The Writer
Steven Wang here, Manga writer under the pen name SWRUManga, I write unique or interesting perspectives to break out from the standard plots and tropes of Manga in a fusion of Western and Eastern mentality.
What I Write
Less Character Tropes
Too often we see the same tropes appearing in Anime and Manga. The teen boy hero with a party of cute girls saving the world, for example.
Each story I write will never rely on one note tropes as a crutch. Unless it’s in a satire!
Unique Ideas and Settings
From satire to parody, to simply twisting a well known scenario, all my stories will have something unique and interesting about them.
Oh, and it won’t just be adding sharks or ninja to an existing idea…
No Spiralling, Out of Control Plots
If a story needs to end, then I will end it. We all know the drawn out torture of a story that’s gone on too long, suddenly a small story turns into a world adventure, and then the group… ends up killing God?
I will keep a keen grasp on the original themes and ideas and no story will be too precious to end.
No Unnecessary Fanservice
Let’s face it, Anime and Manga is majorly horned up frequently. ‘Visual fan service’ is used to retain the interests of the reader/watcher and often cheapens dramatic scenes or the tone of a story.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a prude, but a little less lewdity is not unwelcome.
We all know what the internet is good for, if you wanted that stuff anyway!
Manga
I will be mostly focussing on one-shots in the early stages and as interest grows, I will be exploring longer and gradually unfolding stories.
I got lots of stories planned, the main restraint is cost of art and time to produce.
It is likely they will be released via Webtoons, and printed softcovers will be available too.
All stories are written and copyright by Steven Wang (SWRUManga).
Some will be available on Webtoons!
Previous
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Failure Is A Bed Of Nails
Drawn by YCristian (http://crizink.000webhostapp.com/)
This 4 page short is based on the theme of “Failure” and was an entry to the WIP Comics (https://linktr.ee/WIPcomics) anthology released in 2020.
It uses the visuals and ironic comfort of lying upon a bed of nails as an analogy to the comfort and pain of failure.
It was also an experimental piece where the final pages create a split choice in the narrative.
The full manga is viewable by clicking on the image.
Sword Of Delays
Drawn by Tommy Agin 713
This longer one-shot will be completed later in 2021 and will be released somehow… Currently submitting to publishers!
It is a shounen (young male teen) parody and satire based on the action fight climactic samurai duel standoff. The single clash of swords. The dramatic pause. The sheathing *clink* of the sword. And the eruption of blood from the wound.
But what if the sword can’t be sheathed… and the enemy doesn’t die?
Hilarious, heart-warming, meta.
Broken Frontier: What captures my imagination here is the alternative approach to combining words and pictures. There’s a kind of meta self-referentiality in places and a willingness to explore different storytelling devices for communicating information.
Isamov And M.A.I.D
Drawn by YCristian (http://crizink.000webhostapp.com/)
This 8 page entry WON SECOND PLACE in the MANGA JIMAN UK COMPETITION for 2020 on the theme of ‘Technology’.
It is about an unlucky programmer, called Isamov, who has worked on creating an artificial intelligence companion robot. However he succeeds in failing spectacularly and the A.I. has taken over the world and turned humans into slaves!
He must now find a way to fix the problem while locked down in his house with a single evil robot that he managed to reprogram wonkily.
“Would you like some cyanide with your next coffee?”
It is a drama and comedy story!
Now fully adapted into a physical book! Filled with additional information, full script, and planning documents, printed on luxurious soft touch laminate cover, and uncoated traditional internal paper for that legit manga feel!
First 3 pages are here for you to preview ->
Assassination School (In Progress)
Drawn by TBD
This is a longer release, currently being written and may never see the light of day as such.
The premise is “what if a person accidentally kills someone and is scouted by a top assassination company?”
It is a comedy and likely parody of shounen genre tropes.
Dokodesu? (In Progress)
Drawn by TBD
This is a longer release, currently being written and may never see the light of day as such.
The premise is a secret for now.
It is a drama, comedy and isekai (Character transported to another world) satire.
Support
I make sure my artists are paid a fair price! If you enjoy these manga and want to support an up and coming author, do please consider supporting monetarily. If you can’t, that’s fine, you can make it up to us by telling 5 people you know about our work.
By all means tweet me to prove it as well! Haha.
Ko-Fi
An alternative method of donation. I won’t be doing much releases on the platform in all honesty!
Interested? Click the image or here – www.ko-fi.com/swrumanga
Paypal
Clean and simple, just a simple donation.
Interested? Click the image or here – www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=CBNYJBCH9898L
Contact
Get in touch below!
@SWRUManga
Mostly inane tweets about nothing! Also, manga release info.
swrumanga@gmail.com
For business enquiries please note so in the heading.
Artwork by: MokaChaos @ instagram.com/mokachaos
Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com