Manga Making General

[Anonymous No.4714673]

Previously known as JUMP Tezuka Manga Contest General. At the request of a previous poster, this thread series is being generalized for all manga-making discussion in general, albeit with a soft-focus on the contest regardless.

Post resources, questions, in-progress pages, breakdowns of other works, etc. If a work is not yours, credit the maker (unless it's fucking obvious like a full page of One Piece or something).

Previous thread: >>4701764

Link to the contest: https://medibang.com/contest/jumptezuka100th/entry?lang=en

Contest FAQ:

> isn't everyone gonna get BTFO by the JP entries?
No, separate prize pools

> but--
No, we've been over this several times. The requirements for both prizes are entirely different.

> do covers have to be black and white too?
Uncertain. Color them at your own risk.

> what's the page size?
Unspecified. It's recommended you work at at least 600 DPI regardless.

> do entries have to be shonen stories?
All genres are allowed, but keep in mind that this is still a Shonen Jump contest.

> western reading direction or JP reading direction?
JP.

> what does "no scenario, name" mean?
Scenario refers to a script, and Name is the Japanese term for a storyboard or rough page layout. So, in other words, no sketches and no scripts. Finished works only.

> what do they mean by "monochrome?"
All pages must be solely black and white. No colors, no middle-tones (such as shades of grey). Shades besides black and white should be achieved through things such as screentones and dot matrices.

[Anonymous No.4714674]

>>4714673
Some resources.

Books:
"Understanding Comics", "Making Comics", "Manga in Theory and Practice: The Craft of Creating Manga", "Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting"

Youtube channels:
"Manga Senpai/Tokyo Name Tank", "SMAC! THE SILENT MANGA AUDITION COMMUNITY"

[Anonymous No.4714708]

I'm watching Bakuman and the degree of diligence and sheer volume of output these fucking teenagers have make them the most OP shounen manga MCs i've ever watched, I can't relate to this shit at all.

Also the page in this screenshot is wrong, right?
Either the title is outside the safety margin or the effects on the left side don't go over the cutting line.
And the margins are black instead of blue...

But having lots of fun with the show.

[Anonymous No.4714711]

>>4714708
It’s probably just a photocopy of the original. I believe the blue can still be printed depending on the setting of the photocopy machine.

[Anonymous No.4714715]

This is the best general. Love you guys.

[Anonymous No.4714732]

>>4714674
>Books
Add the 2000AD Script Book to that list:

https://mega.nz/file/gtNQgY6L#p7vPA_fLOUwxINMBzAX62w_xx282FVQoMhUHDGtiCpE

[Anonymous No.4714911]

>>4714715
D-daisuki, anon-san!

[Anonymous No.4715002]

https://imgur.com/gallery/yn27Cj7
>previous thread
going to repost this link so I can get some critique on the actual feel of each page.

[Anonymous No.4715026]

>>4715002
I’m up for it. Can you tell me what the purpose of this comic is? Is it for the Tezuka or personal project? Just so I can think what to address.

[Anonymous No.4715041]

>>4715026
it's for Tezuka
This is actually a reboot of a older comic I dropped. I wanted to make a unique story that focused on Skating and character interaction over fights and basic plot.

[Anonymous No.4715048]

>>4715041
Is it a finished product or is there more?

[Anonymous No.4715060]

>>4715048
currently working on the last 40 pages, I have ~30 finished. It's a 50 page work.

[Anonymous No.4715064]

fuck learning how to draw can you guys make a general for manga tropes,plot,inspiration,battle strategic tactics,world building,character development,arc villains

[Anonymous No.4715066]

>>4715064
honestly, writing is the hardest part of all of this. Shitty writing is a plague that needs to be stopped.

[Anonymous No.4715073]

>>4715066
Oh speaking of story. Do you want me to focus my critique on art or story?

>>4715064
Dunno, ask a specific question and we can chat about it. :P

[Anonymous No.4715075]

>>4715073
both :D

[Anonymous No.4715089]

How do you draw action/dynamic poses without a reference?

[Anonymous No.4715092]

>>4715089
a good understanding of how things bend and warp help.
I'd do the pose myself, and get the "feel" of it (this is not using a mirror). Then imagine it in my head then use that image to draw.

[Anonymous No.4715104]

>>4715064
This is Manga Making General, anon; all of those conversations are applicable. If you want to have a conversation on any of those topics, then just say so and start one here.

[Anonymous No.4715118]

>>4715064
I wanna show how I wrote the script for my one-shot
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I_ymXe4gs4xHNREeKQGxfcJta_NsSWZ4Vq6_khRpAF8/edit?usp=sharing
>also if you need a logo, hit me up
(logo is for someone else)

[Anonymous No.4715147]

>>4714715
It’s easily one of the better and more productive threads in /ic/. People here also help each other with constructive critique, instead of just tearing down each other in bitterness. Idk what it is that’s keeping the crabby shitposters away, but let’s hope it lasts.

[Anonymous No.4715172]

>>4715002
First of. Forgive me if at any point I sound too harsh. I want to give you as much insight as I can, you don't have to agree with everything either.

Your art needs some improvement. Like general anatomy, environment and line-weight. You're at a good foundation to keep moving forward tho. You're using hatching, albeit a bit sloppily, but that will improve with practice.

Your paneling relies a bit too much on close up shots. You have enough space to do a full body on the page your MC appears. You want to show the reader who they'll be following around. Page 8 could use with the camera angle being more zoomed out. We don't see the driver and we don't really see the car. Page 9 where the MC pays for his Taxi, could be combined in one. where the MC is leaning over the car paying. It's more work to draw in panel, but will convey what's happening better. When he turns around towards the skating ring, I'd make that panel bigger. Maybe even a two page spread. Just so we see, what I assume. Is a grand sight for the MC.

There wasn't much dialogue, so it was hard to follow. I don't quite understand the chocolate bit. At this point, I'd wait to critique the rest of the story till I can read more.

[Anonymous No.4715186]

>>4715064
Just read manga.

[Anonymous No.4715193]

>>4715118
Oh, your scripts actually depicts a lot more than is drawn.

>The Taxi driver asked, looking at the mirror.
Why u no draw this anon?? lol

[Anonymous No.4715223]

>>4715172
the thing is, the story doesn't really follow any single character, it's multiple characters that have to be accounted for in a 50 page space.

>line-weight
I'm aware that I don't have much variation is line weight but that's mostly due to not having the right equipment necessary to pull it off.

>Page 8
The driver was going to be drawn but was cut out due to it not being necessary for the character to interact with. If he was in an extended convo, I'd consider drawing him

>skating ring
It does get a 2-page spread due to character going back to it after dropping off his items.

>paneling
the first couple of pages are to more focus on the action of skateboarding more than anything. One issue I generally have with a lot of manga is how badly some place full body pictures of their characters. I wanna focus on the characters face and upper body to create more attractive panels.

My artwork generally isn't made for comics but illustrations. image is related to this topic. My later pages are much more detailed in terms of artwork because I had more confidence in myself as an artist.

[Anonymous No.4715229]

>>4715193
a script is a script lol
I tried drawing it but it looked so awkward.

[Anonymous No.4715340]

>>4715073
>>4715104
ill start with arcs how do you make an lengthy arc with excellent pacing no sub plots

[Anonymous No.4715351]

>>4715340
Learn all that your own, faggot. If you have dreams on making some grand and epic story, give it up. Start practicing by making short stories before going onto anything lengthy.

[Anonymous No.4715355]

>>4715340
Why wouldn't you want any sub-plots anon? A plots and B plots intermingle with one another to build tension via contrasting stakes while also serving to expand upon characters or setting elements that aren't directly served by the A plot.

[Anonymous No.4715358]

>>4715351
Cut this shit out. We have a good thing going here right now like >>4715147 said.

[Anonymous No.4715361]

>>4715358
Stop being a nigger, this is 4chan.

[Anonymous No.4715366]

>>4715361
Take your edge elsewhere. People want to take art seriously for once. If you're not going to stop then don't expect the rest of the thread to entertain your nonsense.

[Anonymous No.4715375]

How far will copying manga take me?

[Anonymous No.4715380]

>>4715375
as far as a dead body

[Anonymous No.4715384]

>>4715223
>the thing is, the story doesn't really follow any single character, it's multiple characters that have to be accounted for in a 50 page space.
That's terrible. Change that immediately. Something like that is not going to work. Everything from you so far is quite frankly a mess. Have a main character and it'll add much needed structure to your story.

[Anonymous No.4715394]

>>4715384
well you can consider Techno the main character, I worded it weirdly. I meant to say, the story revolves around multiple main characters. Techno is just the "main" character in a sense that he's the most important one.

[Anonymous No.4715405]

>>4715394
Not >>4715384 (and I haven't read your work yet), but I think what they're trying to get across is that some story concepts / formats aren't going to fit well into a 55 page one-shot. For instance, I probably couldn't really do a 1000-year long sociopolitical conflict in the style of something like Isaac Asimov's Foundation series justice in 55 pages. Similarly, an ensemble cast story probably isn't the best fit for a one-shot either, because just as I don't have enough pages to fit in hundreds of years of happenings and history, I probably don't have enough pages to fit in all the character moments and developments for all the characters I'd need to devote screentime to for the endeavor as a whole to feel impactful.

[Anonymous No.4715413]

>>4715384
Agreed. Especially if it's for tezuka, they're looking specifically for your ability to dip character development. When you introduce too many characters you fuck your chances for that. That kind of stuff is better suited for a skilled writer and something like a weekly manga. Very few people can do the shit ton of characters thing well. Never ever in a one shot though

[Anonymous No.4715416]

>>4715405
you're super right, I'm not really fit for making manga as I write novels and make logos for cash. I'm just doing this for fun and not seriously hoping to win, this is just a way to push my artistic skills and figure out what my art needs to be better. my art from the first page is different from my art now because I fix my mistakes constantly.
I only draw for fun, I've always known that my talent is in writing and not fully in art.

