Former Spider-Man loves Mary Jane artist Takeshi Miyazawa blogs about his new experiences, working in manga:
Last week, Ryusuke asked if I’d like to sit-in on one of his monthly meetings he has with his editor to watch them discuss plot points and other business related things. I’ve learned that it’s standard practice here to meet once a month in person to go back and forth over scripts and breakdowns. A practice which I quite dig, to be honest. It’s a lot more personal than e-mail and allows for more interaction than a phone call. No wonder most manga-hopefuls move to Tokyo.
We met at a nice coffee shop in Shinjuku and after the formalities E-san and Ryusuke did there thing. I’ve never written a script for Marvel so I’m don’t know how much input the editor has in terms of plot or dialogue but I was amazed to see these two tossing around ideas while agreeing and disagreeing but never arguing. Ryusuke described it as being told what was weak with his ideas but in a manner which allowed him to reassess and improve. He also mentioned that one of the crucial steps in becoming a successful creator is being paired with a successful editor. One that you can get along with and understands you as well as having a strong enough spine to openly state what’s yay or nay with follow-up suggestions. So, in a way, he’s like a therapist.
Some interesting looks at the Japanese market are also in the post. Go see.
