I had the pleasure of meeting Brian Angeles, founder of The Gothic Writer, and after knowing more about him, I wanted to share him with you. A long-time anime enthusiast of 25 years, he has established himself in the ranks of the publishing community for manga and webcomics. He kindly agreed to a mini Q&A about his journey of creating The Gothic Writer, his works, networking, and the future of manga & webcomics.

Would you mind telling us a little more about your background leading up to the start of your company?

Well, I grew up as that kid in my parents’ attic, spending most of my time reading, writing, and obsessively watching anime. Alongside anime, I was deeply drawn to the Gothic subculture, which has influenced my life and work even to this day. But it wasn’t just the stories in anime themselves that inspired me; it was everything that went into making them. I was completely mesmerized by the idea of multimedia production, the animation, illustration, voice acting, music, sound design, and all the other elements that come together to make an anime feel alive. Seeing how different shows used these elements in unique ways made me wonder how I could bring them into my own storytelling. 

I think the first steps of this journey started around my sophomore or junior year of high school. As I read and watched numerous stories every day, I naturally began to develop my own ideas. I still remember jotting in an old notebook something like “Reaper Story… cool idea!” and feeling that rush of excitement. 

When I started creating seriously, life wasn’t exactly smooth. I ended up dropping out of college twice, and for a long time, I felt like I wasn’t good enough at writing because of the constant disagreements I had with academia. Back then, the idea of becoming an anime-inspired writer often got laughed at by classmates and even some professors. This was before the massive global surge in anime’s popularity around 2020. 

Even during the tough moments of the late 2010s, I never lost my love for it. As anime became more widely accepted, I realized that all the skills I had been building, writing, structuring stories, pacing, and thinking about multimedia, could actually turn into a career. Around 2022-2023, after the pandemic, I finally took the leap, and that’s how Gothic Writer Productions was born. It’s the culmination of a lifelong passion, allowing me to connect with other creators and bring their ideas to life while exploring every element of storytelling I’ve ever been fascinated by.

You are a man of many hats and a proclaimed anime storyteller. What was the story that really inspired you and made you want to go into editing?

Honestly, there are just too many to count. I’ve been watching anime since I was four or five, starting back in 1999, and I’ve probably seen hundreds of series since then. Some of the shows that really stuck with me were Soul Eater, D-Gray Man, Chrome Shelled Regios, Zoids, GATE, Vampire Hunter D, Trinity Blood, Hellsing, Fairy Tail, Black Cat, and Fullmetal Alchemist. Even older classics like Record of Lodoss War and Berserk grabbed me. I know I probably shouldn’t have been watching those at a young age, but they were incredible to watch, and I am glad to have them as a core memory. 

I will say what really drew me to editing wasn’t just loving the stories. It was noticing how everything, pacing, dialogue, and character growth, made these worlds feel alive. It was different from the Western stories I grew up reading. Don’t get me wrong, I loved a lot of the stuff my English teachers gave me in school: Poe, Lovecraft, Shelley, Doyle, and Stoker definitely shaped my love for 19th–20th century gothic literature, and other writers like Kafka, Neruda, Hughes, Twain, Tagore, Dickinson, and Fitzgerald helped me appreciate the elegance and rhythm of writing. 

But anime, manga, light novels, webcomics, and web novels opened up storytelling in ways that felt completely new, more emotional. I wanted to help make other people’s stories feel that same alive, immersive way. 

I kept thinking about how these types of stories weren’t really taken seriously in the States back then, and I wanted to change that. Editing became a way to turn my obsession with storytelling into a real skill, challenge the norm, and eventually build a career. It felt amazing to finally contribute to the worlds I’d loved for so long in a way that really mattered to the stories themselves.

Are there any differences or similarities between working with Webcomics and Manga?

At the core, manga and webcomics are doing the same thing, just in different routes. They’re telling stories visually and typically follow the reader emotionally invested. As storytellers, you want your characters to feel real, your whereas to flow naturally, and your big emotional moments to make someone laugh, cry, or just go “wow, that was awesome.” If you nail those basics, the format doesn’t matter.

The biggest differences come down to how the stories are structured and delivered. Manga usually follows a pretty strict structure. The best examples I can give are Naruto, Bleach, or Fullmetal Alchemist. Chapters are often designed to fit in magazines like Weekly Shonen Jump or collected tankobon volumes, so the pacing hits in very deliberate ways to promote the series and have collectors want to buy the manga. Each genre also has its intended audience. I think it’s pretty well known how the Japanese have organized these stories like shonen for younger guys, shojo for younger girls, seinen for older guys, and so on, so panel layouts, cliffhangers, and story beats are carefully planned to match expectations. On top of that, mangaka are usually working with strict deadlines from publishers, so they’re juggling creativity with commercial requirements, which can sometimes be a kerfluffle. 

