(no subject)
Hey, I have internet back in my room again. Thankfully, though, I haven't been using it as much as I would have back in America, so maybe, just maybe, I can actually manage my time here.
Anyway... I'm dealing with a second case of culture shock, mild but art-related (and therefore job-related). I've purposely avoided any American comic art influences in my art style for many years now, thinking that oh, Japan's anime shit's the best, I wanna do what the Japanese do exactly and all that, so that's what I've been doing all this time. But y'know, ever since coming to Japan, I've been feeling more convinced that, artistically, I'm a LOT more American than I thought.
I had my friends and a few of my teachers look at my stuff. Especially the furry robot dojin I made for FC the few years past. And while they say my stuff is certainly unique and potentially best-selling in that it pays loving homage to the old school anime (YESSSSSS), my comic art and writing style... can't be thought of as anything else BUT American. The constrained paneling, the Venture Bros.-style dialogue, the over-chattiness, the sheer need to avoid Japanese archetypes... oh, the archetypes. I actually had to EXPLAIN my intent to avoid using archetypes exactly as they've been established by creators past to my friends.
So at this rate, while I certainly still intend to raise a banner and stake a claim to fame in Japan, I've been feeling more convinced recently that, since my art reeks so much of American spirit, a grab at comic careerism in American probably ain't all that bad, either. Despite the market climate in the West practically being a barren Mexican desert. So now my thoughts right now are filled with what to do from this point - purge myself of all American influences to increase market compatibility, or capitalize on that American spirit in the hopes that it catches on in the market like the swine flu.
Anyway... I'm dealing with a second case of culture shock, mild but art-related (and therefore job-related). I've purposely avoided any American comic art influences in my art style for many years now, thinking that oh, Japan's anime shit's the best, I wanna do what the Japanese do exactly and all that, so that's what I've been doing all this time. But y'know, ever since coming to Japan, I've been feeling more convinced that, artistically, I'm a LOT more American than I thought.
I had my friends and a few of my teachers look at my stuff. Especially the furry robot dojin I made for FC the few years past. And while they say my stuff is certainly unique and potentially best-selling in that it pays loving homage to the old school anime (YESSSSSS), my comic art and writing style... can't be thought of as anything else BUT American. The constrained paneling, the Venture Bros.-style dialogue, the over-chattiness, the sheer need to avoid Japanese archetypes... oh, the archetypes. I actually had to EXPLAIN my intent to avoid using archetypes exactly as they've been established by creators past to my friends.
So at this rate, while I certainly still intend to raise a banner and stake a claim to fame in Japan, I've been feeling more convinced recently that, since my art reeks so much of American spirit, a grab at comic careerism in American probably ain't all that bad, either. Despite the market climate in the West practically being a barren Mexican desert. So now my thoughts right now are filled with what to do from this point - purge myself of all American influences to increase market compatibility, or capitalize on that American spirit in the hopes that it catches on in the market like the swine flu.