The Tale of Mari

The Tale of Mari is a mixed media animated documentary which follows the life of Mari Arakaki Gaskins. Shortly after moving to America in the 1970s, Mari began illustrating comic strips about a Japanese family, emulating the cartoons she saw in newspapers. She sent a letter to the creator of Garfield, Jim Davis, and included her comics. Davis sent her a response, and told her that her artwork was good. However, he believed that the strips were unlikely to be published, because comics about a young Japanese girl would not be relatable to American audiences. Mari grew up during a transitional period in Okinawa, Japan. Coming from a mixed Okinawan-Filipino family, she struggled to fit in as Japan promoted assimilation into mainland Japanese culture. Meanwhile, the USA was developing a strong military presence on the island. After getting a job at the Kadena Air Force base due to her English language skills, she married Randy Gaskins, and moved with him back to America to start a family. Though her comics were never published, her legacy is sustained by the impact she has on her family. With her free-spirited attitude and encouragement of creativity, many of her children and grandchildren continue to pursue music and arts.