how to become a manga-ka without ..

ileah i live in Hong Kong not Japan ^v^ but Hong Kong"s also a really cool place is like anime here anime there anime everywhere! btw since i've watched the anime "Anne of the green gables" i really really like Canada very much! The places r so beautiful! trees changes it's colours with the season..rivers and everything!!^v^ is just so beautiful! i want to be there atleast once in my life ..i'll really go there when i became rich LOL..

i have the talent and have the equipment and i am gunna learn japanese but where do i go next because i really want to work for shonen jump when i am older please some one help me does any one have any connections?

Oh sry about that..hehe I can be silly sometimes..lol. Do u have msn? u should give it to me lol ^-^ I love meeting new ppl!!! Wow it must be cool to have manga everywhere u go!!! It's so hard to find here in Canada..but yes, it's very pretty here!!! I live in northern Canada so it's even prettier ^-^ But I absolutly LOVE Japanese (Asian) food!!! It's my fav food!! i want to go there someday.
Hey everyone it's really important to believe in yourself but also just as important to be humble *.* Makes u look more pro!
sincerely Ileah

my msn is akari84@hotmail.com seeya! ^_~

anyone know a popular forum where alot of manga artists go?

Ummm... for a site where ppl talk 'bout manga/anime..maybe try wwww.animetalk.com...i'm not totally shure but u can try I have an account there.
*.*{~*Ileah*~}

kk, thanks

Another site would be Tokyopop of course. I can't believe i didn't think of that first...and Deviantart but u mite already know that lol.

hope it helps
ileah

hi i want to know anybody who knows what i have to do to work for shueisha (Shonen Jump) and how long it takes to learn basic level japanese to work in japan.

Why does everyone want to work in Japan??? Why don't we just try to make it in our own country???? Just cuz you're not Japanese doesn't mean u can't produce beautiful manga ....in your OWN country. Everyone's always tryong to be Japanese...

look at taiwan or korean mangakas they r also very successful in their own country! if we work hard we can also be a famous mangaka in our own country !

If I'm not mistaken, isn't mangaka Japanese for "comic book artist"? Why not just draw comic books in a Japanese art style and try to publish them in America(or your home country)? I honestly don't see the difference between publishing them here and doing it in Japan. In fact, getting into the industry is very difficult as is, let alone in a foreign country. x)

Yay!!! Ppl actually agree with me ^.^ I thought someone was gonna get pist or somthin' haha!!! Yeah no kidding...becoming a comic artist is hard enough...no need to make it harder by going to some country you don't understand (I still want to go there one day but I don't want to live there)Yeah...maybe there isn't that much manga in America or Canada or whearever you mite be from, but some of us have to be the leaders!!! If they don't have it...then we'll just start it!!! Someones gotta do it...why not us...*.*?!

oh yeah...I live in Canada by the way...Kitimat if enyone knows where that is haha!!! Canada is GREAT!!!!

i want friend!!! hehehe
email= someonesbestbud@hotmail.com add me hehe!!
ileah

i know what you guys are trying to say but listen to my opinion please.i know its a little big of my self but its true i know i have very good talent like masahi kishimoto and most people say this.i know it sounds like im full of myself but its true and like i said most people say.anyway look at Japan they have the best mangas and the most well known mangas in the world and thats the place to be if you want to make it properly.now then look at tokyo-pop they produce some of the crappiest mangas i have seen in my life.and the only good ones are the ones made in japan and translated for english speakers like suikoden 3 or rave master.In my opinion theres no way a person out of japan can make it properly unlless they work in japan.and the only way for westerneres to make it is if some company beats companys like shonen jump or at least rival it . now i am willing to learn japanese and live there so my manga can break through.because there is no option in the west and thats how i feel thanks for reading.

