Comix Engine 5
There's this Japan segment in Chapter 5 of THE SOLAR GRID that I've been studying a bunch of Manga for. I'm not looking to emulate Manga superficially, not interested in the cliches of what manga style is thought to be (i.e. big eyes and speed-lines), but rather I'm looking to get into its essence. At the end of the day, it's still gonna be very much a Ganzeer comic, but Ganzeer after having soaked up some good Japanese sequential storytelling.
(Regarding that particular edition of Paul Pope's THE ONE TRICK RIP OFF pictured above; it includes a few shorts he did when he worked for Kodansha in Japan, hence it's inclusion in my manga study.)
Some of the rules I've extracted that I'm looking to apply:
1. Ample blank space on page edges, except for the occasional panel or two that extend into the bleeds.
2. Tighter vertical gutters.
3. 3-7 panels per page max.
4. Simple lines, minimal shadows.
5. Various zipatone, patterns, and textures.
6. Very detailed backgrounds and inanimate objects.
7. Simple, animated faces.
8. Big hand-lettered sound effects, even for subtle sounds.
9. Key dramatic moments: realistic rendering.
10. Action: Tilt gutters, show speed in lineart.