Forum - View topicWhat does it take to be a US published manga artist?
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littlegreenwolf
 Posts: 4796 Location: Seattle, WA |
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In my experence, digital tones are easier to use *and cheeper*, but not everyone uses their computer to make their manga. I believe that today the majority of manga-ka use tradional screen tones that you have to cut out. As for the text, well, they don't do it all by hand. Usually it's only the soundeffects and those little written comments in bubbles that are done by hand. I'm not sure how they do it, but they type it up somehow. It may not be much help, but some of the most common fonts used in the Japanese versions of the manga are Antique, Gothic, Minchoo, and Naaru D. Well, at least that's what the how to draw manga book I'm looking at says. |
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Dilandau
 Posts: 525 Location: Tea House |
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I was wondering what your avatar was. Indeed, run away from the CLAMP obsessive
I know that at Tokyopop, and I assume the other US versions, that they do the English lettering via computer. It is all scanned into the computer (and probably sent to the printer on disk). That is what 'touch-up artists' are for, to ensure that all of the line work is dark enough to be properly picked up in a scan. I HATE screentones. That is the biggest reason I would never be manga-ka. Oh, the wretched agony of screentones!!! *strangles imaginary screentone and curses unrelentingly* |
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SkullKnight
 Posts: 317 Location: Deep South |
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the idea I had floating around was don't even use screentones. You could try a black and white paint medium so its like a manga painting rather than inked drawings. Of course that would make it more difficult and probably frustrate the hell out of you trying to get it in a publishable format. Yeah never mind, bad idea.
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L337Llama
Posts: 79 |
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The biggest problem with that would probably be transfering the greys into black dot matrix things (black dots in various patterns) If more digital tech is put into tranasfering the oringal manuscripts into the publishing arena, then it would be easier.
Keep in mind thats all speculation. One thing I though about is that if more manga is done with at least partial digital stuff, then it would make it much easier to translate. Again, this is speculation. I do remember an interview with Monkey punch where he mentions he has started doing a lot of work digitally. |
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megamioftheworld
 Posts: 17 Location: Stockton Ca |
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Yeah there's something I'd like to say if it's okay. Using digital screen tones is usually frowned upon when you are turning in things for dead lines and stuff like that. I really don't know why they are frowned upon, but usually they are.
I really want to be a manga artist, but I really don't have the talent, but some people beg to differ. The only think I know I'm good at is story lines and plot lines. I guess its because of my imagination. Some people think that the plot line etc. is really hard, but it really isn't. For me its the direct opposite. Maybe its because I'm still considered a kid (I'm a teen) and I don't have a lot of experience. The life of a manga-ka (Is that what you call them? I never knew that.) is really heptic and I don't know if I can deal with the dead lines. I'm notorious for being a procrastinator when I'm not motivated to do something. 
The only problem I probably have with the life style of a manga-ka is that I don't know how to get my name out there to people. I've tried tokyopop's rising stars of manga, but I was too scared to enter. My friends almost browbeated me to a pulp when they found out that I didn't enter.
OT: This is a little off topic but has this ever happened to you? I was reading my manga and there was this character named Shiko in it. (By the way, the manga is called:Socerer Hunters) I think she appears in the 9th book. Shiko was a ninja and her blood was poison. Coinsidently, her name ment "butterfly of death." Problem was, I thought of this exact same person, everything matched, from her name to her outfit. Even the poison blood thing. I was seven or six at the time. I want to know if I'm not the only one that this has happed to. Megami |
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Dilandau
Posts: 525 Location: Tea House |
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I'm afraid that this is not unusual. There are a lot of people and a lot of ideas, it is inevitable that they shall cross at some point. That is why, when struck with a brilliant idea, you must capitalize on it. *commences brow beating*
Fear, insecurity, and lack of faith in yourself are your biggest enemy (i.e. yourself). The only way to follow your dreams or make anything of yourself is to try. I do alittle bit of drawing and story plotting myself, but it is not on my 'to do list'. But, for those US individuals that DO have an interest in being a manga-ka, this fear of competing with "authentic" manga may seem too much. But dragons aren't slain by those that hide under their bed! All you can do is give yourself the chance. |
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L337Llama
Posts: 79 |
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I sort of thought having digital stuff would make it easier on the printer.
Anyway, The thing where you think of a character, and then you see something with a similar thing. And then if you tell anybody, they think your trying to be a rip off and its kinda frustrating. For me, the biggest problem is planning panels. Im pretty good with figures, but I'm never sure on how to place panels and make the story and art flow. |
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M. Alice
Posts: 4 |
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Hiya, just thought I'd put my two cents in, for what it's worth.
I work for Tokyopop as a U.S.-based comic artist (erm...THEY say manga-ka, not me). I just had a press release FINALLY sent out concerning my series...you can see it on the news section of this site. As far as page count and tones go, I average 10-15 pages a week of my comic. That's about the going rate for my company, I can't speak for anyone else. By the by, even though you read stories about Naoko Takeuchi collapsing from fatigue, bear in mind that most well-known manga artists have assistants to do a lot of their work. takeuchi had assistants to do her backgrounds, for example. I even hired a friend as my office assistant, although he just cleans, scans and collates my pages for me. I tone my work entirely in ComicStudio 2.0 ( a Deleter screen-toning program). TP prefers that artists use this program, but they're cool with whatever we're comfortable using. Personally, I can't figger out the cut and paste tones, they don't scan well and they cost a lot over time. I didn't get my job just because I finished as a winner in the Rising Stars contest. If you read the rules of the contest closely, it says the grand-prize winner (which was not me) gets the CHANCE to pitch a series idea. That means nothing really, anyone can do that on any given day. If the winner pitches a crummy idea, they still won't accpet it. I pitched my idea independently of the contest and they liked it...I didn't "win" my own series, and TP doesn't hand out multivolume book deals as prizes. Tokyopop is actively looking for artists and writers right now...we're looking to majorly expand the manga/american art scene, so I'd say go for it and submit your work! As for american artists not doing "real" manga art, to that I say NO DUH. Whatever Tokyopop says, I don't consider my work to be manga or manga-related. I consider it to be alternative. And Tokyopop's not out to find EXACT replicas of japanese manga, anyhow. They want to promote interesting mixes between american and japanese comic art. They're not catering to the purists with this stuff...that's what their translated mangas are for. But I think it's good that america's at least trying to incorporate it into mainstream comics. It's really revived the dying U.S. comic industry, promoted more interest in being a comic artist (specially at SCAD, my former art college) and I think it just needs some time adjust. And that's all from me...now to go eat a giant waffle and do some work. See ya!
-The Marty |
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littlegreenwolf
Posts: 4796 Location: Seattle, WA |
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Just wanna say congrats for your comic deal M. Alice, I'll be keeping an eye out for your first volume when it's released. And thanks a ton for telling us how you produce them.
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L337Llama
Posts: 79 |
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Thanks a lot for the information. It's definately very cool to hear from somebody who makes comics, and you answered a lot of my questions about working as a US based artist.
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L337Llama
Posts: 79 |
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Here is some other stuff I've been wondering.
Do you need any kind of agent? What do you need to know about negotiating a contract? Is pay based on number of pages, sales of novels, or a flat salary? What are the benefits (ie insurance, etc) Also, what resolution/dpi is stuff scanned at for subission? I know these are lot on the buisiness side of things, but I was hoping somebody knows. |
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