AX 2025 Interview: Acky Bright teases cross-industry project and how he’s like ONE PIECE’s Zero

Celebrated illustrator and creative powerhouse Acky Bright returned to Anime Expo 2025, engaging fans with a dynamic panel highlighting his global brand partnerships, award-winning campaigns, and an exciting lineup of original projects. The talented actor and singer Takaaki Hirakawa hosted the panel, recognized for performances in international hits like Shōgun (FX/Disney+) and Blue Eye Samurai (Netflix), which explored Bright’s expanding cultural influence and what he has in store for the future.

While at AX 2025, Bright teased an upcoming project, his most significant cross-industry project, launching in October 2025. Even larger than his fan-favorite (and Beat favorite) collaboration with McDonald’s for its WcDonald’s campaign? Not to mention Bright’s more recent partnership with McDonald’s Japan, featuring original artwork and merchandise, including a viral music video collaboration with Ado × YOASOBI × Hoshimachi Suisei, where Acky served as character designer and key visual artist.

In the years since the WcDonald’s campaign, he has become one of Japan’s most globally recognized illustrators, with high-profile partnerships across music, gaming, fashion, and food and viral, live drawing performances at museum exhibitions. Career highlights over the last few years include a Monster Hunter Now × Ayase illustration collaboration, active contributions to DC’s Blue Beetle promotional campaign, a “Studio Infinity” solo exhibition at Japan Society in New York City, where he treated attendees to a live drawing experience that transformed the gallery into an interactive space. 

The Beat caught up with Bright at AX 2025 to discuss his creative journey, what he plans to do next, and gummy bears. Yes, gummy bears.

OLLIE KAPLAN: How did you come up with your pen name?

ACKY BRIGHT: I had to come up with a name for a project I worked on. I couldn’t think of one at first, so I came up with a name that was close to me. My nickname was “Acky,” and Bright was the studio I worked with then. So, it was a simple reason, but it was spontaneous.

KAPLAN: How has the fan community influenced your experience as a creator?

BRIGHT: As you know, there are so many fans here in America. Actually, there are more fans in America. The fans dragged me here. 

KAPLAN: Did some of that success in America come out of the McDonald’s collaboration? How has that shaped your career in the last couple of years? 

BRIGHT: I did many projects before McDonald’s, but that project was much bigger than I’d previously done. Because of it, I got more attention from all over the world and a lot of contacts globally—that’s how big of an event it was for me. 

KAPLAN: You’ve done a lot of brand collaborations. With those, how do you balance your style with what the brand wants? 

BRIGHT: I’m very lucky. I don’t ask my clients to do what I want; I tell them to do what I want to do. That’s how most people approach me, so I just let them do what they want. 

MANAGER: I encourage him to do freely and in his own style. That’s why he can create with his creativity every time he gets an offer from a brand.

KAPLAN: What do you want to do next? Do you want to do more brand collaborations? Make original manga? Other art shows?

BRIGHT: I want to do many things. Although I can’t announce the specifics yet, my original IP will launch in three months. I’m excited about that and focused on that project right now.

KAPLAN: When you do live drawings, it’s more than art. It’s performance art. When you’re doing live performances, what do you think the audience feels? How do they react?

BRIGHT: I draw right away when I do live drawings since they’re big. I don’t do any drafts or sketches. I typically get reactions like, “Amazing! Wow! That’s crazy!” It’s fun to get that wowed, surprised reaction from the audience. That’s why I create art: to get that reaction. 

KAPLAN: To follow up on that, do you redirect the audience’s energy into the art? How do you do that?

BRIGHT: Yes, it’s different. Drawing in the studio versus creating live, in front of an audience, is an entirely different experience. You can draw that energy when you’re in front of an audience. So really, it depends on the place and country, because the location inspires me to create a specific drawing. In different situations, it all changes. That’s the beauty of live painting: I get energy from the audience, which is reflected in the painting. 

KAPLAN: By location, do you mean that the culture of the particular location influences the art you create there?

BRIGHT: Yes, exactly what you said. I try to draw the places I have visited. When I went to New Zealand, where the movie The Hobbit was filmed, I was inspired by the world and atmosphere of The Hobbit. And then, in the Netherlands, it was a European fantasy world, so that influenced me. I absorb that specific location’s culture into my work.

KAPLAN: You previously said you wanted manga to be seen more like fine art. What do we need to do as a society and culture to get manga to that next level? What steps need to be taken? 

BRIGHT: Now that manga and anime are popular and trendy, everyone is ready to accept that culture. So, I don’t feel I need to do anything specific or very special to achieve that goal, as there is already a fan base.

KAPLAN: In a previous interview with The Natural Artistocrat, you said, “Whenever I stop drawing, that’s when my hands kind of get pain.” So I wanted to follow up on that. What is your work setup—and how do you manage your own health and well-being? 

BRIGHT: I’m not really managing my health very well. [Laughs.] I’m kidding. [Laughs harder.] But without the fans, I would die because I recharge my energy by meeting all of them. I receive energy from those fans. That’s my way of managing my health.

KAPLAN: My next question is about a similar topic (that’s oft-discussed with manga readers), the topic of creator burnout. What is your advice for new creators on how to manage health? Even if that advice is, “Do as I say, not as I do.”

BRIGHT: Don’t compare yourself to others. I feel like a lot of people are suffering because they do that.

KAPLAN: Your black and white art book, B.W., taps into manga’s roots. But, outside of it being a traditional manga format, why are you drawn to working in black and white? How does the lack of color empower you?  

BRIGHT: Manga has its roots in is Japanese manga culture, and it’s black-and-white in the first place. So, I thought it would be nice if people could see the colors. I don’t usually do big drawings at the studio, but I think it’s good that I can do them in a place like this. It’s because of live painting, I do all those things.

KAPLAN: What is a fun fact about yourself that fans don’t know about yet?

BRIGHT: I like gummy bears. Do you like gummy bears? 

KAPLAN: Yes, I do. 

BRIGHT: Okay, I thought of something interesting. I’m a high school-ish guy, like I get lost easily. I don’t remember directions very well—worse than One Piece’s Roronoa Zoro. Like me, his first step is always facing the opposite direction of where he wants to go, making it so he can’t reach the destination. 

KAPLAN: Anything you want to tell the fans? 

BRIGHT: This big thing that will be announced in three months, it’s the biggest, most important thing in my career so far, so please look forward to it. For people who already know me, you’ll be able to brag that you knew me earlier than others. It’s that big. So Justin Guerrero can brag. 

Please come interview me after that announcement.

KAPLAN: We will do it. We—Justin, you and I—can do it together.

BRIGHT: The press announcement might happen in New York. 

KAPLAN: Is there anything else that you would like to add? 

BRIGHT: Thank you so much for coming and interviewing me today.

You can follow Acky Bright on his website: https://www.acky-bright.com/