[Anonymous No.4715429]

>>4715413
as I've told anon >>4715413, I write novels and not manga.
I tend to only make small group of characters in a story to develop them throughout, you also should read the script to get an idea for the entire one-shot and not the first 10 pages.
>>4715118

[Anonymous No.4715433]

>>4715066
>>4715073
>>4715104
we need opinions so we can make anime great again this is the best time for this with Corona lockdown going on some annon can take this opportunity and show miyazaki that anime was a happy mistake

[Anonymous No.4715440]

>>4715433
wait for my novels to be turned into anime anon

[Anonymous No.4715442]

>>4715429
Huh?

[Anonymous No.4715448]

>>4715442
I'm not making this to win, I'm making this for fun. My style of writing isn't fit for manga at all, but novels.

[Anonymous No.4715459]

>>4715375
Pro-level, as evident by all the pro mangaka who grinded by copying other mangaka.

[Anonymous No.4715487]

>>4715440
praying for you

[Anonymous No.4715492]

Can a sports/sol oriented story with a female MC be considered shounen?

[Anonymous No.4715495]

>>4715492
Shounen is a demographic not a genre.

[Anonymous No.4715498]

>>4715495
I'm sure you know what I meant but let me rephrase it: Will teenage boys read a story like that over other manga reading demographics in comparison or not?

[Anonymous No.4715509]

>>4715089
Using 3D models or figurines helps. Or you can try to record yourself doing the motion in question.

[Anonymous No.4715513]

>>4715492
>>4715498
It’ll be easier for you to answer this question if you focus more on publisher than genre/demographic, though there is overlap, there are subtle distinctions between the people who read Jump vs the people who read WSM. Short answer though, yes. Jump has a rather large female reader base. It’s why series like BnH see a lot of attention from shippers, yaoi fans, why Kimetsu grew so large, and Jumo even ran Nisekoi, and has always had more Shoujou-esque manga in print with female protags. In fact, even more boy-focused manga like Medaka Box for example have featured female protags. On the flipside, WSM seems to draw a larger male audience with a slightly more stereotypical teenage reader-base. Their stories tend to be edgier compared to Jump, and really raunchy ecchi stuff is more prevalent in it than it is in Jump. A more shoujou-esque manga might not fly as well there than it would in Jump given the reader base, but a female protag can work if you’re not afraid to sexualize her. If you’re talking about the Shounen “Genre” as a whole (ie, all the major Shounen magazines in print for all our pedantic friends - Shounen Jump, Weekly Shounen Magazine, Weekly Shounen Sunday, etc...), the short answer is generally yes. Those magazines are read by a demographic of both genders from Primary School to Adulthood. Jump being the most popular with girls outside of specified Shoujo manga.

[Anonymous No.4715516]

>>4715498
People read Act Age so I'm sure you'll be fine.

[Anonymous No.4715525]

>>4715513
>>4715516
Thanks for the info anons. I was worried I might miss the criteria for tezuka but I will just finish it the way I planned and let the judges decide if it's fit for the contest or not.
(I just hope my one-shot makes it through the pre-elimination so the actual judges will see it)

[Anonymous No.4715535]

>>4715525
You’ll be fine for Tezuka.

[Anonymous No.4715544]

You guys were asking about G-Pens earlier. Though I mostly work in Digital, I still went out and bought this today to get a feeling for what it’s like in analogue. The notorious difficulty of the G-Pen intrigues me as well. I’ll let you guys know what it’s like.

[Anonymous No.4715562]

>>4715544
>I’ll let you guys know what it’s like.
Please do! I'm still somewhat new to drawing, but I love what you can do with the G-Pen and will probably also buy one sooner or later.

[Anonymous No.4715618]

Post albums for anons to draw to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcG18MQqT_k&list=PLEPahJ87DrmQYq2-DMbyIHs4CeZDeDO7t

[Anonymous No.4715674]

>>4715562
First impressions so far are very positive. I find the pen very satisfying to use overall. It gives you just the right amount of pressure when you need it, and quick line have just the right amount of softness to them, where most would stutter. I don’t quite get why people find it so hard to use, I actually personally find the Sakura Microns for example to be far more unforgiving and... annoying to use. They can give out a little too much ink when you don’t want them to. Other nibs I’ve used in the past are also a bit more cumbersome. Granted, the paper makes a big difference. Back in Spain I tended to ink on Watercolor paper which has a lot of texture and is very cottony. Manga paper by comparison is thinner, much thinner, and totally smooth. Which helps give those lines that nice smoothness to them when you ink. I’d say the smoothness of manga paper is like that of a business card. I say this cause I remember someone complained about the G-pen catching some of the paper as they went across it.

All in all though, I only did a quick sketch to get a first impression of the pen. Like I said, I really like it, satisfying is how I’d personally describe it. Makes me actually wanna do manga in traditional as it reminds me of the feeling drawing used to give me before I went digital.

I plan on working some inking exercises with the nib over the next few weeks here and there, to build familiarity, but as far as first impressions go, I found it very easy to use overall. Especially compared to other analogue inking tools.

>>4715618
Recently I’ve been revisiting a lot of Mars Volta:

https://youtu.be/OAl6HiWTKm8
https://youtu.be/VcL5sfl4H1w

[Anonymous No.4715678]

>>4714708
I agree with not being able to relate to the, but that’s because it’s a constant thread of success after some small fake drama with failure. I got tired of it by season 2

[Anonymous No.4715699]

>>4715002
Anon are you using references? Those head shots right from the get go are really rough

[Anonymous No.4715976]

>>4715674
Man, that's so cool. I'll also get a G-Pen.

[Anonymous No.4716070]

>>4715448
You clearly haven’t read enough manga than.

[Anonymous No.4716133]

>>4714708
If you want a more relatable and realistic protagonist, watch Blue Blazes. Bakuman is an inspirational story, Blue Blazes is a mirror to the viewer, a funny but uncomfortable one. It also telss indirectly the origin of Gainax. Shame the manga hasn't been translated in any capacity outside of fansubbers doing only the first chapter.

[Anonymous No.4716144]

>>4715340
Learn the basics of storytelling, arcs are just huge story made up of smaller ones, kinda like fractals. each element is a story of its own. Learning basic writing fundies will help you the same way fundies help you drawing. Start with Robert Mckee and then go into more specific and esoteric resources from there.

[Anonymous No.4716148]

>>4715618
Based and ogredpilled

[Anonymous No.4716149]

How do you learn to write jokes? Dead serious, I want to write a comedy but there aren't any resources out there for being funny. The best I got is to just "make yourself laugh" and show your work to other people to see if they laugh.

[Anonymous No.4716210]

>>4716149
In terms of manga. You can see what other works you like when it comes to comedy.
There’s punchlines, situational comedy, irony and the like. Try not to force comedy when it’s not needed. But it depends on what you’re writing. So it’s a case by case thing.

[Anonymous No.4716218]

>>4715618
Right now, I can't jamming to this tune:
https://soundcloud.com/matrixmariox/splatting-the-bassline-ds-remix

[Anonymous No.4716221]

>>4716070
just because my style is better suited for novels doesn't mean I don't read enough manga. I just prefer writing novels over manga.

[Anonymous No.4716234]

>>4716221
Out of curiosity, what makes you say that your writing style is better suited for novels? Why wouldn't it work in comics?

[Anonymous No.4716275]

>>4716234
I feel my mind is exercised better when I make a novel, so I create such abstract concepts that don't really have a form. I really like making comics but I feel it dumbs down my writing by a lot. Like I can write a comic but compared to my novels, it's just weaker.

[Anonymous No.4716281]

>>4716275
Abstract concepts like what? I don't understand the issue yet.

[Anonymous No.4716290]

>>4716281
4th dimension and 5th dimension concepts, and also time are what I like to write in my novels. I create concepts that wouldn't work in a visual medium like comics, it heavily relies on the reader being able to sense what the characters are feeling rather than seeing it. I can dumb it down to make up visual metaphors but it wouldn't feel the same.

[Anonymous No.4716292]

>>4716275
mmmmm, are you mainly writing stories that are internal and streams-of-consciousness? I would understand your issue if you were mainly writing psychological stories. Those are better for novels than for manga.

[Anonymous No.4716296]

>>4716290
can you post an except from your novel? I'm genuinely curious.

[Anonymous No.4716300]

>>4716290
>it heavily relies on the reader being able to sense what the characters are feeling rather than seeing it.
Why wouldn't that work in manga

[Anonymous No.4716312]

>>4716300
kek, not gonna do that

[Anonymous No.4716315]

>>4716296
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J64cI2HtaDfJiRVRwQTwazRqE5P856SlhjRhwrhBshY/edit?usp=sharing

[Anonymous No.4716318]

>>4716290
REad Grant Morrison's work. Dude's career is mostly this type stuff and it's great. Comics and manga are in general great for time story telling since the medium itself relies strongly on subjective use of time. Not everyone reads a comic in the same time or even order. Ofc there's an implied order but in comics you can return at anytime to read a previous panel or page way more easily than any novel or movie, even with streaming or bookmars. Hell, Watchmen plays with this stuff too. And again, Morrison writes about 4th and 5th dimentional stuff too.

[Anonymous No.4716341]

>>4716315
Thanks for posting it.

Have you watched Steins;Gate? I feel like your work is similar in feeling to that. Your stuff could be adapted visually, it could even be put across with more clarity as a comic. When I read it (admittedly I skimmed it), it felt like our protagonist was trapped in his own mind, and drawing it out visually would make the reader empathize with him more, instead of struggling to follow his meandering, contradictory thoughts. In storytelling, the reader keeps track of "what happens to the hero" versus "what the hero themselves does". Keeping those two phenomena separate is integral to progressing the story, and when we got to those passages where Daniel was thinking to himself, a lot of that got jumbled.

Take my advice with a grain of salt

[Anonymous No.4716343]

>>4716312
You can do it the right way and mix both mediums a la Will Eisner with Coontract with God or straight up change the medium for a few pages or an issue to prose like they did in Batman

[Anonymous No.4716394]

>>4716290
As other anons have said, I think this stems more from your relative unfamiliarity with comics as opposed to any specific failing of the medium. You're struggling to express these concepts not because they're visually unexpressable, but likely because you haven't thought about how they would be visually expressed.

