So for the past few days, I’ve been experiencing some technical problems with my internet connection. Finally had a technician come out and check what the hell was going on so he replaced some equipment and now it works…yay!
During that ordeal, I’ve decided, on a whim, to take the Top Cow pencil test for a side gig. So far I cranked out the first page using the sample script they provided. Previously they had asked for at the very least, 3 sequential pages but they updated their submission guidelines and are now asking for 5 or more. So I guess this changes my plans of submitting 3 pages LOL. First page inside along with Natsuki related stuff…
Here’s page 9 which is what is provided in the sample script. Weird thing is that the script only consists of 4 pages so I may just peruse the actual comic issue that this was taken from. Speaking of which, some of you who follow Top Cow’s Witchblade and/or Darkness will recognize the script taken from the second issue of First Born.
Page 9 (Didn’t scan it. It takes forever to scan sections of a 11×17 bristol board so I decided to just use my DSLR.)
(Right-Click to view and enlarge image)
As you can see here, I’ve taken the “tight penciling” approach. My brother noticed that there were some X’s scribbled in where the blackened areas are. It’s common in western comics to indicate where the areas should be black by just marking an ‘X’.
I’m going to be taking my time on this submission since it’s been awhile since I’ve drawn in this American style but I won’t take too long. I’d like to submit this before the holidays are over. I gotta say that I really miss drawing in this style. See, in manga/anime, the real skill is in the shading and coloring as the drawn figures themselves don’t take up too much effort but when you have to work in “Chiseled Realism” for western comics, that’s where the real challenge is and I’m loving every minute of drawing this stuff.
Now there are no guarantees that I’ll actually get the Penciler gig with Top Cow but it beats saying to yourself over and over again, “I wish I did this or that.” All I gotta say is the line that’s been said a million times, “JUST DO IT!”
If I don’t get it the first time, then I expect them to tell me what I need to improve and instead of whining about it, I’ll practice some more until I get it right and try again…see, that is what every commercial artist should do. Accept constructive criticism from the Head Honchos and then Practice til kingdom come.
Anyway, here’s to hoping for that second gig with them. It would come in handy to recover financially from the holidays LOL!
As soon as I’m done with the second page, I’ll post that up (Most likely in a couple days – I just have to take my camera out and shoot some reference material – and Take my models out to lunch >_>；；；）
——–
Moving right along…
I’ve noticed a trend in HiME fanfiction to shorten character’s names (out of endearment). Well, that’s fine but keep in mind that Japanese names are not split up by western syllables….you have to split them up according to Hiragana.
Now since the names are shown using the western Alphabet, you’ll notice that the Hiragana was converted to Romanji. Romanji is the western equivalent for Japanese character sets and that’s is why you’ll see Natsuki instead of なつき.
Here’s a a simple Hiragana Chart with it’s Romanji equivalent:
Now on to Natsuki’s name…
There are people who shorten her name to “Suki.” “Suki” is the incorrect way of splitting her name.
Natsuki is broken down into 3 hiragana characters.
Na – な
Tsu – つ
Ki – き
Na comes from the hiragana set of (Na, Ni, Nu, Ne, No)
Tsu comes from the hiragana set of (Ta, Chi, Tsu, Te, To)
and Ki comes from the hiragana set of (Ka, Ki, Ku, Ke, Ko)
So once again, let’s break down Natsuki’s given name:
Na-Tsu-Ki
Nicknames for Natsuki are usually “Natsu” and I’ve even heard “Na-chan”. Tsuki is a bit rare but if that’s the direction you want to take, then so be it…just remember to split the name properly.
The same can be said for other Japanese names. While most will be shown in their Kanji form, they will ALWAYS have a Hiragana equivalent.
