Passionate about bringing your imagination to life through vibrant characters and captivating stories? Look no further! North Parks’ own Manga Club is dedicated to all things manga, where artists come together to learn and hone their skills in the art of manga illustration. It is a space where manga and anime lovers can come together and share their love and appreciation for Japanese Manga, Korean Manhwa, or Chinese Manhua. Meeting Tuesdays after school in room 211, the club hosts a series of workshops and tutorials that cover a wide range of topics, including character design, anatomy, storytelling techniques, panel layout, and much more. It provides a supportive and creative environment for manga enthusiasts of all levels. Regardless of if you’re a seasoned artist or just a beginner, this club is led by an experienced manga artist, who has also published her own work.
Ms. Candy Chou, the founder of Manga Club, established the club with the intention of fostering artistic development, honing storytelling skills, and enhancing literacy and media analysis among its members. Drawing from her own experience of attending an anime club in high school and university, Ms. Chou noticed a gap in fulfilling the interest of teenagers who were drawn to manga and anime.
During an interview with Ms. Chou, she mentioned that her daily profession as a Math teacher limits her opportunities to exercise her creativity.
“In my daily profession as a Math teacher, I don’t get a lot of opportunities to exercise the creative areas that I also enjoy pursuing, so it has always been my side hobby or side passion. I have a story that I wanted to tell and manga is just one of the ways I could tell that story. I’m a better artist than I’m a writer.”
Ms. Chou’s journey into the world of manga was influenced by notable artists such as Arina Tanemaru, renowned for her shōjo manga, and CLAMP, an all-female Japanese manga artist group. Introduced to manga during her upbringing in Taipei, Taiwan, Ms. Chou found a fascination for artwork that conveys rich stories with minimal text.
“After that I became a big fan of Fullmetal Alchemist, I still am a big fan. I like the typical shōnen manga, Bleach, and stuff like that, but I was never too big on action scenes. I like art that tells a lot of stories without text.”
Proudly identifying as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Ms. Chou finds enjoyment in manga that explores themes of queer and LGBTQ+ identities.
“I also enjoy manga that is about being queer or being LGBTQ+.”
When asked about the importance of art in society, Ms. Chou shared a thoughtful perspective, shedding light on the underestimated value of the creative arts in comparison to STEM subjects.
“I think our society puts their values on STEM. Parents and even schools as well, believe that the Science classes, the Math classes, are somehow more important, more valuable, typically than, English, History, or Humanities. But I think that we’re losing out on a lot of stuff; we don’t value soft skills like being able to communicate, or being able to critically analyze what is going on.”
She also emphasized the significance of literacy beyond textual comprehension by stating, “I think that not being able to read a text and understand its literal meaning. We should recognize that it’s underlying what the artist and writer is trying to convey, which is a skill that we should all have while growing up, and that’s how we can easily navigate through life.”
Looking ahead, Ms. Chou envisions the future of the Manga Club as a beacon for inclusivity and self development, where every individual can recognize their inherent ability to be an artist, contributing to a world where creativity knows no bounds. North Park Secondary School welcomes all who dare to dream and create, embracing the magic of manga and the power of artistic expression.
THE NORTH STAR 