10 THings I learned from volumes 4-19
Introduction: I still have not read a ton of manga, but I am tearing through the rest of Bakuman like it is my job. There is so much to learn from this series than I could have ever thought possible. I have read volumes 4-19 (I am saving the final book) and I have discovered so many ideas and concepts that I want to try and apply to my own work. To that end, I have decided to compile a second list of lessons I have learned from the Bakuman series. There is, probably, no limit to the amount of topics I could expound upon given the nature of the source material, but it is my sincere hope that these two lists can help set a constructive and creative path for myself and others.
1. Find, build, and utilize your studio space. - The studio is the most dominant setting for the core story of Bakuman, and I think that this is definitely no accident. The importance of your personal work space cannot go understated. The crux of the action hinges on the functionality of this space in Bakuman, and in turn I think that our own comic stories can largely be influenced by our own work space. Your "studio" can mean a lot of different things, and that is something that you have to be okay with. Maybe you would love to rent out a building or an apartment that you can dedicate to your artistic endeavors, but for most that is not financially possible. However, there is certainly no shame in that. In my apartment my wife and I have converted the second bedroom into an office. I have my drawing table, a couple of book shelves, and a TV set up and this is where a lot of my drawing takes place. (The kitchen table is a close second haha.) In the living room I have a small retractable computer desk where I can work digitally when the situation calls for it. The simplicity of this set up really works for me, and I do not think any less of my work just because I create it at home. Do I end up running around from room to room? Sure do, but ultimately there is no better studio space that I could ask for at this point in my life. Once summer officially kicks off, I will do a more in depth study into studio spaces, and go over my own personal layout.
2. Find your storytelling strengths, even if that means mixing up genres. - The main characters in Bakuman have created a story in nearly every genre. I find this tactic particularly inspiring, because I often find myself crossing over and weaving through different genres when I write my stories. That has lead to a stack of seemingly unrelated pieces, but the fact that they are of my own volition is the thread that connects them all together. The more stories that I write (even the unfinished ones) gives me a chance to further my understanding of storytelling, but also allows me to bring my additions to this community to the table. Your strength might be found in the ability to really construct a believable world. World building is an important skill, and being able to transport someone into your world is a reason for some people to gravitate towards comics. That skill is genre-less, in that, whether you are writing a western or science fiction thriller, the world building aspect of the story is extremely important. I would encourage anyone to find there genre-less strengths and start figuring out how to apply them to whatever type of story you are trying to tell.
3. Your personal life effects your creative prowess. - Bakuman becomes considerably less interesting if we were not invested in the character lives and motives. Without this, the story is essentially your basic level-up and move onto a bigger problem formula. The context to which the stories are being created is almost equal in importance to the actual story itself. I think that there a lot of valuable lessons packed into this over-arching theme. What you are doing in your day-to-day life will drastically determine your ability to tell a story. I am convinced that finding healthy habits in life is the key to finding successful storytelling. This can manifest itself in a variety of ways, but rest assured, we all have the opportunity for this each and every day. Find a way to be a better husband or wife, a better son or daughter, a better mother or father, a better friend, or a better employee, and watch how your ability to tell an effective story grows.
4. Have a goal that drives your work. - This can be a scary subject for a lot of artists, and you have to be at a place where you are truly honest with your goals. Drawing Batman for DC or Spiderman for Marvel is something nearly every comic artist dreamed of doing at age 5, but the reality is only a handful of people will ever have that privilege. However, is that really what your goal is? If it is, figure out a way to make it a reality. The world needs great people drawing Batman, and there is no reason that you could not be the next one if you are willing to work hard enough for it. At the same time, you may have loved Batman at age 5, but as you grew older your artistic goals shifted. Lucky for us, in the world of comics that is no problem at all. Whatever kind of story you want to tell, there is a way available for you to tell it. What is my goal? Excellent question. It has shifted around some, but I do feel like I am starting to hone in on it. I want to publish books, and tell short stories. This is still relatively broad, but I am starting to hone into what that means for me. As the clarity of this goal starts to come into focus, I can feel myself growing with excitement as I find what it is I am truly looking for as a storyteller.
5. The Internet. - Oh the Internet. Bakuman has minimal interaction with the Internet (in comparison to some of the other topics), but it plays a factor in the story none the less. There are endless ramblings that could occur once you start off on a topic like the Internet, but what I have ultimately decided is that the Internet is what you make it. People will love your work, people will hate your work, but is that going to stop you from creating is the real question. Having a thick skin is part of the territory when it comes to the life of an artist, and you will have to do is teach yourself to delineate criticism from insult. It takes tremendous courage to put your story into the world for people to tear into, but that is also where some of the reward for being a storyteller begins. If you are an artists, of any kind, you have some desire to show someone else what you have done, and there is tremendous power and pressure that manifests itself from that. The Internet is just another tool at your disposal, so use it as you see fit.
