Saturday AM Issue 167 has arrived! This issue was choked full of new manga chapters from your favorites and some amazing articles and Interviews by Alexis Stokes! Speaking of which we have a little snippet just for you, shhh don’t tell anybody. Check out the sit down Alexis had with Summer of Manga alum and Gun Bone creator ERICK PEDRUCCI.
SATURDAY AM: How do you ensure that each character’s growth feels authentic and natural over the course of the story arc?
ERICK: Character growth in manga feels authentic when it’s driven by challenges the reader witnesses and is visually represented through expressions, body language, and other cues. It’s important to show that growth to the reader so it feels earned.
SATURDAY AM: What emotional beats do you prioritize when developing a story arc, and how do you balance action with emotional depth?
ERICK: I prioritize emotional moments when I want the reader to empathize with the characters on the page. In my opinion, characters who don’t have key moments that convey their emotional state risk boring the reader, and you could end up losing their interest.
When it comes to balancing action with emotional depth, my approach is straightforward: action scenes should be driven by emotional stakes. Fights should represent personal or ideological conflicts, much like Naruto and Sasuke’s battle, or one of my personal favorites, Luffy vs. Usopp. These confrontations aren’t just about physical strength-they’re about the deeper emotional or philosophical clashes between the characters.
SATURDAY AM: Do you prefer creating long-term story arcs or shorter, more contained ones? How do you maintain tension throughout a longer arc?
ERICK: I prefer working on short-term arcs so I can work my creativity with limitation, but when it comes to long-term arcs-tension is maintained by escalating stakes, weaving in subplots, and introducing mysteries.
Check out the full interview in Saturday AM Issue 167 – OUT NOW! CLICK HERE
