This week’s SMA MASTERCLASS 2017, the 3rd year fresh members who will be coming to Tokyo in 2017.  We finish the two week Brazil special with the person who went into the Master Class with just one award win – Yos☆ Yos tears apart film techniques and uses the concepts in his manga on every level! He showed us what it takes to adapt film techniques manga creation 😉 Good Morning Yos!

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INTERVIEW WITH Yos.   “It amazes me the idea of being part of the lives of other people through my manga.”   Congratulations on winning Grand Prix Runner-Up in SMA6!  Did you have any fun celebrations? I celebrated a lot with my family and girlfriend.  It was an amazing feeling because I could see the tears of happiness in my parents faces and that was my grand prize—to be able to give them joy.  They always supported me so it was very important and felt like I was born again. Here in Brazil, sometimes through ignorance, people do not seriously take the people who decide to be an artist.  So, it was an achievement where I could show everyone that we should never give up a dream.  If we dedicate ourselves with focus and passion to something this can happen.     -About where you live. Anything the world should know about the place? During the week I live in Bauru and on weekends I live in Ourinhos, the hometown of my parents. Both cities are located in countryside of São Paulo.  They are calm and safe places.  It is possible to be in touch with a nature at all times and it’s very good place to be inspired. Besides that, Bauru is the city of Pelé (soccer player) and Marcos Pontes (the first Brazilian astronaut). =]       -Any memorable events, in your manga creation career? I think this experience with the SMAC! team will be my first truly memorable event, certainly it’s something that I consider a second birth of mine.     -Did creating manga have any effect on your life? In what ways?   “I really love this.”   Completely! I don’t know what I would do if I could not create stories.  This life made me see the world in details, people, places, and wonderful daily events. It amazes me the idea of being part of the lives of other people through my manga. I studied drawing and storytelling for about 5 years so—I stopped with other things to do so.  I always thought I would like create something for eternity and I was serious about manga.  I really love this and I left my IT job many times because when I worked I felt like a robot.  Then, I decided to bet and not give up until I understood how to tell stories because this allows me to be several people that I wanted to be.  It is possible to create worlds on a blank sheet and also, it requires us to study, architecture, cinema, anatomy… but it is very pleasurable after all.   “I don’t know what I would do if I could not create stories.”     -What did you focus on when studying manga? Since the beginning I saw that in manga the approach of the passage of time was different from the comics here in Brazil.  Something was different and enthralling.  So, I went through a page like the pages of the Japanese creators trying to figure out how this was done.  Like maybe it was something like the wabi-sabi concept.  I may be speaking things that are meaningless because it’s just a subjective point, but the build of the panels was interesting.  Bigger.  I could feel the environment drawn there. Nowadays I see it in the comics here too.  I believe that both schools of comics helped me to produce something more universal.     -Was there an author that really stood out to you when you were studying manga paneling? Takehiko Inoue-sensei.  I like “Slam Dunk” so much.  The grab panels were great and layout of the pages is also very dynamic because it is a sport manga and this was required without doubts.  Then in “Vagabond,” the journey of the hero in is captivating.  I like how Inoue-sensei makes the characters believable in a real way, as life is, he is actually putting much of it there.  He makes the reader feel like they’re walking along with the characters.  Inoue-sensie’s manga “REAL,” too.  It’s real good hahahaha. =] I like to read European comics, too, like “Blacksad.”  It’s cool and is one of my favorites because it works with lots of analogies to human behavior by using animal to express that. But, I like how Japan works the comic not just as art, but as a product that can be sold for many other media, like movies.     -Since you study the anatomy of manga, have you ever taken a movie and tried to panel like manga or comic?   “I believe that creating comics isn’t just about having good drawings, but it’s having something to tell.”   Yes, generally, I make separate annotations by the subjects in the movie so I see what I can use in a comic book in the future. For example, I love the human form.  Like balance and poses, how people walk, or have coffee. It’s very important.  And movies help me study balance and poses, how people walk, and so on because I can see how many people around the world act, their body expression, and also their behaviors.  I believe that creating comics isn’t just about having good drawing, but it’s having something to tell.  You take the relevant parts of real life to create a story and you tell what matters instead of taking every single detail of real life.     -Staying on movies for just a bit more, were there any moments in a movie that made you go, “Wow!!” Humm.  It is difficult to choose one, but in “The Godfather” the change of personality in the protagonist is incredible.  