You can communicate feeling through visuals just as easily (if not moreso) than you can through writing. A common mistake made by many is that visual representations of abstract concepts, such as the "fourth dimension," must consist of the closest thing to a literal portrayal possible in a 2D space. This is incorrect, and is indeed the battle that the Impressionists and Modernists waged in their days, if you're at all familiar with Art History. The Impressionists argued for Feeling over Portrayal--if it feels like the Fourth Dimension, then it is. The Modernists believed in the doing away of artistic pretense in order to boil the art down to its fundamental, physical manifestation--it's all ink on paper anyway, so if you say it's the Fourth Dimension, no one has any grounds to argue with you anyway.

You're coming at this from the standpoint of a writer as opposed to the standpoint of a visual artist. In writing, words must have agreed-upon meanings in order for things to make sense. In art, there is no intrinsic meaning, and thus meaning can be assigned, and, in turn, believed. Every time an image or aesthetic returns in the narrative, the audience will reconnect the art with the supplied associations, and adapt them to their new context.

So, in short, what I mean to say is that you're thinking too literally. Images aren't just representations of the script. They're unrelated images that are given structure via surrounding context. You can manipulate that context, and the images, to create associations that cannot exist in pure writing via the "empty" nature of artistic meaning.

[Anonymous No.4716414]

>>4716394
really well said

[Anonymous No.4716425]

>>4716394
>Images aren't just representations of the script.

>>4715223
>The driver was going to be drawn but was cut out due to it not being necessary for the character to interact with.

>One issue I generally have with a lot of manga is how badly some place full body pictures of their characters. I wanna focus on the characters face and upper body to create more attractive panels.

>>4715229
a script is a script lol
I tried drawing it but it looked so awkward.

Anon doesn't want to put in the extra work to make a page readable to his readers. He lacks the artistic skill to pull off his thoughts to a visual medium.

[Anonymous No.4716500]

>>4716341
If I ever do get a better grasp of comic making, I'll make Eclipse into a comic. But atm, I'm not confident in my abilities as a artist.

I have this story called Obelisk Force which is meant to be a comic, so far it's only a concept with a script. Everything I do is a stepping stone to get better as an artist and writer.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15sexWvquplWH19UZJZDwjyE-zl4LCZc2hiag_4uEZgw/edit?usp=sharing
This is a more recent novel I started working on, both eclipse and this are in the same series.

(https://docs.google.com/document/d/16Lfmb8Vp3opj5R5pKoBaMbN-nNHvm_tgmC1JB0xU11M/edit?usp=sharing Obelisk Force script)

[Anonymous No.4716681]

>>4715674
>Manga paper by comparison is thinner, much thinner, and totally smooth. Which helps give those lines that nice smoothness to them when you ink. I’d say the smoothness of manga paper is like that of a business card. I say this cause I remember someone complained about the G-pen catching some of the paper as they went across it.
That anon here, that seems likely to me. I was just using cheap-ass printer paper. In hindsight, not the best material for the job.
Thanks for the review mang.

>>4716425
>Anon doesn't want to put in the extra work to make a page readable to his readers. He lacks the artistic skill to pull off his thoughts to a visual medium.
And there's nothing inherently wrong with that, we all started somewhere. I just wonder he's entering a general devoted to making comics, making a submission to a comic competition, asking for critiques on that submission, and then telling us he doesn't care about making comics?
If you want to make comics, then you should listen to the critiques you're given and be glad for it. A lot of us didn't have the luxury of having the flaws in our works pointed out and explained to us, we had to work them out ourselves. If you don't really want to make comics, then why are you? If you want to write novels instead, then... go write novels.

[Anonymous No.4716688]

>>4716681
My entrance into writing was comics, I made shitty comics when I was in 4th grade and slowly moved to writing in high school. I’m personally doing this for fun and to challenge myself.

[Anonymous No.4716695]

>>4716681
>I just wonder he's entering a general devoted to making comics, making a submission to a comic competition, asking for critiques on that submission, and then telling us he doesn't care about making comics?

This is my main gripe with it. There's anons here who have big dreams and want to become professionals. I'd rather be helping those anons instead.

[Anonymous No.4716724]

>>4716688
Alright, I'm going to break this down into 3 steps:

>1. FIGURE OUT WHY OR EVEN IF YOU WANT TO MAKE COMICS IN THE FIRST PLACE! Comics involve a lot of drawing for very specific purpose and as such are not the kind of thing you can just bash out in an afternoon when you're in the mood. If you don't actually want to make comics, then turn away now because you're only going to suffer if you try to force yourself. So, trust me on this, you really really are better off staying away from drawing comics if you'd prefer to write books.
>2. READ LOTS OF MANGA with the goal of learning the technical aspects of how they're written (ie what is literally on the page)
You need to understand when to use what kind of shot, when to tell the reader something or let them figure it out themselves. This step is important for guiding yourself so you're not totally lost as to what to do.
and
>3. DRAW A LOT OF COMICS, even if you don't actually finish them (ie ink them and upload them -- though you SHOULD practice finishing them)
Comics are a medium of mileage. You're going to be drawing a loooot, and in order to get to a point where your comics are readable, you're going to need to make a loooot of comics to figure out how to represent complex ideas to a reader in volume. It can be fucking anything. Personally, I recommend drawing porn comics for a number of reasons, but mostly they involve and require a strong understanding of form and anatomy and how to view those from different angles and also that you can post them even if they're shit because people don't give a fuck about quality if it makes them horny. Sit down, write a quick summary of events, then brute force (or use your manga knowledge) your way to portraying those events. Do this over and over until it's natural.
This step is NOT skippable, the first comics you make WILL be trash, it's not the kind of thing you can fluke. Your submission is rife with the kind of beginner errors this advice is aimed at avoiding.

[Anonymous No.4716728]

>>4716688
Alright, I'm going to break this down into 3 steps:

>1. FIGURE OUT WHY OR EVEN IF YOU WANT TO MAKE COMICS IN THE FIRST PLACE!
Comics involve a lot of drawing for very specific purpose and as such are not the kind of thing you can just bash out in an afternoon when you're in the mood. If you don't actually want to make comics, then turn away now because you're only going to suffer if you try to force yourself. So, trust me on this, you really really are better off staying away from drawing comics if you'd prefer to write books.
>2. READ LOTS OF MANGA with the goal of learning the technical aspects of how they're written (ie what is literally on the page)
You need to understand when to use what kind of shot, when to tell the reader something or let them figure it out themselves. This step is important for guiding yourself so you're not totally lost as to what to do.
and
>3. DRAW A LOT OF COMICS, even if you don't actually finish them (ie ink them and upload them -- though you SHOULD practice finishing them)
Comics are a medium of mileage. You're going to be drawing a loooot, and in order to get to a point where your comics are readable, you're going to need to make a loooot of comics to figure out how to represent complex ideas to a reader in volume. It can be fucking anything. Personally, I recommend drawing porn comics for a number of reasons, but mostly they involve and require a strong understanding of form and anatomy and how to view those from different angles and also that you can post them even if they're shit because people don't give a fuck about quality if it makes them horny. Sit down, write a quick summary of events, then brute force (or use your manga knowledge) your way to portraying those events. Do this over and over until it's natural.
This step is NOT skippable, the first comics you make WILL be trash, it's not the kind of thing you can fluke. Your submission is rife with the kind of beginner errors this advice is aimed at avoiding.

[Anonymous No.4716923]

How am I supposed to handle bleed margins with spreads?
Am I supposed to treat each page of the spread as an individual page in regards to the bleed margins like pic related resulting in this gap in the middle, or am I supposed to ignore the inner margins and just draw one continuous image?

[Anonymous No.4716933]

>>4716923
I think, you can bleed into the throat on two page spreads. That's what my "how to manga" book said. Try drawing important stuff like dialogue, props, and faces outside of the throat though.

[Anonymous No.4716949]

Where do you guys start your very first page? Do you plan for a single page on the left. Or does it start on the right with the second page in view?

[Anonymous No.4716951]

>>4716933
So more like this?

[Anonymous No.4716955]

>>4716949
Think of it as a book.
[cover] [null]
[p02] [p01]
[p04] [p03]
[p06] [p05]
etc

[Anonymous No.4716973]

>>4716955
Thanks. I've also noticed some chapters start like:
[cover] [null]
[p01] [filler]
[p03] [p02]
[p05] [p04]

So, I'm wondering what the norm is.

[Anonymous No.4716985]

>>4716973
Likely a result of magazine -> tankoubon. The chapter likely ran with p01 being on the left page of the issue, meaning it needed to be on the left in the tank too so they just insert a filler (sometimes just a doodle or logo or something similar).
Either that or the filler page was a "breather" page between the different series in the magazine (ie chapter of x manga ends -> breather page with manga y logo -> chapter y p01).
Keep in mind this is speculation since I don't have access to the actual magazines to confirm.

Personally I would say they gave us an odd page # limit for a reason: 54 spreads and one extra for the cover.

[Anonymous No.4716987]

>>4716973
usually all the even is where the first page of a spread is:
[cover] [null]
[odd-even]
[odd] [even]

[Anonymous No.4716994]

>>4716973
>>4716985
Also worth noting: It probably doesn't matter either way. The only way I can see this mattering is if they needed to know for the technical reasons in organizing a magazine. Since these submissions are going to be going in an issue much farther down the line, I very much doubt they're going to worry about that until AFTER the competition is over and a winner is chosen.
So you should pick between
[p01] [cover]
[p03] [p02]
or
[cover] [null]
[p02] [p01]
for whatever effect you desire.
Do you want to start with a single page after your cover then hit them with a spread? Think about if and how you want to use that page turn.

[Anonymous No.4717007]

>>4716994
>Do you want to start with a single page after your cover then hit them with a spread? Think about if and how you want to use that page turn.

I don't think Ill start off with double page straight away. But, I am leaning on starting on the left for the page turn effect. For pacing reasons mostly.