2. Find your storytelling strengths, even if that means mixing up genres. - The main characters in Bakuman have created a story in nearly every genre. I find this tactic particularly inspiring, because I often find myself crossing over and weaving through different genres when I write my stories. That has lead to a stack of seemingly unrelated pieces, but the fact that they are of my own volition is the thread that connects them all together. The more stories that I write (even the unfinished ones) gives me a chance to further my understanding of storytelling, but also allows me to bring my additions to this community to the table. Your strength might be found in the ability to really construct a believable world. World building is an important skill, and being able to transport someone into your world is a reason for some people to gravitate towards comics. That skill is genre-less, in that, whether you are writing a western or science fiction thriller, the world building aspect of the story is extremely important. I would encourage anyone to find there genre-less strengths and start figuring out how to apply them to whatever type of story you are trying to tell.
3. Your personal life effects your creative prowess. - Bakuman becomes considerably less interesting if we were not invested in the character lives and motives. Without this, the story is essentially your basic level-up and move onto a bigger problem formula. The context to which the stories are being created is almost equal in importance to the actual story itself. I think that there a lot of valuable lessons packed into this over-arching theme. What you are doing in your day-to-day life will drastically determine your ability to tell a story. I am convinced that finding healthy habits in life is the key to finding successful storytelling. This can manifest itself in a variety of ways, but rest assured, we all have the opportunity for this each and every day. Find a way to be a better husband or wife, a better son or daughter, a better mother or father, a better friend, or a better employee, and watch how your ability to tell an effective story grows.
4. Have a goal that drives your work. - This can be a scary subject for a lot of artists, and you have to be at a place where you are truly honest with your goals. Drawing Batman for DC or Spiderman for Marvel is something nearly every comic artist dreamed of doing at age 5, but the reality is only a handful of people will ever have that privilege. However, is that really what your goal is? If it is, figure out a way to make it a reality. The world needs great people drawing Batman, and there is no reason that you could not be the next one if you are willing to work hard enough for it. At the same time, you may have loved Batman at age 5, but as you grew older your artistic goals shifted. Lucky for us, in the world of comics that is no problem at all. Whatever kind of story you want to tell, there is a way available for you to tell it. What is my goal? Excellent question. It has shifted around some, but I do feel like I am starting to hone in on it. I want to publish books, and tell short stories. This is still relatively broad, but I am starting to hone into what that means for me. As the clarity of this goal starts to come into focus, I can feel myself growing with excitement as I find what it is I am truly looking for as a storyteller.
5. The Internet. - Oh the Internet. Bakuman has minimal interaction with the Internet (in comparison to some of the other topics), but it plays a factor in the story none the less. There are endless ramblings that could occur once you start off on a topic like the Internet, but what I have ultimately decided is that the Internet is what you make it. People will love your work, people will hate your work, but is that going to stop you from creating is the real question. Having a thick skin is part of the territory when it comes to the life of an artist, and you will have to do is teach yourself to delineate criticism from insult. It takes tremendous courage to put your story into the world for people to tear into, but that is also where some of the reward for being a storyteller begins. If you are an artists, of any kind, you have some desire to show someone else what you have done, and there is tremendous power and pressure that manifests itself from that. The Internet is just another tool at your disposal, so use it as you see fit.
6. Admit when something else is good. - This will come easier to some than to others, but admitting someone else has strong work does not belittle your own. There will always be a titan of industry that you may be comparing yourself to, but just because they are putting amazing things into the world does not mean that you are not! Take the time to read and review others people's work, and let them know what you thought of it. I have already built multiple relationships because of my willingness to express my admiration for work other than my own. Compared to many industries, the comics community is extremely tight nit, and when an amazing story comes along the whole industry celebrates. Comics spent decades as a lesser art form, but now represents an important and legitimate form of art and storytelling. Bakuman shows a healthy way of being able to find this sense of admiration for others, without it becoming a format for self-loathing. If there is anything that time has shown us, it is that good comics beget good comics.
7. Know when it is time to end a story and move onto the next one. - Grasping to a story that is clearly over has dangerous repercussions, and I think that Bakuman does a great job explaining this. Personally, I feel a sense of responsibility to find the finite end for my stories, and be willing to share that with the reader. It is extremely difficult to create a character of world in which hundreds of issues can take place. If you have not created that world, that is something you need to admit and move on from. I think that this lesson can directly relate to what your goals are. If you want to set out to create the next Spawn, Hellboy, or Batman, you better be prepared for the type of dedication that will require. I do not find myself gravitating towards these types of stories for my own work, but a successful ending is still something that is requires a certain amount of grace. There is nothing better, as an artist or reader, than the feeling of completion that comes from the end of a complete story. That feeling is something that lives on with you, and is, oftentimes, what encourages you to share the story with someone else.
8. Speed Vs. Quality. - Bakuman spends a significant amount of time talking about deadlines versus quality of work, and for most artists this is a very real reality. There is a certain level of quality that is to be expected with a professionally published comic, but in the world of self-publishing (which I am currently in) there is really an anything goes mentality. It is up to the creator to find out how to balance time without missing the mark for the style that they have selected. I am starting to find my groove for a speed and style that suits my current tastes, but that is not going to be the same for everyone. You might be able to paint like Michelangelo, but if you can only finish a page a month is that really what you want to do? At some point, the quality versus time equation is something that every artist needs to consider, and in my experience the sooner the better. You may have just drawn the best page of your life, but how long did it take you to do it? Is this something you could get faster at, or is it something that will always take a specific amount of time? All of these things, and so much more, factors into your own equation, and the sooner you start to work on it, the sooner you can hold your comics in your hand.
