episode_0095

“Damn it… This is not it!!!”

The third floor studio of Somerset Workshop, where only the sound of crumpling paper and sighs linger.

The third floor of the studio was now being used as a shared workroom not only for Rupert but also for other writers working on Manapia.

Squeak.

“Mr. Dumas! Please be quiet!”

“Uh… Yeah, sorry… .”

It would have been a shocking sight for anyone who knew Sena the usual way.

For those who knew her, it was hard to imagine the quiet Sena spitting out sharp words to Dumas, who was much older than her.

Dumas, the only smoker in the studio, was trying to quit smoking on his own because he could tell when Sena was going out for a smoke due to her being so sensitive.

It wasn’t just Sena, but all the artists in the studio were extremely sensitive, so they had to be careful with each other.

Saint was always quick to throw away the manuscripts he had drawn, and Ishmael had a habit of biting his fingernails because he was short on time.

Dumas was caught smoking cigarettes in his studio and was warned by everyone.

In some ways, this is a situation where Sena, who has become more sensitive, appears most normal.

of course,

“Hmm, so what you’re saying is that we should take turns drawing the cover of the magazine based on each work?”

“That’s right! Wouldn’t it stimulate people’s desire to own a magazine if the cover changed instead of just the issue number changing every time?”

“Great idea! Let’s get started.”

Meanwhile, Rupert was enjoying some free time discussing the magazine business with Esteban.

Compared to the amount of work he had previously done by publishing a single volume every month, the current biweekly series may have been an increase in volume, but it was still an easy amount for him.

And the other writers listening to Rupert and the upper-level conversation couldn’t help but scream inwardly.

Unlike Rupert, they had a tight schedule with just the current biweekly serialization.

If I had to draw that cover, I would have had to draw without any time to rest.

“Hey, Rupert… Could you please take a look at this part of the story?”

“Of course. Just a moment… .”

But the reason they can’t complain is because Rupert looks at their work as well as his own whenever he has time.

Since I was doing most of the work, I couldn’t bring myself to complain about how much work there was.

‘How can you become a professor at an academy…?’

‘Come to think of it, I heard you had an all-night discussion on animation on the second floor last time.’

‘Why don’t you play with Miss Ada on the weekends?’

From the perspective of others, Rupert’s schedule was clearly absurd.

-These days, even the young master is taking it easy.

When I happened to hear from craftsmen that these days, compared to the past, they actually work while taking a lot more breaks, everyone couldn’t believe their ears.

In this situation, they could not say that what they had taken on was difficult, so they gritted their teeth and held onto their pens.

Rupert always told them not to push themselves too hard, that the serial schedule was always flexible.

‘I can’t be carried around like this forever!’

The most popular work at Manapia right now is Rupert’s Van Helsing.

Although other works were popular in their own right, the differences were too great to be compared.

‘Hey, Van Helsing is always at the end, so I keep watching other works.’

‘That’s why I just open the book from the back.’

‘Of course, they took the Van Helsing part out of the magazine and bound it separately.’

Since the serialization began, some malicious readers have attacked their works, saying that they are gaining popularity by linking them to Rupert’s works.

That’s why they wanted to create a comic that wouldn’t be inferior to Rupert’s work.

There was no time to relax.

So they just kept drawing with strength in their fingers holding the pen again.

***

“If Gaton and Scud fought, who would win?”

Anyone who has read comics on Earth has probably had an argument at least once about who is stronger.

Even in this world, it was an unavoidable fate for manga readers.

“Gaton’s martial arts are definitely excellent, but wouldn’t Scud with a sword be stronger?”

“Nonsense! Didn’t Gaton learn the secret martial arts of the East? Didn’t you see him destroy a automaton with a single punch that had waves in it?”

“Then what kind of swordsmanship does Scud use after learning the vampire hunter’s breathing technique? How can he stop him from burning vampires in one go!”

Of course, since each person had their own favorite cartoon, it was common for people to claim that the character in the cartoon they liked was the strongest, so there was no proper discussion.

furthermore,

“Both are no match for the flame alchemist Lloyd Cavallo.”

There were also frequent instances of people suddenly bringing in other cartoonists and abruptly joining in on the debate.

“Huh, if you look at it that way, Lloyd would be rendered incompetent if Elsa of the Ice Kingdom swings her staff once?”

“What? Are you done talking, kid?!”

“You’re done, you little brat, you Iron Blood Alliance bastards, I’m going to fix your bad habits today!”

As a result, they would end up fighting each other for a while, but eventually they would make up and talk about comics, which was now a common sight in the taverns of the Empire.

Also, this wasn’t something that happened only among commoners.