[Anonymous No.4717010]

>>4716133
>Shame the manga hasn't been translated in any capacity outside of fansubbers doing only the first chapter.
I can read Japanese. But I'd rather watch the anime if the story is completed, do I have your blessing?

>>4715678
Well, by the unrealistic amount they work, that success is expected. I still think it's a fun peek inside the process and how it works.
Shirobako is also a great watch for animation studios, even if everything gets a bit "beautified" for the screen.

[Anonymous No.4717065]

>>4716951

[Anonymous No.4717072]

>>4717065
This is how my Clip Studio combines them.

[Anonymous No.4717078]

>>4717072
That answers the question, thanks.

[Anonymous No.4717084]

Anyone else retarded and not understand how to use the comic tools effectively in csp so you just make the balloon shapes and panels manually

[Anonymous No.4717091]

>>4717084
I do them manually too but I do so because I think they look too clean if you use the tools for them. I'd rather avoid the digital look where possible.

[Anonymous No.4717092]

>>4717084
I draw balloons manually, because I think it looks better. Haven't messed with the frame settings yet, will probably use them after I have my Name ready.

[Anonymous No.4717429]

is it bad to include references in your manga like jojo references refs from other anime

[Anonymous No.4717438]

>>4717429
Depends how well you depict your reference, pic very related

[Anonymous No.4717439]

>>4717429
Depends. What were you planning?

[Anonymous No.4717450]

guys have any villains and power ideas ideas

[Anonymous No.4717454]

>>4717450
Sure do.

[Anonymous No.4717458]

>>4717450
White power

[Anonymous No.4717465]

>>4717450
How’s that 700 chapter saga coming along?

[Anonymous No.4717506]

>>4717465
yikes anon u found me !! its a little wonky im going over it reinforcing it trying to make things logically as possible and i change my mind about the 700 chapters

[Anonymous No.4717511]

>>4714673
>>I’m so glad japan has an aging population! I’ll be a manga-ja yet!

[Anonymous No.4717527]

>>4717450
Tons actually.

[Anonymous No.4717584]

>>4717450
man that's soo hard idk how mangakas do it they come up with these amazing abilities for villains togashi came up with chrollo and tserr along with few chimera ants araki came up with the mirror world hopping guy oda came up with crocodile lucci big mom black beard. is there a way to learn how to come up with amazing ideas like this any books I have to read

[Anonymous No.4717591]

>>4717584
There’s literally a website that catalogues superpowers... are you serious dude?

[Anonymous No.4717609]

>>4717584
>man that's soo hard idk how mangakas do it
i love how intimate youve become with japanese culture. i bet youre foaming at the mouth at their aging population. i bet it inspires you to put on your nip cap in hopes that your days of becoming a REAL manga-ka are coming closer since there will eventually be no more japanese to compete with in your little weeb mind

[Anonymous No.4717634]

>>4717609
relax anon damn we all gotta weeb over something are we not human

[Anonymous No.4717691]

>>4717584
>oda came up with crocodile lucci big mom black beard.
>>4717584
>oda came up with crocodile lucci big mom black beard.
Years and years of experience. Oda started working as an assistant at Shonen Jump when he was 17 and started his OP serialization when he was 22.

[Anonymous No.4717695]

>>4717584
>oda came up with crocodile lucci big mom black beard.
Years and years of experience. Oda started working as an assistant at Shonen Jump when he was 17 and started his OP serialization when he was 22.

[Anonymous No.4717702]

>>4717634
sure as long as youre not compensating for something like sucking at everything occidental.
man, youre a disgrace to your own fucking race

[Anonymous No.4717776]

>>4717702
>man, youre a disgrace to your own fucking race
Please go back to /pol/ and stop shitting up this thread.

[Anonymous No.4717816]

>>4716728
I would add that you should learn shots by studying film/storyboarding as well. Looking at manga is fine and all but really understanding why/when you use certain shots and for what emotional effect is crucial.

[Anonymous No.4717864]

>>4717438
>>4717439
will you get copyrighted or sued for instance the main character is eating a monkey d luffy ice pop in your manga

[Anonymous No.4718003]

How do comic book writers learn composition and panelling when all they do is write? How much does the manga change between writer and artist?

[Anonymous No.4718018]

>>4717702
whats wrong ?? what are you trying to say anon

[Anonymous No.4718045]

>the thread is shat over by underage faggots
ugh

[Anonymous No.4718119]

>>4717506
anon sound like hes packing with sumn big

[Anonymous No.4718274]

hey guys i need help the character in my manga has temporary memory loss from abuse what is the most logical way for her to get her memory back

[Anonymous No.4718369]

>>4718274
She gets abused again
Sounds like you didn't plot much out but wanted a tragic event huh

[Anonymous No.4718513]

>>4717816
This is good advice, it's just that you can't really skip the "reading manga" step because there are things specific to the medium of comics you won't like from watching movies. Stuff like paneling tricks, when and what effects to use, how to lead the eye with the dialogue and so on.

>>4717864
You won't get sued or anything but keep in mind your audience. One Piece is the current absolute biggest WSJ property and you're writing for a bunch of WSJ vets and readers, including Oda himself. They've probably seen about a billion OP references, the magic is lost.
That said there's no reason you can't or shouldn't I suppose.

>>4718003
Writers can read too you know. There's heaps of resources posted often enough you should know already, plus, you know, reading other comics to see what other writers do.
Probably depends on each individual writer/artist duo. Not very many of them publicize much pre-release material so we can only guess.

>>4718045
Just ignore them.

>>4718274
Bro we can't write your shit for you, stop asking these dumb questions.

[Anonymous No.4718522]

>>4718513
>there are things specific to the medium of comics you won't like from watching movies
*you won't learn

[Anonymous No.4718628]

How's your weekend everyone? How are your pages coming along?

[Anonymous No.4718644]

>>4718628
I have this problem where I have a pretty productive day followed by a day where I end up doing little to nothing in terms of finishing pages.
They keep coming in pairs.
But on the upside today is a productive day going by the pattern.

[Anonymous No.4718653]

Is anyone here working on any doujins as of late?

[Anonymous No.4718664]

>>4718644
I kind of seem to taper off the same track. Still waiting on that anon from the previous thread to come back and talk about story. But, hope you have a productive day man. o/

>>4718653
Nah, just working on Tezuka.

[Anonymous No.4718677]

>>4718653
Before Tezuka I was on an endless loop of coming up with a concept, drafting the whole thing out then giving up in inking before coming up with a new idea and repeating.

[Anonymous No.4718716]

>>4718628
Not good. The ones I did yesterday seem boring to me and now I'm stuck. I'm waiting for others to post their progress here so I get motivated to continue.

[Anonymous No.4718726]

>>4718716
Draw, nigga!

[Anonymous No.4718736]

>>4718726
Interesting paneling.
Ok bro, I'm gonna work on the next spread now.

[Anonymous No.4718744]

>>4718726
Very nice!

[Anonymous No.4718750]

do you guys like vibrant colored hairs in anime like blue purple green red or they are unnatural to u guys

[Anonymous No.4718763]

>>4718750
Kiddo. How old are you?

And the colors are a design choice. Do what you like. What matters is character development. Write them like people and add on to their development.
You’re asking a bunch of superficial stuff.

[Anonymous No.4719250]

Hi guys! I've got a name done and ready to go. Sent it around and got back rave reviews from friends and anons, so I'm confident in my work.

I'm looking for an artist to help draw out this entry into the Tezuka contest since it's not my strength (see attached.) If you're interested, drop a line to me at woll#2047 on discord. Thanks for reading!

[Anonymous No.4719260]

>>4719250
You should probably post a sample of the name or some other piece of work, as chance are people aren't going to take a chance on an unknown writer of unknown quality.

Hope you find someone though, best of luck anon.

[Anonymous No.4719326]

>>4714673
I have the script done and currently working on the cover page but jesus drawing manga is so much fucking work. I wish someone could draw for me honestly lol

[Anonymous No.4719409]

>>4719260
>>4719250
Gotcha, good idea!

Here's the first page of my name!

I've worked as an editor for a few years and I write stories for fun. Hopefully this catches someone's eye!

[Anonymous No.4719422]

>>4719409
This still doesn't show if the story is any good.

[Anonymous No.4719432]

>>4719326
I honestly wouldn't mind the work if it didn't cause me so much tendonitis

[Anonymous No.4719442]

>>4719409
Why are you writing it as if someone who posts on 4chan 24/7 is writing it

[Anonymous No.4719519]

>>4719422
Yeah, it's only a sample. With this, I'm attempting to show the general layout, quality, and narration of the name.

The story's a bit twisty-turny. My one-sentence summary would be "girl gets her lifelong curse changed into a blessing, then skips through parallel realities with a skeleton buddy."

If you'd like to read through the full thing, feel free to message me.

[Anonymous No.4719558]

>>4718750
Use punctuation you underage nigger's cunt. And ask your disease ridden whore of a mother for attention, stop shitting up the thread.

[Anonymous No.4719565]

>>4719409
>raving reviews
But it's shit, why?

>>4719519
>feel free to message me
Fuck off to twitter or whatever the fuck you came from.

[Anonymous No.4719571]

>>4718750
Please fuck off and come back in 6 years, this is an 18+ board

[Anonymous No.4719579]

>>4719558
>>4719571
You're the only one shitting up the board here.

[Anonymous No.4719584]

>>4719519
It's not really enough of a sample for anyone to really get a handle on whether or not it would be worth pursuing. Even professional publishers demand more than this (though if you're an editor you likely know that). That's not to say that you should dump your full script and storyboard on us if you'd rather keep it close to your chest, but at least put up a file or a google doc or something with the industry standard 5-10 page preview. A comic is a large undertaking, and just a single three-panel page isn't going to be enough to attract an artist to the project.

[Anonymous No.4719592]

>>4719579
No, me and that underage nigger are both shitting the thread. The "guys i kinda pissed myself should I like change clothes or something" retardation has no place here and must be discouraged.

[Anonymous No.4719593]

>>4719519
>I'm attempting to show the general layout, quality, and narration of the name.
What quality?
>"girl gets her lifelong curse changed into a blessing, then skips through parallel realities with a skeleton buddy."
Sounds like something you'd read on Tapastic.

