Manga Anyone created/ing their own manga/comic?

[Guest Miyuki Ichiro]

I'm serious about creating mine and I'm laying down the foundation (plot, characters, etc.) but does anyone have eperience with this? And would you perhaps have some basic steps to follow or something of the like?

[Konata]

I've tried to make a manga before but one of the major problems I had was starting it. I'm very uncreative, and I'm never satisfied with my work. If I wasn't such a procrastinator too, that'd probably help.

I'm not sure what you mean about the basic steps. As in drawing it? Overall? Or something else?

Right now, I think you already have a good start because you're labeling the foundation of it. Right now, the main thing I'll suggest is to find inspiration or some kind of strong motivation for drawing. Then, if you're a procrastinator like me, set a schedule for yourself. And then just draw. Sorry, I would give a lengthier suggestion but... I'm a bit distracted now with Wario Ware >_>

Sorry I couldn't help much ^-^'

[Guest Miyuki Ichiro]

I've had a big problem with inspiration and procrastination, too. It's taken me three something years to even get settled on an idea :animeswea

I'm really just looking for anything helpwise. I'm trying to get a website set up for my main character before next year's A-kon because I'm going to be cosplaying her and I'd like to be able to actually give people information on who I'm cosplaying as.

[MEUN]

:animesweaI don't have professional experience. But for like 8 years my own story has been growing and growing in my mind. lol
Im trying to make a comic about it...to at least get the story out there.

But my story was weird...I knew who my characters were and I knew what main things happened. But there was alot of stuff that didn't connect...they just came and went. lol

Oddly though, over the years as I thought about the characters and the story, every single piece starting coming together in ways I didn't think about before, yet seemed so obvious...:animesmil

[Lady Asphyxia]

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2]I haven't created my own manga/comic, but I'm going to redirect this thread to the Manga Workshop, which [I]does[/I] have plenty of experience with the matter. ^.^[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Guest Erikanime]

ive been planning to create my own comic, i already have a prototype. my friend drew it and created a storyline, and i am remastering it. im still having trouble getting started, because i tend to work too long on one scene. but i guess thats the same for anyone. im about to post the characters on my myotaku acct. if you want to check them out, i post them in original anime, otherwise you can just look me up. however, im having problems "getting to the next page" as it wont "go" to the next page after i upload it.

[MEUN]

[quote name='Erikanime']ive been planning to create my own comic, i already have a prototype. my friend drew it and created a storyline, and i am remastering it. im still having trouble getting started, because i tend to work too long on one scene. but i guess thats the same for anyone. im about to post the characters on my myotaku acct. if you want to check them out, i post them in original anime, otherwise you can just look me up. however, im having problems "getting to the next page" as it wont "go" to the next page after i upload it.[/QUOTE]

Yeah when I am making my current comics, I get off-track with everything else I have to do that I do go any further as soon as I'd want to. >_<
Hmph.

[lilmimichan]

I do! <3


I just need to improve on my drawing a bit more and stop being so lazy.

[Chiyasha]

Okay, I'll try my best to give you some valuable advice on making manga. Experience does not have to be working as a manga artist in some publishing company. Experience is from the time you start making your manga FOR THE FIRST TIME. So it's good that you are starting, better make use of your experience to master your manga art.

My experience of making manga is always up and down. Because I need to spend a lot of time finding new ideas to start a new storyline or even strengthening the plots within the storyline. It's better to start off with writing up the story--- obviously it's the most BASIC yet HELPFUL guide in creating the elements and the characters within the manga you work on. Get an empty book (A4 refill pad or copy book whatever, as long it's not blank) and put a label '"Name of Manga":Script Book'. That is where you put your ideas and you develop how each chapter should start off with. Always make it script form--- NEVER a narrative description that ends up in many paragraphs. we don't have time to read over that long development!!!!--- the only simple reason writing in script form is easy to catch up with the plot while you are making your manga. You know where did you stop and where the plot goes, which is more easier and time-saving.

When it comes to character design, try to make your characters unique in any way--- don't make it too bold, too bland, too odd, too unbalanced or else it'll change the storyline directly. Also find inspirations--- I remembered last time I made a manga there were 4 men who has the elements of the guys from the band Interpol. These characters looked slick and serious, noir comedy within their cold eyes, which are influenced by Interpol's songs. They work well in the story I wrote, then I made the manga (got abandoned for a while :animeswea)---. Take your time finding inspiration! It's not easy to design the most unique characters in one time. Take time also to make short biodata (in BULLETPOINTS) of each characters for easy referrence.

