Diamond Previews Adult July 2009

July 1, 2009 in Release Info | 2 comments

090701_previews_adult_200907.jpg

Yet another thing I forgot to do… Previews Adult!

Before we begin, a couple noteworthy things about this issue… Carnal Comics is soliciting a new comic.  It’s not manga, but at this point any adult publisher putting out new stuff is a good sign.  Second, Last Gasp has a couple of books featuring the artwork of Junko Mizuno.  Definitely check those out.

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Thanks to Diamond for providing the file, which you may download here.

The following is a list of adult manga and manga-oriented titles, extracted from the newest issue of Previews Adult PDF catalog.

Books are generally released two months after the Previews issue in which they are solicited.  Artist homepages are painfully searched for and linked (why don’t all manga publishers link to artist sites?  They’re much better at selling me on a book than another boring PR.)

The reason I cover not only our own books, but those from other adult manga publishers as well, is because adult manga generally have a harder time finding their way into retail, and the wide variety of adult manga may lead some comic shops to overlook items they actually might be able to sell.  One of the best ways to support adult manga of all kinds is to pre-order these books, and show there is a demand for them.

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ERO

EROS COMIX (Fantagraphics)

A trio of oldies but goodies, and Stars of the Month.

ICARUS PUBLISHING

  • A-G SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY #113, Anthology, 80pgs, $4.95, JUL090887
  • A-G SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY #114, Anthology, 80pgs, $4.95, JUL090888
  • SISTER SUMMER GN, Tuna Empire, 192pgs, $19.95, JUL090889

It’s Tune Empire.  You WILL buy this.

Sister Summer is a Featured Item.

LAST GASP

  • BEST EROTIC COMICS 2009 SC, Anthology, 176pgs, $19.95, JUL090987
  • LITTLE FLUFFY GIGOLO PELU VOLUME 1 TP, Junko Mizuno, 176pgs, $17.95, JUL090986

Normally, I harbor quite a distaste for any anthology that calls itself a “Best Of” collection, because it’s never true.  But this is Last Gasp, they’re good people, so I’ll let it slide.

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YAOI

801 MEDIA (Digital Manga Publishing)

  • DOG X CAT GN, Yoshimi Amasaki, 200pgs, $15.95, JUL090856

Eww!  bestiality, bestiality!

TOKYOPOP (BLU)

  • CAUSE OF MY TEACHER VOLUME 1, Temari Matsumoto, 192pgs, $12.99, JUL091050
  • LOUDEST WHISPER:UWASA NO FUTARI VOLUME 2 GN, Temari Matsumoto, 176pgs, $12.99, JUL091051

Yuuuck!  Inappropriate conduct between student body and staff!

Yaoi readers are a creepy bunch!  (oh, you know I kid because I love…)

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After being missing for a couple of issues, Tokyopop comes back with two yaoi titles.  But other than the dependable 801 Media, no other yaoi publisher makes a showing.

Ero manga actually has an exciting month.  Aside from our new trade paperback (it’s from Tuna Empire… did I mention that?), Last Gasp is releasing two partial-color trades featuring the work of Junko Mizuno.  As far as pr0n goes, Mizuno’s work is… low on the utility scale.  But any comics with substantial nudity is locked in Previews Adult, that’s just how it works.  So be sure not to overlook these books, and let others know too.

Diamond benchmarks assessed | Harveys fallout

July 1, 2009 in Comics Conundrum, Manga Minutiae | 5 comments

Comic AG issue 106 and The Girl With A Thousand Curses should be in most stores today.  That’s a lot of pr0n for one week…

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A couple of goodies at PWCW today…

Erin Fennigan recounts the Manga Taisho Award with Ed Chavez… and yes, it’s singular, because only one best new series is picked for the honor.  Click through to learn the winner.

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Ada Price speaks with Diamond, publishers, and retailers about the minimum requirement and how it has changed the business for everyone.  Much of the article focuses on alternative strategies being adopted by publishers and retailers, and I was surprised to read that SLG turned down a suggestion to raise page count and cover price for Warlords of IO.

FYI, the only reason Comic AG is still being distributed by Diamond, is its $4.95 price point.  It’s sitting right smack on that benchmark.  Literally, all that separates it from the abyss of cancellation every month are 10~20 people.

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Deb Aoki has a summary of the various panels that will be held at AX, which is happening tomorrow.