[Anonymous No.4719650]

>>4719592
> The "guys i kinda pissed myself should I like change clothes or something" retardation has no place here and must be discouraged.
I agree, so do us all a favor and fuck off.

[Anonymous No.4721412]

>>4719593
> Sounds like something you'd read on Tapastic.

Execution matters more than idea, so I'm still open to it.

It's just that anon isn't giving us enough material for us to tell whether or not there's the foundation for a promising execution.

[Anonymous No.4722507]

Post pages nerds.
Also, left or right? Help me decide.

[Anonymous No.4722516]

>>4722507
Defiantly right.
And I’m half way with drafting my Name. So some progress was made.

[Anonymous No.4722518]

>>4722516
>And I’m half way with drafting my Name
Shit dude you've gotta hurry the hell up. I'm 8/55 pages done right now and I'm worried I'll be cutting it close at this rate.

[Anonymous No.4722524]

>>4722518
Ikr! I’ll pull a few all-nighters if I have to. It’s a learning experience at the very least.
The process is kinda lonely. What do you listen to while you work?

[Anonymous No.4722527]

>>4722524
Been burning through Sleepycast again lately. But yeah, not much can really scratch "I'm bored as hell working on a project for hours and hours with nobody to show it to or talk to" itch. Maybe that's part of the reason mangaka work with assistants, haha.

[Anonymous No.4722529]

>>4722507
What about all faces but heroine's are made gray?

[Anonymous No.4722538]

>>4722527
Yeah, I was actually thinking the same thing about assistants today. Or, just knowing more people who are doing the same thing.
I kinda wanna chat more about manga. So, what kind of goals do you have with your work in the long term? If that’s not too personal.

[Anonymous No.4722546]

>>4722529
Don't really want to do any more work on the page, it already sucked away 6 hours of my life.

>>4722538
It's a series I've been building on for about 3 years now. Currently my plan is to finish the one-shot as practice/solidifying ideas and forcing myself to fill in the gaps I hadn't thought of yet (like, for example, finishing while working on my name I had a breakthrough on the magic system in the setting, which was something I was stuck flip-flopping on for a while) then, regardless of how the one-shot does in the competition, turn it into a proper series. I'm not expecting the one-shot to do well at all, it has problems, but I really need the practice. Plus, there's a pretty solid amount of eyeballs on this competition so I'm also hoping that I can ride that opportunity by submitting something that clearly has a lot of effort behind it to gather interest a bit.
Also, I should sort of mention, I changed a lot of things (mostly characters) for this one-shot to simplify things greatly, since the characters I plan on writing in the comic would not work at all in the one-shot format.

So, obviously my plans are: 1. make the one-shot 2. make a serial 3. be really successful 4. make more comics.

[Anonymous No.4722563]

>>4722546
Nice! That's very similar to what I'm doing. The Tezuka was really a last minute whim and I don't particularity plan on getting published in Japan. But, I also need the experience for my main project. It was around last year where I decided to quit gaming entirely and started my manga project. So, not as far in as you, but it's been really satisfying.

Are you thinking of taking your main series to a publisher, or do you plan on self publishing?

[Anonymous No.4722564]

>It's a series I've been building on for about 3 years now.
>Currently my plan is to finish the one-shot as practice/solidifying ideas
Not him but same. I also plan on dropping the one-shot everywhere just to get some proper feedback and tips that I can carry into the serial. I don't expect to reach even honorable mentions in this contest, but at least I can get some people to eventually check out the actual comic.
btw how long does it take you to from draft to finished page?

[Anonymous No.4722571]

>>4722563
I think I like to work with a publisher but I don't think it's a realistic expectation at the moment. I can't read nip, western publishing is in trouble and it would be a lot of work to put together a good pitch to take to a publisher and even then I don't think my skills are at the level where a publisher would want to pay me (and I wouldn't take a deal where I don't get a salary).

>>4722564
>btw how long does it take you to from draft to finished page?
Haven't been keeping track but I'd estimate 4-5 hours. I need to speed it up, a lot of that time is just putzing around because I can't decide on something and a lot of it is just smashing my hand on my tablet hatching like in the page I posted.

[Anonymous No.4722581]

Wishing everyone the best!
I think I'm 1/2-ish there... But a little bit worried my pacing is a bit slow. Hopefully I can finish it within the deadline!
Here's a finished panel to keep the thread momentum going. :)

[Anonymous No.4722595]

>>4722546
Fair enough, right one then.

[Anonymous No.4722597]

>>4722571
I'm keeping the publishing route open. But, I'm also okay with self-publishing. I'd love to get my series printed, that'd be a dream. I plan on making it a proper product either way, so I hope to monetize it somehow. I do hope you become successful so you can keep creating. I'm liking the crosshatching on your stuff.

>>4722581
Looks good. What's it about?
And good luck to you as well!

[Anonymous No.4722599]

>>4722581
Looking good mate.

[Anonymous No.4722634]

>>4722597
>>4722599
Thanks anons. :)
It's about a duo of vampire hunters, in a world where vampires and humans live together harmoniously (mostly).
But there are still vampires that are addicted human blood, where prolonged consumption causes them to deform into more hideous forms.

The main protagonists is a vampire cop, and a human exorcist, who bumps into an unusual night dealing with shenanigans. That's the story I'm trying to capture.. But I guess it's the artist's curse where the moment I finish something, I end up hating it.
The silver lining is that the looming deadline forces me to power through.^_^;

[Anonymous No.4722639]

>>4722571
4-5hours seem reasonably quick (unless you're a pro)
>>4722581
Looking really legit, keep up the good work.

[Anonymous No.4722642]

>>4722634
Oh, yeah. I've seen you post this.

>But I guess it's the artist's curse where the moment I finish something, I end up hating it.
Same. I'm only in the drafting phase and one moment I like my concept and the next moment I hate it.

I'll ask you as well. What are your manga dreams Anon? And honestly any other anons reading. Who all is trying to get published in the long run?

[Anonymous No.4722657]

>>4722639
Thank you! ^_^

>>4722642
That's a good question. I'm honestly not sure, desu.
It would be nice to have a publisher, but that's a more wishful thinking realm for me.

I think a more realistic approach would be to create my story on the side while having a full-time job (which is basically my situation atm), and once I have a short story finished... I can try selling them at conventions and publish them on the web, etc..

But I guess the recent C-Virus really made things unpredictable when it comes to conventions.
I guess I'll just cross those bridges when I get there.

For now, I'm just focused on trying to get this done in time. ^_^

[Anonymous No.4722665]

>>4722657
>I can try selling them at conventions
I'm not a big convention goer. But, if more creators sold original manga's than just pure fan art, I'd be more inclined to go. I realize I'm not the norm tho.

Either way. I do wish you good luck! You've clearly put a lot of work into this project.

And 5-4 hours on a page is very nice. I'll try to time myself once I get out of the drafting stage.

[Anonymous No.4722690]

>>4722665
Oh, that must've been a different anon.
My pages definitely take much much longer than 5 hours (unfortunately T_T)

That would be a good goal to aim for in the long run though.

[Anonymous No.4724479]

Does the kick seem good? (and please ignore the shitty anatomy, i try not to put too much effort on the name)

[Anonymous No.4724491]

>>4724479
Fuck, i dont know why the image is rotated, hope this one is good

[Anonymous No.4724496]

is there a good resource for digital tones and patterns to use?

[Anonymous No.4724628]

>>4724491
It’s a bit hard to tell how you plan on using the speed lines since they’re a bit scratchy on this draft. Try to focus the readers eye on the knee hitting the person. Right now my eye wanders to the guys standing leg.

[Anonymous No.4724633]

>>4724628
Any sugestion on how i could do this?

[Anonymous No.4724690]

>>4724633
Something like this maybe? I'm not super versed in action scenes.

[Anonymous No.4724698]

>>4724690
Thank you bro, i will try it

[Anonymous No.4724737]

>>4724491
My personal advice?
Start by gathering a LOT of references. But try to be selective and strategic.

I have a Pinterest full of miscellaneous images that I think may come in handy.
Sure enough, your pose reminded me of a photo I saved.

Your character's right hand has that flared finger that could use reference.
And of course, given the manga-style we're all going for... Look up manga references that do speedlines.
I found some One Punch Man images that I think are close enough to get a general idea.

Hope this helped.

PS. Don't use my crappy redline. It was just meant to give you a general idea.
Using good references and practice, you should be able to improve your art tenfold!

[Anonymous No.4724753]

>>4724737
not him but you are based, thank you anon

[Anonymous No.4724765]

>>4724737
Originally he is kicking with his left leg, but it looks a lot more interestin if its with the right. Also, thank you for your advice bro

[Anonymous No.4724771]

>>4724765
>kicking with his left leg
then his upper body should contort the opposite way to 'sell' the kick motion

[Anonymous No.4724772]

>>4724753
>>4724765

[Anonymous No.4724779]

>>4724771
Well, this was my referece so thats why the torso is straight

[Anonymous No.4724800]

>>4724779
That's good!
This one works just fine too. Go with what you feel is right for your character and story. ^_^

[Anonymous No.4724984]

Is the Anon, who's currently living in Japan still lurking about?

>Unfortunately all the gaijin authors I know use this to write about foreigners living in Japan as their niche

Can you tell me more about this? And why this is a trend?

[Anonymous No.4725164]

>>4724984
Not that anon, but I would assume it's because it's a gimmick that plays well to a Japanese audience.

Personally, I find that there's a weird line that western manga creators tend to try to walk between doing something new and doing something that plays well in Japan (something which I personally feel is kind of a mistake for reasons I'll get on to). Life as a foreigner in Japan works well because it allows the writer to create something familiar yet different enough to still be interesting to a Japanese audience from a perspective that is still familiar to the author themselves (and can thus be done authentically). You avoid the immediately-apparent inauthenticity of writing from the standpoint of a culture you have no deep experience with, while also avoiding the potential fear of making something that's so off the mark that Japanese audiences won't be interested.

