Are you showcasing any new creation at comic con Bangalore?
I will be part of the Wacgom India team & will be providin a live demo on their latest products at the convention. So I’m going as Wacom guest artist for this convention , to promote the spread of Anime/Manga culture which Wacom, being a Japanese company, supports & nurtures.
Share with us about your love and passion for Manga? How did this start?
I started reading Manga in early 2007. I was familiar with Japanese Anime coming on AXN even before that, but it’s only after watching Naruto for the first time that I decided to follow the manga version which I found was many chapters ahead of the series. I think it was the best decision I ever made. Now I tend to read over 7 to 8 different manga each week. Manga usually tend to focus on long form stories which I find extremely exciting . You will get addicted to the style. Apart from that, each artist has his own individual style of handling characters. Another reason is that most Manga despite having deep rooted story basically signify core values that everyone should imbibe.
I’m personally very passionate about Manga/Anime now. In fact I want to do my best to spread the awareness of how amazing the medium can get if you just give it a try. I’m hoping this seminar serves as a platform for me to do that as well. India has a huge audience but the medium is still very new. Yet over the last year I’ve come in touch with not only some very passionate manga readers but also artists from our country.
“With Animax showcasing some of the best & latest Anime I think the fan base in India has widened to an extent. Sadly most DTH operators have cancelled the service.”
What manga would you recommend reading for those who are not exposed to this art form?
People can always check out my own manga series The Beast Legion absolutely free online at www.thebeastlegion.com , which is also now termed as one of the first manga styled web series to come from India. I always look forward to people’s response towards it & so far it has been great. There are several great manga out there. The prominent being Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, Fairy Tail, Gantz all of which even have a large following in India. But the first manga I always recommend would be Naruto followed by Bleach. Naruto, in short, focuses on a boy’s struggle to feel accepted in a society despite having a destructive Beast trapped within his body. The manga has now almost reached it’s climax but the story flow is just Brilliant. There is also ‘FairyTail’ another great great series. I know the name sounds kiddish but one needs to keep in mind, never judge a manga by it’s name. This one involves a wizard guild trying to make it’s name in a fantasy world.
Is your manga a fusion interpretation of the manga style or is it puritan manga?
Mine is definitely a fusion. Manga are generally read right to left unlike conventional comics. I wanted to keep the normal format as mine is a webcomic & I have to take into consideration even the non-manga readers. People are generally used to the left-to right format so I’ve decided to stick with it. As far the style goes every manga has it’s own unique drawing style while keeping certain characteristics constant like the way they draw the nose & the eyes.
There really is no puritan style in my opinion. Every artist today has his own way of drawing manga characters. You’ll see a drastic difference in Misashi Kishimoto’s drawing style in Naruto ,Echiro Oda’s One Piece or Tite Kubo’s Bleach. Even the shading techniques differ from manga to manga.
What’s the number of readers you have for your webcomics?
Since it’s a web comic, reader counts keep fluctuating every week. We have a very strong reader base in the US & Europe .The reader count in India is still not close to the level I’m looking forward to but it’s growing day by day. But it’s going pretty strong as an independent series & am hoping to find a decent publishing/distributing deal in due time. Sadly the retail /online market in India isn’t very indie friendly
Tell us about Wacom tablets and your experience using them?
I have been using Wacom from the get go. Ever since I took up animation seriously back in 2007 & started with an Intuos 3. Now I use the Intuos 5. I’m a pure digital artist, so since that time I’ve barely used a pencil. For me the WACOM Intuos 3 was a one time investment that paid off in a big way. Infact, Beast Legion is a product created only with my Wacom tablet.
I love using the tablet. It can be used by artists at any level be it newcomers, hobbyists, amateurs or pros. It speeds things up , is very durable, convenient & most of all, user friendly. With over 2000 levels of pen pressure sensitivity, it catches even the slightest pressure. It’s one of the reasons I’m honored to be a part of their team at the Convention.
What will be the next step after Comic Con Bengluru?
Film & Comics Convention in Mumbai for sure. It’s on the 20th & 21st of October. Already have a stall booked & I will be selling Beast Legion Vol 2( issues 5-8) at the conventions along with limited copies of the first set.