I need Veeky Forumss help for a comic

Shit like this is a major inspiration in how I want to explain what exactly is happening behind each punch and grapple.

youtube.com/watch?v=E4ZE9Ivs9Kc

Hajime no Ippo is also something I'm using for inspiration for that kind of thing. they do a really good job in explaining really minor details in an entertaining way

And I forgot how it was but I remember a quote from some ancient roman that talked about how it was a waste to let the body get unhealthy in life and that you can't experience true happiness unless your body was perfectly fit. I''ll have to find his name later.

You should read "Lone wolf and cub" and "Samurai Executionner", the author of those really nailed what made a fight entertaining.

Wrote them down for later. Thanks for the recommendations, got any more? relating to fighting or character design or anything?

>>Do you/how do you visualize that abstract energy?
When I started lifting I was doing a heavy bench session 5x5. It was a very hot and humid nighy. At the final set I lay down on the bench and could literally see my own sweat evaporating, due to the contrast from the bright lamp and the dark ceiling. It reminded me of Luffy on gear 2nd and I thought it was very cool. I've switched gyms since and don't see it, but I still visualise it from time to time.
>>[spoiler]As in, when you're struggling on the last rep, do you visualize something specific to muster up the power to do it?[spoiler]
[spoiler]this board has no spoilers and even if it did you missed the slash here so it wouldn't show[/spoiler]
>>What would you call that "energy"?
[spoiler]In the comic it has no specific name and everyone refers to it as something different[/spoiler]
"Being in the zone"
>>Are there any interesting martial arts that deserve more acknowledgement?
>>What would you like to see from a comic like this now, or if you were younger?
No cringe and a satisfying ending. Think Naruto or Bleach, except nothing like Naruto or Bleach

You have your typical hajime no ipo but there's also teppu which is female mma and the breakers for the organization thing

Recommend Teppu for everything.
Especially fans of heartbreak.

>Are there any interesting martial arts that deserve more acknowledgement?
Try and steer clear of the eastern martial arts that focus on chi/inner strength and what have you. Shit like Aikido or Wing Chun or TKD or Ancient forms of Karate that didn't focus on weapons: just about every martial art has been done to death in comics/manga, but those horses have been beaten into a paste fine enough to be used in the construction of overpriced McDojo uniforms.
Try shit like HEMA (which actually has a LOT of different manuals and lineages), or Catch Wrestling/Folk Wrestling (the basis of which contributed to judo), or old school bare knuckle boxing, or the well documented training regimes of armies from ancient history like the persians or romans or celts (for the love of god though not the spartans).
>What would you call that "energy"?
It's adrenaline mixed with testosterone. The specific name given to it by each character should depend on said character's personality. Come on.
>What would you like to see from a comic like this now, or if you were younger?
Main characters that lose often enough that fights have actual tension. Characters with personalities that have differences beyond the contrast of basic archetypes. Dynamic art that emphasizes fluidity of motion and makes good use of perspective, instead of just "oh man this guy is SO RIPPED LOOK AT HOW RIPPED HE IS CMON GUYS THIS IS AS COOL AS GRAPPLER BAKI"
>Do you/how do you visualize that abstract energy? As in, when you're struggling on the last rep, do you visualize something specific to muster up the power to do it?
When tired and straining, I just enjoy the tightness and the burn, taking comfort in the fact that the feeling I'm having at that moment is evidence that progress is being made.

>>No cringe

I'm pretty confident in my characters and the straight forward goals and motivations that drive the story. It's supposed to be mostly a shallow comic for the action and training tips anyways, so I don't have to pull any "demon blood" or "long lost brother" shenanigans. The one character I'm worried about is Anime-Kid because he's supposed to be cringe to an extent

>Always one of the best solely because he has amazing natural talent and keeps getting anime-like power boosts
>strikes power ranger/Jojo poses in fights, makes speeches, believes in the power of friendship etc.

>His character in reality is a massive weeb and goes out of his way to act like this because he personally thinks it's cool.

So it's this situation where one character seems like a massive Mary Sue and a poorly written character that clashes with the more realistic/believable characters of the comic because he's acting. I worry that it might be hard to find the right balance.

Just have the rest of the group constantly give him shit for it. Like, as an author, acknowledge that you're self aware that hes a cringy weeb and use that fact as fodder for jokes. Have him be hyper competent in fights yet an absolute joke in social situations. Don't know if you've read/watched it, but think Takamura from Hajime No Ippo.

No female characters, how devoid of the opposite sex is this comic world? It's not some kind of hidden homo erotic comic is it?

>The specific name given to it by each character should depend on said character's personality. Come on.
Already aware of this. Asking because I'd like as many ideas as possible for this energy.

>Main characters that lose often enough that fights have actual tension
I'm starting the comic in one big tournament/training arc to show off as many fighting styles as possible as quickly as possible. I'm going to establish and focus on each character's weaknesses and faults more than their strengths, and show them losing almost all the time except to each other until they train for a while.

>Characters with personalities that have differences beyond the contrast of basic archetypes
This is a little bit more difficult to explain but I am focusing on character depth and personality.

And I think that a great way to make things interesting is by illustrating some really creative allegories. Would you describe that "tightness and burn" as an aura/smoke that radiates off of you but clings tightly around your skin?

My partner did acknowledge the lack of a female presence. It's just hard coming up with believable/interesting female fighters. I only have one well established girl that's a semi-main character and vague ideas for side characters.

