You think you could work on your comic as a full time artist?

[TheLemmaLlama]

Hmmmm ... maybe? Idk. I'd definitely be tempted. I wouldn't do it for the money, but rather use it as a means to get my comic out at a faster pace. I'd definitely use my entire salary to hire more assistants than the average mangaka (which I can afford to do because reasons).

I don't think any of my stories fit the shounen genre, but to follow what I feel is the spirit of this thread, I'm going to ignore that concern XD

If editors change my story in ways I don't like, I'm just going to use a sockpuppet to post an 'unofficial fan comic' XD

[Chocolate]

Yes. The schedule is what put many manga artists health at risk. You’re talking about 6 days worth of work; and only to sleep/rest 4-6 hours. It’s not for the faint of heart.

[NickRowler]

I had heard stories of some mangaka artist just burning out from how quick they have to work. Most of them need to have assistants. And some say that switching to the monthly version did so much to improve their physical and mental health. Plus I heard it pays like garbage.

[margodraws]

Not for Shonen Jump or any similar publication; I've heard enough about the mangaka life to want to steer clear. I'd also be reluctant to let a magazine editor change my story-- not because I think it's perfect, but unlike in my day job, it's a project where I enjoy full creative control.

Independently though? If money were no object, I'd put my career on hold to work on my passion project for a few years. Maybe if I won the lottery (I've never bought a lottery ticket haha).

[darthmongoose]

I could be a full-time comic artist, but not to Shounen Jump's schedule. Keeping up two pages of Errant a week on top of a part time job is already a lot. I reckon without a part time job, and with assistants or people taking on roles like flatter and letterer, I could turn out a similar sort of output to most Marvel or DC creators and still have decent quality of life.

From working as a freelance illustrator, I've learned that if your dream job becomes a nightmare and it's not fun any more, it's just not worth it. It's wonderful to make comics and get paid for it, but not needing to worry about having money for rent or clothes, having the time and money to read other comics or play games or have hobbies and getting to spend time with the people you love is just so important.

[DualDragons]

No, I like my freedom. @darthmongoose hit the nail on the head with what is really important. And in the end I really make stories for myself.

There is a reason I did not want to become a full time artist and why I am studying engineering instead. So I can have a job that pays me enough to live from and do the things I love to do, which includes drawing. And I feel I would lose interest if I had to draw for a living, it takes the motivation out of it.

[DualDragons]

After all the horror stories? After having read bakuman? No, not with their deadly deadlines. With more reasonable, relaxed ones, yeah, sure (but I doubt it'll ever happen so I'm stuck at my dayjob and just darwing my silly webcomics in the early mornings/evenings)

This is also why I don't want to become a full time artist.

[Lensing]

I can´t think of any benefit of being a full time artist under horrible work conditions.
The payment in the comic book industry compared to the amount of time/work is ridiculous
and that is nothing compared to the web comic payment. When I got back into drawing
7 years ago I talked to some pro comic book artists and I couldn´t believe how they get
exploited. I make more money with really simple illustration jobs in a few days than what they
get in one month of work and then I can work on my comics in my free time.

Short answer, no way

[rumpenstiltzkin]

I would love to be able to live on being a full time artist/working on my comic but NOT for specifically shonen jump.
If my comic or a future comic would ever ever be popular enough that I could live on i through something like patreon it would be a dream

But selling it for a publisher with unrealistic and stressfull deadlines, no thanks

[TheDoublekey]

Sorry, but it would be a big no no from me. A couple of years ago I would've answered: "Heck yeah!" because I would've loved to see my manga on a japanese magazine like SJ, but with the knowledge I now have... I don't think it would be that good of an idea.

The life of a mangaka in Japan is not an easy one at all. They have to spend all the week working on their manga non-stop (especially if it's on weekly schedule!) and have very few to no time for themselves. Also, they don't get all the sleep they need (take a look at Oda's schedule for example. He only sleeps two hours on Monday! It sounds hellish to me). Many mangakas also end up falling sick due to the excessive amount of work/stress or even end up dying (karoshi, which means "death by overworking" is actually a thing in Japan).

Also, if your manga actually made it in a magazine, you have no guarantee it's going to stay there forever. There's a lot of competition and most manga (even if they're good) get axed by Jump and the others, because they are not popular enough.

