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If battle pope exists and Jesus is a hippie, I would be very interested to see what he would do on the opposite end of things.

Spandex is a PRIVILEGE, not a RIGHT. smile But on the average build of the average superhero, it's permissable. And I don't see why it's so necessary by all weaboo mangaka-wannabes to trash the superhero genre, either... there's some good stuff in there, just like there's plenty of crap in the manga "genre" (which is not a genre, it's a point of origin).

Knowing some of the history has been helpful for me; I do apply bits of what I've learned in my art and comic history courses from time to time.

Also, know what you're doing from a technical standpoint. So many people come in with their "OMG AWSUM MANGO" that's filled with crooked panels, oxplow layouts, no space for dialogue (or dialogue spilling over the edges), and other just plain weird things that a little technical knowledge and thought would have fixed before they even started. Don't think that reading scans of Naruto on www.bootlegyourmangoeshere.come is enough research--go and read some actual BOOKS on the process (like, say, Scott McCloud). Understanding Comics is GOOD. Making Comics is GOOD. They help. You won't get it all right away (God knows I'm still struggling with some technical points), but they'll give you the basic knowledge so you don't have to reinvent the wheel all the time.

As far as inspiration: I like dreams. I keep a small notebook and pen near my bed so I can jot down dreams or bits of dreams when I wake up. I've found that the more frequently I write down even little bits, the more frequently I remember dreams when I wake up. Just remember that dream logic =/= real logic, and any story idea you get from a dream will probably need some tweaking to make it work within the rules of the real world (or at least within suspension of disbelief).

Oh, and ask someone who's not your BFF to give their honest opinion of your story idea. BFFs will kiss your a**; people giving critiques won't. If you want a real, honest idea of whether what you're doing has any potential, put together a concise pitch and give it to someone with the request to not sugar-coat it. No amount of sugar will make your "omg original ninja skool" story good.

I get a majority from my daydreams, dreams, and pondering what-if scenarios.

...and then I elaborate them and research...

More random-crap tools to inspire bursts of creativity.