As promised, we’ll be digging into “Name”, with examples. The term “Name” may be used in several ways, but in “Manga” terms, a “Name” is a blueprint for manga, panelled and with dialogues.   This, is the actual names for “ANGEL HEART” by Tsukasa Hojo sensei.   It was still a work in production so the drawing is very rough. But to help the editor visualise scenes, characters’ facial expressions and gestures are drawn in, with more details. This, is the final artwork from this name. Take a moment, to enjoy the artwork, and compare how the NAME, turned into the final artwork. We’ll have the images, on our website too.   Nearly all professional manga artists, have this “Name” checked by the editor before commencing work, to produce the final artwork.   The editor in charge reads the name, visualises in his mind, how the final artwork will look. Any problems must be spotted and corrected at this stage. Once the name is approved, the artist then commence work on the manuscript. Working on “Names” is often considered the hardest part of manga production. Understandably so, because what goes in the name, determines how interesting the manga will be. Each artist may have a unique way of pre-production, But here is the basic flowchart many artists use :  

Ideas

-> Meeting

-> “Plot / Scenario / “SERIFU DASHI (Spoken words determination)”

-> Name

-> Final Artwork.

  Working on a “Name” is the final part of the pre-production process, involving all those steps that will determine how good your manga will be. We starting from gathering ideas, doing research, then come up with strong, convincing story that reflects things like : “What the characters will do”, “What they say”, “Episodes”, “Scenes”, and the crucial “CLIMAXES” and character dialogues. Doing the “Name”, is the process of putting all those elements together, that will be the foundation of your manga. To put it another way, everything else but the drawing, must be complete at this stage!   GOT IT?   Hojo sensei has a unique style of working on this. He imagines and constructs the whole story in his mind during the meeting. Once the meeting is over he gets straight to a word processor, to write up the draft script. He only progresses to drawing the name, when he is happy with dialogues, the spoken words that goes into speech balloons. Now you see why his works are so well produced, with rich expressions that makes you feel so involved after reading one. The key is in the preparations!     In the next episode, we will be looking at each step of pre-production, with tips learnt from the years of experience, from Mocchi the pro himself! See you next time!