Keeping the "manga is porn" stereotype alive
You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March 2008.
A quick update… Right Stuf is currently holding a 33% off sale on all Icarus titles, including pre-order items. That means less than $14 on our regularly priced titles, and $10 on our re-releases. It’s pr0n manga at regular manga prices… insanity! Check it out before the end of April 2nd. (Thanks, Mr. Watson)
Innocence is reviewed at Propero’s Manga, where most of the fetishes in the book go unloved and unappreciated. We’re running out of themes. All we have left are foot massages and hairy armpits.
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There was apparently some kind of big news over the weekend about the family of a certain comic creator winning a lawsuit against a certain major superhero comics company, over the copyright ownership of a certain superhero character. Most hail it as the righting of an ancient injustice, others believe it to be a handout to greedy decendants, and a few penny-pinchers worry about price hikes. But no one sees the real story behind the news, which will begin a year from now… the vindictive killing-off by the company of each and every one of its old characters in cross-universe mega events the day before the rights are set to revert, eventually replacing its entire line with only characters conceived under work-for-hire contracts or from creators/families willing to kowtow to the company, while still keeping all trademarks under lock and key. Oh yeah, I’m calling it!
(Come on, is that really less likely than any real change outside of this particular case that can’t be undone with more lawyering and a few creative accounting practices? Until corporations have an inate desire to do the right thing, this sort of business is going to go on forever.)
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Reminder to self… listen to latest FutoMaki Side Dish from Tokyo International Anime Fair.
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ComicSnob explores some possible outcomes for Borders, including why a B&N merger is unlikely.
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About’s manga guide Deb Aoki provides some manga-centric coverage of the just-concluded Sakura-Con here, here, here, and here.
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Publishers Weekly reports that online retail giant Amazon is strong-arming POD authors into use Amazon’s own POD printing service Booksurge. POD books sold through other competing services such as Lightning Source will have their buy links disabled. Writer’s Weekly is keeping track of the new policy.
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A sign with the header “Stop! Fan-Subtitle” was spotted at the Tokyo International Anime Fair.
Hmm, looks like someone could use a copy of Eats, Shoots and Leaves…
Anime News Network has a special page set up for news from Tokyo International Anime Fair (website), the first of which is the announcement of a new anime based on the ‘comic-inspired’ (i.e. there was never a comic) movie Ultraviolet. One can only surmise that the folks at Madhouse really like Milla Jovovich, or simply confused this movie with the infinitely more viewable The Fifth Element.
Incidentally, I was able to watch about 15 seconds into Ultraviolet before my brain shut itself down to avert a boredom-induced catastrophe, or roughly half the amount of time I could keep my eyes open for 2 girls 1 cup.
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Reading this makes me wonder… is Viz ever going to rescue Fist of the North Star, or is there still too much bad blood over the whole thing?
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Reuters UK rather fittingly describes the increased flexing of Japan’s soft power in new territories versus the desire to retain its identity as a delicate dance.
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Bleach is apparently doing so well, it’s getting its own blurb on the Wall Street Journal buzzwatch.
Oddly enough, WSJ fails to mention the upcoming theatrical release…
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Of interest to the anime history buffs… a copy of Namakura-gatana, an animated film released in 1917, was recently found and restored. According to the article, it is the oldest surviving anime to date. The very first theatrical anime, Imokawa Mukuzo Genkanban no Maki, was released more than 5 months before Namakura, but no copies of that film exists.
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According to ICv2, book chain Books-A-Million saw negative growth in 4th quarter 2007, yet sales are still expanding in the graphic novels category. Cable television programming (re: Cartoon Network) is cited as a driving force behind the gains.
Semi-related, Yaoi Press has a novel suggestion for Borders…
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Heisei Democracy has word of the end of World Hobby Fest, a figure/garage kit convention. The event is apparently run by (or by the parent company of) Deleter, and a downturn in its core business of traditional art and hobby supplies such as screentones is speculated to be the main reason for the event’s closure.