The panels I will most regret missing are:

  1. Manga as High Art -  Because I’ve always wanted to be part of a choir.
  2. Self Defense for the Otaku – So that I may develope counter-techniques to whatever they’re teaching.
  3. Power Rangers Reunion – I have a thing for villainesses.
  4. The eigoMANGA panel -  Because no other company have I seen so many press releases about, yet still fail to comprehend what specifically it is that they do.  I’m not being flippant; I really don’t know what they’re about.
  5. All the panels that require pro badges.  Just to show I’m a “pro.”  Byahaha.

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Here is another boo-hoo story about being a Japanese animator, but I’m honestly linking to this for the Ogiue softcore.

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There are some great, brutally frank discussions about the Harvey Award here, here, here, and here.  The consensus seems to be that not enough professionals participate in the award, and among those that do, not enough take the selection process seriously.

I think people might be a little too harsh at the moment.  Sure, there are quirks in the nominations every year, but the overall winners list looks pretty good, don’t you think? 

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I keep getting emails from these guys… Myebook.com is the latest endeavor to bring free ebooks to the masses.  How will this be better than any other competing service such as the much ballyhooed Longbox or iVerse?  I don’t know… I can’t tell how publishers/authors are supposed to profit from this, aside from the whole “extra exposure!” angle that scanlators and pirates have long touted.  I can’t even ascertain Myebook’s business model.  However, there are two things going for it: Firstly, this book has had over 83,000 views, so I guess Myebook already has a solid number of users.  Secondly, the site is based in the UK.  I, like my forefathers, trust all British people without question.  It’s the accent.

On the flipside, the site does not accept pornographic or extremely violent content, which is illegal in England, I recall.  Why am I on their mailing list again?

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I sat back a few days on the news that several Japanese erotic game makers began blocking foreign IPs from their website, mainly because I’ve been disturbed by the foreign ”fans,” most of whom have probably never paid for a legitimate copy of an eroge, hyperventilating on blogs and forums about Japanese xenophobia; people who should know full well that they are meaningless to the Japanese game makers, as that’s the very rationale they’ve always used to justify the ripping of those games.  In directing their anger at the eroge companies, they miss the bigger picture… that this fight should have been waged on home turf.  If there were a real eroge industry in the US, not just a smattering of boutique localizers trying their hardest to break through to an unsupportive fandom, then we would be fighting the likes of Equality Now here, on our own terms.  Japanese game makers shouldn’t have to deal with tons of hate mail from foreign anti-porn, anti-speech advocates, whom the IP ban is really directed towards; they have enough to contend with in Japan without added international pressure from countries that have never been valuable commercial markets for them.  That’s not their fault… that’s the role Western fandom has relegated itself into.  Let the Japanese companies try to save themselves, and build up the legitimate eroge market here.  At least then arguments about Free Speech wouldn’t seem like whiny, self-important pageantry.

Harveys nominees released | Mazo reviewed

June 30, 2009 in Comics Conundrum, General Chatter, Manga Minutiae | No comments

Mania reviews Mazo Chichi, and is torn between the first and second half of the book.  Come on, it was more like 1/3.

A word on the text problems… those were totally our fault, not the printer’s.  In our own defense, the layout actually replicates the Japanese edition very closely; the same issues were present in the original version.  But it was exacerbated by the different book spine method, which we didn’t take into account.  Mea Culpa.

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Robot 6 notes LGBT specialist Prism Comics has begun seeking submissions for the Queer Press Grant. 

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The 2009 Harvey Award nominations have been announced, with three manga titles managing to secure spots in the Best Foreign Material category:

BEST AMERICAN EDITION OF FOREIGN MATERIAL

  • GUS AND HIS GANG, First Second
  • POCKET FULL OF RAIN, Fantagraphics Books
  • RED COLORED ELEGY, Drawn and Quarterly
  • SOLANIN, Viz
  • WITCHBLADE TAKERU MANGA #’s 11 & 12, Top Cow

Yes, Witchblade gets the nod again.  And it’s not the Bandai version, but the colorized Top Cow/Image comics (which wasn’t a bad effort at all, I might add.  But concern over my manga elitist cred would not allow me to like it.)  The lively World of Quest from Yen Press also gets nods in the best art and best original graphic album categories.

Other shockers among many… Zudacomics gets three mentions for best new series alone, while Buzzboy appears on the list 6 times.  No offense to the individuals who worked on them, it just seems… anomolous.  Then again, this seems to happen with every Harvey.

For the complete list and ballots (open only to comics industry professionals), visit the Harvey Award website.

