#reading one right now on being a nonbinary manga artist and its like GOD!!!!!! GOD! DAMN!!!

[legoyuri]

Okay i always forget that my first anime was REALLY Squidgirl. like because of my special interest in splatoon, and people were talking about the rumors of it getting a set/the original artist who made Squid girl drew a couple of really good fanarts w/ splatoon that like ppl were talking about it.

So i watched that First then my friend next year showed me a bunch of new animes that REALLY got me interested in anime/manga.

[capnledian]

heard you were looking for questions, don't know exactly what to ask but you got any favorite people who inspire you art-wise? (also sorry you're feeling anxious, i hope that goes away for you soon!!!)

Hi! Thanks, I should be all right

Yeah, nope, this isn’t gonna be short. Putting it under a read more 

My dad’s worked in the comics industry for about 30 years now (Sean Konot, letterer) so as a kid he’d introduce me to a lot of different comics. Only a few things kind of really hooked me, but my childhood kind of ended up being formed around indie-esque comics. 

Jeff Smith’s BONE is what made me want to draw for the rest of my life, and specifically what made me want to do comics.

BONE has this seamless blend of different artistic influences that mesh together perfectly, and it was kind of a revolutionary piece in regards to the graphic novel format. It taught me a lot, I’ve read the series probably 10 times through and the Art Of Bone book cover to cover at least thrice?

Uh who else, Jhonen Vasquez and the entire Invader Zim art crew, including Rikki Simons, Aaron Alexovich, Eric Trueheart (I just love his writing so much), so on. Jhonen’s older work like SQUEE!, JTHM, and I FEEL SICK are like, fucked up, but they taught me a lot about what you can do in comics and that success comes through individuality as an artist. I read them waaay too young.

Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo was another comic I got hooked to. 

Webcomics were kind of the next big jump from indie/offshoot/unique comics/graphic novels, so I clicked with that fast. Paranatural by Zack Morrison (who recently came out as nonbinary!!!) is still my #1 webcomic inspiration. Please read paranatural RIGHT NOW if you haven’t it is absolutely delightful from beginning to current.

Right now, I think the biggest inspo is all of the artists I’ve been meeting in the rvb fandom!!! There’s been so much amazing support from all of them and I’m constantly inspired by the art and work they do. Particular shout-out to grimmmons and powerfulpomegranate because I’m just absolutely stunned by their art constantly and humbled that i get to chat w em all the time like wow im a lucky duck 

thanks for the ask!!! 

EDIT: OH MY GOD!!!! I FORGOT ONE!!! ONE MEANING THE NAME: ONE. PARTICULARLY MOB PSYCHO 100. I COULD GO ON FOR AGES ABOUT HOW MUCH I SINCERELY LOVE THE MANGA FOR ITS ART AND STORY.

OK OK IM GOOD BYE

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 6/3/20

SEAN: June is busting out all over, and while the schedule is not back to normal yet, it’s better than May was.

ASH: Huzzah!

SEAN: First, an apology to a new publisher, Tentai Books, who have their first release out this week and I missed it. They’re publishing in both Spanish and English, and their debut is a light novel, There’s No Way a Side Character Like Me Could Be Popular, Right?. Seems to be targeting the Oregairu/Tomozaki crowd.

As for next week, Ghost Ship has a 9th Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs.

J-Novel Club has a lot. In print, we get the debut volume of Sexiled: My Sexist Party Leader Kicked Me Out, So I Teamed Up With a Mythical Sorceress!, which I recommend to absolutely everyone.

ASH: Now that it’s finally in print, I’ll definitely be picking this one up. I’ve heard great things about it from all sorts of people.

ANNA: I’m curious about it too!

SEAN: Also in print: Ascendance of a Bookworm 5, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord 10, and In Another World with My Smartphone 10.

Digitally, there’s also Altina the Sword Princess 4, a 3rd By the Grace of the Gods, Can Someone Please Explain What’s Going On? 2, Kokoro Connect 9, the 3rd Marginal Operation manga, The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar 11, and a 6th Record of Wortenia War.

Kodansha has a lot, most of which I’ve mentioned before because the schedule shifted. The print and digital debut is Rent-A-Girlfriend (Kanojo, Okarishimasu), a Weekly Shonen Magazine manga by an artist best known for the long-running and unlicensed AKB49: The Rules Against Love. A desperate guy, as the title suggests, rents a girlfriend, who seems perfect… at first. This is getting an anime this summer, and Kodansha describes it as “sweet, naive boy meets cute, ruthless girl”.

Debuting digitally is Stellar Witch LIP☆S (MajoKaitou LIP☆S), a shoujo series from Nakayoshi. A girl who desperately wants to see an idol group turns to a witch to help her. Hijinks ensue.