Finally, you need to discipline your focus. I know this sounds off the mood but being a manga artist (as a career or as a hobby) needs to be very focused on the manga he/she works on. That way he/she won't taking too much time off. Of course, if your daily life is busy, make some hours between the gaps you think you can cope working on your manga--- an hour or two will do! can be script-writing or drawing). You cannot abandon your daily stuffs like homework, so be time-wise. AND NO MIDNIGHT manga work UNLESS it's Saturday or holidays.
Don't put a lot of stress to yourself, you need a break too. This avoids writer's block and also improves your need to be inspired in making new plots or strengthen the plots and characters' personalities.
Finally (again:animeswea), you need PASSION to work on your manga. It involves discipline too because, think about it, that you achieve something awesome in working on your own manga. Without your determination and passion, you will definitely won't start working on your manga!!

I leave out submission part cuz I am not sure how to say it. I did submit one manga at TokyoPop two years ago but it's for Rising Stars of Manga '05 competition so it's not really an ambitious career type of thing.

I hope my advice is good enough for you. Please ask me if you need more help.

FINAL P/S: if you are using how-to-draw manga books, don't rely on them all the time. Just learn the most basic elements and then you develop your style!

[yugokitari]

I've got a manga going on. I can't draw, but my artist is good. Check it out at [url]http://theworldsuicidepoem.deviantart.com/[/url]. It might give you some ideas on how you should go about designing characters. That's mainly what's up there. We haven't gotten any of the [I]actual[/I] manga up there. Hope it helps give you some ideas.

Oh...sorry, but none of the writing is up. I don't plan on putting the scripts up. They're too easy to steal.

[phantom phan28]

I'm in the process of creating my own manga myself. A really good book series to read is the [I]Manga Mania[/I] series by Chris Hart. It's [B]really[/B] useful. Give it a shot and good luck!

[Konata]

[quote name='phantom phan28']I'm in the process of creating my own manga myself. A really good book series to read is the [I]Manga Mania[/I] series by Chris Hart. It's [B]really[/B] useful. Give it a shot and good luck![/QUOTE]

I personally prefer "how to draw" manga books by the Japanese, lol... Nothing racist, but none of the American-made books look like they have traditional manga style to me. A lot of it seems like the stereotype of it.

I'd recommend those "How-to-Draw-Manga" books.... The ones that are Japanese (lol wow I'm redundant). But if you don't want to use your $500+ for 20 books or something, then...

I'd recommend "Draw Your Own Manga: All the Basics" by Haruno Nagatomo, recommended by Tokyo Animation College. Or any of the other books in that series. Not only do they teach you the basics and more, they also have interviews in every(?) volume from famous manga-ka. For example, "All the Basics" has interviews with Takao Yaguchi (Tsuri Kichi Sanpei) and Touru Fujisawa (Great Teacher Onizuka).

[kakashi2011111]

i may be young but i did make some amateur comics, just not manga, because my drawing skills r below average.:animeswea but my idea is just all about random crazy mini-stories in a combonation. suggestions and ideas??:confused:anyone?

[`BrOkEn~AnGEl`]

[quote name='Konata']I personally prefer "how to draw" manga books by the Japanese, lol... Nothing racist, but none of the American-made books look like they have traditional manga style to me. A lot of it seems like the stereotype of it.

I'd recommend those "How-to-Draw-Manga" books.... The ones that are Japanese (lol wow I'm redundant). But if you don't want to use your $500+ for 20 books or something, then...

I'd recommend "Draw Your Own Manga: All the Basics" by Haruno Nagatomo, recommended by Tokyo Animation College. Or any of the other books in that series. Not only do they teach you the basics and more, they also have interviews in every(?) volume from famous manga-ka. For example, "All the Basics" has interviews with Takao Yaguchi (Tsuri Kichi Sanpei) and Touru Fujisawa (Great Teacher Onizuka).[/QUOTE]

I agree with you totally. The first how to draw manga book (and the only one until my other two get here) I got was "Draw Your Own Manga: All The Basics", I love the way it explains things to you, telling you how to do it, but while showing you in manga from. That book has helped me and I recommend it to others. I just pick up that book, read the interviews when I'm not inspired and then, reading the interview makes me inspired once more. I highly recommend that book, or any other books in the series, for anybody.