El laboratorio del mangaka: los testimonios de la escritura de Akira Toriyama y Hirohiko Araki

Abstract

Narratology is a discipline that has far exceeded the purely literary field, and the realm of comics is no stranger to it. Nowadays, it is common not only to find manuals on the morphology of comics but also guides and tutorials on how to create them. The manga industry –that is, japanese-origin comics– has grown exponentially in recent decades, and today, it is possible to access the testimonies of renowned mangakas (manga writers) who share their experiences and knowledge about the laborious task of serializing a story in this highly engaging format. In this study, we will analyze and compare the testimonies of two acclaimed manga artists: Akira Toriyama (Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball) and Hirohiko Araki (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure). We will examine not only the processes, tools, and narrative resources that define manga but also the fundamental principles that, according to these mangakas, determine the success of a comic.