My Life In Fandom: Razorfist Talks European Comics

The Excellence of Elocution reminds us that the West has a comic tradition that isn't full of capeshit and SJW pozzing.

For those that can't get into Manga, go back to Europe and start searching around there.

Yes, likely as not you have seen this before, especially if you've read Heavy Metal. You just didn't recognize it as something separate and distinct from American comics due to the Big Two never bothering to tell their customers this fact when they did translate and publish English versions.

Independent comic creators should take note of this, as Jon Del Arroz did with Overmind, and lean into this aesthetic when it's the best fit for the project. The same applies to independent authors looking for cover or interior illustrators, and as Razor notes the French share the Italian love of the Old West so people writing Westerns ought to spend the time becoming familiar with these European artists and--when they are able--commission or collaborate with them.

Which brings me to the next point: Manga is famous for its titles being owner-operated, only being published through a specific magazine, and the owner is both author and (chief) artist (with teams of assistants for bigger names); BDs have owner-operator affairs, but there are more author-artist teams (as is common in Big Two books) so that model is more familiar with Europeans and with it the division of labor and the workflow procedures that collaborating in that manner requires.

BDs and their business model may well be a better fit for a lot of independent American creators out there, so it is worth your time to dig into them to see if (a) there's anything to your liking and (b) their way of business is a better fit for what you want to do.

Oh, and there's nothing that says you can't blend the two.

Given how fucked Europe is right now, they may well welcome the opportunity to work with you if it helps them stay afloat.