Labels: creating manga

Where Ian Got His Necklace--and other random weirdness from Mascara

I have sooooo much extra time this weekend! I don't know where it's coming from, but whatever. While working on Mascara there were quite a few ideas that just didn't make it into the story. But those ideas that didn't make it still had a huge impact on what I did end up writing and creating. And yes, Ian's shark tooth necklace is a good example of that. So here's a list of a few ideas that just fell off the face of the Earth.



1. Addison as the main character.
When I first created Mascara, the story was supposed to be more about Addison than Ian. I saw it being told more from her point of view. But as things went on, I became more emotionally invested into Ian's character, and so did the audience. So Addison ended up becoming a secondary main character. That Ian just steals all of the attention, doesn't he? So not right.



2. Kaci was supposed to be a jealous best friend.
Kaci was supposed to be more upset about the relationship between Addison and Dimitri (Ian) and cause a bit of drama, but she turned out to be such an energetic and happy girl, I just handed her over to Nacho.

3. Ian was supposed to have black hair.
Originally, Ian was ABSOLUTELY NOT supposed to be a blond. But I was just starting to learn how to use Manga Studio, and at that time I really didn't have a clue what I was doing. Even figuring out the purpose of tone was hard for me. So the thought of coloring in his black hair for who knows how many pages was not appealing. Ian's hair became blond because I was too lazy to color it in. Which brings me to #3.



4. Ian's name was something totally different because he was half Japanese.
Hahahahaha--oh gosh. Yes, he was supposed to be half Japanese. I don't remember what his name was. But after I was too lazy to color his hair black, I decided to make him simply some American guy, and he ended up looking more like my next door neighbor than I would like. Now that I reflect back on my decision, I think that was a smart move.

5. And that shark's tooth necklace:


He's always wearing it...




This came about as a result of Ian's newfound (and unplanned) blondness and my personal tastes.

He wears it because I've always wanted a necklace decorated with shark's teeth. But I don't think I could wear it because I'm scared that it could stab me the chest or something. No, I am not kidding. That is the truth. Really, I love beach jewelry. I like necklaces made of shells and hemp and such. And since I like beach jewelry, Ian likes it too. :P

Also since Ian ended up blond, he looks similar to a beach bum; it's like he just washed up on shore out of the waves. I was actually planning a scene where after Addison finds out who Ian is, they end up doing a school project at the beach over Spring Break. But I ended up cutting that, because I had another idea that I really, really wanted to try instead. So you will just have to imagine what Addison would look like in a bikini. And Ian...hahaha. I must apologize to all of the fan girls. Not happening. Nice thought, though.