What do you want in a HORROR comic/manga?

[DynamoToon]

Well, my comic is still starting out, its about 6 pages in but if you want the link here you go. It's called Ghosts of Gypsy Manor.
And yes, when people think about the game even after they play it you know its good.

[ConradComics]

In horror? I want to see a Chibi girl eating the heart out of a grown man. I mean, come on, what says horror more than Chibis?

[VermillionWorks]

You know, I have watched The Shining but never really thought about how it was filmed. You're right, it was a really "bright" movie. Another movie that does that is also It Follows, but I guess it was not as unique as I thought.

With The Shining, it was all about crazy angles and interesting use of colors and patterns. It makes things....trippy and unnerving to look at.

I hope you don't mind, but I do read your work and so I know how well you pull off a very dark and threatening atmosphere. Would you mind telling me how you've managed to perfect it? When I read on Junji Ito and Kazuo Umezu, they told the reporters that they just drew what they thought was scary. Are you afraid of your characters? Or have you practiced enough to know what you are doing? (If this oversteps anything, please forgive me, I am just asking as many questions as I can from everyone)

First off, thank you! ^_^ I'm not sure I've perfected it, I just try to work with what I find the most enjoyable, so it makes it more fun. In Daniel's case, it's what scares me the most about vampires. The idea of having a loved one die and return as a horrifying thing that lacks feeling, but still has your friend's looks and some parts of his old personality, that idea I find psychologically disturbing.

Drawing what you find scary is a good idea, naturally. If it doesn't disturb you to an extent than chances are it's not going to bother anyone else much, or you'll get bored fast with it if it's not having an effect on you. XP

I've just watched a TON of horror movies and am super desensitized as a result, so it's easier to draw the disturbing things. XD There is mainly just one scary character in my comic (Daniel, of course) and I'm not so much afraid of drawing/writing him (though I've creeped myself out a few times), though I certainly would be scared if I confronted him in real life. o_O

With threatening atmosphere, dramatic angles are your friend, and if you go the darker route with the look, so are shadows. Also a character's expressions and body language can make a world of difference in how a scene is supposed to come across. If a character is losing their mind, you should see it through their expressions, their body language...and sometimes a more subtle hint of insanity shining through can be more effective than a BIG TOOTHY slasher grin.

Slow build-up and not knowing exactly what's happening can also be effective with horror writing. The unknown can be a very scary thing.

Aaaand now I'm rambling, never get me started on horror writing. XD It doesn't help I'm bad at trying to explain my thoughts on these things.

Horror is one of my favorite genres because it comes in many different 'flavors', the best advice I can give is look at a whole bunch of horror stuffs, pick and choose the ones that had the most effect on you and try to learn from them. What's the main theme? What's the atmosphere like? What bits creeped you out (or just entertained you) and why?

[ikushina]

I totally get what ya mean x) I've also read manga for a long time. that's also why my comics are in black and white, i'm used to it -plus i'm kinda too lazy to color, but that's an other thing-
Ooh nice : D I NEED to read more but urghhh so busy nowadays T__T i have a long 'to read' list already haha
Yes, I've read Tomie too : D also really good. and yes, graphic haha. Reading it at night is the best d:

[purrlpankras]

Well I did Likho, which was a horror

I guess I look for the things in that.
I really like playing with the mind, like a surreal feel to it. a nightmare almost. (basically what Likho is)
and of course its gotta have gore. But a horror doesn't have to have gore. it can be just physiological horror.
Likho had gore because it was the characters deep fear of seeing people they know in that state, and then you can play with it more.
They think they did that? Someone esle is doing it? Why did it happen to them? Who else is here?

As for style and angles and stuff. I personally like painted style, a dull pallet. I also love a static effect too, Only if you use it right tho. don't over use it.

[papachan]

@furankuc4ld
I would pay money to see that.

@VermillionWorks
You are most welcome. Daniel was the first comic I ever read on Tapastic and I continue to read it to this day. I study horror, but it is really difficult for me to do that because people who are in horror make it an art to keep things a secret. Sometimes you never know what the monster is or there are things that are so intricate, you have to read or watch it five times to get all of it. I have done that for a chunk of what I have studied, still.
No, please please. Continue to ramble. I love reading what you have to say. I have been devinely inspired by Junji Ito and Kazuo Umezu, and so I am hoping to imulate their atmospheres into my work. Right now I am wanting to make a story where there is a lot of buildup and it starts out kind of slow. I am worried that it might be confusing. Do you know how you can control that so that the readers can not lose interest or get too frustrated?
I hope those questions made sense.

@purrlpankras
I have read Likho, and I really loved it.
You have a very unique style, which is why I began looking at Likho in the first place. Thank you for your suggestions. I will keep them in mind. I appreciate it. c:

[VermillionWorks]

Right now I am wanting to make a story where there is a lot of buildup and it starts out kind of slow. I am worried that it might be confusing. Do you know how you can control that so that the readers can not lose interest or get too frustrated?

