If you leave it alone, does it just stay 'not responding' forever? If it is actually stuck on indexing fonts, then that's just what Windows thinks is happening, because the GIMP thread is entirely focused on doing whatever that takes and not responding to input. When it finishes, it would then start responding again.

Gimpgimpgimpgimpgimp

At least for cleaning the line art.

Sai's cool, but it's much better for single-picture illustration than actually manga formatting. Photoshop has pretty much all you need (or so I've heard--I'm not good with it at all), but MangaStudio was made for it.

Personally, I'm in a limbo zone for actual manga. I've never gotten past the draft pages, really, but for those I do it traditionally. I don't like inking and paneling traditionally though. But Photoshop isn't that great with lineart--therefore my insecurities.

I just got my tablet...exactly six days ago, actually~ So I'm still learning about using it with a computer, but it's working wonders so far. It's a...I believe it's a six-by-eight Bamboo, and it came with an installation disk for Corel Painter Essentials 4.0, which looks cool so far...but I think it's kinda like what Matt said about SAI--may be better for single-picture drawings.

I've had Manga Studio Debut forEVER (since Christmas--I totally got it free, thanks to the very generous man in the red suit, nya), but I had my heart set on getting a tablet ever since I found out it'd be impossible to use with just a touchpad, or even a normal mouse. I just installed it on my new laptop a few days ago, and it's been spazzing a bit about memory storage or whatever, but it seems to work fine now. So let's just say I PLAN to use Manga Studio.

I'm not sure about good free programs...As a Vampire Knight reader/Manga Studio user, I've actually got a weird, possibly stupid theory: I think Matsuri Hino may use Manga Studio. SUE ME FOR SAYING IT, BUT IT JUST LOOKS LIKE IT, 'KAY?! I just recognized the effects and stuff is all. (It also gives me hope for becoming a mangaka myself~)

I think you might be right. Most Japanese mangakas use a different software though--something pretty much Japanese-exclusive. I've seen people post about if before.

I use Photoshop CS3, a cannon scanner and a #2 pencil! Tried some of the other programs like gimp and a few manga programs- didn't like them. But i'm more of a do it yourselfer so I enjoy making all my stuff from scratch. I makes me feel all warm and squishy

Couldn'tyou make your own tones in GIMP or Manga Studio or another program if you wanted too?

Yeah, it's just defining different pattern brushes. But I like premade tones because I'm lazy--that and I've never toned anything before.

Ok I'm going to sound incredibly stupid, but whats GIMP?

I ink my stuff out first, then scan it and use Photoshop and Manga Studio. I don't have all the manga add ons for Photoshop, or that's what I'd use.

I was looking into GIMP...I might see if I like it for toning, but I think I'm set.

Yeah, my process is fairly similar. I ink my stuff, then I use Photoshop to finish it up.

I didn't know Photoshop has manga add ons tho...I have brushes that make speech/thought balloons, brushes for blood splatters, etc., but I never heard of manga-related add-ons...what does that consist of?

if you use photoshop, I dont think you need any add-on to make manga.

manga studios 4 but not free, i dont really no if there are any free ones out there, mimio is not very good for manga but its free

I didn't know how to make focus lines, so I looked up on polykarbon's forum, and around on google, and all the instructions indicated I needed the manga add on.

To which I said, meh. I should learn to just ink them, but I'm lazy...