Ironically, Deleter also offers its own digital manga creation software, ComicWorks, which is notable for containing virtual replicas of every analog screentone Deleter makes.
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Osamu Tezuka, CLAMP, Rumiko Takahashi, and yaoi get their own spinner racks. What do we get?
Missed it (probably because the post didn’t have purty pictures)… MangaCast has an audio review of both Please Miss Yuri and Eros Comix’ Milk Mama. Go give it a listen, then get ready to plunk down about $45 at your local comic shop! (Thanks, Ed.)
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MangaCast is also a guest panelist for the Tokyo International Anime Fair, taking place today, which will discuss various issues pertinent to the industry. I’d keep an eye out for an event summary.
No worries, Ed. You’re just representing all of American fandom and industry, after all…
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On ICv2, retailer Steve Bennet laments about how the direct market comic store as a whole missed the mainstream manga boat. When they didn’t have to.
You know, there are a couple genres of manga that direct market stores can sell much better than the mainstream big box stores, if they’d choose to be more proactive about it…
Edit: Precocious Curmudgeon has a thoughtful response to the essay.
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Also at ICv2, how manga may be hurt even if Borders is sold.
Again, while Borders is not likely to go away, I think some are underestimating just how precarious a position the book retailer was in. It’s not uncommon for companies to be in debt, but Borders’ (purported) situation was very different: they had no cash on hand before the loan. You can operate with debt, but not without money.
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(Via Journalista) Chizumatic has a very interesting back-and-forth about whether fansubbers can claim any copyright protection at all over their translations. My personal understanding is that the only circumstance a translator has any legal protection at all is if the work is kept private. But there is another more pragmatic problem, regardless of how the law is written or interpreted. Fansubbers who want to protect their translation through litigation will have to reveal their own identities, which in turn makes them open to lawsuits by the original copyright holders for making their fansubs public in the first place. Which, unlike this issue, is a very clear violation of copyright.
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(Via Anime News Network) The latest Right Stuf catalog has an interview with Kaoru Mori, the mangaka of Emma. The anime version of the Victorian period piece is licensed by Right Stuf/Nozomi.
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ComiPress has a page-by-page breakdown of the first issue of PiQ, plus links to some of the more vocal reviews.
I must admit, I was disinclined to check out the mag, not because of content concerns, but rather the blame-the-subscribers game that was played on the net. But Kewpie doll customization? Now I have to at least give it a flip.
Ugh, busy, busy weekend. What did I miss… hmm, not a whole lot.
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Comic AG issue 78 should be in stores tomorrow, as well as A Wish of My Sister for those on the East Coast. Remember, manga pr0n is cheaper than a new HDTV or a gas guzzling SUV.
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Comics212 compares North American and Japanese manga covers, and delves into the reasons for the changes.
Occassionally, a fresh cover update is a good idea, especially for some of the older books. Case in point:
Uhh….
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Tech blog Gizmodo hits up the Columbia law department to tackle a question that will become ever more relevant with time: do you have the right to resell your downloaded ebooks?
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MangaBlog has PR from Yaoi Jamboree announcing the addition of some international guests for the new con taking place in June.
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Everyone has surely seen this by now, it’s just here for my own reference: Crunchyroll announces partnership with several anime producers, and will be part of Gonzo’s online strategy, which seems to be “let’s throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.” More at ICv2. Japanator makes some choice observations in their podcast, and also provides coverage of an AoD panel at Anime Boston that broaches the subject. ANN’s Zac Bertschy has an interrogation interview with Vu Nguyen, one of the founders of Crunchyroll.
I have copies of Elements and A Wish of My Sister in my hands right now. Some unexpected moire, but no errors. Whoopie!
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Rightstuf is currently holding a Spring Sale for 20% off every item in stock. Yes, everything. Even books from certain smaller, not very well-known publishers of niche manga.