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Spotted via MangaBlog, Boys Next Door reports that yaoi author Youka Nitta will be completing the last chapter of Embracing Love, which would allow the last volume of the long running series to be published.  Nitta had retired from manga after she was found to have traced some photos… not an unusual practice in comics, but apparently a career-ender in Japan if uncovered.

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The Indian government has banned a cartoon porn website, raising concerns over online censorship in that country.  This news is fascinating as 1. I never knew such a site existed, or that it was so popular in India, and 2. the amount and the seriousness of coverage it is getting from the press is rarely afforded to these kinds of stories.  (Found via The Comics Reporter)

Yen, TP, Yaoi Gen on latest Diamond cancellation list

June 25, 2009 in Manga Minutiae | 7 comments

Sharp-eyed Tweeter (Twittee?  Twitterite?  Twittista? ) Sean Gaffney spots several Yen Press books on the latest Diamond Previews cancellation list, and MangaBlog follows up with YP’s Kurt Hassler, who reconfirms the release schedule for said books.  In other words, the books are still coming out, but Diamond has passed on them, and DM retailers must rely on another source.  Anime News Network lists all the Yen Press books affected, plus cancelled items from other manga/anime companies, which includes Tokyopop, Go Comi (via PGW), and, unfortunately, Yaoi Generation; as a younger publisher with fewer established distribution avenues, YG may be hurt most by this latest round of cancellations, although it is possible they do a significant amount of business through direct online sales like many other yaoi pubs.

These may not be big titles, but cancel enough of them, and DM retailers will eventually have enough reasons to move most or all of their manga orders to someone who keeps a more complete stock.  (Someone like AAA Anime, for example.  Or any of the book market distributors.)  And that’s not a bad thing at all for the rest of the industry.  Or even Diamond, for whom Marvel and DC are still 80% of their business.  They certainly seem quite willing to cede manga sales to others, even for books from top publisher Viz, so they surely have good reasons for it.

There is no distribution monopoly on paperback manga, so this isn’t a Diamond issue (pamphlet comics are another story).  Yen Press’ books will still be released, and the good comic shops will still have them; any DM retailer committed to manga already know that they cannot depend solely on Diamond.  But if it so happens that your store is one of those exceptions, don’t blame Diamond… the problem lies with the store.  Why aren’t they willing to order the book for you from another distributor?  And if it’s not viable for them to do so, have they voiced their dissatisfaction to Diamond?  If the store cannot provide adequate answers to these questions, you should shop elsewhere.

July 2009 solicitations for products shipping in September 2009

June 25, 2009 in Release Info, Solicitation | 1 comment

I knew I forgot to do something…

The following are books and comics we are soliciting for the July issue of Previews Adult.  These items are expected to ship in September 2009.

Due to the nature of our publications, it is very important that you pre-order these books because most retailers have trouble stocking them.  We have a simple primer on how to pre-order comics.  To locate a comic shop in your area, you should visit CSLS (call toll-free 1.888.266.4226), or The Master List (which, I’ve been told, is often more up-to-date).

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  • Product Title: Sister Summer
  • Issue/Volume Number: Not Applicable/TPB Graphic Novel
  • Intended Audience (All Ages, Mature Themes, Adult): ADULTS ONLY
  • Format (size, pg count, FC/B&W/PC, SC/HC): 6 x 8.5, 192pp, B&W, SC
  • Retail Price: 19.95
  • Ship Date: September 2009
  • ISBN 13: 978-1-934075-26-5
  • Creators’ Names: Tuna Empire
  • Synopsis: The latest collection of quirky short stories from the mangaka of After School Sex Slave Club and The Spirit of Capitalism.  Strolling: A spirited jungle girl runs into a group of ferocious tigresses, who punish her for trespassing.  4891 Guilty Citizen: In the future where having sexual fantasies is a crime punishable by sadistic torture, a prisoner finds solace in his delusions.

tpb_sister_summer

  • Product Title: Comic AG
  • Issue/Volume Number: 113
  • Intended Audience (All Ages, Mature Themes, Adult): ADULTS ONLY
  • Format (size, pg count, FC/B&W/PC, SC/HC): 6.625 x 10.25, 80pp, B&W, SC
  • Retail Price: 4.99
  • Ship Date: September 2009
  • UPC Code:  UPC-A 891463002010 11311
  • Creators’ Names: Anthology
  • Synopsis: The comic anthology that features 100% authentic erotic manga direct from Japan.  Every issue showcases 3~4 full length comics from top creators such as Yamatogawa, Tuna Empire, Satoshi Kishinosato, and Yuzuki N Dash.