Knowing this, I very much prefer working on my own but with no stressful deadlines and with my own set of rules. I might never get to finish my manga with this schedule, sure, but at least I'm not putting at risk my own health.

For this reason, I have nothing but respect for mangakas, because of their amazing work. I can't help but feel worried and bad for their working conditions, though...

[Kann]

No. I struggle with my current schedule enough and I can't image the burnout and stress with the amount of work required for Shonen Jump.

[Chocolate]

Honestly, if Shonen Jump pay their artist a liveable wage; I’m pretty sure that a lot more people would be thrilled to get hired there.

[darthmongoose]

Honestly, if Shonen Jump pay their artist a liveable wage; I’m pretty sure that a lot more people would be thrilled to get hired there.

The problem is, people are thrilled to work there even if they don't. It's the same at Disney and all sorts; people dream of working for these companies from childhood, and the prestige of it, being able to say you did it, is so high that people will take lower pay, and if you turn it down, the corporations know there's a hundred more hungry artists who'd leap at the chance to be in that position.

Companies are always happy to take advantage of it, and for a long time it was like... they could, because where else are those artists going to go? Webcomics have caused a shake-up because now an artist can go directly to the fans without any middle-man, but of course there are creators who still want that "seal of approval" and brand recognition of being published, and to have a publisher doing legwork on promo and distribution for them.

An awful lot of young creators though would be better off just focusing on webcomics and building their own personal brand than seeking the approval of print publishers.

[smokesalty]

Nope. I feel like it would kill my love for my comic if I'm made to constantly make 20 page weekly releases. I've heard a ton of horror stories as well! My art process isn't fast enough to complete something like that, nor am I willing to sacrifice quality for quantity.

My comic is like my baby, I don't want companies interfearing with it

[Jenny-Toons]

Just to add a piece to what others have said:

Are you actually capable of keeping up with that weekly/semi-weekly schedule?

Yes -- it's around 20-45 pages an update, but for traditional manga layout, that's around 6-8 panels a page. That's a lot of panels to draw. If you're not already doing 40-60 panels for your own comic, are you capable of doing that or more for a company with a weekly deadline schedule?

It's one thing to say "yes, I can work up to it" and another to actually do it. How are you going to work up to that level? Do you have to schedule in lunch and breaks to make sure you don't burn out? When you wipe away the rose-tilted appeal of working for these companies, you have to consider the amount of work/maintaining your health ratio.

Also, in terms of assistants, I...kinda don't know how many starting mangakas get. I do know more popular, well-established mangakas might have around 5-7 assistants, but I don't think those starting out have that many. Depending, it could be from none to 1? Maybe 2, if you're pushing it. If anyone could clarify that for me, that would be swell.

[igneriss]

Shounen Jump- not really. However, if it's a 'I have to produce 20 pages a week of my own story in my current style and the pay is similar to my current job' scenario, then I'd go for it. I'm pretty fast with drawing, so I think I would be able to do it. Of course, there's more work, corrections and time needed with editors etc, I'm talking about a scenario where I just do what I do now but as a job with deadlines cx

[Zugaikotsu]

You're right, Jenny! Beginning mangakas can afford 1-2 assistants the most! Big, long running names names might have like 10.

[Melinda]

If it’s for shonen jump magazine, then yes! Shonen jump is the highest demand manga magazine in Japan and the standard is very high, so if there’s any chance for me to publish my work i’d take it with no doubt, even tho my series might be axed in a short amount of time i’ll still consider it as a privilege and achievement of a lifetime to be in the same magazine with lots of respectful mangaka. Also it’s a chance to learn a lot from those skillful senseis! It’s crazy just to imagine if there’s a chance to be in the same circle with those legends but there’ll be a lot preparation to be done, such as stamina and mental stability to be able to keep up with weekly deadline. Since i had experience publishing weekly eps, maybe i won’t be as shocked… (Still, maybe tho)

[TroyVSTheWorld]

If I were in a situation where Shonen Jump were trying to pick me up (for whatever reason) I would make something new based off my existing archetypes--Basically, pull a Groening's Simpsons and make a bunch of characters on the spot if you're going to sell their souls to a corporation. Don't give the men in suits your baby.

After that? Well, sheeit, my quality would go down to meet deadlines and I wouldn't care, I'd be getting paid to draw comics. Not like working in a restaurant is much better.

[system]

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