The division of labor in comic production differs from country to country. Manga is normally printed for the Japanese market and is usually made by an artist responsible for story and drawing, supported by drawing assistants. For some manga, one person is focused on writing the story and the other on drawing.
In Korean webtoons, it is common to have a separate scenario writer, layout artist, drawing artist, and coloring artist. In some cases, a single production company is responsible for the entire process, while others may specialize in coloring.
Division of Labor in Comic Production Outside Japan
The following is a description of the division of labor for major American comic books. Depending on the title, one person may handle multiple positions.
Understanding the Roles in Comic Production Teams
The greatest benefit of the division of labor in comic production is the increase in workflow optimization. Instead of having the artist personality personally producing everything, the publisher/production company directs the comic and characters, allowing for the smooth production of work with a unified setting.
Writers and Their Contributions
The original author’s ideas, which create the basis of the story, contribute to all aspects of the characters and story.
Digital comics can be expanded into content such as animation and live-action films if the characters become popular. It is the author’s creation that lays the base for everything.
Artists and Their Creative Process
In order to transform the original creator’s ideas into a comic, it is essential for the artist to create visuals, such as designing characters and props, and for the writer to pursue the story through writing the script.
Panels are considered based on both elements and then leads to how the entire page will flow.
The artist who draws preliminary sketches based on the panel design is called a penciller.
Inkers and Adding Depth to Artwork
Inkers ink work based on a rough sketch. In addition to drawing uniform, clear lines, they shade based on the light source to streamline the flow later on.
Colorists and Enhancing Visual Appeal
The colorist colors based on the line art. They strive to apply base colors according to the line art and to apply shadows and highlights. Backgrounds may be realistic or comic-like and the visual appeal can be enhanced by variations in lines and touch.
Letterers and Typography
In American comics, there are letterers who hand-draw text in balloons and for onomatopoeia. Today, digital fonts are commonly used, but the tasks of directing or working on unique balloon shapes and drawn text continues.
Editors and Quality Control
The publishing company editor is in contact with the artists at all stages of the process and manages the progress. The presence of an editor enables consistent quality control without being biased toward one artist’s personality.
Workflow Optimization Techniques
These are tips on how to optimize the production of comics which are produced by a large number of staff members.
Efficient Project Management
Staff participating in mainstream comic production may work at offices for major comic production studios, but nowadays it is common for them to communicate remotely. Depending on the work, the tasks may be fluid, with inkers taking on colorist duties.
The editor can monitor the progress of the work to ensure efficient production.
Utilizing Digital Tools for Collaboration
Digital tools are indispensable in today’s comic production. A single file may be edited online in parallel. Clip Studio Paint has a team production function that allows multiple people to collaborate on a single work in real time.
Streamlining Communication Channels
Communication channels such as chat rooms and video meetings are used by production companies in addition to e-mail to exchange manuscripts.
Artists in charge of the latter production processes can share image boards and character designs from an early stage, leading to smooth production.
Benefits and Challenges of Working with Overseas Teams
It is now more common to bring together people from different countries to work on a project.
Access to Diverse Talent Pool
Publishers centrally manage promising talent pools and may commission overseas writers and artists if they are a good fit for the work.
Cost-Effectiveness and Flexibility
Managing a talent pool leads to cost reductions for publishers because they can place orders without having to hire and train directly. For overseas artists, it also eliminates the cost of relocation and allows them the flexibility to determine their own schedules.
Language and Cultural Barriers
As there are certainly more opportunities nowadays to participate in internationally produced works, it is advantageous to learn the native language of the publisher’s country. That is because it is important to understand feedback immediately in order to collaborate on a production.
Production speed and rules also differ among regions and publishers, so it is necessary to understand those differences before accepting an order.
Time Zone Differences
Time zones become an issue when communicating between far away places, such as between Asia and Europe or the United States. While production tasks can be adjusted to fit the time in one’s own country, meetings and deadlines are generally adjusted to business hours in the publisher’s time zone.
Tips for Seamless Coordination and Quality Control
Digital comic production sites allow for a diverse team, but what are some things to keep in mind to ensure smoother participation in the production process? Here are some tips.
Establishing Clear Guidelines and Expectations
First, it is important to follow the publisher’s guidelines. You need to figure out in advance whether your abilities meet the quality required by the publisher and whether you can meet the deadlines.
Regular Communication and Feedback
Communicate frequently with team members. In addition to delivering the finished product, requesting a check at the draft stage and reflecting feedback will help reduce the workload.
Embracing Cultural Differences
When working on an overseas project, it is also necessary to follow the culture of the publisher’s country. You may want to adapt the pace of production to that of your team members, including flexibility of schedules and frequency of communication.
Implementing Quality Assurance Measures
How to maintain the quality of the work depends on the publisher, but there are some things you can check in advance to ensure a smooth process. Try to follow conventional methods of production by checking to see if there is any specified software or digital brushes or if basic color sets are shared.
