Interview with Comic Creator Casey Cruz Comparing Anime Generations: DBZ vs Naruto
A chat with Trinity: Vampire creator Casey Cruz about the anime that shaped us
I grew up loving Saturday morning cartoons. Superheroes and shows meant to unwind after school. But there was one that towered above the rest, about an impossibly strong and fast alien defending the Earth. Which, yes, sounds like the intro to Superman, but this guy had bigger hair, longer screams, and fights that felt impossibly large.
I’m talking, of course, about Goku and the TV show Dragon Ball Z. This was Toei Animation’s adaptation of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball; widely known now as THE show that helped push Japanese animation firmly into the American mainstream as many millennials’ first anime.
But while I came up on DBZ, people like my friend, melodic Death Metal vocalist and comic book artist Casey Cruz, had a different influence as a kid, growing up with Naruto ninjas, about a generation later.
Brief introduction. Casey Cruz is a William Paterson University graduate and winner of her program’s Creative Excellence in Digital Art and Design award. She is also… pretty fluckin’ cool as the lead singer of the popular melodic death metal band, Diabla.
Taken from Metal Insider. Photo Credit: Tom Mis.
Today, she channels all of that into her Line Webtoon series Trinity: Vampire, a psychological, anime-influenced story that explores vampires not just as creatures in the dark, but as reflections of inner turmoil. Like a work born from a generation raised on Naruto.
So naturally, we decided to talk about Anime.
CHRISTIAN: For those unfamiliar with the awesome person that you be, can you tell us who you is and what ya do?
CASEY: I is Casey Cruz– illustrator, writer and creator of the comic series Trinity: Vampire. For those who like bonus lore, I also make garbage disposal noises for the death metal band Diabla.
CHRISTIAN: The most beautiful garbage disposal noises. Alright, so I wanted to talk about anime. How did Naruto raise you as a kid? Cause for me… DBZ was kinda my babysitter in a plop the kid in front of the TV and let him go “Hyaaaaahhh!!! Kyaaaahhh!!!!!!” for an hour.
CASEY: I wouldn’t say the series Naruto was necessarily a babysitter, but moreso a parent or a mentor to me growing up. I spent my developmental years in a single-parent household with a parental figure that was not leading by example–if you catch my drift. Around the time I was twelve, I started really getting into anime. I remembered watching Naruto with my older brother as a kid, so I took it upon myself to pick up where we left off.
Once I got back into it, I really started to get immersed in Kishimoto’s storytelling. A lot of the characters had traumas that shaped them, and since Naruto was the forefront of the series, he taught me the most about how to battle my trauma. Not only that, but he taught me to believe in myself and show compassion to others. Those were the lessons I was seeking as a young, impressionable teen, so yeah, Naruto was definitely a parent to me in that way.
CHRISTIAN: Those are good lessons to take away. I’m the opposite. My favorite DBZ character was Vegeta, as I related to feeling destined but always falling short. Speaking of which, who was your favorite character from Naruto?
CASEY: My FAVORITE character will always be Itachi Uchiha. I think his character arc is incredible. I tend to really enjoy the older brother characters in anime and manga (Ace from One Piece being another top character). Itachi is arguably a tragic hero that just wanted to look out for his brother, even if he was deemed a monster by his actions. A lot of my childhood was just me and my older brother, so I think I subconsciously felt the most sympathetic towards Itachi since he held the weight of his clan and village on his shoulders.
CHRISTIAN: I actually really relate to that. And who was the person you related to the most?
CASEY: I would definitely NOT say Sasuke. Maybe in an alternate timeline where I let my trauma shape me into a monster… But in this timeline, as corny as it might be, I say I resonate most with Naruto Uzumaki. He was made fun of for being different, raised by various different mentors, and is hellbent on following his dreams. I relate to him in so many ways, and his character has truly inspired me to be the best version of myself that I can be.