MICHELLE: I can’t confidently claim Stellar Witch is going to be any better than Rent-A-Girlfriend, but it’s certainly more my speed.

ANNA: This sounds fun, but I am utterly incapable of keeping up with these digital releases.

MELINDA: Yes, with so many, I find I need to REALLY want to read something for it to stand out from the crowd.

SEAN: No other print stuff, but in digital-first print books we have (be prepared for titles you’ve heard here before…) Cells At Work: Code BLACK 5, Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest 4, Granblue Fantasy 5, Knight of the Ice 2, LDK 15, Maga-Tsuki 11-13 (a final volume 3-in-one omnibus two years after a 2-in-one omnibus, YIKES), The Seven Deadly Sins 38, Something’s Wrong with Us 2, and Yuzu the Pet Vet 2.

In digital-only we get A Condition Called Love 4, Chihayafuru 20, Smile Down the Runway 10, and To Be Next to You 6.

MICHELLE: I’ve been catching up on A Condition Called Love and enjoying it. And, of course, I always rejoice for more Chihayafuru.

ANNA: Chihayafuru is the one digital release that I am confident I will get caught up on…one day.

SEAN: Seven Seas has, in early digital release, Love Me for Who I Am (Fukakai na Boku no Subete o), aka Fukaboku. This LGBT manga from GOT Corporation’s Comic MeDu is about a nonbinary protagonist and the nontraditional maid cafe they’re introduced to.

MICHELLE: I’ll definitely be checking this one out.

ASH: Same!

ANNA: Sounds good!

MELINDA: To illustrate my above point, I’m SO here for this. I will seek it out.

SEAN: Also out early digitally: A Centaur’s Life 18 and Skeleton Knight in Another World light novel 6.

In print, Seven Seas has quite a bit. Debuting is The Invincible Shovel, a light novel that I found hilarious when I reviewed the early digital copy. And we also see Sarazanmai: Reo and Mabu, the manga prequel to the upcoming light novels based on the anime.

ASH: I really need to catch up on Sarazanmai in general.

SEAN: Also out in print: Dungeon Builder: The Demon King’s Labyrinth is a Modern City! 2, How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? 3, Magical Girl Site 12, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid 9, and Saint Seiya: Saintia Sho 10.

Viz has two debuts. The first is SPY x FAMILY, a series that should need no introduction but I’m going to anyway. In an unnamed vaguely Eastern European country, a spy needs to have a wife and child to complete his next assignment. A woman who moonlights as an assassin needs a husband so that she isn’t suspicious. And a young girl with esper powers just wants to get away from being experimented on. Together, they are the best found family ever. Oh yes, and except for the girl (who can read minds), they don’t know each other’s profession. A magical series, I want the world to read it. Hilarious and heartwarming.

MICHELLE: So excite.

ASH: Really looking forward to this release!

ANNA: Me too!!!

MELINDA: This sounds great!

SEAN: The other debut is, of course, My Villain Academia, which replaces the seemingly popular My Hero Academia. Not sure why, maybe its sales were slipping? In any case, this volume focuses on our villain heroes, Shigaraki, Twice, and Himiko Toga. It promises to be DARK as hell. (Also, it is possibly it’s really My Hero Academia 24.)

MICHELLE: Heh. This arc solidified Twice as my favorite amongst the villains.

SEAN: In Shonen Jump news, we get Black Clover 21, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba 13, Dragon Ball Super 9, Food Wars 36 (mercifully the final volume… anyone noticed an annoying trend for popular long-running Jump series to leap off of cliffs into piles of crap lately?), Jujutsu Kaisen 4, My Hero Academia Vigilantes 7, The Promised Neverland 15, We Never Learn 10, and Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V 7.

MICHELLE: Oh, I had no idea that was the final volume of Food Wars! I reckon since I have read through volume 30 I might as well finish it, pile of crap or no. Also, I’m looking forward to the next Vigilantes volume, as I believe it has more of Aizawa’s past in it.

SEAN: As for Shojo Beat, no debuts, but we get Ao Haru Ride 11, Natsume’s Book of Friends 24, Queen’s Quality 9, and Yona of the Dawn 24. Natsume’s Book of Friends is always near the top of my pile when it comes out, though it may have to wait for me to read Yona.

MICHELLE: I love both dearly, but because Natsume comes out less regularly, I think it’s got the edge for me.

ASH: Natsume and Yona both have my heart, too. Though, I’ve also been enjoying Queen’s Quality.

MICHELLE: I really need to read it. I did enjoy QQ Sweeper.

ANNA: Nice week of many great series coming out!

MELINDA: Queen’s Quality! Hurray!

SEAN: What are you getting next week? (Please get SPY x FAMILY.)

By: Sean Gaffney