Writing Manga :: Part 2: Bisco Hatori's Process

Japanese Manga-ka Processes: I plan to post any that are interesting or unusual, as I find them. This one by Bisco I love because she has these cute little pictures to accompany the text. I think it's a great use of the columns most manga artists leave in the published volumes. They can generally talk about whatever they want, it seems; the most boring ones I've ever read are the ones in Fruits Basket, because it's all about video games usually since the artist is an avid gamer. Though there was one I enjoyed where she talked about hurting her hand and could not draw. I didn't enjoy she got hurt, of course, I'm not a sadist; but I loved her talking about what happened and thinking what I would do in such an awful situation. If we ever published our work and included little columns, I'd like to talk about the little details and historical bits we've included in our work, maybe our process, and maybe graphic design if I didn't care about boring people.

:: Bisco Hatori, from Host Club Volume 3, pgs. 17, 41, 89, 113, 143 ::

In the columns in this volume, I would like to reveal how host club is created each month. I will take it at my pace, and go off on tangents! I hope you look forward to it.

. . . How Host Club is Created (Subtitle: A Month for Hatori)

1. I meet with the editors to plan what the content will be. Sometimes I go to an editor's apartment and get treated to dinner, and sometimes it's all done over the phone. Lately, we usually try to decide the next storyine while drawing out the current one.

(little figures chatting. Bisco: "How about this for the next story?) Yamashii: "Sounds great. Let's go with that!")

2. Creating the plot (picture of her on the computer (a Mac) going "tak tak" with the keys.)

I often type out the storyline on the computer. Computers are mysterious. Even if my mind is blank, my hands move on their own to come up with a story. The computer performed well when I had to come up with material for the drama CD, especially the good-night messages.

. . . Ah, the drama CD...I was convinced the computer was godlike when I wrote kyoya's good-night message for the CD. When I was thinking consciously, nothing came to mind. But when I went to type, "This is Kyoya Ohtori," Kyoya's message flowed out, as though Kyoya himself had possessed me. What is living in my computer? (I hope it's not Kyoya...)

Returning to the main topic...There are times when I type up the plot in detail on the computer.

(little drawing of her at a bar with someone. "Let's have Hunny get washed away at the pool and survive!" "Okay!" "AHAHAHAHAHA!" This image acompanies the text below.)

Then there are times when I come up with plots like this. (Dangerous.) Small jokes and bits that move the plot along seem to work out better this way, I think.

This is speaking strictly for myself. The computer works for some people and not others.

. . . 3. Next we get into the "Name" (story layout.) The more difficult this is, the less time I'll have for drawing it out. This is the scary part.

(drawing of her in panic shouting "Gyaaa!" as she furiously scribbles, a reject pile at her side.)

It doesn't go so well, even though we have the storyline set...By the way, the worst time I ever had with layouts was episode 1. I rewrote over 300 pages. It was a horror I wish never to exerience again.

Oh, a name looks...

(shows a scribble of a name on B4 copy paper)

...something like this. It's a rough draft of a rough draft, sort of.

I sometimes try to listen to upbeat songs on my walkman to raise my energy level. (It doesn't seem to have much effect, though.) And when I draw layouts for a story as high-energy as Host Club, I usually get something only I can decipher, so I have to redraw them.

This is what I get when I draw at the manga's pace—a full sprint!

(shows drawing of very rough name.)

. . . There's a stock of running gags in Host Club, but I think of most of the jokes as I go along. Tamaki will just keep talking on his own, taking the story off on little tangents, so he's a little annoying. (This is a lie. Actually, he provides a unique tension.

I sometimes think of gags while trying to sleep...

(image of her in bed laughing. Writes underneath: "Hatori, thinking up a joke. Dangerous!" )

This "visiting Haruhi's home" storyline is one of the rare"stock gags unleashed" episodes. I planned many more, but I didn't have enough space to use them all. I gues it's easy to think of jokes about public housing since that's where I live.

4. Drawing it out. My pen is very slow, so I always have to use a lot of help. It's like being at summer camp. My assistants and I are all good friends, so, when we get tired, every little thing becomes hilarious. It's a very enjoyable workplace (though it can be very hectic.)

And that's how Host Club happens! Thank you, everyone!

::

So cute. I was going to summarize but I like the written interview so much; there's so much warmth to it, that I almost feel like that's how she must talk in Japanese.