Shizuru’s given name in kanji is: 静留, however, this is also spelled out in Hiragana as しずる。
Shi – し
Zu – ず
Ru – る
Breaking down Shizuru’s given name once again:
Shi-Zu-Ru
Okay, I finally got that out of my chest LOL. I can breathe again. XD
—–
So on to the next note…I noticed a spike in hits when Shizuru’s birthday came up LOL. Oh but I will not be pandering to the “Shizuru-fans” anytime soon…. so sorry. I didn’t forget about her birthday…I just got kind of annoyed that the bigger hits come when it has to do with the character in question. I’ll eventually get around to another NatShiz illustration but don’t expect one during the holidays. Got a couple commissions to to work on in addition to the Top Cow submission stuff and also the magazine that will be featuring the Projekt MUSE Universe…so yeah…my hands are full and I know what my main priorities are. Financial setbacks usually do that, heh. Maybe….maybe I’ll do a NatShiz illustration for New Years but don’t hold your breath.
And I’ll end on that note I guess….(need to start working on the next page) -_-;;;
PS: I’ll get around to responding to your emails…I always have a backlog of them and even more so because of my recent inactivity from the internet. I do apologize for that.
–Lone Wolf
一匹狼
First off, yay for getting your internet back. ^_^
That’s a very nice comic page you have there. I love the style. It is epic. Though, and if this makes me seem clueless I apologize, what exactly is Top Cow? ^^;;
I know nothing of the Japanese language. So I won’t even attempt to say anything on the matter. Why do they even need nicknames? Shizuru and Natsuki suit me just fine. I like pronouncing their names. Lol.
I forgot it even was Shizuru’s birthday on the 19th. I believe the 12 hour shift I worked took up my attention span. Anyway, I didn’t expect an illustration. You have been busy after all.
If you post an illustration of Natshiz for New Years than yay. If not than no biggie. I’ll wait around. Lol.
I look forward to seeing the other pages of that comic.
(LOL to the rant-y comments. You make my day LW.)
Conflict = Onlookers. Or Readers in this case.
Lmao. Conflict entertains people. It entertained me. Mostly because it was written so well and not in Leet speak/text.
Phoenix Thrice:
First off, yay for getting your internet back.
Lol yeah, I’m a happy camper ^^. Oh but AT&T is a bit iffy for internet. Unfortunately it was either that or some other internet service provider that I had a major headache with ^_^;; But nice to be online
That’s a very nice comic page you have there. I love the style. It is epic. Though, and if this makes me seem clueless I apologize, what exactly is Top Cow? ^^;;
Firstly, thank you ^^! Oh, Top Cow…well, not quite Marvel but it seems to be getting to that point. They are a comic publisher who publishes titles like “WitchBlade”, “Darkness”, “Tomb Raider”….they have some interesting stuff. I guess I chose to submit to them because I just found out that Marvel isn’t accepting anymore submissions. Apparently all their existing artists come from ‘word of mouth’ which kind of sucks if you don’t know anyone in the US comic book industry T_T. I used to know one guy that was part of the Marketing department of Top Cow but he was my boss during my Bandai days and since I left that place, I don’t know if he still has those connections ^_^;;;
I know nothing of the Japanese language. So I won’t even attempt to say anything on the matter. Why do they even need nicknames? Shizuru and Natsuki suit me just fine. I like pronouncing their names. Lol.
lol, yes, I do like pronouncing their names as well. I guess people just love terms of endearment. ^^;;
I forgot it even was Shizuru’s birthday on the 19th. I believe the 12 hour shift I worked took up my attention span. Anyway, I didn’t expect an illustration. You have been busy after all.
Yeah, I kinda feel bad for not contributing anything for her birthday but yeah…been busy. Definitely might be aiming for New Years day…i hope.
Cool! No worries…NatShiz is not forgotten. It’s just nowadays it’s either feast or famine….ugh…side gigs make you busy but at least it helps with some bills. This is what I get for choosing to work in a dying industry no matter what part of the world your from hahahaha!
Ah but long live NatShiz!
I look forward to seeing the other pages of that comic.
