I live in England and I wish to become a manga artist.
Hello! My name is Atanas and I am 15. I'm in year 11 and my GCSE's are approaching very soon. However, I am very worried and concerned about where to move onwards. I still have not applied to any colleges or anything AT ALL! Is there anywhere I can go in England that will support my desire to become a mangaka? I want to make my manga but I must stay in education until I'm 18. Please, help me, I am very scared and concerned. On the bright side, I have been working on an art portfolio.
I don't know anything about how the manga industry works(just read them some times) but ur best bet is learning japanese, going to japan, and figuring out what to do from there in the future. Also, what do you mean by "Is there anywhere I can go in England that will support my desire to become a mangaka"? The most logical thing to do is study hard in ur GCSEs, do okay in them -> go to a college, take art at A-level, whether that is Graphics, fine art, photography etc. -> then go to uni and study illustration (or animation as this will probz be the safer option in terms of job security I would assume, but I am not sure about the suitability of the skill set you acquire) -> go to japan and hustle whilst learning japanese on the side throughout this whole journey. Realistically you won't make it as a mangaka if u don't sign with a japanese publisher as its casual readers like me and weeb nerds who will never see ur work and we are the bulk of the demand for ur product. If you think what I have said is daunting, tbh u just have to suck it up a do it as life as a manga I have heard is 7 days a week, 16 hours or more a day of work / drawing and u could be out of a job quickly if ur manga does badly for a short amount of time just like bleach. Overall you shouldn't be stressing right now as u are only 15, you have plenty of time, keep calm. Make sure you have a back up plan that somewhat aligns with your dream if possible (eg becoming a game/movie/show animator if the manga thing doesn't work out) as your chances of success is not 100%.
(edited 1 year ago)
I think you can do it, but it will take time! you are still young so i would focus on your gcse's for now and you could study fine art/illustration at college or university? at your age I felt so eager to just study my interest (languages, japanese, etc) and neglect my gcses but eventually your time will come you can put your energy into achieving your goal.
mangaka's arent really commonly known in the uk which is a shame but its a great idea to build up your art portfolio and perhaps apply to colleges to study art. dont worry too much about it for now i know gcses can be super stressful, but just keep doing what you enjoy! learning japanese would be a great idea also.
best of luck in the future !
mangaka's arent really commonly known in the uk which is a shame but its a great idea to build up your art portfolio and perhaps apply to colleges to study art. dont worry too much about it for now i know gcses can be super stressful, but just keep doing what you enjoy! learning japanese would be a great idea also.
best of luck in the future !
Hello! Thank you for your advice!
Thank you for your advice! When I asked if there is a place in England I can go to, I was asking if there were colleges or places for me to go to which may teach me or suit me well enough for my desire to make my own manga. As it turns out, the education system for art isn't very supportive when it comes to illustration, comics, anime/manga, etc. I am focusing my best on passing my GCSE's, however, I do not plan on going to university or doing A-Levels. I want to start making manga as soon as possible. I am ready to dedicate myself. What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Original post by bambam21566
I don't know anything about how the manga industry works(just read them some times) but ur best bet is learning japanese, going to japan, and figuring out what to do from there in the future. Also, what do you mean by "Is there anywhere I can go in England that will support my desire to become a mangaka"? The most logical thing to do is study hard in ur GCSEs, do okay in them -> go to a college, take art at A-level, whether that is Graphics, fine art, photography etc. -> then go to uni and study illustration (or animation as this will probz be the safer option in terms of job security I would assume, but I am not sure about the suitability of the skill set you acquire) -> go to japan and hustle whilst learning japanese on the side throughout this whole journey. Realistically you won't make it as a mangaka if u don't sign with a japanese publisher as its casual readers like me and weeb nerds who will never see ur work and we are the bulk of the demand for ur product. If you think what I have said is daunting, tbh u just have to suck it up a do it as life as a manga I have heard is 7 days a week, 16 hours or more a day of work / drawing and u could be out of a job quickly if ur manga does badly for a short amount of time just like bleach. Overall you shouldn't be stressing right now as u are only 15, you have plenty of time, keep calm. Make sure you have a back up plan that somewhat aligns with your dream if possible (eg becoming a game/movie/show animator if the manga thing doesn't work out) as your chances of success is not 100%.
Thank you for your advice! When I asked if there is a place in England I can go to, I was asking if there were colleges or places for me to go to which may teach me or suit me well enough for my desire to make my own manga. As it turns out, the education system for art isn't very supportive when it comes to illustration, comics, anime/manga, etc. I am focusing my best on passing my GCSE's, however, I do not plan on going to university or doing A-Levels. I want to start making manga as soon as possible. I am ready to dedicate myself. What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Original post by Atanas Tonov
Hello! Thank you for your advice!
