Interview: ‘Radiant’ Creator Tony Valente Talks Anime, Foreign Mangaka, and More

For manga readers, it would be a dream to draw a series like the ones they’ve come to love. The goal may be a lofty one, but it’s not an impossible one. Artist Tony Valente paved way for manga artists everywhere when his work Radiant began gaining traction in Japan, and the shonen title was even given an anime this season. To many, Valente is living the life, and the artist would be inclined to agree.

Recently, ComicBook.com got the chance to chat with the artist, and it was there Valente opened up about how manga came to his attention as child. Everything from Radiant‘s hit anime to Seth’s future adventures was put on the table, and Valente made sure to share his thanks with fans for all their support.

You can check out our exclusive one-on-one with Valente below!

ComicBook.com: Radiant is finally about to make its big anime debut. How did you react when you found out about the order? Did you ever think your manga would get such an adaptation?

Tony Valente: Of course not! Being a non-Japanese mangaka, my first goal was to enjoy creating Radiant, and eventually have some readers… Having an anime was never in my mind. So when it happened, I was very skeptical. I thought the project would end up being some of the numerous unfortunate abandoned projects. But I guess now I can relax a little.

As a French artist, you are part of a small group of foreign manga artists to be published in Japan. What pushed you to draw manga and pursue your own series with Radiant?

I started drawing as a kid while watching my favorite anime on television. Dragon Ball and Ranma ½ were the things that kept me drawing again and again, when every other kid was out playing soccer. Even when I later discovered my deep love of French comics, my main reference in storytelling, world-building, and character design is Japanese manga/anime! I started in this industry as a French comics artist but I soon realized that I needed to make a manga one day, more precisely a shonen manga. Then Radiant came into my mind, and I tried it.

Radiant‘s magical story and inspiring characters are so easy to love. What inspired you to create this sort of story in particular? How did it come about?

The element I love most in Japanese manga is how closely we explore a character’s inner thoughts. The large number of pages allows creators to go deep into their characters… As a reader I enjoy it SO much! So when I create my stories, plot twists, and other things, I always try to show it from the character’s perspective. I prefer to show how a character reacts to something, instead of just showing the thing by itself. I don’t know if that is the best way to do it, but I think you learn more about the plots and character this way… I’m hoping that if you enjoy them, you’ll enjoy them even more!

How do you feel about the reception Radiant has gotten? Yusuke Murata, the artist of One-Punch Man, has openly supported the series. Does its success feel surreal?

I feel so lucky! Yusuke Murata is my FAVORITE manga artist, since Eyeshield 21, so having his support is completely surreal!! When Radiant started buzzing in France, I thought this was the peak of success I could experience with Radiant. I thought that French readers supported me because I’m a French artist, and they were proud. But then it became succesful [sic] in other countries… That is crazy to me. I’m very lucky.

With anime and manga growing in popularity, Radiant‘s success has been followed by international fans wanting to break into the industry. Did you face any challenges publishing Radiant as a manga since you aren’t from Japan? What advice do you have for artists who are worried about that issue?

I was first published in France, so I never had to deal with Japanese editors. The only stuggle I have is with deadlines: I’ve worked alone on eight volumes and even now (I’m on volume 11), I only have some help on screen tones, not on any other part of the job… I choose to do it this way, but I have to be honest, it’s hard to keep it going with at least two books a year. My only advice would be: love your story and your characters. You’ll have to spend most of your time with them, and with everything going on when you’re trying to make a living out of it, you’d better enjoy your time with your characters. Failing or succeeding, at least you’ll have the best time! I spent ten years having a hard time selling my previous titles, but I always had a great time working on my stories.

With Radiant being published in the U.S. now, the manga has a bigger audience than ever. Where do you see Seth’s story going next? What can you tell us about its future?

I really hope the U.S. readers will enjoy this manga! I’m on volume 11 right now, and my story is still far from ending. Seth’s going to meet a lot of characters from different backgrounds, and his view on the world is going to evolve. I try to make a rich universe, so Seth’s going to travel a lot… I would also like to make a one-shot spin-off in this universe, telling more about the lore and the start of the Inquisition, which is a big part of Radiant‘s story. I don’t know when, because I’d like to do it myself, but that’s one of my goals!

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So, are you all caught up with Radiant? What do you think about Valente’s stellar series? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

This interview was conducted via email.