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Frequently Asked Questions
Who are you?
Why did you name your site Comiku?
Why did you name the comic Comiku Girls?
When do you update?
Why do you guys only update once a week?
How much of what you write is true?
So all the characters are real people?
Who does what on the comic?
What tools do you use to make the comic?
What tools do you use to make the website?
How long does it take you to do one comic?
How can we get ahold of you?
Who are you?
We are the Comiku Girls, Li Izumi and Akiko Meigetsu, two artists/otaku.
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Why did you name your site Comiku?
Why not? Basically Comiku has a nice sound to it and seemed to encapsulate our interests (Japanese culture, anime and manga) and style of artwork. Comiku (well, technically it would be 'Komiku', but 'Comiku' looks nicer) is a Japanese pronunciation for 'comic'. And originally it was what thematically tied together the aspects of our site - we both draw in an anime-manga-shoujo style. We showcased artwork from different anime and manga that we really liked. And Akiko has a thing for 'k' sounds.
Why did you name the comic Comiku Girls?
Eer, why not? Our domain, our advertising, our studio name if you will was Comiku.com. So at the first Connecticon, others (read, Mookie who then got Brianna and Matt to use it too) found it convenient to refer to us as "The Comiku Girls". The name stuck, and we began self-applying the name when we signed up for artist's alley spaces. When we finally got motivated enough to start documenting our adventures in webcomic form, it seemed the natural name for the comiku -- I mean comic.
When do you update?
We update the comic on Tuesday mornings - as in Tuesday sometime before noon. We update the webjournal whenever we have something to say.
We've got a script now to auto-post, so it's usually posted about 2 am EST, but to be on the safe side, we'll continue to say sometime before noon EST.
Why do you guys only update once a week?
Err, because we have lives? Okay. Maybe that is an exaggeration, we wouldn't necessarily say we have lives so much as we have real jobs. Okay that is an exaggeration too, since Akiko's 'job' is to talk a lot and play on her computers, and Li gets paid to look at books and play on her computer. But the point is (and yes we really have a point. Sometimes.) The point is, we have jobs and other things to do, and so we just don't have the time to update more than once a week. We would rather update only once a week but with a dependable schedule then try to do more and always be late, or miss updates.
How much of what you write is true?
Frighteningly, it's all based solidly on actual events - though sometimes things are altered slightly for simplicity and/or the flow for the punch-line. (Well, ok, Li doesn't actually go to AAA meetings. But she really should!)
So all the characters are real people?
Err, no not really. A few are, like Akiko, Li, Mookie, Ms Doran, Ms Grant, Masahiro, Mere, Sketch, Kaji... Okay a lot of them are. Our pets are actual pets. But generally the characters are representatives of their AnimeCon stereotype.
Who does what on the comic?
Pirates.
*crickets chirping*
*sigh* if you insist upon a real answer, then-- Akiko usually does the scripts, though Li helps fine tune them. Li does the layout and primary line art. When she finishes, she sends it to Akiko who traces it. Then Akiko inks, adds the grey-ink washes, scans, and adds the text. Then we both sit back and admire our work.
Pirates?
You had to be there.
What tools do you use to make the comic?
Scripts (Akiko) I typically write them in Word, and Li and I discuss the scripts and revise them over AIM.
Lineart (li) i use a 11x14 drawing pad, a couple different shades of light color pencil (mechanical), drawing pencil (2h) and mechanical pencil.
Inking (Akiko) I initially trace the drawings I get from Li onto 11x14 Bristol board paper. I have used both Vellum and Smooth, and haven't figured out yet which I like better, so will likely keep switching back and forth. I use a PortaTrace (11x18) for my tracings. Currently, I do my pencil work using a 3H, which forces me to keep the lines lighter, and your standard rubber eraser. Inking is done using various sizes of Micron pens, though I find I use the 0.3 a lot for boxes, and things I want with a slightly heavier line. I use a 0.2 most often for general inking, but partially because my 0.1 is dead. Ink washes are done with diluted Stanford Acrylic calligraphy ink and a number 1 round-tip watercolor brush.
Clean-up (Akiko) The comic is scanned in two pieces using an HP 3300 and imported into Photoshop 6.0 for clean up and resizing.
What about the website?
Akiko does the images in Photoshop 6.0. Li does the xhtml and css coding in notepad. Our blog is done with Greymatter journal software. We also use "Schlabo's Picture of the Day" script for the webcomic.
How long does it take you to do one comic?
Depends. Scripts we typically hammer out a good half dozen or so in a couple hours. But the drawing phase can take anywhere an hour to days, depending on if Li can get into the groove or not. It takes Akiko an hour or two to trace and touch-up the line art, depending on how good Li's groove was, then another hour to ink and wash it. The final clean-up and text on the computer depends on how badly Akiko did with the ink washes, but usually comes in under an hour.
How can we get ahold of you?
you can:
1. Email us at comikugirls@comiku.com.
2. Leave a comment on our blog on the main page.
3. Or if you want to contact one of us specifically, you can:
Akiko: go to her personal webpage page: Unmei no Uta
(you can either send her a message through her guestbook, or
email her at unu@comiku.com )
Li: go to her personal page: Hana to zo Yuki
(again, sign her guestbook or
email at izumi@comiku.com).
What if you didn't answer my question?
Email it to us: comikugirls@comiku.com.