Awesome! I hope I don’t disappoint. To be honest, I feel quite nervous about the submission but I guess that’s normal. I’m so out of practice with that particular style. 0_o;;;;
(LOL to the rant-y comments. You make my day LW.)
lol, I’m glad I made someone’s day. And thanks for the encouraging words ^_^b
–Lone Wolf
Phoenix Thrice:
Conflict = Onlookers. Or Readers in this case.
Lmao. Conflict entertains people. It entertained me. Mostly because it was written so well and not in Leet speak/text.
Oh totally! LOL, I am sometimes amazed at the spike in visits to this page when I get a random poster who has an opposing point of view. The funny thing is that these people earn me more money, the more they rant about my own rants on my very own website LOL!
Now granted some of my comments are sort of ‘Tongue in Cheek” but I still stand by them. Also the internet has a way of bringing out the ‘ass’ in people. In real life, I would just turn the other cheek, burp and maybe keep on walking till I get to a coffee shop or something LOL. The ol’ biker chic in me was my youth and sometimes exuding that behavior in real life at my current age is somewhat tiresome…I think I need to start drinking energy drinks >_<
Ah well…peace! Wow, I haven’t commented this quickly on my blog in awhile….I’ve been up trying to find reference photo material so I’ve been glued to my monitor hahaha!
–Lone Wolf
LW:
Thank you for explaining what Top Cow was. ^__^ I must look it up later on in the day.
And you’re very welcome. =D
No energy drinks for you, me, or anybody. I don’t think you want to experience the crash that comes after the sugar high. Not fun.
Anyway. Have a good night. It’s about 5am here. I believe sleep is now needed. Lol.
Phoenix Thrice:
Thank you for explaining what Top Cow was. ^__^ I must look it up later on in the day.
Cool! They have a new series coming out soon called Angelus….apparently there is some heavy potential for yuri in that one. Plus the main character is definitely a looker ^^
No energy drinks for you, me, or anybody. I don’t think you want to experience the crash that comes after the sugar high. Not fun.
Ah you’re right…I should just eat healthier…or at least more often. Gah….sometimes I just forget to eat when I’m working. But yeah, I’ll take your advice.
Anyway. Have a good night. It’s about 5am here. I believe sleep is now needed. Lol.
Oh! My apologies for keeping you. Get plenty of rest!
And thanks for stopping by. ^^
–Lone Wolf
Sorry for the question, I’m only beginner with Japanesse but shouldn’t it be written in katakana? >_<
Jutzu:
Katakana is used for names and words outside of Japan. For example if you were to use Japanese characters for the name “Aaron”, it would be written/typed out in Katakana as アーロン
However if this was the Mai Otome setting rather than the HiME setting that took place in Japan, Shizuru and Natsuki’s name would be typed/written out in Katakana since both characters did not represent the country of Zipang which is the country that was based off of Japan in the Mai Otome Storyline.
So Shizuru would be シズル and Natsuki would be ナツキ.
–Lone Wolf
I see… Thanks. ^_^
Hey LW
I looked into Top Cow and I am impressed. They have very awesome stuff. I even bought a few comics. ^__^ They are very good.
Thanks for mentioning them and explaining. If not I would not know the awesome-ness of reading an issue or three.
Nice page! I agree it is good to see the differences in the styles, especially since anime seems to be the new thing. Good luck on getting the gig. Financial sturdiness is always a good thing.
On another note, I found this post quite amusing. I have to agree with you Lone Wolf on the whole, where to split Japanese names and the language in general thing. I cringe when I read things like that and even with a minor in the language adding them into an English story would make me feel like a poser, haha.
Phoenix Thrice:
I looked into Top Cow and I am impressed. They have very awesome stuff. I even bought a few comics. ^__^ They are very good.
Pretty cool! Which ones did you purchase if you don’t mind me asking? I need to get caught up myself….I’m actually lagging behind on a few issues ^_^;;;
Thanks for mentioning them and explaining. If not I would not know the awesome-ness of reading an issue or three.
