will happen and you’re not always going to know the right thing to do. But the best thing is to try to be respectful and move forward. You can learn something almost every minute when you’re somewhere new
Utomaru: From your perspective, is there a difference between creating a completely independent project like a zine and making a book with a publisher like you are doing now?
Denson: Yes. When you’re creating a self-published zine or a DIY project, it gives you total freedom and you can improvise or create in more of a stream-of-consciousness way without planning ahead. So, it’s fun and wild and you have complete control, but you also have complete responsibility to finish the project and get it published. It’s a good way to learn the basics just by trying it
Working with a publisher and a team and an artistic collaborator like you is amazing. I’m also an artist, but getting to work with another artist is great when I see that they have amazing ideas that are totally different than what I would have done, but in a way that I adore
You’ve done so much amazing work, including character design for the Muteking the Dancing Hero anime and some major ad campaigns—and even huge interior murals for buildings like Tokyo Kabukicho Tower. How do you find the process of drawing comics for American publication to be in comparison to doing those huge projects in Tokyo?
Utomaru: I’m enjoying it so much that I think I could get addicted to making books. Working on a project that tells a long story feels really new to me and it’s a completely different kind of fun from creating advertisements or posters
Denson: That’s great! And this is our third book together. We didKitty Sweet Tooth and Kitty Sweet Tooth Makes a Movie, and now My Tokyo Summer, which is my first nonfiction memoir. It’s been exciting for me to explore those different kinds of genres with you because the previous books we did were a lot more fantasy and this is reality-based; but even so, with your art, it looks like a dream world! I’m so excited that the U.S. audience is going to get to see more work by you
Utomaru: Thank you
Denson: For international visitors to Tokyo, what would you recommend that’s a unique and fun place or activity for manga and graphic novel fans?
Utomaru: My first recommendation would be Nakano Broadway, which also appeared in My Tokyo Summer. It’s packed with both vintage and new anime stuff. So, it’s a really fun place to visit
And then a couple of my personal favorites are Trick or Treat, a horror-themed bar in Roppongi and Izakaya Kaya in Koenji. If you are into horror comics or graphic novels or gothic things, I think you will really enjoy Trick or Treat, and Izakaya Kaya is a Japanese izakaya with great music and good food
Denson: I would definitely agree with you about Nakano Broadway. They also have a lot of discounted clothes and shoes and bags, and it’s fun to look at those things. And they have the famous rainbow soft-serve ice cream that’s on the cover of My Tokyo Summer
Utomaru: If you could give any advice to younger Abby who appears in the book, what would you say?
Denson: I would say that you’re doing the right thing and keep going! Because that trip to Japan was life-changing, and if I hadn’t done it, I wouldn’t be talking to you now. I probably would never have met you or many of my other close friends. The most wonderful experiences of my life probably wouldn’t have happened or gone the way they did. So it was definitely a huge turning point in my life
I would recommend to anyone to take the opportunity to study abroad. It gives you a lot more perspective and you get the opportunity to make friends. The idea of the book is really how the power of art can cross borders and boundaries despite differences in language and culture. Having the opportunity to share that creative feeling with people around the world is really valuable, so I’m excited for the book release
My Tokyo Summer by Abby Denson, illus. by Utomaru. Graphix, $16.99 trade paper, out now; ISBN 978-1-339-00653-6