He goes from “reluctant hero” to “anti-hero.”  I took notes so if I ever needed a character with the same characteristics like him I might have a base to inspire me.  I will also take notes on interesting camera angles and cuts.  I don’t know how to conscientiously make use of these inspirations yet, but noting all this helps me to not forget. I tried to use the cuts in this round of SMA with “Forbidden.”  For example, there are some parts that you do not need to tell in the story to make it understandable.  Like, I did not show the boys going back home, but you know they did.  Or not showing the boys putting the VHS in the TV because they clearly did that.     -Any other good tips about studying movies to make manga? Even though people like to relate and compare comics and movies (and sometimes to use some movies techniques helps in the world of comics), it’s much more important and GOOD to see them as separate and different media. 🙂  After all there are some things that can only be made into comics.  Comics work with static images trying to simulate the reality.  So, the reader is much more active than a viewer is to a movie.  I’ve read once that the most important part of the comics is the space in between panels, because that’s when the reader’s imagination comes in. Everything in comics is more intimate and happens in a different time according to the reader’s background experiences.   “That’s when the reader’s imagination comes in.”     -Show us the tools you use for drawing! Any tips to share?   “My tip is feel free and have fun regardless of which tool is chosen, there are no rules to make art.”   Even though I think the drawing is in the head, the challenge is to achieve the same satisfactory result with different tools.  I am currently working with digital to finish my art, but I also use conventional tools to do some specific works. My tip is feel free and have fun regardless of which tool is chosen, there are no rules to make art.       -Your CHARACTERS in “Forbidden” (SMA6) were life like.  Where do you find the inspiration to breath that life into them? I wanted to use a memory that might be common to all the boys at some point in their life.  I’ve done it too hahaha XD.  Everyone has a good memories to tell. =]  I think all memories are incredible. They made me what I am today and the latest was to be able to have the SMAC! editorial team as part of my professional life.  It is amazing! Real life is the best source of inspiration, too.  All people surrounding me help me in a way to add a true and believable personality to the characters.  So, I use my experiences and the experiences of the people I know and that helps me to put humanity into the characters.       -Specific areas of focus, when creating your entry? The storytelling.  Unlike movies that show just one frame on screen at the time and also use music to get the viewer to a certain mood, comics are a completely different media and that’s good! So we need to use different tools to get the reader’s attention. Like good paneling and composition to find the best and effective way to display the content on the pages throughout the story.     -Is there any moment you felt, “Ah I’m glad I entered this competition”?   “I was able to communicate with the universal language of comics, no barriers.”   When I saw the result and I realized WOW is this really happening? As if all that I was seeing was flashing through my mind like a movie—my story approved by the masters. And for a few minutes I was able to communicate with the universal language of comics.  No barriers.     -There were also some comments from the judges.  How did you feel when you read them? I felt happy to be on a path that they thought was correct.  And the feedback from such renowned masters motivated me to always give my best. I always want to be able to impress them.  It was certainly as memorable as becoming a Master Class member!  It is a place that I wanna to stay forever.     -How do you feel about joining the SMA MASTERCLASS?   “If we dedicate ourselves with focus and passion to something this can happen.”   I’m very excited about it! The idea of joining in a project that’s being guided by such a great crew, with professionals that have many many years in this market, just blows my mind. I’m very very honored and happy to be able to be part of it.  And, I very much look forward to learning from you.  I hope you could help me to improve the way I tell stories so I cannot wait to watch the workshops in Tokyo with the great masters of manga and editors!     -What do you wanna create, from now on? SMA, a contest without borders, that gathers stories from every corner of the world and still makes them universal to everyone to understand, inspired me.  That said, I’d like to create a story that explores the globe.  I’m still thinking on the possibilities, but showing the variety of cultures there are around the world might be a good way to go.     -Any final words for the readers? I say that everyone is welcome to the future worlds that I will create. I hope we can enjoy it together.        

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Thank you for your time Yos senpai! We can’t wait to read your series that explore the world and all its cultures! Brazil has a diverse ecosystem of creativity.  Part of that system is made of manga creators.  We want to see those creators spread their roots around the word as they join the Master Class!! Please show your worth, by joining & start creating for SILENT MANGA AUDITION® today!