Ink & Panels - A Guide to Making Comics and Manga
OFF BLXXK Magazine hosted their first annual Ink & Panels event on April 8 and set a high standard for educational events for the comic book and manga creative community.
Many fans of comic books and manga are familiar with crafting and producing their own stories. However, for every creator who gets their story produced, there are many stories that go unheard.
The “how to” of creating a comic book or manga is either gate kept behind paid classes, require a ticket to attend a comic con panel—or knowing how to begin is confusing in the first place.
The team behind OFF BLXXK Magazine recognized how this could hinder creators from telling their story, and so Ink & Panels was created.
Aran Lee founded OFF BLXXK Magazine as a way to discuss nerd culture and uplift creators. “Ever since I started OFF BLXXK Magazine, I’ve always wanted to host an event like Ink & Panels where we could shine a light on the work that Black and POC indie manga/comic creators are doing,” said Lee. “I’m hoping through Ink & Panels a new generation of diverse creators gain confidence and try creating their own manga or comic.”
More than 8 hours of industry knowledge were provided by a group of talented creators and included key topics such as: working with an artist, funding, and selling your comic at conventions.
This premiere event was produced by Lee with event coordinator Tyanna Watts and included more than 10 comic book and manga creators who have their own small press or have written for DC Comics and Marvel.
“We were able to provide real, honest, and transparent information about the technical, creative, and business aspects of the sequential art industry, something that normally people would have to either travel, enroll in school and pay for,” said Watts. “Not to mention, this information came from an extremely talented all-black creator panel. It really is like nothing else out there!”
For more on OFFBLXXK magazine be sure to follow them on Instagram or check out their website.
For the full webinar, check out their link below.