comic_ag_113

  • Product Title: Comic AG
  • Issue/Volume Number: 114
  • Intended Audience (All Ages, Mature Themes, Adult): ADULTS ONLY
  • Format (size, pg count, FC/B&W/PC, SC/HC): 6.625 x 10.25, 80pp, B&W, SC
  • Retail Price: 4.99
  • Ship Date: September 2009
  • UPC Code:  UPC-A 891463002010 11411
  • Creators’ Names: Anthology
  • Synopsis: The comic anthology that features 100% authentic erotic manga direct from Japan.  Every issue showcases 3~4 full length comics from top creators such as Yamatogawa, Tuna Empire, Satoshi Kishinosato, and Yuzuki N Dash.

comic_ag_114

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Time for another Tuna Empire book?  You bet.

FTC may oversee online reviews | Thousand Curses ships!

June 23, 2009 in Comics Conundrum, Manga Minutiae, Potpourri | 5 comments

090624_batcon18decadenceEvery time I see something like this, I am convinced that Benny Hill is still alive, and that he is secretly pulling the editorial strings at DC.

This picture is stolen from Journalista, who links to the latest family-discovers-comics-are-not-for-kids pseudo-rage.  I’m not interested in that story, but rather all the contradictions this single image encapsulates so neatly; the shackling of creative vision by business interests that lead to a butchered, yet no more “family friendly,”  release of Eyes Wide Shut; cultural hang-ups that lead to weird double standards which forced the broadcast Cowboy Bebop to cover up cleavage, while inmates masturbating and castration-by-bird in Superjail are acceptable because it’s gross and funny (no rip on that show, I frickin love it).  If the mainstream cannot accept sexuality unless it is framed within the context of humor, and nudity must be so awkwardly censored as to be unintentionally humorous, then how different is the mainstream from a couple of playground boys who giggle uncontrollably at every utterance of “penis” or “nipple?”  Maybe a British comedian should be in charge.  Then such instances wouldn’t be ironic.

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Remember the minor dust-up between Comics Worth Reading and The Beat over whether bloggers should disclose that they received complimentary products for review?  It may soon be a moot argument… the Federal Trade Commission is considering guidelines which would require online reviewers to disclose any conflict of interest, including receiving free products, which presumably covers advance review copies.

I think this means CWR wins.

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Missed it… Canned Dogs provides some sales stats on manga magazines in relation to the top selling trade collection from each.

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I know what I want for Christmas now… a new coffee maker.

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Sankaku Complex reports that new guidelines issued by Japanese software industry group EOCS would ban a wide swath of themes far beyond rape and loli.  The writing at Sankaku Complex is entertainingly hyperbolic, but I really can’t think of a more apt headline than “Eroge Taliban” in this situation.

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Finally, The Girl With A Thousand Curses by Togashi (yes, relation to Yoshihiro Togashi)  is shipping to retailers.  Sorry for the lateness, but we took extra time to upscale the image quality, so to speak.  Get it this week if you’re on the West Coast, maybe another week more for everyone else.

Aurora Publishing on iTunes, makes backlist sale permanent | Blue Eyes 3 reviewed

June 19, 2009 in Comics Conundrum, General Chatter, Manga Minutiae | 6 comments

Prospero’s Manga reviews Blue Eyes volume 3, and gives it kudos for being so not creepy.

Oh man, they haven’t started on the fourth book, have they…

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Supposedly women’s manga specialist Aurora Publishing has made its debut book Walkin’ Butterfly available for download from the iPhone App store.  I say “supposedly” because I am one of the last Neanderthals without an iPod/iPhone, and I cannot find the book through the website’s search function.  If you have better luck than I, and the compatible Apple hardware, the book can be had for 99 cents.

This one I missed… Aurora Publishing has also made its entire pre-April catalogue – including imprints Deux Press and LuvLuv – permanently priced at $5 per book.  It appears none of these titles will be reprinted once sold out.

It’s probably quite unnecessary for me to kibitz about this, so I’ll just say that there are some great books to be had here, and you shouldn’t pass up this deal.  And if you’re a retailer, you should inquire Aurora about wholesale pricing or special sale terms…

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Reading this piece of news filled me with no small amount of anger… the legal team for convicted pedophile Dwight Whorely is far more willing to fight for what’s right than the lawyers for Christopher Handley.