A society of imperial aristocrats, nicknamed ‘Mimic’ by those who know its true identity as it is said to have many valuable items.

Their collection of comics and goods was already recognized as being of a very high standard among comic lovers, so there was an overflow of people trying to join.

However, because the entrance test was more rigorous and aimed at a select few, it was extremely difficult to join, which made the hearts of noble enthusiasts ache.

“Oh, isn’t this a figure that looks exactly like the scene from ‘Bae Kyung’?”

“I knew you would know.”

At regular meetings of such fan clubs, what caught everyone’s attention was none other than a new figure.

No, this was a new product that couldn’t simply be called a figure.

“Even the waves and colors of the sea! Reproducing this.”

“Not only that, the ship floating on the sea and the main character figure look like they can be adjusted in detail!”

“Recreating scenes straight from the comics! This is a revolution.”

diorama.

A scale model called a diorama from the actual Earth was unveiled at the fan club.

In fact, Rupert also wanted to make this, but it was so difficult and tricky to make and took a long time that it was put off until later.

But there was a wealthy nobleman who was deeply impressed after seeing .

‘I will support you with as much time and budget as you need. Recruit the best craftsmen and make it!’

The first diorama was created as a result of a large investment to recreate a scene from that was deeply engraved in his mind.

widely!

“Oh my! What are you doing, hitting your hand?”

chuck!

A nobleman who was admiring a diorama he was seeing for the first time and was about to touch it without realizing it started complaining at the owner’s harsh touch.

The nobleman who brought the diorama simply pointed to the paper attached to the table where it was displayed.

-Just look at it with your eyes.

This was a measure taken because the work was so delicately made that there was a risk that it could be damaged by even the slightest touch.

But to the nobles who didn’t know about it, it seemed like an unusual thing.

‘Tch, it’s so cute that I might as well make one!’

He will probably be in the same position after making the diorama.

“By the way, did you see the puppet show this week?”

“Of course I saw it, but it was a little disappointing.”

“What?”

On one side, people were looking at the diorama, and those who had already finished looking were gathered in groups and talking about the cartoon.

“The story is already in its second episode, but it feels like it’s dragging on.”

“That’s the important part. Puppet shows usually have two or three main characters, so you have to slowly adjust their stories.”

“But isn’t it just the extreme parts that are boring?”

“Is that all you need? If you hold on tight, it’s obvious that it’ll be fun, right?”

“If you have to hold back to enjoy it, is that a good comic? Wasn’t The Count of Monte Cristo fun from the start?”

“You really don’t know anything about comics.”

The social gathering was a place where people who enjoyed comics created by other top companies, including Manapia, gathered, and they often had serious discussions about their works.

However, since they both prided themselves on knowing the most about comics, they also didn’t easily come to a conclusion.

“The strengths of Van Helsing are its cool pace and splendid battle scenes.”

“That’s true. I asked the Knight of the House of Hae if this was actually possible, and he said that the writer was an expert in martial arts.”

They went beyond simply watching and enjoying comics, and enjoyed analyzing them.

This cartoon started with a problem in terms of content, or it was excellent, and then there was the obvious topic of discussion about whether the drawings were good or bad.

If we look at the current popularity of Manapia’s works among the public,

The clear number one was , followed by , , , , and .

It was very different here.

Although was ranked first, many members of the fan club chose as the next work.

“Except for Rupert, Saint’s paintings are by far the best.”

“It’s not just the paintings. People are fascinated by the battle scenes, but the themes in his work are truly profound.”

“The story is very well-made. This is the essence of comics!”

was relatively unpopular among the common people due to its lack of flashy scenes, but this was actually seen as an advantage for the members of the fan club.

So they were busy praising this work as a hidden masterpiece to everyone they met.

of course,

‘I didn’t find it very fun. But if I say it’s not fun, I’ll be labeled as an idiot, so I should just say it’s fun.’

There were some who thought it was not very good because it did not suit their personal taste, but they hid their true feelings and went along with the mainstream opinion because they were afraid that if they revealed it, they would be labeled as an ignorant person.

I don’t know anything.

It was a recent trend in fan clubs.

It was an abbreviation for those who didn’t even know anything about comics, and was a magic word used by members of the fan club to drive out those who opposed their opinions.

Once this stigma is attached, one has to be careful because one’s standing within the fandom becomes very weak.

“Why not! How about we publish our own newsletter?”

“Newsletter?”

“Yes, of course we recommend comics, but we also select the comic of the month through a vote and announce it!”

The fan club is once again burning with stories about the newsletter, excited that someone’s words are right.

They were comic book lovers who looked the same as usual.