Creator Interviews: FriedRice Comics

Publishing is not an easy field of work. Long nights, tight deadlines, and an air of mystery about how publishing works behind the scenes. Editorial and graphic design work are important aspects to consider when publishing your own series, espeically if you plan to start your own magazine.

So for today's Creator Interview I'm chatting with FriedRice Comics, creator of Way of the Kitchen King. With their years of experience in editorial, this is the perfect opportunity to do a deep-dive on the topic.
 

1. First off FriedRice, can you tell us about yourself and how you got into the publishing industry? Can you tell us also about some of the projects you've work on?

It wasn’t initially as exciting as it seemed! My name is J. Wong and I worked for several years with Brunswick News and 2 other corporations (previous experience) before wandering into the freelance industry as an Editor, Graphic Designer and Paginator. You’d know me best by the layout (and ad design) of the International Money Saver, the Telegraph Journal and contributions to the Times & Transcript.

I’ve held postions (collectively over my time in the industry) as Graphic Design & Pagination, Team Lead and Editor.

2. Working in any for of regular published content, deadlines are a forever looming monster. Did you find that managing deadlines on often, multiple projects difficult?

Deadlines are one of the most difficult parts of the job. You exist on a complete lack of sleep and an 80 - 90 hour work week on average. My suggestion, if you have harsh deadlines, is to keep 3 day planners. Computer based planners don’t work well enough, unfortunately! They’d be going off every 10 minutes.

1 planner for your personal life, 1 for your meetings and customer base and 1 for scheduling drafts and finished work.

3. What sort of formal training, internships, or education have you had that got you to that point? Is there anything that you would recommend for younger creatives who are wanting to get into the editorial side of publishing and graphic design?

I always joke that I have 2.5 ‘courses’ (degrees). My education is in Graphic Design and Journalism, with a ‘side dish’ of Advertising.

My honest suggestion for young creatives looking to get into the editorial side is to get Journalism and Graphic Design. One without the other is only half of the equation. It’s like hanging a brand new chandelier in a haunted house (either way). Your articles will read like a treat, but the paper will present itself without visual direction (on one hand). On the other hand, you could have the best looking news in the city but have it stuffed with filler content.

The Editor drives the ‘crazy train’; they need the skills to back up three production teams.

4. Now that we have a little bit of history from you, how beneficial is the work you’ve done in publishing and editing to the work you do now with Way of the Kitchen King? Are there any particular skills you learned that have been the most beneficial?

Writing ended up becoming the most useful! Graphic Design is an entirely different kettle of fish that doesn’t apply well to comic art (except for self / comic branding).

Journalism follows different writing formats (dependent on the article), though there are some writing skills that are universal. Items every writer should have close at hand: Dictionary, Thesaurus, and a notepad for random thoughts.

Graphic Design lent experience when it came time to format pages. At least 350dpi and CMYK if you intend to print (in colour). Know the margins of your pages, what kind of binding will be used, etc. Most importantly? Already know the size your pages will be printed at. Even if you don’t intend to print your comic now, fortunate favours those who plan ahead. You’ll thank your past self for drawing each page appropriately sized.

5. How is writing for papers different or similar to writing for comics? Do you think that those who want to write comics would benefit from working in journalism? Neil Gaiman, I believe, was also a journalist before he worked on comics.

It’s entirely different but just as rewarding. The writing styles couldn’t be further from each other. Writing in Journalism gives a certain… perspective of the world. Some days it felt like an insider view; a look at the people behind the politics, for example. You learn a lot and come to appreciate exposition. Also, you gain patience for the process.

Write journalism, yeah. I’d suggest it. The scope you (the general you) view the world in will expand tremendously.

As storytellers we write from our experiences. That’s fact. The better we navigate the world, the more we can write with detail and a cultured voice.

6. Are there any layout and design tips that you think are the most useful for comic artists? Paneling and layout are super important for readable pages, so any advice there would be helpful.

Coming from the standpoint of an Editor in the news and publishing industry, I’d say the following:

Readability, Readability, Readability!
Don’t go below a 7pt for your dialogue. In newspapers we have a standard rule of never going below an 8pt unless leading and kerning have been adjusted to account for better capabilities when reading. This is for older readers or people who have visual disabilities.

