Manga Synopsis

I was checking out some mangas being sold in the local bookshop, and I noticed a trend with the summaries. You know, the synopsis of the story written on the back cover of the manga?

Manga synopsises are terrible. First of all, there're way too many mangas in the market right now, and not many of them are of good quality. (Then again, I'm picky. Which brings me to...) Second, people tend to have different tastes in what they like and what they don't like. As someone who wants to buy a manga or comic book or whatever, I want to know exactly what kind of manga/book I'm getting without having to do research on the Internet.

Some manga synopsises are just too damn generic, ambiguous or nebulous.

"Join the hilarious adventures of an ordinary schoolboy who turns into a magical girl! Takoyaki-kun must protect his secret as he tries to live a normal life with his fun friends."

Okay, so I get the gist of the story, but there are about three other series on the other shelf with a similar magical girl comedy theme. What kind of adventures is Takoyaki-kun having? How is it any more hilariouser than the other (apparently) funny stories I want to buy?

Synopsises with question marks just annoy me.

"Ebiko is a giant robot who battles the evil forces of the Gyudon Empire, but when she's not keeping the earth safe she's disguised as a clumsy schoolgirl! Will she stop the great Gyudon Empire and pass her exams? Will she ever unleash the true power of her Sushibot creator? Will she ever find the meaning of love?"

Stop teasing me, you teasing tease! Besides, the only people who'd ever care about the answers would be people who are already following the story.

And then there're these...

"The manga that spawned the hit anime series is here! Follow the hilarious adventures of the shy ninja boy, Tempura-kun, who has to cope with living with a dozen sexy pirates!"

Manga summaries that capitalise on the existing popularity of an anime series are okay, I guess, but if it's really the manga from a 'hit' anime series, then you don't have to be told which anime it came from. And if you didn't realise that the manga was from the 'hit' anime series, then perhaps the anime wasn't that famous to begin with. Besides, I wouldn't want to buy a series solely because the anime has a million fans or something.

(As an example, maybe the million fans like the hit anime because they like the hot ninja-on-pirate or ninja-on-pirate-on-pirate-on-pirate ecchi, but I'm more into the sexy giant robot-on-giant robot action genre.)

Anyway, as much as I rant, there was something I liked during my bookshop raid earlier today. Check out the cover of Koromo-chan:

http://www.troubleseekers.com/images/copyright/cosplay_koromo-chan_cover1.gif
http://www.troubleseekers.com/images/copyright/cosplay_koromo-chan_cover2.gif

I really like the synopsis - it's eye-catching, creative and more importantly it tells the potential buyer what kind of style or flavour of manga he/she/it can expect. I'm sure Koromo-chan isn't the first manga/comic book to have an illustrated synopsis, but I think it was well done. In any case, it convinced me to buy the book, since it looked precisely like the kind of manga I'd like. It was a good purchase. :D

Well, that's my rant. I know one particular person on this blog plans to publish some mangas of her own, and I wanted to tell her that I think illustrated summaries trump boring text synopsises any day of the week.

On a side note, I think I should make a manga starring a giant robot ninja who transforms into a clumsy school girl and has to hide her secret from her housemates, who are all sexy magical pirates. They will all be named after food because it's 3am, and I'm as hungry as I am delirious.

Will she ever find the meaning of love? That's an obvious yes, because there'll be plenty of hot, sexy giant robot-on-giant robot action.

New Blog Name Suggestion (Part 2)!

Suggestions so far!!

1) Weekly Blot
2) Seven Sketch
3) Graphite Knights
4) Blot o'clock
5) Was suggested we keep Weekly Sketch
6) Sketchophrenics
7) Sketophrenia

C'mon guys! Keep em coming! And stop giving me that crap about not being good at names!!

*yawn* It's the crack o dawn....so I decided to scan and post a few pics first up.

Angel.
I drew this a few months back and
I keep coming back to it but I havent been able to finish it. I plan to CG it eventually and all that jazz but....lets jus say PS and I dont mix too well.