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In what could have major repercussions on the bookstore-dependent manga market, word is circulating that retail giant Borders is possibly seeking a suitor for some or all of its roughly 1100 storefronts. Second in size only to Barnes and Noble, the bookseller was purportedly “out of cash” until it secured a loan from a shareholder, and its stock price has lost 30% of its value since the new year. Publishers Weekly has a couple articles here and here. Galleycat has a few more details on the 42.5 million bailout from Pershing Square Capital Management. ICv2 delves into the poor outlook for any additional financing possibilities in the current credit crunch.
Any trouble for Borders would trickle down throughout the entire book publishing industry, but the effects on manga would be especially acute. Under the direction of former book buyer Kurt Hassler, Borders got into manga early, and has ever since maintained the deepest selection out of the major book shops. Border’s importance to the mainstream manga industry cannot be understated… some may even say certain manga publishers need Borders to survive.
It’s still early in the story, although any time a CEO has to answer questions about whether vendors have stopped shipping books is slightly distressing. In a worst case scenario (because worst case scenarios are all we talk about here) – instead of bankruptcy after failing to find a buyer, let’s just say a few psychically active brain slices of a deceased secret government test subject teleports the entire state of Michigan to dimensions beyond – the fallout would cripple a few mid-sized publishers, manga or otherwise, and completely obliterate many smaller ones. The consequences would not be limited to the loss of a major account or valuable real estate in malls across America, voids which can be refilled over time; unlike the direct market, major bookstores do not buy books on a non-returnable basis, nor do most pay their bills net 30. That means those publishers who are not immediately vaporized by the loss of their unsecured debt will be drowned by all the returned books (and you’d be surprised how many publishers basically lead a paycheck to paycheck existence). In short, such a situation would be the equivalent of the Suncoast/Musicland bankruptcy, a rippling wake of bounced checks and lost profits from which some anime publishers have still not recovered.
Keep an eye on this one.
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Another reason why us manga repackgers ought to be shaking in our boots… guys-with-long-shiny-hair publisher Harlequin is teaming up with SoftBank Japan to sell digital versions of their romance manga, with plans to release them internationally, in multiple languages.
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Giapet, the go-to site for yaoi news now, has information on 5 new licenses from DMP’s June label… not manga however, but BL prose.
I sort of wonder about the reliance on licensing for such novels given the abundance of domestic novelists with a better mastery of the language and who could probably do a better job, but truth be told, licensing and translating is in all likelihood cheaper than producing original product.
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ComiPress reports that Hakusensha will be releasing a new manga magazine for women titled Jossie. What’s that fearsome growling I hear in the background? Oh, it’s just Archie readying their legal hounds from hell.
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Why all the news about women’s manga? Because there’s no news about men’s manga. Pr0n for guys is uninteresting, and no one’s buying them. It’s our own damn fault.
After School Sex Slave Club is off to the printers. If you’ve been following the stories in Comic AG but haven’t ordered the trade paperback yet, you’re gonna miss out on a 4-page epilogue, plus the extended ending that reveals the truth behind the club.
Are 5 extra pages worth another twenty bucks? Yes, absolutely.
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Replacement copies of Elements have begun shipping to distributors. As we sent out a replacement for every single copy already on the market, everyone who purchased Elements should get a replacement. There’s no reason not to. In fact, we insist that you do. We paid good money for this reprint! (If you are not familiar with this issue, please check here and here.)
The books could be available in one or two weeks, depending on your location. Contact your retailer for details.
Retailers, please make sure you get the proper number of replacements from your distributor. And please do not sell these copies until replacements are handled first.
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The Brooklyn Museum will play host to over 90 works from Takashi Murakami, the figure-maker turned art world darling. The exhibition will run from April 5th to July 13th.
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Odd… via The Beat, a personal post suggests BL prose publisher Yaoi House’s recent abandonment issues began with a spiritual crisis that lead to the epiphany that Jesus hates yaoi. Okay, hate might be too strong a word, but he’s apparently not a fan.
