Shinchosha, the publisher behind notable series like Way of the Househusband and Fist of the North Star, will release a brand-new manga created using AI.
According to Anime News Network, the Cyberpunk Momotarō manga, a futuristic retelling of the legend of Momotaro, was produced and assembled with the Midjourney AI software. A full-color print of the story will appear in Shinchosha’s Bunch Comics imprint on March 9.
AI-Generated Images Draw Mixed Reactions From Art Lovers
AI-generated art (or artwork produced by a computer program) isn’t new to the world of anime/manga or even the pop-cultural landscape as a whole. Many fans have used software programs like Midjourney AI to craft often terrifying tributes to their favorite IPs and franchises; for example, Gizmodo recently shared a gallery of 11 AI-reimagined horror movie posters. Moreover, One Piece’s beloved and critically acclaimed mangaka Eiichiro Oda has experimented with such programs, posting a video of him sketching antagonist Rob Lucci through an AI drawing app at the end of last year.
However, not everyone has embraced AI-generated artwork and stories, particularly those in the western entertainment industry. For example, Guillermo del Toro, the director of Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water and the stop-motion adaptation of Pinocchio on Netflix, heavily criticized the use of programs like Midjourney AI in a recent interview. “I think that art is an expression of the soul. At its best, it is encompassing everything you are. Therefore, I consume, and love, art made by humans. I am completely moved by that. I am not interested in an illustration made by machines and the extrapolation of information,” the iconic filmmaker stated.
Using AI Can Get Aspiring Artists Blackballed
Similarly, Jon Moisan, the Acquisition Editor at BOOM Studios!, presented an ardent stance against AI-generated artwork in a Twitter post that received substantial support and praise from others in the comic book industry. “If you submit AI art to me in an attempt to get work and I find out, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you’re blackballed from the comics industry. There’s no room for frauds in this industry,” Moisan wrote.
Some companies have already taken major steps to block the practice. Most notably, Kickstarter has banned all projects involving AI-generated artwork. This move was in response to complaints directed at a group called Unstable Diffusion, which launched a project described as “the development of open-source, community first, AI models that will achieve the dream of a billion people exploring and creating art with nothing but their imagination.”
Source: Anime News Network
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