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JUL

05

HowtoWriteaMangaorComiccript
PotedJuliaKentJul05,2015

jCategorie:

GUTPOT

LITRATUR&THART

GuetPoteanMichaelWilon

ToceleratethelaunchofecretoftheNinjaonJul7th,authoreanMichaelWilonexplaintoreaderhow
comicookandmangaareactuallwritten.Uingexamplefromhiownook,heguideuthrougheachtep!

Ofcourealmoteveroneknowaoutcomicook,utalmotnooneknowhowthearemade.There
aretillomeoldfahionedpeoplewhohavenotetrealizedthatcomicookareanartformintheirown
right,andthatwritingtheminvolveapecificetofkillandproceethatdifferfromnovelor
creenpla(althoughthehareimilaritiewithoth).o,herearethetepinvolvedinthewritingcomic
ookormanga:

1.THIDA
Thefirttepinmakingamanga/comicookihavinganewideaforator,ceneorcharacter.Theecan
comeantime,owritethemdown!

2.THPLOT
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Next,writeoutaplotornopiofwhathappen,where,andtowhom(notforgettingwhandwithwhat
ideainvolved).Thicouldeanthingfromonepagetodozenofpagedependingonhowmuchdetailou
wihtogointoatthitage.ForthekindofhitoricaloriographicalookthatIoftendothereiquiteait
ofreearchinvolved.Whenwritingthee,oullneedtoundertandtheeraandthecharacter.Later,when
doingtheactualdialogueandart,oullneedtoknowhowpeoplelooked,whatclothethewore,howthe
talkedtoeachother.Ioftenhaveanexpertintheeraorfieldcheckthehitoricalaccuracofthefinalcript
andoftheart.ForecretoftheNinja,thiperonwaAntonCummin.

3.THPAGRAKDOWN
Whentheaicploticlear,omewriterliketoworkoutthepagereakdown,whichlookathowman
pagethetormightneedandgiveaaicdecriptionofwhathappenoneachpage.Ithelptogeta
feelingforthewholearchitectureofthetor.o,inthecaeofecretoftheNinjaIwrote:
Pagereakdown
Page1:Awidehottoetalihtheplaceofthetor.
Page2:WegorightintotheceneofNagataeneiintructinghion,Hiaaki.
Page3:Animaginarceneofuingthatninjatechniqueinpractice.

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omewriteralodoaroughthumnailketchveraic,malldrawingofeachpagethattheendto
theartittohelpviualizewhathappenineachpanelandacroeachpage.

4.THCRIPT
Thihaafewaicapect,dependingonthewritertleandtheartit.Theare:

DecriptionLine(etumeiun)
Decriptionlineareguidelinefortheartit.achoftageofthecriptandookdependonhowthewriter
andartitliketoworktogether.Then,ofcoure,omepeoplearecleverenoughtodotheartandthewriting
themelve.Imnotthatmart!IveworkedwithAkikohimojimaonfourofmook,includingecretof
theNinja.
omewriterueapagedecriptioncript,inwhichtheoutlinewhathappenoneachpagetheplace,
people,feeling,action,etc.Theartitthendecideaoutthepecificpanel(koma)andtheactualartof
thethoepage.
Otherueapaneldecriptiontleinwhichthewriterdecriethingforeachpecificpanel.The
writerindicatewhatwillhappenineachpanelandwhatthefocuhoulde,ometimedecriingthe
framing(oftenuingfilmterminologlikezoomincloeuptothecharacterfaceorpullackforawide
hot).
elowianexampleofuchdecriptiontextfromecretoftheNinja.Noticethatthipanelialargeone,
takingupthewholepage,atechniquethatwriterometimeuetomakeadramaticimpactor,ainthi
cae,togivetheartplentofroomtocreatealoveloft,atmophericfeeling.
DecriptionlineexamplefromPage48:
Oneigpageoffatherandonmovingthroughaforetofamoo,whiletheunigoingdown.A
eautpage,aIcallthem.Weeeapinemartininthetreeaove,alizardontheground,alittleirdin
anothertree,andthecicadachirping.
FX:CheeCheeChee

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Dialogue(erifu)
Dialogue,thewordcharacterpeak,ihownintheroundorovalpeechalloon
(fukidahi).
xamplefrompage42,panel3:
Norio
Whatwillemrole,enei?
enei
Toehereandguardtheequipment.
Hiaaki
Haha!

Caption(Kakomi)andNarration(Narehon)
Theearethewordintherectangularoxe.Oftentheecomefromanuneennarrator,givingguidance
acrocene,orareotherelementofinformation.
xamplefrompage36,panel1:
Captionattheottom:Itimportantnottoletthefiregetoutofcontroloritmacaueerioudifficult
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forou.

Thetranitionetweenpanelialoimportant.Panelhouldflowtogethermoothl,whetherthehiftare
fatorlow.itherthewriterortheartitdeterminethetranition.
Finall,thewriterplaaroleintheoverallarrangementofthepaneloneachpage.Ithinkmotofthiithe
artitdomain,andIonlcommentonitaoutaquarterofthetime.
Fromthereon,theartittakeoverathemaindeciion-makerandcreatoroftheook.Muchofthetime
artitwillendtheroughartawellathefinihedinkedarttothewritertocheckforvarioupoint.
Changeinartanddialogueoftenhappenonceweeetheactualartandtextonthepageandgetaetter
ideaofhowtheconnecttogether,howthedanceonthecomicookpage.
Thatit!ThiiwhatIpendmtimeoneverda,andImhapptodoit.ecretoftheNinjaithereultof
thiproce.Ihopeoullcheckitout!

ANMICHALWILON
eanMichaelWilonitheaward-winningauthorofmorethanadozen
graphicnovelandmangacomic,includingadaptationofTheookofFive
RingandThe47Ronin.Heialotheeditorofthecriticallacclaimed
anthologAX:ACollectionofAlternativeManga(oneofPuliherWeekl
etTenookof2010).Hiook,ecretoftheNinja,iahitoricall
groundedmangathatfollowtheninjaNagataauroaheteachehion,
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Hiaaki,theweapon,ecrettactic,andvalueoftheninja.aedonthereal-lifewritingofthe
famouninjaHattoriHanzo.Itcomineafamiliarcoming-of-agetorwithahitoricall
accurateackgroundofpoliticalintrigueandengoku-periodJapaneeculture.AHiaakigrow
fromotoman,Wilonkillfullinterweaverealleon,weapon,andkilluedninjain
feudalJapan,depictedwithdetailartitAkikohimojima.

lTag:

ANTONYCUMMIN

GRAPHICNOVL&COMIC

ANMICHALWILLIAM

ANMICHALWILON

AOUTTHAUTHOR

JuliaKent

AftergraduatingfromUCerkelein2007,Juliawadelightedtofindoutthat
profeionalookrecommenderwaajo.hehaeenworkinginmarketingand
pulicitwithindependentaAreapulihereverince.hejoinedNorthAtlantic
ookin2014.helivewithherhuandandtwovernicecatinOakland.

Noonehaleftacommentet.

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