2. For my assignment I decided I was going to create a graphic novel using
the ever growing popular Japanese art style manga while taking
inspiration from western comic artists and illustrators.
I also intend to create an animated opening that would be for the anime
counterpart of my graphic novel.
However in order to prepare for this I first researched into the target
market and the audience of manga in Great Britain while also finding
what is popular and sells and why.

3. I did this by:
• Going into Manchester to ask all the popular retail chains who sell
manga about what they find popular and what is trending
•Creating and handing out surveys in Manchester and around college
finding out about the general audience and age range.
• Researching from secondary sources about Manga and Anime
demographics and genres
This research gave me a clear idea of my....

5. This part of the
market are the trend-
setters who will go
This part of the out there way to find
market generally new manga and
access their manga anime to watch and
through the internet are more likely to pay
and find out about for their manga.
manga and anime
through friends

6. My graphic novel is for ages 16-20 as from survey results this is the age
range that read manga in Great Britain
When talking to places such as Forbidden Planet they told me that the
more popular manga’s get publicity from their anime counterparts
which just confirms that the animated trailer is a good marketing
technique.
Even though the shõnen demographic is aimed at boys in Japan over
here they seem to be the most popular manga and anime and are
accessed by both genders. So I will follow the guidelines of this
demographic.

9. Aberrant no Exile (Exile of the Aberrant) is set in an inner city area which will be
based off of Salford and areas of Manchester. It will be set in this time period
although technology and science will have advanced further then in real life.
Around the world governments have discovered that within the human race
there are a few with a rare dormant gene and by using advanced technology
they created a brace which attaches itself permanently to these peoples arms
and brings out their extraordinary gifts.
With these new gifts the Aberrant as they are called became governments tools
used for right and wrong against other nations. However in Britain civil conflict
broke out between those without abilities as they felt like second class citizens.

10. Four years on and the government have scrapped the scheme leaving those
who have permanent abilities treated like pariahs and criminals. We follow the
story of Illaine Winters who tries her best to blend into society after her brother
was taken prisoner for being a reckless aberrant but because of the brace on
her arm she barely manages to hold down her job at the local supermarket and
lives in a small bedsit.
Bradley ‘Bass’ Crane is a fifteen year old aberrant boy his mum and dad are not
but they own a pub called the Two Headed Horse and it an illegal hangout for
the local aberrants. One fateful day when he is picked up from school by a
friend of his parents Illaine Winters he suddenly becomes a wanted fugitive
when his parents are taken in for harbouring criminals he is now Illaine’s
responsibility to be kept from any harm

11. As Illaine tries to escape with Bradley deep into the city they come across a
battered and bruised young woman who goes by the name Boanna. Her
appearance and personality is quirky and strange but what is the most unusual
is that she has aberrant abilities but does not need a brace because of this she
is the most wanted person in Britain and Illaine wants nothing to do with her
but Bradley insists they can’t leave her alone.
Although most aberrants are now considered criminal scum there are still a
select few that are still used by the government. Their roles are bounty hunters
for rogue and reckless aberrants and one who takes this role seriously is Alfonso
Mahsa. Considered one of the best he has been set the mission of capturing
Boanna but after hearing first hand suspicious things from the minister of
Aberrant Defence. He may not have been on the right side after all.

17. One of my main inspirations for
the story came actually from the
story The Sneetches by Dr Seuss
as it tells the story of the same
race discriminating each other
for a simple star mutation on
their belly and how their roles
become reversed when the
machine comes into play and
that translates to the brace.
I also took loose inspiration from
Marvels X-men as well as it is
about mutated people who have
to over come certain diversities.

18. Looking at older Japanese artists
such as Hokusai you can see the
clear link in modern manga how
lines and strokes create texture
and tone to the piece while bold
block colours make shapes
which is how the human figure
breaks down.
You can see in artwork from
Isoda Koryusai how the weight
of the lines done by ink
accentuates boldness of features
and distance which is often used
in modern manga.

19. Although I still wish for my
graphic novel to be in the style
of Japanese manga and anime I
have also looked at taking
inspiration from graphic
novelists such as Frank Miller
whose dark graphic style really
appeals to me. From this I have
decided that I also wanted to
show the difference between
the aberrants and the normal
people visually as well as
through the story.