>Anime-kid has a sister. She shares his natural talent but takes training seriously. Where anime kid is a socially inept dude pretending to be someone with confidence, His sister actually does have confidence.

>There's a chun-li knock off
>Nerd falls in love with a normal girl, wants to give up the fighting to live in the same small town and marry her, Bully kid tries to knock some sense into him and this fuels the first major infighting incident for the group.

I need some help for sure.

>Would you describe that "tightness and burn" as an aura/smoke that radiates off of you but clings tightly around your skin?
If we're talking about a visual allegory, I'd describe it more as a condensation that evaporates in a representation of a clearing of the mind. Not an aura that clings to the skin, but a dissipation of said aura to act as a metaphor for the un-clouding of the mind.
But that's just if I'm being sentimental and artsy. Really, it's just reveling in the pain and pump that comes with a good workout.

>Try and steer clear of the eastern martial arts that focus on chi/inner strength and what have you
Forgot to respond to this point in particular.

Most characters are going to focus on the more effective martial arts for actual combat and fighting. I was thinking about making a point in how martial arts like Tai Chi suck shit as a form of combat, but their true ability lies in training up that inner aura that fighters have.

Depending on how magical I want to get with the aura, a master tai chi practitioner might be able to make a after image of himself that's just an exagerated illustrated way of throwing a feitn or something. Abstract things about creating a scary pressure or something.

I'd like this comic to illustrate, at least partly, how the martial art was intended to perform, instead of necessarily how it actually does perform in reality.

I understand. Thanks for getting sentimental and artsy. Any and all visual allegories are valuable and can be used as background art for when things are being explained or something.

>>Do you/how do you visualize that abstract energy?[spoiler]As in, when you're struggling on the last rep, do you visualize something specific to muster up the power to do it?
[spoiler] I think of how I never got to say goodbye to my dad when he died when I was 16, and also the glory of racing and winning.
>>What would you call that "energy"?[spoiler]In the comic it has no specific name and everyone refers to it as something different[/spoiler] I don't know man, the will to win or some shit? Everyone needs a different one
>>Are there any interesting martial arts that deserve more acknowledgement? Maybe that drunken fighting shit?
>>What would you like to see from a comic like this now, or if you were younger?
I still love Dragon Ball Z and shit so kick ass fights and a character going HAM would be cool

Stop thinking of them as "female characters" and start thinking of them as "characters who are also female".
Read All Rounder Meguru and Teppu. The broads in there are legit some of the best written females in the genre. Great works to study for the sake of how to write women who are good characters while providing top tier fan service that doesn't come off as pandering.

Sorry OP, i got nothing useful for you except encouragement:
this sounds really cool and I would definitely pick up a copy if you released it

>Characters going ham

Out of the 4 main characters, I think bully and skeleton are the two that most closely fits that

>Bully is quick to anger and usually goes into fits of rage, getting more power and energy by making himself angry. Most likely to power through shit

>Skeleton is more of a tactical fighter. He wants to show off and do flashy moves so he fights normally and in more of a defensive, monotonous way to tire out an opponent until they're slow/weak enough for him to start pulling off Suplexes and giant swing combos other WWE moves.

But nerd is all about staying calm, and Anime-kid absolutely turns to shit if he ever loses his cool since his only saving grace is his reaction time when it comes to countering.

>I'd like this comic to illustrate, at least partly, how the martial art was intended to perform, instead of necessarily how it actually does perform in reality.
You could actually use both those points to create an interesting contrast.
Example: one of your characters learning the kata and tenets of a traditional martial art verbatim and then taking it into the ring, only to get the shit beaten out of them. Then they learn to read between the lines and glean that the philosophy and mindset of the old arts as being more valuable/applicable than the exact forms and techniques.

Actually I just thought of a scene since you got me thinking about going ham. I feel like it's a pretty standard and cheesy trope where if someone gets blinded in a fight, they'll suddenly switch to a more passive, kung fu stance and then be able to miraculously see the enemy through the use of chi or some shit

youtube.com/watch?v=ZEmRmNpXIzo

>Bully gets blinded by a character
>Adopts a defensive stance
>Tanks a hit to the face
>immediately and clumsily grabs onto the guy's arm/shirt and brings it down to the ground where he blindly wails on the guy

I wanted to explore the different ways multiple people can practice the same martial art and could never think of an interesting way to do it but holy shit that's good.

Alright OP, it sounds interesting. I'd like to answer some of your issues

>How do you visualise that abstract energy
Motivation. It could be different for different people. One might be visualising anime tiddies, other might be visualising that bodybuilding championship

>What do you call that energy
Motivation/Inspiration for normies, Dedication for others.

>Interesting martial arts that deserve more acknowledgement
You might want to look into martial arts originating in India. Considering its that place where most spirituality started, and martial arts, by extension are a spiritual pursuit, I reckon there must be some good indian martial arts. Maybe indian buddhism martial arts ? I dunno.

>What would you like to see from this comic now, or if you were younger
Everyone should get a qt gf. Kidding, but you should make it so that the nerd guy get one :^)

Also, about females in your comic, keep it in mind that females just plain and simple, suck, specially in such intense premises. There's a reason we have vegeta's epic speech in buu saga and not bulma's , or chichi's. Dragonball, females are there but they don't have that much of power, because that's how it works. Support roles for women.