CHRISTIAN: See, I feel like there’s a generational gap between us. Cause for me, your Naruto was my Dragon Ball Z., but this was because it was on in the mornings before school. It popped with all the fighting and power level showmanship, plus that epic guitar that was peak 90s kids TV meant to glue your eyeballs to the tube. So much of it was designed for our attention. What did Naruto do that you remember with fondness about your childhood?
CASEY: When I watched Naruto for the first time, I think I didn’t initially vibe with it at first. Naruto was playing on Toonami in the early 2000s, and my brother ultimately had a say on what was on the TV. As a very young kid (I think five or six??) I thought it was a stupid boy show. I didn’t really understand it until I started to become a teenager, so I definitely think my fondness stems from my growth as an individual and the change of heart that inspired me to finish watching the series. However, nothing beats those nights when my brother and I used to pretend to be asleep to watch anime on Toonami. I will cherish those moments forever.
CHRISTIAN: And there it is. Toonami, accessibility, and being at home with the siblings. Big reason we love it and it’s so attached to our memories and how things used to be watched and engaged with. I think the game has changed tremendously. Even when I grew up, DBZ was spectacle, but Naruto? That one always had some serious thoughts. I think one of the things about anime of this era was that it was different in how it processed topics like trauma. Do you think anime teaches resilience? And what lessons do you think Naruto taught you?
CASEY: As we have already discussed, anime has shaped me into the person I am today. Anime 100% teaches resilience, and it is a powerful tool for teaching many life lessons. The ultimate lesson that Naruto taught me is that you are not your past. Your future is yours to create, and if you fight tooth and nail for the future you want, then all of the adversity will be worth it in the end.
CHRISTIAN: Hell to the yes. Now, silly geek question. Who wins in a fight, Naruto or Goku?
CASEY: Hahaha love this question!!! I think it is quite obvious to say that Goku would win this fight. I think Naruto doesn’t hold a candle to Goku in the power scale. There are villains in the Naruto universe that even Naruto couldn’t clap on his own at max power, so that should tell you right away that Goku would win that fight. Now Goku versus Sailor Moon… that’s a different answer ;)
CHRISTIAN: Touche. But double-points Geek Question Trick Question! Goku easily beats Naruto, but to DC K.O.-style this thing (if you’re not reading those comics, do it, it’s tournament of champions superhero fights like this), Naruto gets Superman to fight with him. Who’d you choose to join Goku to fight Naruto and Superman? This can be from any reality.
CASEY: I think Goku and Godzilla would be a crazy mashup lol. But if Goku wants to secure the W, he asks Sailor Moon to help him, haha!
CHRISTIAN: Oof. In the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, styled fighting… Sailor Moon would totally win. Finally, let’s be real. How did this impact your journey as an artist?
CASEY: There are pieces of Trinity: Vampire that do serve as a loveletter to Naruto. Myles and Scarlette have a very Naruto-and-Sasuke-like dynamic on top of the romantic tension between the two characters. I think that I gravitate towards underdog stories a lot, so Trinity: Vampire centers around a lot of the themes presented in Naruto while taking a slightly different take on execution of said themes.
I also enjoyed Kishimoto’s characterization skills. Every character has a story and life events shaping them into the person they are. I always keep Kishimoto’s work as an example for my characters as I create them.
CHRISTIAN: Finally, where can people find your work?
CASEY: People can find my work in a couple different places. I do a bunch of conventions throughout the year, so following me on Instagram @carnationsxcarnage is the best way to support me and keep in touch.
I also have a website where you can directly purchase my work at www.carnationsandcarnage.com.
Trinity: Vampire can also be read online for free on both GlobalComix and Webtoon!
CHRISTIAN: Awesome. Thanks for reading. For any comic creators, The DeMonster is spotlighting indie comic creators like Casey, in what I’m going to try to do on a more regular basis. Hit me up on Instagram or Blusky if you’d like to be considered!
Christian Angeles is a writer and entertainment journalist with nearly a decade of experience covering comics, video games, and digital media. He was senior editor at The Beat during its Eisner Award–winning year and also served as managing editor of The Workprint. Outside of journalism, he writes comics and books.
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