With a webcomic that only updates once a week, I admit it's hard. Even during ((SORTA-SPOILER FOR MY COMIC AHOOOYY)) the torture scene in my comic, I had one reader get annoyed at how long it was taking to get through it, when in reality it's not that long if you go through it in one sitting, it just felt slower because of the update rate. XP

It's hard to explain how to make it work. If you're building up a tense scene to one big climactic moment, drag it out for around one chapter rather than several. However, you can also build up tension for several chapters in different ways, like with Daniel, I tried to show many times throughout the comic that things are getting worse and worse with him when it comes to his sanity and his vampirism controlling his actions; that's building up tension in another way.

Other than that, really try not to worry about things being slow TOO much - go with your gut instincts even if you get a complaint or two about the pace. The worst thing you can do is jump right into the in-your-face stuff because you're worried it's not moving fast enough, it can erase all the tension entirely and suddenly your original plan for the story is lost.

[Miokka]

oh ! you'd check out my comic ? how lovely of you ! it's here btw http://tapastic.com/episode/211072)

as for the character design... check this out !

other silhouette tutorials should be easy to find and just as helpful !

[monotone_ink]

Well, the typical jump scares are pretty difficult to do in comics and manga, but the one thing I love about horror manga are when the authors really try to creep out the viewer.
With horror, comics and manga have great potential in creating a creepy and unsettling atmosphere.
When it comes to monsters, one thing that I find really effective is adding a 'human' factor to them.
For example, I was playing Dark Souls and came across these monsters:

At first, I thought they were normal monsters that were extremely annoying. But after taking a closer look at one of the bodies, I realised that the top portion of the monster was actually a human body mutated beyond recognition, their head slumped over. That made me stop and think, questioning myself and the world I was playing around in.

Ooh, I also really like it when the characters eventually fall into insanity and paranoia, something they'll never come out of the same ever again.

If you want a really disturbing and unsettling manga, try reading Junji Ito's 'Uzumaki'
It is truly the most unsettling thing I've read.

[CelestialNavigator]

Mind screw for everyone!
Also it would be nice to see something else then pure gore. the best horrors are subtle.
And if the comics is in colour I'd like to see author utilizing them to the max.

[CelestialNavigator]

If you want a really disturbing and unsettling manga, try reading Junji Ito's 'Uzumaki'

Oh yes, his stories are terribly awesome.

[papachan]

@wierdmonkeycat

I have read most of Junji Ito's translated works. I have a copy of Uzumaki and all three volumes Gyo laying on my desk. It was when I read Junji Ito and enjoyed every page that I realized that I had an obsession with horror and needed to do something in that genre.
Have you read The Drifting Classroom by Kazuo Umezu? I really enjoy that work a lot.

@CelestialNavigator
I agree. I just don't find gore very scary. For me, gore is just goop on the floor that nobody has any business touching. Sometimes I think it can be done really well, but there is always a big chance of overkill like it Battle Royal. Do you have an example of colored comics that you really enjoy that you would be willing to share here for me to see?

[Dingbat1991]

There was a game I played in the past called "Neverending Nightmares" which has a vibe you're talking about presented in a woodblock style. Being an admirer of designs by Albrecht Dürer, I totally dig. It had an uneasy, creepy atmosphere which didn't totally rely on sudden/jumpscares. Which leads me to say that a horror comic's first priority should focus on an atmosphere. Perhaps the creator should base it off on what gives him/her the heevy jeevies.

[papachan]

I would love to write a comic about what gives me the heevy jeevies. However, the thing that I am most afraid of in this whole world are mascots. I am the most scared of an ugly guy named Big Red. Seriously the most terrifying thing on the planet to date. I am pretty sure that it is called masklophobia. I've even went to therapy over it. Still, no progress. Because every time I go to a football game I see this:

What freaks you out?

[Dingbat1991]

Not a lot really. Dismemberment gives me the chills but I don't think I have any true phobia.

[CelestialNavigator]

Well...From ones in colour I certainly can recall only Beautiful Darkness. But I must confess that it's one of the most disturbing things I've ever read. I mean, the art itself doesn't look scary, it's cutesy. But imho it only makes things worse.

It starts very cute:

But theeeeen things happened:
http://nerdist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BEAUTIFUL_pg38.jpg

And one more:

[CelestialNavigator]

This sort of things like in Beautiful Darkness work even better than old fashioned horror with guts and all. It's not like BD doesn't have blood and guts everywhere at times but it has no emphasis on them, oddly enough.

[papachan]

@CelestialNavigator
Um. Ew. That will haunt my nightmares for a long long time. Which is a great thing! Thank you for including this wonderful example. The artwork is quite cute and lovely, and you are totally right with how it is colored. I will have to go and read this now. Gosh, my heart is still kinda racing a little bit. Where ever did you find this?

[zoonland]

A creepy, dark story, with a great black and white contrast to create a disturbing atmosphere.
No blood needed.

[papachan]

@zoonland
You don't like any blood in your story? What freaks you out?