No problem! It’s funny because while I was aware of their existence years ago, I didn’t bother with them until a former boss of mine was mentioning how cool some of their stuff was. At that time, Bandai was carrying the manga version of Witchblade (which I’m not too thrilled with) but nevertheless, I was intrigued that we sort of had some affiliation with them at the time.
Funny thing is I didn’t actually start reading their comic book line until last year. ^_^;; But I’m glad I brought another to the fold.
–Lone Wolf
Kiyuki:
Nice page! I agree it is good to see the differences in the styles, especially since anime seems to be the new thing. Good luck on getting the gig. Financial sturdiness is always a good thing.
Thanks! Yeah that’s the thing I enjoy about western comics is that since artists do a rotation for different story arcs, you get to see different styles showcased. I just hope I’m one of them *crosses fingers*. With manga, it’s the same artist the entire run and if they have a staff, the staff is trained to stay consistent with the original artist’s style..which is not a bad thing either. But variety is cool too. If you have the time, you should check out Adam Hughes illustrations. His artwork has become legendary and it makes me cry everytime out of jealousy. It just makes me want to work harder than before.
Here’s his site:
http://www.justsayah.com/
Oh and yeah…finances…here’s to hoping 2010 is a bit more fruitful lol.
On another note, I found this post quite amusing. I have to agree with you Lone Wolf on the whole, where to split Japanese names and the language in general thing. I cringe when I read things like that and even with a minor in the language adding them into an English story would make me feel like a poser, haha.
Yeah I hear ya. I cringe too. I remember back in college when I was taking a Spanish class for fun, my language lab partner (who was fluent in spanish) kept cringing and wincing everytime I did a hack job of a sentence in spanish. I was attempting to write a review in that language. LOL While I passed that class with a B, I realized…I shouldn’t attempt it anymore. Especially if I wasn’t going to take it seriously and utilize it in the future. XD. However if there comes a time when I may need to use it (living in Los Angeles has that tendency), then I won’t be ashamed to get assistance from fluent speakers.
That was my attempt in this post…to be of assistance. If people found that offensive, sorry but they need to grow thicker skin. LOL
–Lone Wolf
Hey LW! First of all, Happy X-mas! And congrats on having your internet back!!
Now I just want to say. Thank you!! Why you ask? For doing what I couldn’t do. Posting a lesson on how to split japanese names properly. (I didn’t do it because either I was lazy or just a coward….I dunno, anyway….)
Really, having some knowledge of the language and reading fanfics with those kind of errors really irks me. So thank you for doing it!! (thumbs up)
I really do get your point in most (if not all) of your comments. One of them being using japanese words or phrases in fics.
I mean, I do understand that most people won’t know about it (or simply they don’t care), but at least as a writer, they should have the decency to look and search about it before posting it.
Unfortunately some people just use the excuse that since it’s a fanfic, why they should care……Sigh…….
Btw, I can imagine your partner in the Spanish class. I would have done the same.
I really dislike it when people use the language without basis or as I said before, without doing a little research before using it. Like when they use prehispanic names that are spelled wrong.
Also, about the fandom and anime industry. I try to support it every way I can. Sadly in my country is very hard to get anime licensed or anime merchandise, and trying to get it imported it quite expensive, but for series or stuff I want, it’s worth paying it. The bad thing is that nowadays with the internet you get to see and download more stuff for free and that’s what affects the industry. (Correct me if I’m wrong.)
And with this, it brings to my mind a question I’ve had for a long time.
How does the doujinshi industry work in Japan? ‘Cause, well, you know; the writers are using characters created by other people and yet are making a profit from it. Isn’t that like ilegal? That’s why I’ve wanted to know how they do that.
(BTW, I apologize if I spelled something wrong or my grammar sucks…..)
Merry Christmas!
Yeah, actually one of my friends is a hardcore comic fan and she has showed me his artwork before. It’s amazing. I love his style and how he can draw the traditional “chisel” but can also do soft smooth curves too.