Also, Judge Roger L. Gregory is a hero.  He’s the “Juror #8″ of the 4th Circuit Court.

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Surprisingly, Ars Technica is also following these recent First Amendment cases, and provides an interesting historical anecdote on the fluidity of art.

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The laaadies of Anime Vice and Comic Vine discuss the portrayal of sex and rape in manga and comics, which I had to watch twice because I kept saying “hey, laaadies” in my head the first time through.

(I’m kidding.  Ms. Manry just talks really, really fast.)

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This rumor has been making the rounds… Creator DJ Coffman claims Diamond is going bankrupt, citing as proof unnamed artists being stiffed by their publishers because Diamond supposedly hasn’t been paying them.

There’s no denying that Diamond has been on a cost-cutting tear (like every other company in America), but if timely payment is the only metric we’re going by, then I must say that the few instances Diamond has not paid out to us within thirty days, was when I forgot to bill them.  If payments were going out late or not at all, a smaller publisher such as ourselves would likely be affected first.  That just isn’t the case.  All other complaints aside, Diamond’s payment record for us has always been, and still is, superlative.

On the other hand, despite the complete lack of corroboration, I’m perfectly comfortable in believing that the anonymous artists were not lying.  But barring a sleazy delay tactic by publishers (something Coffman himself should be very familiar with), it’s possible the artists might have confused how DBD, the book market arm of Diamond, conducts business, versus the direct market’s DCD.  That’s where I’m putting my money, anyway.  But stranger things have happened, knock on wood. (Found via Daily Cartoonist)

Edit: The Comics Reporter cannot find anyone to support the above rumor… in fact it seems most publishers and insiders vehemently deny it.  All without attribution either, but the burden of proof does not lie with the skeptics.

DMP talks about webathon | Mizuno to appear in Toronto | Comic AG 106 now printing

June 17, 2009 in Comic AG, Comics Conundrum, Manga Minutiae, Release Info | 4 comments

AnimeVice interviewed DMP’s Michelle Mauk about the early-release-for-preorders program the company is trying on select June Manga books.  It seems the answer to the last question is pretty much an admission that this ”webathon” isn’t just a way to push up release dates for dedicated fans; the survival of certain books will depend on them getting enough pre-orders.

So if you’re a fan of Jinko Fuyuno, then you might not want to wait for the book from Amazon, or anywhere else, really.

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Manga Xanadu takes another look at the quality of  Tokyopop’s recent releases, finding the cheaper paper less distracting than thought, but still difficult to defend amid the higher cover price.

I’m not sure who’s printing TP’s books, but the largest NA printer, Quebecor, has been having financial issues for a long time, while close competitor Transcontinental just let go 250 employees (via Journalista), and major newsprint maker AbitiBowater went bankrupt a few months ago.  Could any of these have attributed to the shoddier paper/higher prices?  Maybe…

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Loli-esque gonzo mangaka Junko Mizuno will be appearing at the Magic Pony gallery in Toronto, Canada.  Click through to Comics212 fior more details.

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Japanator spoke with Ed Chavez of Vertical, who hopes to expand the minds of readers not only in terms of manga and Vertical’s perceived role in the field, but to greater Japanese prose fiction.

It’s weird, despite having Parasite Eve and most of the Koji Suzuki novels since forever, I don’t associate them with Vertical.  Tezuka is always the first name to pop up.  That’s going to be a tough habit to break…

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Sankaku Complex translates a series of comparisons between panels from a revised edition of Azumanga Daioh versus the original.  It’s actually difficult to say whether Kiyohiko Azuma’s older drawings or his current minimalist style is superior, and that’s really not important… I think the real focal point in this juxtaposition is that one shows an artist who draws with a fluidness that comes from self-assurance, and the other shows an artist who’s straining to make his work fit the popular styles of his time (which seemed to be Leaf/ToHeart in its heyday).  Go take a look.

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Via Japan Probe… facing opposition from politicians at home, the proposed $120 million anime and manga research center finds allies in foreign academia.  Professors from several American universities voice their support for the planned museum, citing the important cultural contributions of anime and manga, plus the potential windfall in tourism.

For more background, see ANN’s coverage.

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You should get Comic AG 106.  It’s really good!

The comic by Tuna Empire is a timely meditation on the nature of facism and the absurdity of thought crime that paints a picture so surreal in its grimness and violence, yet worrisomely plausible, everyone who reads it will be forced to re-examine his position on the subject.  Oh, it also has hairy armpits.

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