The reason why I personally think this is a mistake is because a lot of the time people actually *like* things that are different from what they usually get. That's part of the reason why people outside of Japan are attracted to Manga in the first place; it's different from the other types of comic books that are available to them. If you present something that's reasonably unique and done well, the Japanese audience will likely warm to it just as they'd warm to anything else of decent quality. The idea that they're not just as tired as we are of Generic Isekai #4977 is silly IMO.

[Anonymous No.4725673]

>>4725164
Not that anon, but I'm not entirely set for the location, culture and names for my story. For the one-shot it isn't really too important since I don't explore too many locations and it's very character driven, so I'm going for a alternate universe version of my home country since I'm familiar with it. But I was wondering how good I could actually fare in manga contests and pixiv with something like that. I've seen many going for a Japanese setting, but I'm not comfortable with doing that, since I'm not Japanese and couldn't possibly portrait the culture and anything in it authentically. Do people even care about something like that? I could see some of them having a problem with the character names.

[Anonymous No.4725678]

>>4725673
Japan basically doesn't give a shit if it's not a japanese setting. So long is it's something they can understand without having to have lived there themselves the they won't mind. See: all the fake-western style fantasy settings there are in LNs and games and manga.

[Anonymous No.4725684]

>>4725678
I wouldn't have thought that it's this bad.
Well maybe if I can make my art look Japanese enough I could pass it off as a Westaboo manga.

[Anonymous No.4725687]

>>4725684
I meant that japan won't mind a non-japanese setting. There's loads of examples of popular series that aren't at all set in japan.

[Anonymous No.4725689]

>>4725673
>Not that anon, but the anon you’re not the anon of

It should be fine. The translation will probably make the names sound a bit different anyway. I’m going for a non Japanese theme too.
They’ve probably read Japanese settings that were far better done than I could possibly pretend to write. And Oda did say to write something only you can.

[Anonymous No.4725725]

>>4725687
Ah I see. I misunderstood you then.
>>4725689
Thanks, this gives me confidence to roll with what I got.
>The translation will probably make the names sound a bit different anyway
I hope my entry gets to the translation phase.

[Anonymous No.4725764]

>>4725687
didn't japan get super assmad that strange journey wasn't japanese/didn't have a japanese protagonist?

[Anonymous No.4725826]

How detailed are your average sketches before inking?

[Anonymous No.4725899]

>>4725826
Kinda like this, but generally not as detailed for BG stuff.

[Anonymous No.4725906]

>>4725764
>>4725678
>>4725673
>>4725764

Goku isn’t Japanese. Neither is Edward Elric. Or Saber. Or Luffy. Or Eren Jaeger. Or the Joestars. Or Guts. Hell, there’s probably more non-Japanese protags than Japanese ones overall. What a stupid debate desu.

[Anonymous No.4725916]

>>4725906
jotaro kujo hmmmmm..jolyne josuke

[Anonymous No.4725997]

>>4725916
Joseph Joestar, Johnsthan Joestar, literally a posh boy born in England... hmmmm indeed...

[Anonymous No.4726001]

>>4725916
Half japanese at best

[Anonymous No.4726385]

>>4725916
>>4725997
>>4726001

[Anonymous No.4726461]

>>4717010
Just a warning its acrtually live action but its the best live action shit ive ever seen
>>4715544
I'll tell you what it feels like; Suffering. Because the line came out too thick and your arm just smeared the ink because it was too wet. You gotta wait ages for it to dry

[Anonymous No.4726468]

>>4726461
Takes me back.
I remember using G-pens back when I was in highschool. I tried so hard to get good with those, only to eventually go full-digital with each passing year.

I probably would suck trying to use G-pens now... =A=;;

[Anonymous No.4726719]

>>4714673
What do you anons think about the submissions so far?

[Anonymous No.4726987]

>>4726719
The best works will be coming out of the woodworks by the end of August, and probably most during the last day.

[Anonymous No.4727104]

tips for designing duos?Some form of connection between two characters

[Anonymous No.4727112]

>>4727104
What?

[Anonymous No.4727205]

>>4727104
Give them similar and/or opposing traits or abilities.

One is hot headed the other is calm and relaxed.
One has fire the other has ice. Or light and dark.
One is more logical in how they think the other goes with their gut, etc. Just make sure they share some kind of common interest that keeps them together. Like being co-workers or the desire to be the best at some kind of thing or whatever.

[Anonymous No.4727240]

>>4727104
>>4727205
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foil_(fiction)

[Anonymous No.4727804]

How do I attain convincing and cool looking skin tones using halftones like in my favorite doujins, when I try myself it looks extremely off.

[Anonymous No.4727805]

>>4727804
Got examples between your doujins and your work?

[Anonymous No.4727832]

>>4727805
Bear with me because I'm retarded. I can see the image on the left uses 1 for shadows, 1 for base tone and white for shine on the skin. However when I try it really looks extremely bad as the different tones don't play nice with each other. Not only that but my base tone already looks off from the get go and I wouldn't know how to achieve something like the hair or even something subtle as the background. I have no idea about most of the tooling and I'm currently trying to figure things out as I go, since this is still my first attempt at doing a sequence my pace is extremely slow.

[Anonymous No.4727838]

>>4727832
Shitty because using my mouse, but what are you talking about? Just slap another (light) tone on top, what's the issue? You can literally see how they're doing the highlights so just copy.

The hair is just a light gradation with normal penstrokes and tone scraped for the highlights.

[Anonymous No.4727841]

>>4727832
I’m not super familiar with tones. But, I think you might use grays in Clip studio on a monochrome layer?
I did go dig up this. It might help with the tones not playing nice. https://tips.clip-studio.com/en-us/articles/1019

See if this helps.

[SKULLxCOFFEE No.4728290]

Its currently july 16th I spent the last 2 months working on a 10 page comic.

Now i have a little over a month to draft and complete 30 pages of a one-shot for my entry into this contest.

Am i the only one?

(Art attached is mine btw)

[SKULLxCOFFEE No.4728317]

>>4727838
This.

Its simply the brush he’s using to achieve that oily skin effect (“brushes dont matter” btw)

If it wasnt for the erased out white areas in the skin screen tone it wouldnt look like skin. You can tell the brush used plays a big role by comparing the paint over anon did of your drawing with a regular brush

[Anonymous No.4728513]

>>4728290
How long have you been drawing that’s so cool

[Anonymous No.4728520]

>>4728290
Oof! That sounds tough! D:
Wishing you the best!

[SKULLxCOFFEE No.4728552]

>>4728513
> how lon you been drawing
About all my life. Went through the loomis study fantasy art concept artist phase for 3 years then was like fuck all that and went back to me roots in anime

[SKULLxCOFFEE No.4728554]

>>4728520
Thanks after crunching the numbers that would be legit impossible

I’m gonna do a 10 page one shot and just make it funny af

[Anonymous No.4728557]

>>4728290
I'm 13 pages in after a month and a half, 30 pages to go.

But we can only try.

[SKULLxCOFFEE No.4728561]

>>4728557
Thats really impressive brah good luck to you.

I think the best option for me is to just kill it with a small 10-page story. Something manageable

[Anonymous No.4728572]

>>4728552
What would you reccomend for someone wanting to learn to draw like that?

[SKULLSxCOFFEE No.4728602]

>>4728572
Katsuya Terada

[Anonymous No.4728620]

>>4728602
Solid choice.
Terada is amazing.

[Anonymous No.4728732]

>>4728290
>Now i have a little over a month to draft and complete 30 pages of a one-shot for my entry into this contest.
>Am i the only one?

Nah, I’m with you. Still on the draft, but I think I can complete it in time.

[Anonymous No.4728749]

found this

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/71304205

[Anonymous No.4728765]

>>4716300
wtf is that a real page?

[Anonymous No.4728774]

What pens/brushes do you all use?

[Anonymous No.4728776]

>>4728749
Awesome find!
Thanks for sharing. :)

[Anonymous No.4728824]

I really don't want to finish my entry. I'm 12/32 pages in and I hate every second of it. I have no aspirations to work in comics or manga, and before the contest came around I was grinding concept art to build up my portfolio. The work I've done for this is honestly some of my worst, and I can't write for shit. Winning is definitely out of the question, but I feel compelled to finish because of sunk cost fallacy. Any advice on what do do with myself?

[Anonymous No.4728828]

>>4728317
Doesn't hurt asking in case you or someone else knows. What brush that might be or where can I find something similar?

[Anonymous No.4728850]

>>4728824
Seeing it through is a good experience to have in itself.
But if it's causing way too much un-need stress, then cutting your loses isn't the worst thing to do either. :)
You probably know what's best for you.

[Anonymous No.4728875]

>I have no aspirations to work in comics or manga
>I was grinding concept art to build up my portfolio.

If you want to do concept art, just focus on that. Time is precious and you should use it wisely. No scene in wasting two months on a comic if that's not really your end goal.

[Anonymous No.4728876]

>>4728850
That mentality is the root of why I'm having such a tough time deciding, I used to have a problem finishing anything, so to abandon this would be like a relapse in a way. But on the other hand, it's wasted time to finish something you hate and can't profit on you know? I sincerely wish I knew what was best for me, haha.

[Anonymous No.4729019]

>>4728876
Maybe you won't earn any profit.. but the experience you gain should be something to consider.
I know the feeling of not finishing anything after multiple attempts.. I think this is one of the reasons I'm so hellbent on finishing this contest regardless of how happy I am with it.

Welp! I'll be rooting for you either way!
Either for a successful finish (I would count that as a success, personally)
Or cutting loses and moving on (the key is to not get hung up on it and focus on the next task)

[Anonymous No.4729275]

>>4728290
>Now i have a little over a month to draft and complete 30 pages of a one-shot for my entry into this contest.
Draw the barebones of all 30 of those pages before coming back and polishing them. If you have no draft at all for them then RIP you I guess, better figure out how to blast pages out like a serialized mangaka does real fuckin' quick.

>>4728765
Yes. Togashi gives absolutely 0 fucks about standards, WSJ will publish basically anything he does because there's a significant boost in WSJ sales whenever there's a HxH chapter. Living the dream.

