Heyyyyyyy. So, first post for 2012. Hope your year is going well. My site seems to have been spammed with software links touting cheap copies of photoshop and windows so apologies if you came here expecting a deal. I’m not sure how to fix that but I have a feeling not touching my site for the last while is the cause.

Anyway, some new things for me this year. I finally got an iphone after holding out against my carrier for about a year. It’s pretty amazing. Everyone said how you couldn’t go back to a flip phone after and it’s completely true. I’ve joined instagram and twitter as well so if you want to follow me please do.

Instagram

Twitter

In terms of work, I finished 2 issues of Generation Hope (16 and 17) last month and I’m back sweating on layouts. Things didn’t work out with my last story and I feel I’ve taken it as far as I could, so I’ve started on something new. Yeah, a bit disappointing after over 8 months of work on it but I’m using that experience to good use now. I’m still struggling with it but not as much. lol

What else… oh, yeah. Tax season is upon us again. Gotta get that done and sent off next week. Oh, also, an image I drew for a friend’s film company’s new years card. I figure it’s okay to post it now:

TAK

Things for the past month or so have been a bit hectic. Seeing friends from overseas, planning a short trip to Korea and planning my schedule during my stay in Toronto, all while working on layout edits and consequently, nervously waiting on approvals. I also snuck a day of volunteering at a local food bank and picked up some extra work from Marvel for the new year. You’ll get to see how I draw now in the coming months. Hopefully you’ll see an improvement from my last book. It’s comforting to know they still remember me!

So, anyway, that’s how it’s been. I pulled out my PS3 for the first time in 8 months to play Ni no Kuni. I was drawn to the visuals and my apathy for FPSs. It’s a kids game for sure but I’m finding it really challenging. Especially the battle system. It doesn’t give you breaks and pauses like an FF game so you’re constantly looking after multiple characters at once. It’s been a good slow increase in difficulty, tho. I will see this to the end dammit!

Tak

I wish I could draw pages with this much finesse:

TAK

Tickets booked! Flying through Texas on the way there. Texas!? I’ve only ever flown Tokyo to Toronto direct but I’m on a budget this year so sacrifices had to be made. I’m flying through New York on the way back, too. The compromise was that I scored a 2-way ticket for under a grand. Already loathing the travel time, tho… I need a good book or two.

Currently tweaking my layouts for another meeting tomorrow. Working towards another end-of-the-month editorial review. I was comparing my first set of layouts to the ones now and aside from a few key elements and character visuals, you would NOT be able to tell they are the same story. It’s evolved that much. Fingers crossed.

TAK

Dammit… My awesomely expensive headphones just bit the dust, yet, my tank of an ipod (B&W with buttons) I’ve wanted to ditch and replace for years still clings to life. My computer of 2 years is crashing for no reason every now and then as well. My stuff hates me.

My annual trip home is approaching. Looking around for cheap tickets at the moment. I kinda wanna go home in the summer, tho. Y’know, when it’s not freezing and desolate of vegetation. My parents grow a huge vegetable garden every summer and I crave plucking fresh tomatoes off vines instead of buying them in plastic cartons at exorbitant prices. I’ll see. If it’s too expensive or I get too busy I may postpone. I could hit the FanExpo as well and see some old faces.

Oh, yeah. New season of The Walking Dead! Stoked!

TAK

I’ve got a long week ahead with edits and rewrites plus redrawing layouts so, to give myself a bit of a boost…

Ramen Jiro time! The Takadanobaba location. The owner has been having health issues so business hours are only from 10:30am to 1pm. A small window of 2.5 hours. I got there at 10:20 and there were 5 people already lined up. It’s a popular location. Anyway… behold!

A bowl of thick, porky and garlic-stinking deliciousness. Definitely going to the gym tomorrow!

TAK

As part of working towards publication in Japan, I’ve spent the last few months toiling on research online, purchasing books on manga theory and construction and, of course, reading lots of manga. As with any other medium where one can find guidance through books, I suppose you could break those books down into the good, the bad and the not-bad-but-not-really-relevant-to-me categories. It’s hard to tell the difference when the book is wrapped in plastic with big buzz words like “Manga Rules” and “Professional Manga Tools” printed on the sleeve with unsourced quotes saying “You must read this if you want to become a mangaka”. Actually, come to think of it, these bells and whistles are a good indication for weeding out the ones that probably won’t help you.

Most tend to focus on how the author themselves got started and how they managed to get their first stories published which leads to the required mental preparation and advice for newcomers based on these experiences. In the end, they all end with sourcing your life experiences for story ideas or reading other peoples work for inspiration. A lot of the how was there but none of the nuts and bolts of completing your first set of layouts. So, if you need something a little meatier than a simple guide (and can read Japanese), I recommend the book Manga no Tsukurikata or How to Create Manga by Osamu Yamamoto. I had one of his comics on hand and didn’t even know it.

It costs forty bucks and it’s worth every yen. Beginning with how to approach an editor and understanding what s/he really means when you hear “it’s not good enough”, it moves on to deconstructing 2 short stories, one by him and the other by Rumiko Takahashi. Starting with the plotting phase, everything is broken down in easily digestible chapters packed with information. Much of what I used to take for granted when reading a good comic is outlined and defined. Anyway, it helped me out and I think if you’re looking for specific advice on layout construction (and you can read Japanese) this is a solid read.

TAK

Currently waiting for editorial feedback on my layouts. I have no idea what they will say but I predict and expect more changes and tweaks. I feel good about the flow of the story and characters so, in all honesty, I’m not too worried and would happily make more adjustments if I had to. It’s only forced me to make it better thus far anyway. So, yeah. A waiting game for now.

First little bit of time I’ve had to chill and veg. I really should start plotting future chapters and cook up some new characters and mini-arcs, tho. The work never ends, does it?

In the meantime, watching The Thing. It’s pretty kick-ass.

TAK

Some of you watching would say this is scary. I feel nostalgic.

TAK

Helloooo! Still working on layouts! Gahhh!

Another overhaul, yo. This time it’s a pretty epic one. I hate using the word “epic” but I have to use it to describe all the changes I’ve made. I also don’t like using the word “fail” cuz it’s stupid and I’m not young enough to use that sort of language anymore but these new set of layouts it will not be. Nor do I think it will be a combination of the 2 words I don’t like using. Finally somewhat confident with what I’m doing. It feels good.

I picked up Samura’s Halcyon Lunch #2 this week cuz I love his work and buy anything he puts on paper. I like BOTI and will stick with it to the dire end but after reading this book, I think I love his other smaller projects more. The writing is just so appropriately meta and absurd and funny and inspiring and complicated. Complicated as in he references such niche things that I pity the translator who is given the task to bring this to a foreign audience. Anyway, it’s one of the best books I’ve bought recently and I’ve been buying a LOT of books. (future tax purposes… yadda yadda…)

Listening to mostly Brian Eno and bits of the Sunshine OST. Ambient music for the win. Dammit… Another word I don’t like using…

TAK