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HELLO SMA21 AWARD WINNER, Fitzfactor!

SMA Editorial Dept. SMA Editorial Dept. 22/12/2024 9 min read


PROFILE
Pen Name / Name: Fitzfactor
Your social media profiles: Instagram: @fitzfactor_comics
Country: United States of America
Age: 32
Favorite manga: 20th Century Boys
Favorite movie: Back to the Future

Entry title: “The Long Road”
Round: SMA21: “The Biggest Surprise”
Award: Honorable Mention

“Be consistent. Even more than drawing and writing, learning how to be disciplined will be your greatest asset!”

About SMA

How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award?
It was very exciting and a total surprise! I felt very honored and had a moment where I thought, “Hey, maybe I’m not so bad at this?” That thought was immediately followed with, “But you could be better!! Study more!!” So I felt excited by what I had achieved, but also excited to do more.

What was the inspiration behind your awarded work?
I wanted to write a story that had both a surprise for the characters, as well as a surprise for the reader. I tried to have both of the surprises be opposites in a sense, by having the character surprised by new life and the reader surprised by death. I also really wanted to draw nature, so having a journey through forests was a big part of the writing process.



What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them?
I almost forgot about the deadline! I had the story written out a month or two in advance, but had forgotten about creating the manga until a week before the deadline. This forced me to speed up my workflow, which I think was a very good learning opportunity. I did this by learning to undo and erase less, and to be more confident with whatever lines I made. It was a very challenging, but rewarding, process.

READ fitzfactor’s SMA21 ENTRY HERE!


About Your Manga

How and when did you start making manga? What do you wish you knew as a beginner? What advice would you give to someone who wants to start drawing manga?
I’ve been drawing ever since I was a kid. I have been making manga for around 10 years. I say 10 years… but I’ve been very inconsistent with it! I finished one manga in 2015, and then another one in 2023. I’m now making the second volume of that series. I think I focused a lot on improving my drawing ability, but something I wish I knew starting out is that writing is just as important! Maybe even more so! There are so many manga that I love that I don’t think have the best art, but they still capture my heart. My advice would be to read manga less like an audience member and more like a creator, always thinking about what you can learn from it to use in your own manga.

Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools?
I draw digitally in Clip Studio Paint. I love using the rulers in the program, as well as using 3D models for my block out sketches. Sometimes I model things in Blender and bring them into the comic.



What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live?
My first manga was Naruto. I watched the anime in English until there were no more episodes. Then I found out that there were more episodes in Japanese, so I watched it with subtitles. When I caught up with those, I learned that the manga had more of the story, so I switched to reading the manga. It was really good! Thank you, Naruto.

Which manga changed your life?
Naruto!!

Which manga character do you most identify with? Why?
Daichi Sawamura from Haikyu!! because our personalities seem to match. He’s not the star of the show, but he’s reliable for those around him. I guess that’s how I feel in real life.

What kind of manga do you want to make next?
I’m currently making a manga called “Ollie Max and the Order of the Fang!” It’s a sci-fi mystery comic. I would like to make a fantasy next. Making manga can take a lot of time, so balancing it with my daily schedule can be tricky.



About You

What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax?
I love playing board games and lifting weights. I’ve been doing less of both, though, because I have three sons, so most of my free time is spent with them. I love it.

What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)?
I’m trying to make manga my primary job!

Where do you see your manga career in five years time?
I’d love to work under a publisher at some point. As of right now, I’m completely independent.

What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could?
Be consistent. Even more than drawing and writing, learning how to be disciplined will be your greatest asset!

What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®?
Writing without words is very tricky. Focus on the way the characters act and make the paneling as simple to follow as possible.

Thank you, fitzfactor! We’re eagerly awaiting your next manga masterpiece!

The deadline to join SMA22 is February 2nd. Enter for a chance to develop your potential as a manga creator with us in Japan! 


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