Thank you for your advice! When I asked if there is a place in England I can go to, I was asking if there were colleges or places for me to go to which may teach me or suit me well enough for my desire to make my own manga. As it turns out, the education system for art isn't very supportive when it comes to illustration, comics, anime/manga, etc. I am focusing my best on passing my GCSE's, however, I do not plan on going to university or doing A-Levels. I want to start making manga as soon as possible. I am ready to dedicate myself. What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Thank you for your advice! When I asked if there is a place in England I can go to, I was asking if there were colleges or places for me to go to which may teach me or suit me well enough for my desire to make my own manga. As it turns out, the education system for art isn't very supportive when it comes to illustration, comics, anime/manga, etc. I am focusing my best on passing my GCSE's, however, I do not plan on going to university or doing A-Levels. I want to start making manga as soon as possible. I am ready to dedicate myself. What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
again I don't really know anything about ur situation so I don't know how financially stable your household is as this would determine how much risk you could realistically take. I am a stranger so I am going to be honest, you are taking a MASSIVE risk. You are too young to be taking such a risk, you could just wait 2 years and do ur A-Levels, then atleast you have a back up plan if you don't make it as a mangaka. From what I have seen mangaka don't typically make it so make sure you carefully assess whether you want to drop out of school. Completing school doesn't neccessarily look good to employers, but NOT completing school looks pretty bad. Tbh u sound neive right now, I don't really see why you wouldn't wait 2 more years as you will still have another 40+ years for your career. Be patient and don't do anything you could potentially regret.
The only colleges you could go to are ones that do A-level from my knowledge. If you want to become a mangaka, you also need to be a good story writer, I don't really see how taking english at A-level would harm your creativity/story telling ability.
In short DO YOUR A-LEVELS, its the safest option, and gives you flexibility in the future if things don't work out. I think its straight up stupid to drop out know. Once you finish school, you can take all the risks you want because from what I have seen you looked lost and don't even know which foot you should use to take the next step forward.
Original post by bambam21566
again I don't really know anything about ur situation so I don't know how financially stable your household is as this would determine how much risk you could realistically take. I am a stranger so I am going to be honest, you are taking a MASSIVE risk. You are too young to be taking such a risk, you could just wait 2 years and do ur A-Levels, then atleast you have a back up plan if you don't make it as a mangaka. From what I have seen mangaka don't typically make it so make sure you carefully assess whether you want to drop out of school. Completing school doesn't neccessarily look good to employers, but NOT completing school looks pretty bad. Tbh u sound neive right now, I don't really see why you wouldn't wait 2 more years as you will still have another 40+ years for your career. Be patient and don't do anything you could potentially regret.
The only colleges you could go to are ones that do A-level from my knowledge. If you want to become a mangaka, you also need to be a good story writer, I don't really see how taking english at A-level would harm your creativity/story telling ability.
In short DO YOUR A-LEVELS, its the safest option, and gives you flexibility in the future if things don't work out. I think its straight up stupid to drop out know. Once you finish school, you can take all the risks you want because from what I have seen you looked lost and don't even know which foot you should use to take the next step forward.
The only colleges you could go to are ones that do A-level from my knowledge. If you want to become a mangaka, you also need to be a good story writer, I don't really see how taking english at A-level would harm your creativity/story telling ability.
In short DO YOUR A-LEVELS, its the safest option, and gives you flexibility in the future if things don't work out. I think its straight up stupid to drop out know. Once you finish school, you can take all the risks you want because from what I have seen you looked lost and don't even know which foot you should use to take the next step forward.
I do agree with some of the stuff you say on here, however, I really do not intend on going to sixth form nor do A-Levels as none of the A-Levels do what I enjoy. Not only that but A-Levels are far far harder than GCSE's and I'm running out of patience. I do not want to do A-Levels, I just need to find a course/college that works best with me. I know there aren't any courses that solely focus on manga/anime, however, I want a course that does the most of that.
Also, I don't think I recall saying I intend on dropping out? I'm not dropping out of education! I'll finish college and maybe consider university but that's a strong maybe.
Original post by Atanas Tonov
I do agree with some of the stuff you say on here, however, I really do not intend on going to sixth form nor do A-Levels as none of the A-Levels do what I enjoy. Not only that but A-Levels are far far harder than GCSE's and I'm running out of patience. I do not want to do A-Levels, I just need to find a course/college that works best with me. I know there aren't any courses that solely focus on manga/anime, however, I want a course that does the most of that.
