Character Proportions

There's a manhwa I'm reading where I am ecstatic that the artist improved the proportions of the characters. This story is a spin-off of the first series.

I won't mention the title or artist, because I loved the story so much, but I can't stand what I call "Brown Hornet" Syndrome - broad neck, shoulders, arms & chest, all of the torso muscular, but then from the waist and downward are like pencils/toothpicks.

It's especially egregious in the US superhero genre and any comic where there are preternaturally strong characters. Now, if the style is cartoonish, exaggerated, I don't mind the "Brown Hornet" look.

But if the art style is semi-realistic, it bothers me enough that the story and plots better be super engaging, or I'm out.

Case in point: my ML, Peter Dunlop, is a former footballer. He was a linebacker. Though this is anthro/furry, a little cartoonish with some manga aesthetics, I need him proportioned. I need ALL my OCs proportioned, regardless of body types. Or, moreso because of real-life body shapes.

Making More Informed Decisions About the Webcomic

I like revising and updating my webcomic hashtags/keywords. Had ‘public schools’ as one but, after going through a manga/manwha/manhua site, will be changing to ‘school life’.

This will be more inclusive since my #webcomic will be involving scenes and situations in an educational environment. Many of my characters are educators. My protag and the rest of the cast often discuss their school memories or what they're experiencing now. 

Also, the webcomic won't just be in public schools, but private(parochial) schools, academies, colleges, universities, technical/vocational schools, HBCUs, boarding schools, PWIs, and satellites. 

A Quick Note About Animation

I reactivated my Tumblr blog to begin posting my finalized comic, and one post explained how North American 2D animation seemed to flourish in the 90s before it suddenly stopped. 

One blogger explained they didn't understand as a child viewer, but after working in the arts and speaking to peers in the animation industry, they learned one of the main reasons was: unions. The European and Asian animation industries continued to put out innovative products while North American animation's lack of unionization stunted its growth.

I have been reading Japanese Anime/Manga magazines since the 90s, and learned that even in Japanese animation, how toxic the profession is to its animators, even when a studio does well in bestselling/award-winning titles. Even when a series grows an international fanbase. 

More endless reasons for why the creative/performing arts continue to be defunded and/or underfunded...

Because Society LOVES its arts to consume, but won't LOVE its creators to enough to sustain them.

Another Favorite Manga Series! & How It Influences My Current Graphic Novel!

I'm an intense re-reader. My favorite books I'll re-read dozens of times. Usually, every several months, I'll either read key/favorite volumes/issues in a long series or re-read a short series...

I re-read and skimmed through volumes 14-21 about two nights ago because I've been going through some stuff and things are already stressful and recent 'drama' was the icing on the cake. 

This week was "Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou/Jijō" often referred by its more popular abbreviated title "Kare Kano", or the English translation His and Her Circumstances, a 21-volume manga that became a woefully short TV anime series that probably only went to Volume 5!!! *still mad about this*

As I script my graphic novel/web comic "Summer to Winter", Kare Kano has influenced me on how I pace my story and how what starts out as a romantic comedy can still have elements of high drama, tragedy, and family saga.

Kare Kano starts out as a high school comedy, a teen star pupil ,Yukino, is riding on the praise, adoration, and adulation from her schoolmates, incurring jealousy in some, and biting envy in others. But she has a rival: a boy by the name of Soichiro who is considered the 'crown prince' of their grade and in the school. When his scores cause her to go to Second Place, she declares war on him and the two end up in a battle of grade school popularity, bringing in their respective fans, stalkers, and obsessed friends. The hijinks are over-the-top until you think it's going to get dark, and the series does get dark very fast... But NOT in the way one would expect. 

The series is a romantic comedy, as it also covers the romances of the secondary characters, Yukino's and Socihiro's HS friends and family members side-stories. But there is a darkness in the Soichiro character that is hinted at but becomes more apparent by Volume 13-14, and a lot goes downhill but with the humor still cropping up despite so many dark topics.