Pick A Size: Stick To It.
Dialogue and fonts again! Not applicable to sound effects, etc. When writing dialogue, however, pick one font (unless a character speaks differently than the others and you want to visually advertise that difference). Once you’ve chosen your font then pick a font size. This font size will do your primary dialogue for the entirety of the volume you’re working on. Consistent font choices and sizes also enhance the professional feel of the work!

Learn To Be ‘Trim’.
Consistent trim lines (and sizes) around your comic panels (that aren’t full bleed) will save you tons of time with your chosen printer. You can add to this by picking who you want to print with ahead of time (before you start comic production) and choosing your page sizes, figuring out what your trim and margins are going to be, etc.

CMYK Prints 2 Shades DARKER.
Your comic looks smokin’ on the screen. COOL. Then you get the proof back and you wonder why it seems to be printing 2 - 3 shades darker. That isn’t a mistake. That’s how printing works! Especially offset printing. Colours can also be affected by your paper choices (ink absorption), gloss, etc.

Never use RGB for printing!
ALWAYS use CMYK, Greyscale or Black and White. When printing in CMYK or Greyscale, lighten all of your pages by 2 - 3 shades to ensure proper quality when printing.

That was a lot of great insight! How does one create a portfolio for editing and publishing and what would you recommend be a starting point for those who are wanting to venture into editorial work?

7. Your portfolio will be based on what department you want to work in, of course. So let me break it down into better categories.

All portfolios:
- Resume with previous work experience (internships, education, etc.)
- Cover letter. Talk about yourself! Be… verbose. Use your ‘$5 words’. This is your chance to tell the hiring manager what makes you a good fit for the company. We aren’t necessarily looking for someone with a huge amount of previous experience and are often willing to train on the job (to a certain extent). In this industry we look for people who can work independently but also allow themselves to flow well in group environments. Some tasks may require a person to make their own judgements on what they think is best. Other times you’ll be on a team and need to pass on projects to coworkers in other departments (or even the same). In a cover letter, consider personality key. Implying curiosity never hurts (and won’t kil the cat, as the old saying goes). An office full of reporters like people who are honest go-getters!

Graphic Design:
The best of your previous works. Some may be client jobs, others can be pieces you’ve put together as mock-ups. Whatever you choose, they should be ‘you’ as a designer; embody your style and affinity for this particular visual art. You’ll want to include logo work, magazine pages you’ve created (layouts), covers (newspapers and magazines) and advertisement work on a smaller scale. Small advertisements show how efficiently you can use tiny spaces to convey big meaning.

Editorial & Journalism:
Newspapers, magazines and previous projects in the form of excerpts and full articles. Short prose is also accepted, though the writing style isn’t exposition and will be more of a pleasant read that some hiring managers may appreciate (and some may not).

If in question? Leave out prose. Include any headlines you may have previously received or if you were part of a school newspaper (or worked for the summer writing a column in your local paper). Despite journalism coming in the exposition format, every writer has a voice. Make sure to include yours in everything you write! Your readers will get to know you.

The best starting point is always either in Graphic Design as an apprentice (not an intern) or the same position in Journalism. Get your feet wet without heavy commitment. Write a column in the local paper, or offer to do the graphics for an ad you want to have placed. As an industry with long hours and many standards, we suggest starting small and building your way into the workload if you aren’t used to 80 - 90 hour work weeks. 100 if things don’t go according to plan (it happens).

A job in editorial is rewarding for the right person. Time consuming? Certainly! It’s a lifestyle and a commitment. Though the concept of seeing your work published every single week and going out to thousands of readers never gets old.


 

Thank you FriedRice for all of your advice and tips on Editorial and Publishing. It's clearly a very valuable history have have experience in that field!

If you'd like to follow FriedRice Comics you can find their Manga and Twitter here:

Click here to follow FriedRice Comics on Twitter.

 Way of the Kitchen King, 26 pages - Published by FriedRice Comics, (cc/ @Grimly)

In a world obsessed with food culture, a tournament is held each year to determine the ‘Kitchen King’: the chef who stands above all else. Former undefeated Kitchen King, Bash Cola, is thrown back into the ring when he’s faced with the threat of his former rival’s corruption, and the corruption of his rival’s new protege. With a chance encounter and a spark of fate, can Bash find it in himself to once again embrace the ‘Joy of Cooking’?

Story and Art by FriedRice Comics