Also, I don't think I recall saying I intend on dropping out? I'm not dropping out of education! I'll finish college and maybe consider university but that's a strong maybe.
Also, I don't think I recall saying I intend on dropping out? I'm not dropping out of education! I'll finish college and maybe consider university but that's a strong maybe.
Hi, you said earlier in the thread you do not plan on going to university or doing A levels (it is perfectly understandable and very common that you would be flipflopping about your intentions at your age but you should realise that is what you are doing).
Is there any particular reason you haven't considered a Level 3 course at a Further Education college, where you could study Art & Design in a more vocational way (equivalent to 3 A levels but it would all be art) and which would provide you with some skills to support a professional practice (such as the ability to plan and execute an independent project and practical skills such as life drawing, which is also mentioned as a key feature of a portfolio for entry to cartoon/comic arts degrees... which I am not sure you know about either? At least some of those would definitely accommodate someone wanting to focus on manga)
You may have ace networking and personal organisation skills already (eg perhaps you've already produced and sold work at comic cons or already know people in the industry) which you will need in place if you intend to go it alone.
Hii, as someone who has just graduated with a First class degree in animation, I HIGHLY consider putting as much thought as possible into doing your a levels… I did mine a few years ago now, before university, and honestly it just looks a lot better for potential employers. Getting accepted to a university without a levels will be challenging enough if you ever do decide you want to go. Even then, I have a First Class degree, good a level and gcse results etc and yet I can’t even get a job in the industry (currently just working as a full time waitress). I’m still working on my portfolio but honestly my current plan has changed from animation to making my manga, but that’s just somethung I work on in my spare time in hopes it’ll do well one day. My first priority is having an actual job, and of waitressing is what is has to be then so be it but I’m afraid that’s just the hard reality. It was hard enough for me to get the waitress job with a whole degree and everything, let alone if you only have your Gcses going for you… Animation studios require good education and a solid degree, and getting your foot into the industry is the biggest struggle. My point is, from my experience as an artist, it’s good to have a dream and strive for it but most important is having a solid backup plan in case things don’t go according to plan. To be a manga artist, if you’re hoping to get recruited to make them for other people then freelancing and finding commissions online is a good idea, as long as you have a job on the side to cover your financial life in case you realize you aren’t earning a lot. And if you want to make your own manga… That’s what I’m currently doing and as much as I wish I could spend all day every day working on my story, I still have to work an actual job. Because until it’s published that’s not earning me anything. And it still might not earn me anything if it flops, which is a high possibility. But at least I’m not banking all my trust and hopes into it.
Making manga is very time consuming though, it takes a lot of high level artistic ability and knowledge of storytelling… so if you’re seriously dedicated ( have to be if you want to succeed in that field) I highly recommend doing your a levels, maybe in English language (to increase your storytelling skills), and art (artistic knowledge is a must). Look, I remember my a levels and it was pretty hard but not too bad honestly… If you’re worried about it being too difficult, then I’m sorry to be realistic but being a mangaka isn’t for you. Making manga for an actual living will be even tougher than a levels, if you’re a great artist then a level art should be a breeze. And regardless, if you do fail as a mangaka, you need a back up plan financially. And without any education above Gcse level your career prospects aren’t gonna be very good. Cleaning, or working fast food at best. Which is still fine if you have time after work to keep trying at manga in hopes it’ll work out one day, but what I’m saying is you shouldn’t risk everything or your dream, just in case it doesn’t work out.
I just really needed to say this and I’m so sorry if I seem to sound brutal… but going to an interview and saying you only have Gcses as your highest education dies not look good at all. Even fir my waitressing job, the interview couldn’t care less about my Gcses. They were more interested in my work ethic, and the fact I did my a levels and went to university just sounds better than if they interviewed someone at just Gcse level in their 20s and beyond… The career world is a tough and competitive one. So having as much education as possible will help boost your odds of getting a good job. Even with my level of education I even struggle to find a job better than waitressing… Let alone if I only had my Gcses to get me anywhere, I don’t know what I’d do.