***

"Summer to Winter" appears to start off as a high school drama, but then flashes forward into the present with the protagonist(Yanina) at 25 meeting her teen crush and mean Math teacher, Mr. Dunlop. He's different now and this reignites her feelings into something more than the infatuation she felt as a girl.

The story veers into romance comedic territory with former teacher and student trying to navigate their feelings for one another, which veers into high family drama, social commentary with me also taking cues from Kare Kano with dwelling into the secondary characters' dramas and romances and the dark past involving Peter's(Mr. Dunlop) childhood and Yanina's constant flashbacks from childhood to adult present. 

Please continue to check out Summer to Winter on my Instagram! 

When the webcomic ends up on another platform, I will provide those links and details here on this ol' blog!

Again, take care, Dear Readers!

Got Back Into BL(Boy's Love)

I'm really glad I'm getting more into the Boy's Love(BL) genre now. Because years ago, there was a lot of problematic elements in it being worked through and even the genre's fans pointed them out. Probably being a newbie to this medium, I may have taken those problematic elements for granted and unfortunately, may even have adopted them into my own works. 

MY LOVE MIX-UP!(2021) [1 season/10 eps] based on the manga series by the same name "Kieta Hatsukoi" by Wataru Hinekure Watch the series on Viki now! Or on YouTube!

MY BEAUTIFUL MAN(2021) [6 eps] adapted from the novel "He, Who Is Beautiful" by Nagira Yuu Watch the series on Viki! Or on YouTube!

What's On YOUR Shelf?

These two shelves in one of my three bookcases in my bedroom pretty much sums up most of what I enjoy reading from the comic books industry - manga, manga-inspired Western comics, graphic novels, furry comic strips, superheroes, independents, and the hardcover artbook pr trade paperback edition. I live for them all.

More Random Thoughts from Journal Land

Camp NaNoWriMo started but this week took a bit much out of me, plus, I plunked down some hefty funds to get my eyes tested for new prescription frames! I was given a 40% discount but I'm poor until my next paycheck.

More news! Tabber the Red site will have a new look this July! In time for its birthday! So, working on some new Tabber stories set in world while also giving the official website a new face! Ay...

More random notes from the journals - this time, I need to do things on smaller paper or I feel I can't finish it! (Psychologically the same as getting the same amount of food put in a smaller bowl or on a smaller plate)

11x14 paper will be used as drafting/composition ideas!

9x12 will be for larger pieces such as character sheets, profiles, and storyboards.

Finally, 7x10 will be my magic number when it comes to final comic/graphic novel/manga artwork, which can be better scanned and formatted for digital submission.

May God help me with the next coming months. It's gonna be a doozy!

I Completed A 20-page Graphic Novel!

Month of February was both a difficult month emotionally, mentally, and physically for me.

I won't get too much into one of the reasons but I can talk about the other reason: I worked on a 20-page graphic novel! It was a rush job as I only had roughly two months to complete it.

Instead of using my special micro nib pens for inking, I decided to use my double-head black designer markers instead. It gave a children's book feel. I drove this idea home especially that I used a junior high school-aged Latin-American boy as protagonist.

I had my mom and five co-workers read the graphic novel and received only positive and heartfelt feedback!

The application package had four deadlines and, on my part, I completed the cover sheet, my bibliography, a resume, and the work sample (graphic novel)! I already had an appointment with a professor colleague who worked on my letter of recommendation. I only have one letter left. That deadline isn't until the first day of next month.

I posted cropped pages of the comic on my Instagram (@Handdrawnbycarmenjr) since it's in the submission process.

Please wish me luck and keep your fingers crossed!

More from the notebook...

By speaking to many Southerners (of Color), I learned how my Caribbean/West Indian background has been woven into the narrative of Southern U.S.A.

Also, Inktober is coming up and I'm left to wonder how much of Adobe Illustrator I will have to learn in order to do my comics or if I must also learn that basic manga software?