Tar found this when she came to visit in Feb x_x I drew it last year!! She told me to upload it but I just found it again last night! lol I like the style ^^



Lastly a totally incomplete fanart thingie of Noodle and 2D...o_o yea...I like em... so? ;__;
Anyone on here know of or are into dolfies?
Is it ok if I post some dolfie shaaa next post Kat-sama?

Peace and all that jazz
~Ren

Technique link!

A useful link for folks who want to know how edges on objects appear in various light forms, near, far etc. Take a look! =D

SUGGEST THE OFFICAL NAME OF WEEKLY SKETCH!

We can always go with Weekly Sketchif you all have gotten comfortable with it but it doesn't hurt to come up with some other names that we can vote on =D I want to design the banner and such so I need to know our theme and such.

My suggestion!

Weekly Blot!

Throw em out guys! let's hear your discussions =D

Oh man late post

Sorry sorry! I'm really late with this one but i've been up to my neck in a bunch of commissions. No real private work of my own to show today.

Here's a commission i'm currently working on for Deathnite ^_^ His grey fox character Brian.
Brr it's so cold right now in Jamaica. *hugs self*
I'll be sending out another letter about some changes I got in mind for the weekly sketch including some design layouts etc. I think it's safe to say everyone's been damn busy? God knows I am. Oh posting another entry after this to vote on the official name of the blog :3

Give Chalosan a cheer! he's been promoting our little blog already in his journal XD!! ( I was waiting till we looked more nifty but hey! I love the love! )

"I surrender!" cried the little red radish.

Haha, oh man. My odd sense of humor got the better of me this week. I hope this doesn't scare anyone. XD

No pencil

I was drawing all day yesterday and I kill my lead sooo....I just used a pen XD. I was bored and after watching a movie called tombstone I sketched her on a little note pad >_>. I wish I could fix a few things. I haven't posted in awhile so.. here!

Scanner-rific

YES. My scanner is back in business. Let the ridiculousness begin.

Naschie

This is another character i was working on just trying to flesh em out.

Nursing for Youth Link

A sketch for an illustration to go with YL's article on nursing. I have a lot to fix up before this things ready for its close up. T_T

Modern girl Vixy

Just like the Hope pic. I updated Vixy's look a bit. And gave her Etna's pigtails! XD

Ayla Portrait...sorta

Phew!! First of all, sorry for not being active in the blog for the past week, I took a trip outta state and didnt have access to much interweb! I had another sketch in mind but I did this one last night and kinda liked it enough to post first. It's Ayla (sorry TJ I dont think I'm gonna finish it so it goes here)
As I said before she looks diff everytime I draw her.

Now that I think about it....this is pretty lame compared to all the awesome that has popped up on the blog...*pout*

Amano-y

I've been experimenting with ink sketches for the past week. These two were made with a .o5 mm copic pen (they're so much fun D:). Anyway, these sketches in particular came out kinda Amano-esque. XD Just felt like sharing 'em, hehe.

No name

I haven't named this girl yet >_<. Any way I made this sketch just for the blog. I see alot of mistakes in it x_x. buuut yea I just like the way the sketch looks in general. I'm sorry it took so long for me to post. I'll be posting more not that my i got the chord to my scanner. Enjoy!

Rothqueves Groupie XD

Ayla, Tayten and Wescott! As adults! =D

Katinka Katze

working on a story besides the children of O thingy, and this is one of the characters.

The Panda by ... a panda

Kate new look

Just reworked my very first anthro char, kate.
Also. Im very happy how her sword looks. I actualy used a ruler there. YAY!

(btw, Kat told me how to give my pics that look and now I can't stop using it! hehe)

Artsy - concept stage

Just trying to sketch out a character that's been bouncing around my mind for a while. I'll explain more about her once I've drawn a full body shot. XD

Esroh - drawing her again finally! =D

Welp I'm drawing her in her old style :3 (redesigning everyone did I mention X3 ? )