As I said, I’m working on a manga atm and it’s my absolute love and passion project. I highly recommend making one if you have the same passion for art and storytelling, but I don’t make any money off it (or at least not yet, but we’ll see…), so please reconsider doing your a levels. Getting into university without them is not going to be easy. If remotely possible even… Unless your work is to an A level standard, and if it is just do the a level and it should be a breeze. After that I reccomend finding a university course that does something similar. Maybe an animation course. I may not have an animation job, but my course taught be a lot of useful skills I can use for my manga! My art has definitely improved since. It wasn’t jut at animation either, some people on my course didn’t even animate for their degree because there are different areas you can specialize in, so I’d recommend an animation course that does Visual Development (character design, storyboarding, concept art etc) and specialize entirely on that fir your degree. Then, if you can’t find a job in the industry, just work anywhere that’s hiring and use those skills to make you manga at home in all your free time. Save your money at your job, and keep at it! That’s my goal atm at least, either that or you could actually get an industry level job with a great salary! But that will never happen (extremely unlikely anyway) without a degree, and most certainly not without a levels at the very least. Unless you’re art is just an unbelievable level of good. That’s unfortunately reality… Most jobs really don’t care about your Gcses, and will only look at your work experience and degrees I hate to say.
Making manga is very time consuming though, it takes a lot of high level artistic ability and knowledge of storytelling… so if you’re seriously dedicated ( have to be if you want to succeed in that field) I highly recommend doing your a levels, maybe in English language (to increase your storytelling skills), and art (artistic knowledge is a must). Look, I remember my a levels and it was pretty hard but not too bad honestly… If you’re worried about it being too difficult, then I’m sorry to be realistic but being a mangaka isn’t for you. Making manga for an actual living will be even tougher than a levels, if you’re a great artist then a level art should be a breeze. And regardless, if you do fail as a mangaka, you need a back up plan financially. And without any education above Gcse level your career prospects aren’t gonna be very good. Cleaning, or working fast food at best. Which is still fine if you have time after work to keep trying at manga in hopes it’ll work out one day, but what I’m saying is you shouldn’t risk everything or your dream, just in case it doesn’t work out.
I just really needed to say this and I’m so sorry if I seem to sound brutal… but going to an interview and saying you only have Gcses as your highest education dies not look good at all. Even fir my waitressing job, the interview couldn’t care less about my Gcses. They were more interested in my work ethic, and the fact I did my a levels and went to university just sounds better than if they interviewed someone at just Gcse level in their 20s and beyond… The career world is a tough and competitive one. So having as much education as possible will help boost your odds of getting a good job. Even with my level of education I even struggle to find a job better than waitressing… Let alone if I only had my Gcses to get me anywhere, I don’t know what I’d do.
As I said, I’m working on a manga atm and it’s my absolute love and passion project. I highly recommend making one if you have the same passion for art and storytelling, but I don’t make any money off it (or at least not yet, but we’ll see…), so please reconsider doing your a levels. Getting into university without them is not going to be easy. If remotely possible even… Unless your work is to an A level standard, and if it is just do the a level and it should be a breeze. After that I reccomend finding a university course that does something similar. Maybe an animation course. I may not have an animation job, but my course taught be a lot of useful skills I can use for my manga! My art has definitely improved since. It wasn’t jut at animation either, some people on my course didn’t even animate for their degree because there are different areas you can specialize in, so I’d recommend an animation course that does Visual Development (character design, storyboarding, concept art etc) and specialize entirely on that fir your degree. Then, if you can’t find a job in the industry, just work anywhere that’s hiring and use those skills to make you manga at home in all your free time. Save your money at your job, and keep at it! That’s my goal atm at least, either that or you could actually get an industry level job with a great salary! But that will never happen (extremely unlikely anyway) without a degree, and most certainly not without a levels at the very least. Unless you’re art is just an unbelievable level of good. That’s unfortunately reality… Most jobs really don’t care about your Gcses, and will only look at your work experience and degrees I hate to say.
A lot of people want to be manga artists when they're 16. I think it would be short sighted and quite frankly a disservice to both yourself and your art to rush into it like that though. Do a post-16 art course. Some art unis do them, like the Arts University Plymouth, or go to an A-level college and take some more art classes. Believe me when I say you'll get better at manga if you get a wider experience in art in general. Go to life drawing sessions. But don't go straight into it, develop yourself more as an artist and a person first. You've got a whole world to explore and incorporate into your art, and even though you think you'll be able to create a manga right now, chances are you'll get stuck in a rut pretty quickly. Make a comic alongside your studies, for sure. Never stop doing your own personal work. But traditional art education, even oil painting and still lifes are essential tools if you want to actually make a mark on the manga world.
My favourite mangaka, Q Hayashida, first learned to oil paint at university. Her oil covers for Dorohedoro make it really stand out from other works. All the greats studied.
My favourite mangaka, Q Hayashida, first learned to oil paint at university. Her oil covers for Dorohedoro make it really stand out from other works. All the greats studied.
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