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Drafts of episode 117
- Thread starter Vitris
- Start date
This is the source of these images: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/v1120098724
It sold for 1,2 million yen.
It was originally awarded as a prize in Young Animal through a lottery. The first page is a message from Miura asking the winner not to put up the manuscript on the Internet. I guess people simply don't care anymore.
It sold for 1,2 million yen.
It was originally awarded as a prize in Young Animal through a lottery. The first page is a message from Miura asking the winner not to put up the manuscript on the Internet. I guess people simply don't care anymore.
I can't read Japanese, so I don't know what he said in that note.
Any reason why Miura objected to people sharing images of the manuscripts? Having samples of manuscripts out in the public are incredibly valuable for study. I know it was incredibly helpful for me, as someone who makes comics, to realize that the manuscripts for manga are created in this way. Understanding this was an aid to my own work.
No doubt because he preferred people to see the finished product.
In what way? By doing the storyboarding first? Nothing you couldn't learn from a course on manga/comics. Or even from a book on the subject, of which there are hundreds.
Well, considering that these are original drafts done by a famous mangaka that has passed away, not really. These drafts are as unique as you can get.
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Thinking about doing the storyboards as rough as possible so you can draw it fast, putting your energy the narrative flow and rough composition was an important lesson for me to learn. I did not learn this by looking at Miura's boards (the ones in this thread are the first ones I've seen, outside of the boards published in the Guidebook) However, I did learn this by seeing other mangaka do the same thing.
You're right, Miura's process is not unique in this respect, and this lesson can be learned elsewhere.
However, recording the creative process so we have a public record of how particular artists went about making their particular work is valuable. For historical record, and a guide for new artists.
When a comic is written in a board-driven way, things like--how much detail do you put into your panels, is gonna vary from artist to artist. I think that if you want to learn making comics, starting off by understanding the approach/creative process of the artists you admire is a good first step. Many of the creators I like have different approaches/personalities, so comparing those, and trying out what works for me has been helpful. Then synthesizing or rejecting elements until I find a good creative flow. Something as simple as say, comparing the rough storyboards of Miura to someone like Araki (who shared his very crude boards in his book on making manga), that's valuable. Those differences can speak to things as varied as an artist's personality, what they place importance on, their skill, etc. As an artist, reflecting on those differences is helpful.
Let's take a look at another art form for a moment. Film.
I've been on a bit of a physical media kick lately, so I've been buying more blu-rays than I probably should. One of the things I love to do is watch bonus features, listen to director's commentaries, etc. Now, one could say--"Why watch those? You know how the production pipeline works on making a feature film." But that would miss the point. Many film productions follow similiar pipelines, but to me it is still interesting if I can get an in depth understanding about specific choices that a director makes, and why they make them. When does an artist chose to deviate from the status quo or follow it?
Yes, it's perfectly within the rights of artist or film studio to withold production materials (most of the time they do), but there's a reason why film students want to study specific screenplays, specific storyboards, etc. They could get a book on screenwriting, but perhaps there's a particular author they want to study.
I wrote a short story that will be published in a comics anthology. (it was for a kickstarter that was successfully funded) I am also working on a longer story that I plan on self-publishing on a webtoon platform (likely Tapas). In my estimation, I am not a particularly good artist, but it's something I'm working on and am improving. I have also written plays, that were produced and successfully performed, so I have experience with publishing in other media. I feel like this line of questioning, however, is directing toward an ad hominem. Let's concentrate on the argument I'm making--that studying the work and process of particular artists is helpful.
What I am saying about synthesizing influences is something that artists the world over do, including Miura. (think about how he synthesized his love of genre movies, manga like Fist of the North Star and Rose of Versailles, or fantasy novels like Guin Saga.) It's what artists do, they study the work of people and things they like to create something that bears that influence and creates something unique. I can respect Miura's wishes but still question whether or not he made the right choice.
When someone confidently hands out (unsolicited) advice about a craft, it's normal to wonder what their credentials are. That's because the counsel of an experienced professional has more legitimacy – and more value – than that of an amateur's.
As for your argument, I'm afraid it is irrelevant to this thread. I asked a rhetorical question merely to point out that storyboarding is not a secret technique and that you were exaggerating these pictures' indispensability as study material. I wasn't asking you to justify your desire to see Miura's drafts with platitudes about the artist's journey. I get it, it's cool to see them! You can just enjoy that opportunity like everyone else, there's nothing to prove.