>>4728824
Finish it anyway or when you do make something you want to finish you'll regret not having more experience disciplining yourself. Everybody has duds, learn from them.

[Anonymous No.4729377]

>>4728552
Did the loomis stuff help?

[Anonymous No.4729694]

>>4728824
Finishing is a good habit, practicing it seems useful. If it that unbearable, cut the story, make it less long.

[SKULLxCOFFEE No.4729774]

>>4728828
I’m pretty sure its one of the brushes you can download for clip studio. A lot of the mangaka that use the program give away their brushes for free through clip studio

[SKULLxCOFFEE No.4729780]

>>4728824
Dont do anything you dont want to do brah. You didnt waste any time if you learned from this experience you dont want to make comics.

[SKULLxCOFFEE No.4729790]

>>4729377
Without a doubt it did but theres a point where people take it too far.

No point in rendering an atelier level drawing of a fucking foot. Who are you trying to impress? Thats masturbatory shit at that point.

Once you have a good idea of where all the muscles go and your faces arnt wonky, youre golden. Anatomy is just a bunch of cylinders and spheres in space.


Micheal hamptons figure drawing book i used just as much also. Its a great learning tool. You can jump in at any body part and just start grindin

[Anonymous No.4729854]

Wishing everyone the best in getting through the latter half! (Oh god... Only a month and a half left! @_@)
Here's my dude with a bistol..

[Anonymous No.4730069]

>>4728290
You can do it! I’m only 15 pages sketched in...gonna try to power through. I somehow kinda luckily became unemployed due to the coronavirus so at least I have plenty of time to work on it. I have ADD though so focusing has been really rough...

[Anonymous No.4730165]

does MMG like anime rage scenes when the main char looses it

[Anonymous No.4730412]

>>4730165
what

[Anonymous No.4730482]

These are meant to be one shots right?

[Anonymous No.4730496]

>>4728290
>>4730069
I sketched up 25 pages only to be dissatisfied with the story
I wrote myself into a corner with the main enemy and I don't know how to defeat her

[Anonymous No.4730514]

>>4730496
Tactical retreat

[Anonymous No.4730516]

Post what you're working on anons. You HAVE been drawing, right? The deadline is only getting closer!

>>4730482
For the competition yes, but the thread has expanded to include non-submission discussion too. Basically just anything that relates to the creation of manga/manga-esque illustrations goes.

>>4730496
That's what names are for, anon. A rough rough thumbnail you use to write the damn thing before you start properly sketching pages.

[Anonymous No.4730549]

>>4730516
>That's what names are for, anon. A rough rough thumbnail you use to write the damn thing before you start properly sketching pages.
Every time i did it this way I ended up drawing too slow and losing interest, for this one I just roughed out the next couple of pages while keeping the general outline and planned ending of the story in mind.
I just made her too strong and now I don't know what to do.

[Anonymous No.4730882]

>>4730496
Deus Ex Machina via suden power up gained by the protagonist by getting mad.

[Anonymous No.4730947]

>>4730549
Well, it looks like you've madeyour bed and now you gotta laid on it. Don't over detail names, simple stick figures will do. Hell, you don't even need to make names, just write a paragraph about the overall plot and how it resolves, work backwards, start with how the antagonist is defeated and think of ways that feel natural to get there. If nothing else, at least think of how the story will be resolved before putting pen on paper or you'll end up in this situation sooner or later. Say what you will about One Piece, but the reason it's still so big despite how long it is, it's because the auhtor has a plan. Any other unplanned manga would have fizzled out by now or just be episodic as fuck.

[Anonymous No.4730981]

can someone explain why is it impossible to become a werewolf or shape shift
>what are the requirements
>set backs
plz

[SKULLxCOFFEE No.4731007]

>>4730981
> can someone explain why it’s impossible to turn into a werewolf
..
Huh?


Also just thought up the perfect 10 page story for my world. Full of fun moments, action and interesting side plot. So excited

Attached art by me btw

[Anonymous No.4731009]

>>4730981
You're gonna have to rephrase that. I don't know if I get your question properly.
Why would it be impossible for anything?
You create the rules.
Don't expect others to figure out the story for you. That's your job.

[SKULLxCOFFEE No.4731028]

>>4731009

This I was going to say the same thing but the phrasing of the question is weird.

You could have a character turn into a werewolf everytime he sees his crush or when someone says a certain word.

That’s the beauty of manga brah

[Anonymous No.4731037]

>>4731007
>>4731009
>why is it impossible to shape shift scientifically realistically

[Anonymous No.4731122]

>>4731037
Again, not our jobs.
You should do your independent scientific research to make up something that sounds plausible, if you really want it to feel authentic (or 'I can see that happening' type of plausibility)

You can go as 'hard' or as 'soft' as you want.
Think about how some fantasies are very specific how the rules of magic work in their story.
Maybe the character loses a piece of their humanity, or their health fails every time they conjure magic.
But then you have other fantasy stories just use magic is if they're just breathing air.

It's literally up to you, and while asking other anons for suggestions or feedback is fine...
I'd personally expect you to at least do your part and come up with some rule sets to compare/contrast, so we can at least give you something.
Asking in such a vague & broad way won't really get you anywhere.

People may be here to help and share as much as they can... but keep in mind that this isn't charity.
Respect other people's time and energy, and don't expect them to just give you everything.

[Anonymous No.4731131]

So how does it work with one making the story and the other doing the art? I have ideas for stories but my drawing skills is mediocre at most.

[Anonymous No.4731543]

>>4731131
Either have lots of money or find a good artist willing to work for free (LOL).
You're really better off just drawing it yourself even if it looks bad. It's good practice, you'll see gains if for no other reason than it involves quite a large volume of drawing to make any any comic.
Remember there's far, far more people who are ""writers"" looking for an artist to ""work with"" (read: kick back while the artist does 90% of the work -- and I don't care who you are, if you're not constantly planning out, revising, scripting out and drawing names for whatever comic you're working on then you're slacking, because the artist has to do far more work than that at a minimum) so if you're planning to find someone to draw you shit FOR you then you really have to give them a damn good reason to not think you're just using them to do the horrible part for free.
I highly recommend just drawing comics yourself. You'll get art gains and an understanding of just what you're asking someone to do by having them draw your comic for you.

[Anonymous No.4731550]

>>4728824
The sunk cost fallacy says you should stop now. If you walk into a movie that cost you 10 dollars and it's absolute shit, you've already wasted 10 dollars and sitting through the movie would then waste 2 hours of your time. Comics really aren't for everyone, even of all my artist friends who adore reading comics, only one of them actually enjoys making them. It might be that you're just not ready for a 32 page oneshot yet and struggling and rushing to finish before a deadline may not be a good use of your time. Go back to the concept art stuff and on the weekends or something spend time making shorter, maybe 10 page comics to slowly build up your writing skills in the meantime.

[Anonymous No.4731594]

>>4731131
>>4731543
ONE is a good success story example. Make a good compelling story, and perhaps enough people will take notice.

[Anonymous No.4731604]

>>4731594
ONE's a shit example for what what he's asking because ONE isn't a writer working with an artist, he just made the fucking thing himself then a better artist came along much later and started redrawing his work.

[Anonymous No.4731647]

How many steps do you usually take to go from underdrawing and sketch layer to finished linework?
Do you just make a sketch layer and go straight into final lineart? or do you make multiple sketch layers from less detailed to more detailed untill you reach the final ink one?

[Anonymous No.4731692]

>>4731647
Personally my process is:
1. Draw the name. In this case I doodled it with my mouse in thumbnails with every page being on one large canvas which I then copy/pasted each individual page into separate canvases to proceed. This is when the dialogue, the composition, the pacing and so on are decided.
2. Move on to a proper sketch, refining the composition and paneling, last chance for major changes. Just one layer, I try to make it rough but end up spending more time making it look nice than I mean to.
3. Ink, add tones, generally finalize. I basically just drop the opacity of the sketch layer then draw over the top of that. This is the step where I make new layers all over the place.

Dunno if this process is good, it's just what I did. I definitely feel like my sketches are more detailed than they need to be. I want to get much faster at every step of this process
I don't think it's worth worrying about multiple layers or anything like that in the sketch, because it doesn't matter if it looks pretty, it's only there for you anyway. For inking though, layers are very useful since it allows you to experiment with what you think looks good or not, and allows you to fix mistakes easily in the part of the process where those mistakes matter.

[Anonymous No.4731751]

>>4731647
A bit extreme... But here's my example.
Usually I would have a few extra steps in-between before committing to cleanup, but given that I started a bit later and want to move on the next page asap, this is how it looks.

1. Super rough thumbnails - Quickly map out how I want my overall story to flow.
2. Rough pass - If I think a different image would work better during this phase, I'll change it up.
3. Clean up - Less wiggle room to change things at this point. So, I try to do my best to see the page/panels in context, and start cleaning up.

It's not really a method I'd recommend, but if you're short on time... and willing to take some hit in the pacing department.. It does force you to move on and free up time to actually draw... Since that's where a lot of one's time will be spent on.

Hope this helped.

[Anonymous No.4732054]

>>4727805
>>4727838
>>4727841
>>4728317
>Actually... I failed again
I tried but the skin tones still look extremely off and terrible compared to my target example.

[Anonymous No.4732150]

>>4732054
The patter on them? Or just the end effect? Just trying to figure out what exactly is throwing you off.

[Anonymous No.4732177]

>>4732150
Both. If we refer to the example I'm using on >>4727832 even in the base skin I can't attain an uniform clean pattern and it looks annoying to the eye. Now that I added the shadows it just made it worse as both of them seem to be contesting each other instead of complementing themselves. So the pattern is altogether wrong and it looks bad and the end effect is extremely dissonant. If anything the end result looks garish and cheap. If I remove the tones it actually looks more decent but I want to attain doujin aesthetics.

[Anonymous No.4732190]

>>4732177
I'll fiddle with it and see if I can help. Off the bat I think the lighting is a bit confusing. Where is your main light source coming from?

