I want to be a manga-ka.
confused
Manga artist, genius! I want to draw manga for a living! (and for the record, it's not pronounced "main-guh". It's pronounced "mawn-gah" wink
And why manga instead of comic books, comic strips or animation? What business do I, an American, have drawing something that might be exclusively Japanese?
Because it's a style I work well with. Other artists might have to work hard in order to draw in a manga style, but for me, it comes as easily as breathing. The art styles in manga are intuitive, and I don't have to think about details.
Because American comic books have no sense of humor, and comic strips have little sense of depth (most of the time; Calvin and Hobbes is a notable exception). With manga, I can be both silly and serious, and I can tell a story that's too complicated for comic strips and too lighthearted for graphic novels.
Because while comic books can tell you what something looks like and sounds like, manga tells you what it feels like. How many times, when someone is shouting at you, does it feel like his or her head is taking up the entire room? Manga, by taking these things literally, make the emotion hit harder, which is really more important than maintaining anatomical correctness.
Because I can work out a story faster than with flipping drawings, and I can use character designs impractical for animating.
Because it's a way to appreciate the Japanese side of my heritage, but celebrate the American side of it, too.
Because I'm good at telling stories visually.
Because I love it.
Isn't that reason enough?