(Anime Talk) 1st Episode

Tweet and URL from my friend, host of his new "Anime Talk" podcast, the first episode where I am a guest!

Click on link below to listen to our discussion!

NEW: LexDaXMan and kayfey chat about their favorite animes on #Anime Talk (Ep. #1)! Enjoy!
Anime Talk (Episode 1)

Imagine Nation (Pop culture TV show)

Imagine Nation is a show on NHK World TV's channel (a Japanese news' channel for English-speaking viewers) that deals with anime, manga, animation, video games, cartooning, and speaking to industry insiders. The show is less than half an hour and I'll talk about it in another post. Right now, I want to bring up a quote I wrote down.

"There are things I don't want others to know about me. And there are things about people close to me that I wouldn't want to have disclosed either. I feel the same way about characters. I mean, not everything has to be revealed to the readers, because it's more beautiful when some things are left unsaid. I think the readers will appreciate it more." - Reiko Shimizu (mangaka)

This is an important quote to a writer from a comic writer. I don't know how to better place this in the context of the life of writing. The best I can understand from this quote from Mangaka (Comic writer) Reiko Shimizu is that a writer, not even the creator of whatever given media can absolutely know every bit and detail about one's characters. These clues may only be revealed in the process of writing. While in the moment of writing one's story can the stranger become the friend. The unfamiliar becomes the familiar. What is the mystery can only be understood and revealed through the active process of WRITING.

To learn more about "Imagine Nation" the show:

Imagine Nation official site

Imagine Nation On Demand

Imagine-Nation on NHK-World on Facebook

Random Rant That I Have Given Much Thought To

I'm a college lab tutor and so my students are from FOOHS (Fresh out of high school) to their 50s.

Many of my early 20s-30s students tell me how their families harass them for being 'nerdy' and preferring to: read manga/comics, watch anime/cartoons, and even *gasp* dare I say it? Play video games!

My students confide in me and when I hear these laments over and over, I get irate. There are so many temptations in this world.

I asked a student why were her parents so angry at her for staying in on a Friday night? And for staying in to read MANGA!

As a late teens to early thirties, there are so many temptations in this world, so many bad things to be involved in. One can be addicted to drugs, sex, alcohol, or even run away to join a cult! Instead, one's LARPing? Playing D&D, doing podcasting...

And these aren't considered by parents and guardians to be the healthier alternatives!? I'm confused.

Manga can be life...

Since in 'thesis-mode', I have been re-reading a lot of my favorite ‪#‎manga‬ series in order to keep in creative mode to finish even half of this novel.

"Winter vacation is needed... even for this exhausted love affair. The North wind is blowing strong... in the space between us that can't be filled. We can't stay warm anymore just by holding each other." - 'Paradise Kiss Vol. 5' by Ai Yazawa. ‪#‎Ilovemanga‬

More of an Influence...

I read somewhere years ago that J. R. R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" was influenced by Richard Wagner's "The Ring of the Nibelung" or "The Ring Cycle".

I'm trying to complete some graphic novel series and YA fantasy novels that I was suppose to finish long ago, but alas, life happens.

So, Lloyd Alexander's "Prydain Chronicles" (5 volumes) is now on my list of what I what to read now. I'm using online purchasing to find the editions to match what I already have.
I also have a manga series to read. I need 8 volumes to not only complete the series but to finish the books.

I'm a huge YA book reader. I oftentimes prefer the genres within Young Adult rather than the stuff written for more "mature audiences".

What I like about the "Prydain Chronicles" is there is an introduction in each volume when Mr. Alexander speaks about the series on a whole. Because the series was written during the 1960s, the books have become classics as well as the last volume having won the Newbury. He mentioned that the ancient Celtic texts of the Mabinogion (the first parts coming from the Welsh) was a heavy influence to his "Prydain" series.

Author and artist interviews always interest me because I like to get a peek inside another creative type's head. It encourages and strengthens me when I learn about what influences others and how they bring that into being.