Parman 1

I'm one for new things, and this was a request, but...it's probably more work than a 30+ page one-shot! "Comic essay," indeed...

01
left: A thrilling comic essay, penned by one of the masters of the manga world! What is daily life like for manga artists?

title: The exciting life of Parman
1) Monday morning blues...
author: Fujiko Mijio (A)

-My wife
-See you later

paragraph:
Hello! It's a pleasure to meet everyone here reading Shounen Square!
The first time I debuted in the manga world was when I was 17, but it's been over 50 years since then, and even now I'm still grateful to be a part of it.
Since many of you have probably never met a manga artist, I will be happy to show you what a day in my life is like!

-From Mon - Fri, I commute to work
-If I don't hurry, I'll miss the bus!

02
-I ride the bus to a nearby train station

-I get on a local train,
(t/n - kakueki-teisha = train that stops at every station)

-Get off at the next station that an express train stops

-I buy an express ticket for Shinjuku

-I find a vending machine that sells drinks,

-and buy a cold milk tea

-And at last...
-Ride non-stop to Shinjuku on the deluxe train!!
sfx: JAAAN!

03
p:
Since deluxe trains have reserved seating, if you haven't purchased a ticket in advance you can't board.
After relaxing in my designated seat, I begin to enjoy my milk tea

-ahhh... (t/n - put anything you want in this bubble. it's not important)
next box sfx - glug glug glug

p:
I gaze upon the scenery that flies by my window as I'm drinking my tea. It feels great! I watch as all the people barbecuing, fishing, and boating along the shores of the Tamagawa River fade from sight...

p:
ワシはちょっと前の途中駅から乗ったのに、何だか箱根の温泉へいって、今朝ロマンスカーで新宿へ帰るような気持ちになった。
Even though I boarded from a station only a little while ago, it feels as if I'm returning to Shinjuku after a visit to the Hakone hot springs.
わずか３００円でじつにぜいたくな気分をあじわえる・・・というものだ！
How to say it...it's like a taste of luxury for a mere 300 yen!

-After a short while, I can see the skyscrapers from the heart of the city start to appear

04
-Then it's half an hour on foot from the station to where I work

p:
But then I face a problem. Wouldn't it be a waste to just go straight to work? Since I'm in such a good mood from the ride over, I feel like doing a little "sightseeing."
-Ah!
-Over there!

box: Pro-Golfer Saru

p:
I really love golf! The first time I played golf was over 40 years ago. In fact, it's been 33 years since [Pro-Golfer Saru] was serialized in Shounen Sunday. I don't mean to brag, but Saru was the first Golf manga ever. Lately, my skills have been getting dull, so I keep changing by clubs. Whenever I walk into a golf store my eyes start to shine!!

SFX: WOW!

05
-Behold, my new Driver! I forced myself to buy it!
sfx: JAAAN!

-A driver is the club that golfers use on the first shot to hit the ball as far as they can.
-Pro-Golfer Saru made a Driver out of the lower branch of a tree, and makes 300 yard shots with it!
sfx: DOKA! (whack?)

p:
I've been playing golf for 40 years but I still have no eye for Drivers! After just one swing, I keep cycling through them all. If I don't hit the ball, it's not my fault, it's the club's - so I just go and take another one. It's quite a pain, if I do say so myself (ohohoho....)

caption: My driver collection

p:
At the shop where I bought my new Driver, there's a 50 yard practice range. So naturally, I tested it out right away! Since it's only 50 yards, I have no idea exactly how far it really works, but I can say the swing felt great! (Yosh! I'm going to go try it out on the course tomorrow!)

-Since it's a practice range, I can swing as much as I like and hit the ball! But what about during an actual game!?

06
-After testing out my new Driver, I left the shop. I was soaked in sweat.
-Uwaaa...I'm beat

-Ah! Over there!!

-Quick, come with me!

-I'm inside of the sports gym next to my studio. Here, I take a quick swim so I can wash off all that sweat from the Golf shop

sfx: Pasha pasha (splash)

p:
Since I was born in a town in the Toyama prefecture, near the Himi sea, I would often go swimming as a kid. Breaststroke, sidestroke, backstroke...I can do all sorts of strokes, but not strokes like crawl where water hits your face. After swimming laps for 30 minutes, my sweat is washed away and I feel great!

p:
After my swim, I take a shower and head into the hot bath. After the hot bath, I head into the sauna. After the sauna, I soak myself in the cold bath. Then, once again I head back into the sauna and back to the cold bath...three times altogether. That's my routine.

-Feels great, once you endure the heat!!

07
-Leaving the sports gym, I finally get to the studio at 2 in the afternoon. Since I left home at 10:30am, about 4 hours have passed. While I'm not trying to cut work, I always seem to get sidetracked.

-Good morning!
-Chief S-kun
-Staff Y-san

-My desk is enclosed by a cubicle
-Tezuka-sensei's portrait (t/n - tesuka osamu)

-In order to get some ideas, I go and sit in the reception room, but my mind is as blank as a white sheet of paper.
-And then my cell phone rings

-hello?

p:
I get a call from Golgo's Saitou Takaoshi.
He says that he's at a nearby hotel since he had a meeting. He asks me if I can come over since the meeting has ended. I can see the building from my office. I tell him "I'm on my way."

08
-Uh, I'm just heading out for a bit
p:
Not even a half an hour has passed since I got to work and I'm already leaving again. The staff saw me off with shocked faces. Meanwhile, the manuscript on my desk is completely blank...

p:
It's so painful to try to write something when you're out of ideas. Sure, there's times when the ideas just keep coming, but there's also times when no matter how much you strain yourself you can't think of a thing.
The best thing to do at times like that is get away from the desk and get a change of scenery. Saitou Takaoshi's phone call couldn't have come at a better time!

-Yo~

p:
As expected from the author of Golgo 13, Saitou Takaoshi is a very cool guy! He appeared in a stately manner by the hotel lobby, and then we both went to the nearby bar to share a drink!
But I'm pretty sure the two of us must have looked strange since we kept wearing our sunglasses the whole time!

-And so I never made it back to work after all...HEY!?

top right: So manga artists...don't draw...??

PARMAN continues 12/4!

-end-