I love getting feedback from fluent speakers. That’s why I loved my study aboard so much. It was great to hear native speakers. I had the chance to stay with a non-English speaking family and it was a challenge but it was a blast. I hope that I get the chance to go back and stay a little longer next time.
Have a happy holiday and I hope that the coming year is much better than the last!
LW:
I believe I have the first two issues of the Tracker series. And the first issue of Murderer.
I enjoyed them. The art is fantastic. =3
And Merry Christmas. Have a wonderful one.
メリークリスマス！！
The Hiragana chart brought back a lot of memories LOL.
shezaei_neko:
Hey LW! First of all, Happy X-mas! And congrats on having your internet back!!
Merry Christmas to you too! Hope your holidays are quite well.
Now I just want to say. Thank you!! Why you ask? For doing what I couldn’t do. Posting a lesson on how to split japanese names properly. (I didn’t do it because either I was lazy or just a coward….I dunno, anyway….)
Really, having some knowledge of the language and reading fanfics with those kind of errors really irks me. So thank you for doing it!! (thumbs up)
LOL, yeah…at first I let it go but after I noticed a string of people falling into that habit I figured (since plenty of people visit this site) that I might as well inform them here. It saves me the trouble of having to review and copy cut and paste hahahaha! Plus, it doesn’t hurt to know this stuff, right? I learn something new everyday myself so I don’t see the problem with posting this.
Seriously, there are some people that need thicker skin. Contructive criticism isn’t a bad thing. I used to say this to my students when I used to instruct an art class. Even I myself need constructive criticism. It’s the only way that anyone can grow.
I really do get your point in most (if not all) of your comments. One of them being using japanese words or phrases in fics.
I mean, I do understand that most people won’t know about it (or simply they don’t care), but at least as a writer, they should have the decency to look and search about it before posting it.
Exactly…looking up information is not difficult to do. If there isn’t a library nearby then the internet can solve some things. I figured since they are already online to begin with, then “Google” shouldn’t be a challenge.
Btw, I can imagine your partner in the Spanish class. I would have done the same.
I really dislike it when people use the language without basis or as I said before, without doing a little research before using it. Like when they use prehispanic names that are spelled wrong.
Hahaha! Yeah I could imagine you bopping with over the head with those large Manzai fans whenever I either write or pronounce a weird incorrectly in Spanish. XD….and I wouldn’t blame you. Honestly I think I took that class for fun because I wanted to understand what was going on in this Telenovela that one of my college classmates were watching…hmmm…I think it was called Corazón salvaje…wait, did I get the title right? ^_^;; Anyhow, I only understood about an 1/8 of what was going on….I mean with all the arguing, kissing and love affairs that were going on, it was a little easy to follow hahahaha!
Also, about the fandom and anime industry. I try to support it every way I can. Sadly in my country is very hard to get anime licensed or anime merchandise, and trying to get it imported it quite expensive, but for series or stuff I want, it’s worth paying it. The bad thing is that nowadays with the internet you get to see and download more stuff for free and that’s what affects the industry. (Correct me if I’m wrong.)
Yeah very true. The internet piracy issue had caused a DVD implosion within the entire entertainment industry a couple years ago to the point where a lot of DVD replication factories had either closed down or just lost plenty of their A-list clientele. It’s one of the reasons why a company like Bandai had no choice but to start authoring and reproduction with B-list companies and even lower. We started turning to more Chinese manufacturing because of faster labor and cheaper prices. The only thing that was worth something were our DVD box sets.
Bottom line was, we couldn’t even rely much on local DVD replication and print replication factories because of the high fees.
And with this, it brings to my mind a question I’ve had for a long time.
How does the doujinshi industry work in Japan? ‘Cause, well, you know; the writers are using characters created by other people and yet are making a profit from it. Isn’t that like ilegal? That’s why I’ve wanted to know how they do that.
The weird thing is that in Japan, the doujinshi that are created unintentionally serve as a way to boost sales…again this is only in Japan where this occurs as production studios turn a blind eye since they see this as free advertising. Law enforcement is pretty good with pirated stuff like Video Games and DVDs though…I remember the last time I was in Akihabara, this vendor was immediately shut down and brought in for questioning so they take piracy very seriously in Japan.