9. DO NOT STOP WORKING HARD. - Dedication to comics is a passionate feat to witness in any artist. Bakuman emphasizes the fact that even a top-selling artist needs to work extremely hard to stay on top. A storyteller's work is never done, and a constant determination to make the next story you tell, the best story you tell can take you to great places in this business. As a self-publisher, I know that it takes a lot of hard work to make a book happen. If this is something you want to pursue, you have to find a way to work through the ruts. You may not always feel like working on your comic, but making daily progress is the only way that you can start to chip away at the mountain.
10. HAVE EVEN MORE FUN! - Even with the short amount of time that has passed from my first Bakuman article, I have an even deeper understanding of how important this fact is, and I cannot stress it enough. You have to love comics and storytelling to dedicate yourself to this profession. It, at times, can be an arduous path filled with long hours and hard work for a labor of love. If you are not having fun making comics, it is my firm belief that you will stop. Eventually, the workload will weed out those who never truly wanted to a part of the industry in the first place. For others, the continuous joy of holding a finished product, and sharing it with the world, will help provide you with the drive to keep on creating.
Conclusion: I am loving every minute of Bakuman, and I am sad to say that my first read through of this series is about to end. I have been saving the final installment as a treat for myself once my first comic is finished. As it stands currently (with the exception of a handful of adjustments and a few re-draws) I am seven panels away from my first, full-length, penciled and inked comic. I will also be working on the coloring and lettering for this book myself, but with each passing day I know that I am one step closer to finishing my first story. It is a little surreal to think of at this point, but I hope to be sharing that story with everyone very soon.
7. Know when it is time to end a story and move onto the next one. - Grasping to a story that is clearly over has dangerous repercussions, and I think that Bakuman does a great job explaining this. Personally, I feel a sense of responsibility to find the finite end for my stories, and be willing to share that with the reader. It is extremely difficult to create a character of world in which hundreds of issues can take place. If you have not created that world, that is something you need to admit and move on from. I think that this lesson can directly relate to what your goals are. If you want to set out to create the next Spawn, Hellboy, or Batman, you better be prepared for the type of dedication that will require. I do not find myself gravitating towards these types of stories for my own work, but a successful ending is still something that is requires a certain amount of grace. There is nothing better, as an artist or reader, than the feeling of completion that comes from the end of a complete story. That feeling is something that lives on with you, and is, oftentimes, what encourages you to share the story with someone else.
8. Speed Vs. Quality. - Bakuman spends a significant amount of time talking about deadlines versus quality of work, and for most artists this is a very real reality. There is a certain level of quality that is to be expected with a professionally published comic, but in the world of self-publishing (which I am currently in) there is really an anything goes mentality. It is up to the creator to find out how to balance time without missing the mark for the style that they have selected. I am starting to find my groove for a speed and style that suits my current tastes, but that is not going to be the same for everyone. You might be able to paint like Michelangelo, but if you can only finish a page a month is that really what you want to do? At some point, the quality versus time equation is something that every artist needs to consider, and in my experience the sooner the better. You may have just drawn the best page of your life, but how long did it take you to do it? Is this something you could get faster at, or is it something that will always take a specific amount of time? All of these things, and so much more, factors into your own equation, and the sooner you start to work on it, the sooner you can hold your comics in your hand.
9. DO NOT STOP WORKING HARD. - Dedication to comics is a passionate feat to witness in any artist. Bakuman emphasizes the fact that even a top-selling artist needs to work extremely hard to stay on top. A storyteller's work is never done, and a constant determination to make the next story you tell, the best story you tell can take you to great places in this business. As a self-publisher, I know that it takes a lot of hard work to make a book happen. If this is something you want to pursue, you have to find a way to work through the ruts. You may not always feel like working on your comic, but making daily progress is the only way that you can start to chip away at the mountain.
10. HAVE EVEN MORE FUN! - Even with the short amount of time that has passed from my first Bakuman article, I have an even deeper understanding of how important this fact is, and I cannot stress it enough. You have to love comics and storytelling to dedicate yourself to this profession. It, at times, can be an arduous path filled with long hours and hard work for a labor of love. If you are not having fun making comics, it is my firm belief that you will stop. Eventually, the workload will weed out those who never truly wanted to a part of the industry in the first place. For others, the continuous joy of holding a finished product, and sharing it with the world, will help provide you with the drive to keep on creating.
Conclusion: I am loving every minute of Bakuman, and I am sad to say that my first read through of this series is about to end. I have been saving the final installment as a treat for myself once my first comic is finished. As it stands currently (with the exception of a handful of adjustments and a few re-draws) I am seven panels away from my first, full-length, penciled and inked comic. I will also be working on the coloring and lettering for this book myself, but with each passing day I know that I am one step closer to finishing my first story. It is a little surreal to think of at this point, but I hope to be sharing that story with everyone very soon.