[Anonymous No.4732202]

>>4732190
Thank you. Light is supposedly coming from up and front. What you're saying makes sense for I'm terrible at consistent lighting. Granted I'm /beg/ and terrible at pretty much everything but I'm always practicing.

[Anonymous No.4732260]

>>4714673
Fuck it, what's the best books and tutorials to learn how to draw Chainsawman level stuff. I'm not looking for this detailed shit that every course on /ic/ wants me to learn.

[Anonymous No.4732275]

>>4732202
So, I realized I bit off too much than I can chew. I don't know a thing about tones since, I never use them. But, best thing I could do was mess with gray scale if you'd like to try out this lighting.
Not sure if it's helpful at all, sorry.

>>4732260
Fastest route is to trace, copy and study Chainsawman. Try to build up a foundation to work from, than you can study the intricate things as you improve.

[Anonymous No.4732292]

>>4732275
It is helpful, If anything the lighting is better so I will use your example for corrections. Thanks!

[Anonymous No.4732368]

>>4732260
>implying that Chainsaw Man's art is somehow "easy" because it looks more rough or more simple than prettier, more detailed art
Mangatard beginner mistake numero uno right here. News flash, that "detailed shit" is how you learn to draw stuff like this, retard. There are no shortcuts that allow you to skip fundamentals. Get it through your thick-ass skull.

[Anonymous No.4732374]

>>4732260
>>4732368
If you insist on only learning how to JusT DrAw mAngO this is probably your best bet afaik. I can't say I've ever actually looked too hard for them myself.

[Anonymous No.4732517]

So, I had an idea for a one-shot (with possibilities for an extended storyline if I wanted to pursue it). I've got a fairly good idea for the basic outline of the plot, but I've never made comics except for some short ones I did a few times, most of them a long long time ago, I have no real idea on how to make a pure black and white comic for print, and I've never worked with screentones before. I'm also working on an Android tablet. So I really doubt I'm going to make this in time for the contest lmao
But I want to do this anyways, even if it does suck.

[Anonymous No.4732914]

>>4732054
are you talking about the highlight textures? It looks like he's using tone scraping, while you're just erasing the tones. Post the lineart without the tone, and let me see if I can play around with it.

[Anonymous No.4732916]

>>4732517
It's my first attempt myself.. But one thing that really helped me was using Clip Studio Paint.

They have a really cool feature where you can just paint Greyscale, and with a click of a button, it changes it into tones.
It's not perfect, but I think for complete noobs like myself, it's been really helpful, and takes off the edge of 'WTF am I doing?!' feeling into more, 'God this sucks, but I think I can go with this.'

[Anonymous No.4733337]

>>4731131
mediocre at most drawing skills can work just look at attack on titan or >>4731594

[Anonymous No.4734122]

A recent panel from my one shot

[Anonymous No.4734156]

>>4712512
>>4712526

Okay, so I think it's about time that I got around to talking about this stuff. Might be a bit rambly.

So what was meant by a "lack of smooth integration between setting and story in a lot of manga" has a few different manifestations, but I think they can all be sort of summarized via the following complaint, which we both agreed with: a lot of manga uses the world as an excuse for why things happen, as opposed to a vehicle through which the story is told.

This might seem like kind of the same thing so let me explain. When the setting is used as an excuse as opposed to a vehicle, what results is a story in which the setting is mostly irrelevant; the world is used to explain to the viewer why the powers that exist exist, why the fights that are happening are happening, and then fades into the background, the ramifications of those elements of the setting never explained or explored beyond that. Since all the focus is on this one portion of important information, there's no smooth introduction to the setting. Think of it like Street Fighter's lore; there's lots and lots of information in the setting, but almost none of it is relevant to what goes on in the games save for where characters come from and the super baseline reason as to why they're all in the same place fighting each other. All the stuff in the setting almost never comes into play, and the rules of the setting itself almost never influences any of the dynamics or storylines in tangible ways.

Personally, I think this is where phenomena like infodumps come from. The writer ends up in a rush to justify the story's framework to the reader so that the fancy words in the narrative have meaning, rather than using the world to deliver this information in an experiential format.

cntd.

[Anonymous No.4734169]

>>4734156
I think another secondary facet of this comes in the form of a lack of ability to show, rather than tell. A lot of characters will have where they're going or the culture of a place explained to them when, ideally, the artist would just draw it. Backgrounds / environments in manga are already pretty rare in some works, which means that lots of them won't take the time to incorporate things like establishing shots or mundane explorations of a location.

These sorts of things are ultimately important in a story context because it gives us the space to show things that we would otherwise be forced to infodump onto the viewers. There are many instances in manga or anime where characters will have the details and culture of a place spelled out to them before or when they get there, when we could be shown those elements visually when the characters walk around. Rather than tell us that we're heading to a city filled with genius craftsmen, we could be shown their wonders and their works as we make our way through the streets alongside the characters. A lot of flavor can be given visually, and it rarely is outside of seeing the place for the first time (only for the rest of the introductory sequence to be filled with blank white backgrounds or little else).

Not every series does this, though. Akira has beautiful spreads depicting Neo Toyko both in life and in death. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind has many gratuitous drawings of environments and insects. Made in Abyss avoids this problem entirely via lots and lots of visual worldbuilding at basically every available opportunity (see the attached image for a wonderful sense of place and atmosphere). That said, I think the general lack of environmental depiction and visual worldbuilding hurts the integration of the "world" into most manga.

cntd.

[Anonymous No.4734178]

>>4734169
Funnily enough, I find that JRPGs are way, way better at this kind of integration than most Manga. A lot of them practically *force* the player to spend gratuitous amounts of time doing mundane things in order to grow a player accustomed to spending time in a place, not to mention all of the mundane dialogue you can get from talking to various side-characters in a location.

Of course, that's a different medium with different constraints, and it's generally a bit easier in games to get a lot of playtime out of a specific location or set of assets once they've been developed than it is in comics. But I still think that we can take a page from JRPGs and RPGs in general when it comes to letting the audience and the characters linger in tangible spaces, building a connection with them and getting information about them on a visual level. Not to mention that it offers up another level of visual distinguishment for your manga or comic or whatever as a whole.

[Anonymous No.4734211]

>>4734156
>>4734169
>>4734178
This is probably a direct result of just how incredbily difficult it is to flesh out a setting on a weekly basis when you also have to worry about progression an overarching story, characters and action and to draw all this. It's not just about know to do these things, but to figure out how to do it when you're extremely limited on time. You're guaranteed to run out of ideas/not be able to keep up inventing stuff for your setting. This is where it's necessary to cut corners and fill in blanks with settings you and the readers have preconceptions about -- IE, videogame fantasy RPG worlds, urban NYC worlds etc.

[Anonymous No.4734223]

>>4734211
It is, sure; this is one of the reasons why I've long held that the weekly release format is detrimental to the medium and that things should be at least bi-weekly.

The bright side of this though is that we as random people on the internet aren't beholden to the weekly release schedule, especially since it's not really a thing in the west unless you're publishing a webcomic. So, I think this is still something that we as potential creators should keep in the back of our heads.

[Anonymous No.4734229]

>>4734211
Well, you can't afford to neglect characters and story, so setting and themes take what is left. On a weekly basis it means that they don't receive almost no attention, no argument. But, I don't I don't think I can come with any examples with evolving setting in monthly manga series. Nothing comes to mind.
I think readers are also OK with infodumps if the exposition is not completely hamfisted and told by a naturally knowledgeable character (a teacher, a guide, a local, etc).
It would have been better if there was a page or two dedicated to walking through that artisans city in your example, so that reader would have a thought "wow those are of superb quality, why" and then a guide/local friend will say something "Wow, the quality of products only increased since my last visit!" and then convo will flow naturally and impart the info on the reader.

[Anonymous No.4734233]

>>4734229
>evolving setting in monthly manga series
Blame, Dorohedoro, Dungeon Meshi to name 3 (though Meshi is pretty infodumpy, it also involves a lot of setting exploration).

>>4734223
>The bright side of this though is that we as random people on the internet aren't beholden to the weekly release schedule, especially since it's not really a thing in the west unless you're publishing a webcomic. So, I think this is still something that we as potential creators should keep in the back of our heads.
Funny you should say that, I was planning on releasing bi-weekly chapters of my comic once I was done with my one-shot. I've already tried weekly and I know for a fact that I can't keep up on my own, and I definitely feel like monthly releases feel too slow.

[Anonymous No.4734243]

>>4734233
>Blame, Dorohedoro, Dungeon Meshi
I couldn't get into Blame, but I'll try the Dorohedoro. Thank you.
>monthly releases feel too slow
Have the same feeling. Twice a month sounds like a sweet spot: authors have more time to produce better product, and readers don't have all the details evaporated.

[Anonymous No.4734249]

>>4734243
>I couldn't get into Blame, but I'll try the Dorohedoro. Thank you.
It wasn't a rec, lol. I was just listing examples. That said you should definitely read Blame, even if just to say you have. It's unique within the medium.

[Anonymous No.4734256]

>>4734249
I tried twice, and twice I was bored and dropped it.

[Anonymous No.4734271]

New thread.

>>4734270
>>4734270
>>4734270
>>4734270
>>4734270
>>4734270

[Anonymous No.4734276]

>>4734271
no need to make a new thread the minute we hit bump limit yknow, threads last a couple days with no bumps.

[Anonymous No.4734285]

>>4734243
On the other hand, weekly publishing has created a demand for assistants, which is basically an internship/apprenticeship of future mangakas.

[Anonymous No.4734289]

>>4734276
Eh, might as well move on anyway, conversations transfer easily enough and it takes the potential confusion of hitting the archive before a new thread is linked to this one out of the equation.

[Anonymous No.4734295]

>>4734289
>Internal screaming.

I have a wall of text. Dunno where to post.

[Anonymous No.4734298]

>>4734295
Both?

[Anonymous No.4734306]

>>4734295
Post in the new thread so it's not buried at the bottom

[Anonymous No.4734529]

>>4716292
Manga is an excellent medium for psychological stories.