However, the opposite occurs in America and elsewhere. Doujinshi and other fandom related products don’t help the US Anime industry and even the European equivalents. I don’t know of the complete status of Europe and their sales but here in America, both highschool and college kids want their stuff Fast and Free or at the very least….dirt cheap.
I remember at one convention when I was still with Bandai, I was sittiing at the Bandai booth memorizing my script for the upcoming industry panel that I had to do and while that occurred I was also keeping an eye on the merchandise. A guy came by with his friend to peruse through our DVDs and just as his friend was about to pick a title to purchase, the guy pulls the DVD out of his hand and places it back in it’s original spot and says, “Hey, I’ve got the whole series on my computer so don’t bother buying this.”
Ugh….he had the audacity to say this out loud and in front of the freakin Bandai booth! Of all places!? LOL My boss overheard this too and just rolled his eyes. We usually went from booth to booth to track down pirated DVDs as well and when our past marketing person spotted them, he would gather their information and submit that to Bandai’s very own Legal department. Then those vendors would get a letter mentioning that they were sued for a large sum of money.
It happened to an aqcuaintance of mine LOL…he was sued for QUITE a bit of money….at least a few thousand dollars. He learned his lesson. >_>;;;
But yeah…because of the lack of support here in the US, companies like Geneon had bit the dust and many of my friends had lost their jobs. Even at Bandai, after I had left the company, they went through restructuring and many producers and other employees were laid off. Some of the producers are now just contractors with no benefits.
(BTW, I apologize if I spelled something wrong or my grammar sucks…..)
Don’t sweat it. Your English is quite decent actually. The scary thing is that some of my fellow native US residents sound like they haven’t progressed passed the 3rd grade. >_>;;; I blame it on the “No child left behind” program we have here in the US…I hate that program with a passion because it encourages more “over-coddling” of our American kids today LOL.
–Lone Wolf
Kiros Razer:
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you too! ^_^
–Lone Wolf
Kiyuki:
Yeah, actually one of my friends is a hardcore comic fan and she has showed me his artwork before. It’s amazing. I love his style and how he can draw the traditional “chisel” but can also do soft smooth curves too.
Oh man, isn’t it wonderful? *sigh* He really knows and appreciates the human form. So many wonderful artists out there for me to envy but it’s a great motivator. ^^
I love getting feedback from fluent speakers. That’s why I loved my study aboard so much. It was great to hear native speakers. I had the chance to stay with a non-English speaking family and it was a challenge but it was a blast. I hope that I get the chance to go back and stay a little longer next time.
Yup, exactly. Interaction with them is about the best way to improve. Sounds like you had a lot of fun. Traveling to new destinations are just great ways to gain experience….and frequent flyer miles lol.
Have a happy holiday and I hope that the coming year is much better than the last!
Thank you so much! I wish you the same sentiments! ^^
–Lone Wolf
Phoenix Thrice:
I believe I have the first two issues of the Tracker series. And the first issue of Murderer.
I enjoyed them. The art is fantastic. =3
Oh! I saw the cover for that issue (Murderer) and I love the illustration they used which I believe was illustrated by Marc Silvestri himself. It’s looks intriguing. I may have to check it out myself!
And Merry Christmas. Have a wonderful one.
Have a Merry Christmas as well! ^^
–Lone Wolf
JustTooLazy:
メリークリスマス！！
あ！ メリークリスマス、JustTooLazyさん ^_^
The Hiragana chart brought back a lot of memories LOL.
Hahaha. I remember learning that chart for the first time and it was pretty fun but the chart I hated was ironically the Katakana chart….not sure why.
I used to compare it like this and it had to do with the aesthestics of the characters:
Hiragana was like Superman, smooth and refined…
Whereas Katakana was like Bizarro-Superman who was too angular and distored.
–Lone Wolf