Forum - View topicWhat does it take to be a US published manga artist?
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L337Llama
Posts: 79 |
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I have heard a lot of people here mention it is much easier to become a US based manga artist than it is in Japan.
Even so, that doesn't mean a publisher will just hand you a publishing deal. What does it take, such as diplomas, experience, connections, and so on. Its a new field in a growing industry, which means more jobs and more competition. |
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littlegreenwolf
 Posts: 4796 Location: Seattle, WA |
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Win tokyopop's rising stars of manga contest, or somehow become a giant hit by posting your manga on the internet. As much as I want US manga to get big, it's doesn't look like it's going to get big any time soon.
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Dilandau
 Posts: 525 Location: Tea House |
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Thats the great thing about being artistically talented. It is a skill within itself that can be 'directed' but not taught. There is no educational experience required. As littlegreenwolf said (listen to her she is smart!), your best chance is the rising stars competition. But any of the US manga, or US comic companies are usually delighted to have correspondence with talented prospects.
There is a "submissions" heading on the Tokyopop website under "about" (I think), for just your needs. If you send them well written, professional emails with smart questions, they will love to give you information (Afterall, you could make them money someday!). And in any case, just let them know that you exist! Interest/desire and being aggressive to what you want is very attractive to most businessmen. I came to Australia to study Japanese and International Studies (Business) with an interest to go into publishing Japanese Novels that later became Anime. I have been in contact with tokyopop for a while, asking them very specific questions about International rights, net-working, etc. Yesterday, I got a lengthy email from Mr John Parker (CEO of Tokyopop) indirectly asking me to do a publisher internship at Tokyopop. I know this has nothing to do with art but it is an example of just letting people know that you exist. Good things can come of it. Good luck! |
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L337Llama
Posts: 79 |
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Thanks a lot of for the info, that's something I will most definately keep in mind.
I plan on starting an online/locally distrubted manga (in paper for people at school, online for anybody else) Look for it soon.... |
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SkullKnight
 Posts: 317 Location: Deep South |
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I'd say the biggest thing you need is "time." You have any idea how long it takes to create quality art in a manga let alone write it? It's a hard one person operation unless of course you get a crew and purchase a whip to drive them.
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Dilandau
Posts: 525 Location: Tea House |
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Sorta like in the Nadesico Movie, when Ruri has to round up the 'old crew' and they end up working on one of the pilots (I dont remember her name) manga deadlines!
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L337Llama
Posts: 79 |
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My response to that...
Do people really like backgrounds or face? Or Hair? Is that stuff really that needed? Just kidding... (kinda) How many pages per day do most manga-ka put out? Is it like 3 or 4 a day? I know the guy from Megatokyo does 1 every other day or so. |
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Dilandau
Posts: 525 Location: Tea House |
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I'm not really sure, it can't be 3-4 pages. Doing a page for manga takes forever. As you will have noticed, Manga is much more detailed than megatokyo. I would guess 1 page or less. Heavily leaning towards 'less'.
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littlegreenwolf
Posts: 4796 Location: Seattle, WA |
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Well, if manga-ka work till the last minute like I hear they do, I say about 30 pages in 2 days. |
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Dilandau
Posts: 525 Location: Tea House |
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Eh! Are you sure you aren't thinking about animation cel painting? That sounds like a lot....
but I suppose I don't know much about manga. 
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littlegreenwolf
Posts: 4796 Location: Seattle, WA |
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I'm just going by what I hear from their Omake things on the side panel's of a lot of manga. One of the main things a manga-ka talks about pretty much is meeting the deadline, and sometimes procrastinating. *takes the GALS manga for example, that manga-ka usually talks about nothing but the production of the manga, and her mother judging her manga because she's a manga-ka too*.
You read a lot of stories too about the manga-ka having breakdowns and collasping. Several CLAMP interviews I've read mentioned some of them just collasping while working, and even Naoko Takeuchi had to go to the hospital due to a work overload when working on Sailormoon. And if that's hard to believe, well, take a look at CLAMP. They right now are releasing a chapter a week of Tsubasa. They take a week break about once every 5 weeks. But on top of Tsubasa, they are also releasing a weekly chapter of XXXholic. Tsubasa chapters are at least 20 pages. XXXholic is about the same, sometimes with less pages. Not only are they working on these two manga, but they are working at the same time on Gouhou Drug, and even if it is on a hiatus, X too. Yeah, they're group of 4 people, but only two are doing the drawing, and I'd say that's pretty damn impressing. Add the drawing to the chapter layout planning, story planning, checking with the editor, and all that wonderful stuff, and I'd say that's a pretty busy week. Lucky for us here in America we don't have a giant speed and demand for comics. We get them monthly. In Japan those shonen jumps come out weekly. |
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Dilandau
Posts: 525 Location: Tea House |
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Sugoi! Thats scary! I'm glad I'm not interest in being a manga-ka.
Only 2 of CLAMP draws? What do the other two do? Sounds interesting. *bows deeply before omniscent littlegreenwolf* |
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littlegreenwolf
Posts: 4796 Location: Seattle, WA |
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I just looked into it a ton for a career project in school. Manga-ka have very stressful lives. After I did that project, it made me feel better about not being able to live in Japan to be a manga-ka.
The roles of CLAMP is pretty much this: Nanase Ohkawa does the scriptwriting, Mokona Apapa handles the illustration, Mick Nekoi takes charge of art direction, and Satsuki Igarashi is the assistant who does things from get coffee to work on screen tones. Mick and Mokona switch off on their jobs I believe. For instance, Nekoi does the drawing to XXXholic and Gouhou Drug, while Mokona does the art to Tsuabsa, and what I beleive is the majority of CLAMP's manga. Yes, everyone run from the CLAMP fanatic. BTW, my icon is Yuuko from XXXholic. |
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Yuki555
 Posts: 164 Location: Georgia |
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Wow, that's a lot of work! At least they're doing what they like to do so it's not really a burden to them I think. I'm still determine to become a manga-ka someday. I'm currently working on a manga right now. I do one page a day though since I'm doing everything by myself. Drawing and inking is easy, it's those screentones that takes forever to add. >.<
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L337Llama
Posts: 79 |
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One thing I've wondered about is how much digital tones are used and if they are faster/easier to work with. Also, is text done by hand or typed and place on art?
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