Yeah if you really want to live in Japan that's cool too, but for me it's virtually impossible...but I'm not just gonna give up cuz I can't go to Japan or learn Japanese...instead of wishing I was Asian I'm just gonna work with what I got...so that's awesome if you really want to live in Japan and all that...but I don't, and I can't be the only one. At first I was determined to go to Japan and "magicaly" live there without knowing enything...but then I came back to reality. For those ppl who really want to go then i hope they do..but i would like tostay in my own country...not that japan probobly isn't great but...I love Canada. So here I will stay.
ileah teehee *.*

This is starting to get silly, I think everyone writing here wants to be able to publish manga or at least have som intrest in manga, but stop "braging" about how much you love japan or asia. I can admit that Im also very interested in japan and manga and ofcourse I would love to be able to get something published. But as many others have pointed out, it's NOT easy, I beleve that almost anything is possible through hard work, but stop talking and do something, learn japanese, draw alot and watch how other manga artists draw.
For me manga can be drawn by anyone, skin color dosn't matter. Manga isn't about how it looks it's about alot moore, it's different from "ordinary" comics in so many ways.
Every manga artist have their own style, thou most of the time you can tell an american comic from a japanese one.

It's never to late to try but the later you start the harder you will have to work for it.

I myself live in sweden so already there im behind those who grow up in japan but the best way to learn about what the japanese audience wants must be to read as much manga/watch as much anime as you can and read all you can about japan, It's not impossible but hard.

Also, don't forget that you don't have to become a manga artist to enjoy drawing, you can draw just for the pleasure of drawing, thats how it all starts, for most of us or post you pics on a gallery on the internet to get feedback.

Good luck

nice to hear your reply phillip what your saying is right hard works everything.I have been drawing since i was around 5 and i honestly have been drawing like that virtually every day and dont stop i read so many manga and watch so many anime sometimes i even watch it in german and japanese and im from england lol.anyways im starting to learn japanese and im taking it very seriously and im learning how to draw properly in a college next year .and hopefully in like 5 years i want to live in japan and start making proper manga.my main goal really is to work for shonen jump and im willing to work my ass of for that its my dream job and i couldnt think of another career than that.does anyone think im being stupid ?

I`m also one for suggesting that you try to get published in your own country before coming to Japan. I`ve been living in Japan for 2 years and I`m into manga/anime (I`ve been working on a comic for 7 years...LOL if I wasn`t so darn lazy I probably would`ve finished it by now). There are some things you should think about being expecting to come to Japan as a mangaka.

1) There are TONS of manga artists here. There are maybe 10-20 manga anthology that come out a month (bi-weekly, monthly, etc). Of course you can submit your work to the companies like Shogagukan but keep in mind your entry is being filed in with hundreds of others. Doujinshi is probably the easiest way to get into manga as many mangaka were doujinshi artists before making it big (ex. CLAMP). Also it may take years of work before you become well known.

2)Remember you`d make manga for Japanese people, which means you have to understand them before you can make comics. It`s not just about learning the language and reading manga or books about Japan. You have to meet people, talk to them. You have to understand Japanese culture. Also you have to think about your target audience? Who would you be making manga for? Japanese kids that like Pokemon type stuff? OL that like fantasy romance?

3)Or this situation could happen. No matter how much Japanese you know (even if you get as far as becoming a naturalized citizen) Japanese people will NOT think of you as Japanese. Simply because you`re a foreign, they may want to make comics about foreigns in your own land (and even exaggerate what goes on in your country). So if you`re hoping to make a manga about a samurai or ninja or japanese high school girls, that idea would have to go out the window. You may be seen simply as a foreigner doing Japanese style comics rather than just being seen as a good mangaka. If you want the former, that`s fine, but you may tire of it.

4) How do you expect to get to Japan? You need a visa for one (student, holiday, tourist, etc). I doubt manga companies will sponsor a visa for you (some may though). It`s expensive to live here, especially if you want to move to Tokyo. You need general money to survive, and of course money to buy your supplies (and manga supplies ain`t cheap).

5) Mangaka are BROKE! They usually do the work themselves in their own home, with maybe one or two assistants. Don`t expect to make a lot of money from this. Sure there are exceptions, but for every Takahashi Rumiko there`s tons of mangaka having a few jobs to support themselves as well as being a mangaka.

6) You have to be seriously dedicated. Some mangaka have to churn out 10-40 pages of manga maybe every two weeks...along with special mini-series, extra artwork etc.

7) If you`re a established mangaka in your own country and try to get into the business in Japan, it certainly will give you a leg up.

K, I`m done. If you still want to be a mangaka in Japan, then go for it. But keep in mind it takes a lot of work and extreme dedication to do so.

Manga printed and made by native English people is called OEL Manga. Original English Language Manga.

Yes, an english mangaka career is possible.

All I can say is work damn hard, ne.