Manga weekend!

[maciek]

This weekend, Kim and I decided to do a big push on our respective manga.
This will involve a lot of coffee. Wish us luck.

[Duoae]

Which manga's you into?
I went through a major manga phase about 4 or more years ago. I never really got into little series as they were hard to come by (and are now more easy but very expensive) but lots of OVA's and things.

[kim]

Too many manga, but what Maciek was actually referring to was the push to finish some of out own manga. See, here's our rather (over)ambitious plan: to print up minicomics to sell at cons (and possibly, eventually over the website)

1. Build Your Own Boyfriend from the start to the end of the current chapter (about 4 more pages)

2. A combined comic of the first chapter of Tabloid Roulette (currently what's online) and a new comic called Merylion Factor (sort of post apocalypse fairy tale, draw and written by me and inked by Maciek - and it will start appearing on the sight in late September)

We're planning on selling them at Anime Iowa which is still almost a month away, but in order to get them printed in time, we need to get them finished before the end of August. It's a lot of work, especially for Maciek who, incidentally, managed to do almost an completed panel (from rough pencils to inks) this weekend, plus some other inking and page layout.

[Duoae]

Shame i won't ever get to see or own one as i live in the UK :/

Good luck though!

[kim]

Wow, we have an international fan.

As for the UK thing, sometime our (real life) jobs take us to interesting locations.

By the way, you don't happen to have any photo of DeGaul airport that we could use for photo ref for Of Two Minds, do you?

[Duoae]

Erm..... De Gaul airport is in france. I live in the UK. I've never been there (to the airport) or near it in france. So no i don't.

There is a picture here

and here

[Guest]

Wah! Duoae, you rock! *runs off to save pictures!* Thank you thank you thank from the bottom of my little artist heart. I personally have never been to France, so it's extremely hard to Thea roaming through Parisian streets. Every little bit helps!

[Ellie Vyle]

Umm...that last post was me. T__T

[Duoae]

You may find these pages helpful then

Tour of L'ouvre

and

Some pictures of around paris

[Ellie Vyle]

Hey those are pretty useful too!! Actually just got done reading the Divinci Code, so it's kinda fun to see where the beginning of the book acutually took place. The Louvre is a strangely romantic looking place, ne? You are by far a better webhound than I. Thanks so much yet again!!

[kim]

Thanks for all the links.

I like writing stories of places that I've visited. Especially if they're noticeably different than midwestern USA. It's kind of a wish fulfillment thing, like, I can't live here, but I could write about someone who does. I try to capture the thoughts and observations that I get from traveling in a place.

The problem with such an approach is that I'm "faking" a real knowledge of a place. And with a comic with a separate artist, the effect gets amplified. I'm sure to a European person, the effect is similar to a Japanese person reading Megatokyo.

Still, it's escapism and the story will take place in enough different locals that it will be a bit exotic to everyone.

Speaking of which, if anyone wants to give links or contribute photos of:

Dulles Airport (by DC)
Arlington, VA
An Italian Villa by the sea
A sea side Spanish resort town
Newport, Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island

We'd be much appreciative

[Duoae]

I always find that in comics and other books in general, the accuracy realism of the places that the story takes place in only matters to the people who live there and possibly the artists and story writers who want to "get it right".

With things like Megatokyo and your comics, the setting is largly irrelavent, a plot device used as a backdrop to what is possible and not possible in the physical universe in which the story is taking place. I read these comics for the story and interaction of the characters and this doesn't really get largely affected by the locales, IMO.

Duoae

[maciek]

Hey Duoae, glad you like the stories and characters of our comics!

Part of what makes them fun for us to create is definitely the story, and part is the setting... so we're going to keep trying to get the settings right, if only for our sake

Oh, and for the sake of the poor artists and writers out there, don't say what you just said too loudly near editors - otherwise, how would we ever justify those all-expenses-paid research trips to exotic locations?

Cheers!
-Maciek

[Ellie Vyle]

You know what, Duoae, I think you're right. The setting in a story (though nessacary) is really a widget that has little (if any) effect on the plot. It's there to add a certain flavor and appeal to a certain audience. Honestly, I think the story for Of Two Minds (or any of the comics on this website for that matter) wouldn't really change at all if the setting was even radically differant. I mean, Thea and Damon could still be psychic twins dealing with their relationship and growing up, whether they're in the heart of Paris, 10,000 years in the future in a cave, or in the Medievil era. Though, you'd attrack a totally differant audience! Setting I feel is for the Marketer, Plot is for the writer, and art is well...for me Maciek and Stacy!

Oh, and Maciek, what editors do you hang out with! Hook me up....umm...yo. ^__^

[Duoae]

Yeah, i love these comics.... although i'm naturally drawn towards futuristic and technological backdrops (that's why Death and Transfiguration is still my favourite ).

You're both right, you need an excuse to get out and let places and people inspire and influence your style and ideas. Being cooped up in a little basement studio does nothing for your creative inspiration.... even pictures don't help much except to help remind you of a place. I find that for "map" work i need a place to be clear and in 3 dimensions in my head otherwise i can't lay it out right on paper.

And Ellie, yeah, i totally agree. I believe that there are only so many stories that we tell on this planet. We're pretty close-minded when it comes to stories and ideas in that sense. However, we re-hash those stories into different places and times and the way the story unfolds becomes something different (amazingly).

For instance, the eponymous heroes and anti-heroes. The person(s) in distress. The personal interactions between two (or more) people in a relationship (or not -as the case may be).

We, as a race, only seem to base our most popular stories on personal experience of our basest personality constituents. Things that have been a part of us since we were cavemen.... a genetic memory perhaps? Like legends such as werewolves and vampires. Creatures in the dark, hunting us.... against us. It is ideas like these that appeal to us on the most primal and basic levels. They band us together as a race in times of need and reaffirm our faith in ourselves (the heroes anyway).