RESISTANCE

(Read Satanhigh Chapter 4 first before reading this entry, click the cover on the left to do so)

Click the cover to read Satanhigh Chapter 4!

Dark greetings! Satanhigh #4 was originally released when I was in college back in 2005. It's been quite a leap from the first three chapters, meaning I stopped drawing the series for a time because I got busy with other projects and other titles back in high school. I made at least three one shot stories then, including someone else's life and the black rose, and I was also writing some short stories as well for our school paper and a whole lot of other things. 

Basically I wasn't able to continue making Satanhigh, I only got back to it when I was already in college. Continuing chapter 4 after I had learned a few techniques in fine arts really did come in handy. Sometimes making the chapters really take a lot from you, it's really taxing and you often feel drained afterwards. Togashi, the mangaka behind hunter x hunter and Yuyu Hakusho suffers from back pain most of the time because making manga really does take its toll on you. Especially if you're really into what you're doing. 

Okay yeah, Togashi might just be playing Dragon Quest I know, but no one can deny the fact that being a mangaka is something that you don't do because you just felt like it, to do it full time really requires commitment. Especially if your story is a series and has breadth and scale for your characters to grow and mature along with your readers, it definitely requires a lot of time, if not all of your time. Making comics in general is hard work, it's a gamble if you think about it. If you're familiar with the manga Bakuman, they really went with that concept because the whole theme of the story is risking everything you have, your time and effort in a title (name) you draw. 

You also win some and you lose some. Realistically, other comic book artists are paid a lot especially if your art is well done and your style is widely acceptable or unique, but some aspiring artists who are still trying to make it mistake one thing; that it's about the title of being called a comic book artist or a manga artist, it's really not. It's simple enough as to be doing your comics, taking time to do it and not just simply saying that you're a comic book artist because you've done it once and live to tell that to everyone you meet. Technically you are, but in keeping up with your art, you at least have to continue making it. It's not a onetime deal. What I'm saying is, it's something you really have to focus on, sure you can have a part time job and continue making comics on the side, that's what most of us do. 

I paint commissions and make comics, but if I had it my way I'd just make comics and paint for myself but that's not possible right now. When you take the time for your art, it shows, when you don't take the time to make your art, it also shows. If your mind is somewhere else while you're making the comics or your manga, your art suffers. If you're passionate and focused on making good art, even if you have a part time job, your art won't suffer. It's either because your mind isn't set on fame or recognition after you make your chapter or art, you're in your art creating your world as you see it come alive in your imagination and pen. You have to take the time to make something to make it good, it doesn't matter if it takes long to do, and it really doesn't have to be perfect, what matters is you did your best and when you make it, you give it your full attention. And overtime you improve as you keep on making it. And that's why making this chapter from the previous one took years, because I waited too long to be free of responsibilities and distraction that I really couldn't find the time to do it. But see, you will never really know when you're ready, you really never know when it's time until it's too late. 

The best thing you could do is to know your priorities, live less if you can, stop going to all those parties and bar calls from friends, stop being the good Samaritan all the time helping others who aren't really there for you when you call for help. And stop impressing people and do your art because you yourself want to do it. It sounds selfish to finish an artwork just for yourself, but see if you do it for others, and then they don't like it when they see it the feeling will crush you, do it again and again and you' commit suicide. The surest way to make art is to do it for yourself so that when no one likes it. You have no regrets. Stop pleasing others and start please yourself. And if you do your best, you don't have to second guess yourself if you did a good job, you won't have doubts. Because you yourself know in your heart that you did what you had to do and you gave it all you've got.  

Marius Black, Manila 7/25/2016