my dd's desperate desire is to draw/illustrate manga for Clamp in Tokyo

[AngieW in Texas]

What kind of degree would work towards this and still be applicable towards something else? What schools should she be looking at?

I don't want her to have all her hopes and dreams and desires pinned on this one particular outcome. She is very good at drawing, but I've seen many kids her age who are better at drawing (manga and other styles). She is taking a cartooning class that has definitely improved her style, even after just 4 lessons.

[Karen in CO]

He has loved Manga for years. This grew into a desire to learn Japanese - he has now taken 4 semesters of Japanese at the local cc. He is now enrolled in an American university in Japan with plans to major in asian studies. He starts school in January in Tokyo. He is thinking of working for the U.N. perhaps as a translator or even working as part of the JET program that sends Americans to Japan to teach English to Japanese students. The asian studies major includes courses in Japanese pop culture and art - including manga.

[Jane in NC]

May I suggest that you PM LoriM? Her daughter has manga/anime asperations, I believe, and is majoring in both art and math. Perhaps she can provide insight.

Peace,
Jane

[AngieW in Texas]

She is definitely interested in all things Japanese and has been working on Japanese on her own for several years. She plans to take Japanese at the cc in 11th and 12th grades.

[Zuca]

As someone who's been a fan of anime and manga for nine years and has been through a phase of wanting to be an illustrator, I'd have to say that what I wish I'd understood back then is that manga is only a small and specific style within the realm of art; and more than that, that it's only a small part in the realm of illustration.

If your daughter wants to do something art related, she should look at the whole of art. She should take general art classes, not just cartooning, and should focus on general art skills more than just copying the artists she likes. Also, if illustration is what she wants to do, she should look at -all- illustration, not just manga.

I have a good friend who is an artist, and wants to do illustration; he and I have carpooled to community college the last two years, and even though he's interested in a specific style/genre, his general skills and understanding have been a better asset to him than all the time he spent copying artists he liked. He took classes like basic drawing, figure drawing, 2D and 3D design, painting, sculpture, and art history. Whenever we talk about his art, he talks about the techniques he learns that are applicable not just to his style, but to all/most drawing and/or painting.

If art is really your daughter's passion, don't let her limit herself; expose her to other kinds of art and encourage an interest in the whole realm of art. If she ultimately sticks with manga, that's fine, but she'll be a better illustrator if she gets a broad base.

Now, I don't really know how much of a market there is for non-Asian manga artists, but as manga becomes more and more popular outside Japan, I imagine it's becoming better. Your daughter might also consider looking into game and fantasy illustration, which are probably more open to all artists.

Also, not to put a damper on things, but CLAMP is a group of four manga artists who do every part of the production of their manga themselves. I really don't think anyone else writes or draws for them. But really, I think most artists do most if not all their own work, especially for manga (with the exception of hiring background artists).

Hope this helps~

[Zuca]

She is definitely interested in all things Japanese and has been working on Japanese on her own for several years. She plans to take Japanese at the cc in 11th and 12th grades.


That's another thing - if she wants to do Japanese manga, she should definitely learn about Japanese history and culture, and the language. I learned the basic alphabets from a Japanese friend in Jr. High, and took three years of Japanese in High School all in hopes of being able to read manga in Japanese. (I was never able to, but I didn't go very well in the classes either. Dunno why I stuck through 3 years of it...)

[JennW in SoCal]

Just want to echo what Zuca has written. To be a gainfully employed artist of any kind you must master all the basic skills of drawing and painting. Life drawing, color theory, art history, and as has been mentioned, Japanese history and culture all would be critical for becoming a successful Manga or anime artist.

I'm saying this with first hand knowledge as I am married to a successful comic book artist. From the time my dh was 13 or 14, he wanted to draw super hero comic books. He was a fine art major in college, studied animation and cartooning on his own, and he knew everything about the comic book biz before embarking on his chosen career. His first job out of college was as an assistant to an artist, and he has gone on to work on all the big titles in the industry like X-Men and Batman.

Your dd should attend one of the big area comicbook conventions and start to get to know the business as most of the publishers now have a prominent presence at these events. All the big publishers need translators and marketers and sales reps in order to get their products brought into the American market, so don't forget that end of the business. I don't know if they have talent search and portfolio reviews as Marvel and DC do, but there would be people there she could talk with in order to learn what it takes for an American kid to become a published Manga creator.

A comic book convention also is a great place for seeing the huge spectrum of illustration -- all different styles of illustration and the variety of outlets for very creative people. There are small publishers who produce all kinds of fantastic books, there are artists who draw all those Magic cards and other card game art. There are people whose job it is to travel the country and teach card games at stores and big events! There are artists who work as production designers for movies and for video games.