Webcomics are a bit different, and honestly, I’ve spent more time working in that space. Most are digital-first, which opens up a ton of freedom. You can experiment with panel flow in ways manga doesn’t usually allow, like vertical scrolling layouts in Lore Olympus or Tower of God. You’re not limited to fixed page sizes, and pacing can be more flexible. That being said, professional webcomics do often have their own quotas to hit, like weekly chapters of 80 panels minimum or a minimum number of chapters per month, so it’s not totally free-form. Sometimes it could be even more hectic, considering the team size also shifts greatly between a single artist to upwards of 14 artists on one webcomic. 

I will say, one of the coolest things about webcomics that I enjoy as a storyteller myself is the instant connection with readers. Feedback comes in immediately through comments and shares, and creators can see what’s working in real time. That’s wild compared to traditional manga, where you might wait months to hear anything about a chapter that is scheduled to be released. Series like Let’s Play or I Love Yoo take full advantage of this freedom, mixing humor, pacing, and visual storytelling in ways that wouldn’t really fit a traditional manga format. 

That said, both formats are aiming to make a story people care about, like I said. Manga gives structure, tradition, and audience-specific guidance, while webcomics give publishing freedom, global reach, and instant feedback. Using the strengths of both formats is part of what makes working in this space so fun. Honestly, it’s like having two different playgrounds if you could imagine it. You can take lessons from manga’s pacing and worldbuilding while using webcomics to push boundaries and connect directly with readers. There are so many possibilities, and I’m always excited to see what talented creators come up with next.

I missed the opportunity to meet you in person, but I know you went to Anime NYC and are going to New York Comic Con. When it comes to networking in these spaces, what tips have you found work for you? What would you recommend for others who want to go down the same creative path as you?

I know, I wish we could have spoken during the event, and I am excited to meet with you at the next convention. Honestly, networking is huge, but the key is to do it in a way that feels natural and genuine. I see a lot of people at conventions just handing out business cards or immediately demanding a job, and that rarely goes anywhere. Believe me, I learned the hard way. The connections that actually stuck for me came from taking the time to care about the person and what they do. Check out their work, their history, and their accomplishments, and show that you’re genuinely interested. That’s what people remember, and it leaves one heck of an impression. 

When I go to events like Anime Expo, Anime Frontier, Anime NYC, or NYCC, my main tool for setting up meetings is always LinkedIn. Blue Sky is trying to take off as a new professional platform, but if you want to really connect with someone in the industry, LinkedIn is still your best bet. When the time and place for meetings are set, I try to plan a little ahead: figure out who I want to meet, have a few thoughtful questions ready, and make sure it’s clear you respect their work. Even something simple like, “I really loved how you worked on XYZ series. How did you approach that?” goes way further than just asking for a job. Yeah, it can feel intimidating reaching out to someone well-known, but most people appreciate genuine curiosity. 

Another thing that’s important to remember for any newcomer is to always respect their time. If the meeting runs longer than the time set, make sure you aren’t pressuring them to stay. If they’re in a panel, signing, or just walking the floor, don’t hover any longer or demand more of their time. Try to set up a quick chat, even just for a few minutes. And don’t be shy about following up after the convention. Send a polite message on LinkedIn or email, saying you enjoyed meeting them and would love to learn more. I’ve met people I never thought I’d get a chance to talk to just by sending a short, thoughtful note and showing interest even after we talked. 

At the end of the day, my biggest advice is just to go for it. It’s scary, I get it, but if you never reach out, nothing happens. Networking isn’t about being pushy or transactional; it’s about building real relationships over time. You will definitely get a lot of cold calls, but for the ones who respond, small conversations, genuine curiosity, and showing interest in what someone does can open doors you never even imagined. Once you start doing it and remain persistent, it gets easier, and you realize how approachable most people in the industry really are.

Is there anyone you’d like to collaborate with in the future?

Honestly, I’m open to working with anyone who’s creative, open-minded, and genuinely excited to push an idea forward. I love collaborating with people who aren’t afraid to try new things and experiment with storytelling, art, or worldbuilding. 

If I had to name specific people, Dillon Gu from DillonGoo Studios definitely comes to mind. His work on RWBY really shaped how I think about pacing, character arcs, and visual storytelling. Even just studying the way he frames action and emotional beats has influenced so many of the choices I make in my own projects. 

And Monty Oum… I can’t even begin to explain how much I respected him, practically a mentor figure for me. Losing him was heartbreaking. He was such a massive influence on me growing up, and so much of what I do today comes from watching how he approached animation, storytelling, and pushing creative boundaries. Collaborating with someone like him would have been a dream come true. 

Even now, anyone who shares that kind of vision, passion, and willingness to explore bold ideas is someone I’d jump at the chance to work with. For me, collaboration is about more than just creating a product; it’s about learning from each other, feeding off each other’s energy, and building worlds together that feel alive and meaningful. That’s the kind of work I’m always looking for, and the kind of people I want to be around.

It was a pleasure to go over our Q&A and know more about Brian; another huge shoutout to him! Are you familiar with any of these titles mentioned?

Please check out Brian and his work, and the works mentioned by others in the industry.