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It’s 2:30 am and my birthday so let me tell you a story about something crazy I did a few months ago.
So January I found out that there was going to be this manga competition show on TV. All you needed to do was submit some manga storyboards and they’d decide if you make the first cut based on that. I figured what the heck, I have a lot (A LOT) of unused storyboards. Let’s do it
So at the end of January I sent my latest rejected story in. And I make the first cut. Suddenly I have this director calling me up and asking if he can come to my house to interview me for the show. I’m like...sure??
They tell me there’s gonna be another cut, but this time I’ll hear from the judges (one of them being this famous writer who the winner of the whole thing gets to work with) about whether I made it or not. But first, interview.
The director comes to my place and interviews me for like 3 hours. Even has me call up my mom to get her thoughts about me ditching the states to draw comics in Japan. I’m honest—I want to draw comics bc I want to draw hot men with feelings . I mean, look at my room.
So the day of the next cut comes and the director sets up a few cameras. The announcement is going to be via Zoom, and they have this whole broadcast set up between the TV studio and my place. It’s actually pretty nerve wracking but...I make the cut. Again.
Only this time they give us our next challenge. Design 4 or more characters based off of the theme “love in the age of Corona”. I’m actually pretty excited because romance manga is more or less my thing. The other two contestants who made it are a bit less excited.
So after the announcement the director informs me that I have to film myself at all times when working and sets up like 3 cameras in my living room. I’ve seen this stuff on TV, so I’m more or less cool with it. Present tense.
I’m doing all of this while working my normal job so my time is a bit limited, but I finish everything without too much trouble. I’m the first person to submit my work, too. I sit and wait for the results. Same thing, broadcast from the studio.
This time it’s a bit different. They do this thing where they have the directors assigned to us wait outside and ring the doorbell of whoever makes it to the final round. The first doorbell rings. Not me. I admit, I was sweating. They did a really good job of getting you nervous!
So it’s just me and one other contestant. A doorbell rings. It’s mine! It’s mine?! I rush to the door and I’m given a key which is apparently for the hotel we’ll be staying in on the last day our last assignment is due (it was actually a prop, since what hotel uses keys nowadays)
And then me and the other finalist get our last assignment. Draw a 18 page storyboard within the week. I’m not too excited about this LOL...I struggle with storyboards, constantly drawing and redrawing things. One week, especially with a full time job...is not much time at all.
Plus, I didn’t even expect to make it this far?! Like, what if I actually DO win? The director kept asking me about that, and all I could tell him is “I don’t know, I didn’t think that far!!!”
I’m also tired. Being filmed constantly is exhausting. And now the director has added ANOTHER camera in my apartment! I can’t relax in my own house. But it’s only a week so I sit down and get to work. 2 days later I have 10 pages done! ...But the story isn’t coming together.
On Wednesday I end up scrapping 7 of those pages. This thing is due on Saturday. Not good. The director stops by the visit and I think he can tell that I am Not In The Mood To Talk. He keeps apologizing and I’m like “please...just let me work...”
But it turns out they set up a video call with me and the other finalist. It turns out we’re the same age, and actually have editors at the same publisher. She also has two kids and is a professional assistant. Talking to her is kind of an inspiration.
I get back to work and get 9 pages done that night. Back on track! I manage to finish things up by the deadline, even if I have to scramble to think up all the dialogue in the very last hours at the hotel.
It’s time for the final reveal of the winner. I’m full of emotion. I’m not exactly sure if I want to win? I’d be working with a writer, and it’d be a serialization and I just...I don’t know. Things are going fast. But I worked hard on this, so winning would still mean a lot.
They set everything up. This time the writer himself will go directly to the winner’s room with his editor and they’ll immediately being talks about the serialization. I wait. I see her waiting on the other side of the screen. And then...
...her door opens. She was the winner. I feel a rush of relief and something. Maybe disappointment? I’m not sure. It’s over, and I can return to trying to win a debut prize with my current editor. Not a huge loss, I guess.
But then, my door opens. It’s the editor who was with the writer. He says he thought my storyboard was really good and would like to work with me on an original serialization. I burst into tears. I guess it’s just because it was some validation I didn’t realize I needed.
I had so many failed storyboards with my other editor. So many. I’m not blaming him for it, but it does a number to your confidence. Hearing someone say that something I made was interesting, was good...it meant a lot.
And so that brings us to now. I am currently developing what will hopefully be a serialized manga in the upcoming months! And it’s going to be...the Rita and Cedric story! I’m still at the very beginning planning stages, but I can’t wait. It doesn’t feel real.
So yeah! Once I have something real to show, I’ll be sure to let y’all know. And that’s my story! Happy birthday to me!
Oh and I forgot the best part, when the show aired and my room was shown on national television a bunch of people were like “WHO IS THAT TRIGGER STAN ON TV” on Twitter, it was great
Here are some character sheets of Rita, Cedric (in their casual wear) and a new character (who has been reworked since I drew this picture...she looks and acts completely different now lmao). This GW I'm going to be sitting down and writing up the specifics about them I need