As an aside, I’ve never had what I would call a religious experience, although I am regularly haunted by the disembodied voice of Jonathan Frakes telling me “Good, keep going, make the master proud.”
The following is a list of adult manga and manga-oriented titles, extracted from the full text version of the upcoming Previews Adult catalog (you may download the full file here). I€™ve linked to product pages and artist websites when available. Being that adult items aren€™t always carried in depth by retailers, it is important to pre-order these books early.
Books are generally released two months after the Previews issue in which they are solicited.
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ERO Section
BANG! ENTERTAINMENT (Antarctic Press)
This DVD collects three previous CD releases: Sexcraft, Eruptor, and Penetrator.
ICARUS PUBLISHING
Honeybee Whispers is our new trade paperback for the month. Click here to see our complete April solicitation text and pictures.
Anthropomorphic comics. May not necessarily contain manga, but generally appealling to manga readers anyway.
YAOI Section
AURORA PUBLISHING INC (Ohzura Publishing, Deux, LuvLuv)
Shiuko Kano is also the author of the I’m Not Your Stepping Stone series of books from 801 Media.
Aurora’s yaoi titles are offered under the Deux imprint.
801 MEDIA (Digital Manga Publishing)
All the older Hurricane books are Stars of the Month.
LADIES Section
AURORA PUBLISHING INC (Ohzura Publishing, Deux, LuvLuv)
Aurora’s grown up comics for women are offered through the imprint LuvLuv.
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A down month overall for manga of any kind, the most notable new entry being Aurora’s Pretty Poison, a romance manga for the josei crowd.
…And, of course, our very own Honeybee Whispers, which will contain exclusive artwork from Umashika that have not been released anywhere else…not even Japan.
A very short skip around the net today. I have a feeling it’s going to be a busy day…
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Reminder: Comic AG issue 77 should be in stores this Wednesday. Remember to pick up a copy for yourself, and a couple more for friends.
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The New York Times explains the various forces at work in the dollar’s drop against the yen, and factors that may see Japanese government intervention come late, or not at all.
(Registration may be required.)
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More on Japanese ISP plans to disconnect “downloaders”… according to Danny Choo, an official press release from the Japan Internet Providers Association says they will not target downloaders of illegal material, but users who abuse bandwidth. Why such a decision required agreement between 4 ISP groups is highly suspect. Had this been in the U.S., it would immediately face accusations of being collusive, anti-competitive behavior. On the other hand, such language does allow the ISPs to avoid another legal pitfall… potential privacy violations in the process of singling out downloaders of pirated content, while still achieving the same ends.
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Comics212 provides a meticulous, near-obsessive page-by-page analysis of the first issue of ADV’s PiQ magazine. This is the kind of stuff publishers pay consultants big bucks for, and here Mr. Butcher is giving it away for free…
Welp. The dollar now buys less than 100 yen. If it stays like this for a while, the entire American anime and manga market (and videogames, and televisions, and small electronics, and cars, and large machinery, and refined steel, etc.) will have shrunk 15%~20% in the eyes of export-heavy Japan. Good times, good times… DAMN IT, BUY SOME DOLLARS ALREADY.
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Totally missed it… Mecha Mecha Media blog covers a recent workshop by Carl Horn, held at the Portland State University, that reveals new details on the long-announced collaboration between Dark Horse Comics and CLAMP. The manga-ettes will be 80-page pamphlets, released at a monthly interval. Damn, I knew I should have gotten a business patent on this.
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JapanProbe has a bird’s eye view video of horror mangaka Kazuo Umezu’s newly completed house. The controversial building was the center of a legal battle between Umezu and his neighbors, who didn’t much appreciate the Waldo-like color motif and sought to halt construction.
Relax, guys. At least it isn’t a phallic light house.
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Gay interests website Edge has an interview with erotic artist J. C. Etheredge, who briefly details how the popularity of manga has had a positive effect on his business, and in a way gives an affirmation to his work that has been difficult to come by from the western comics community.
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Giapet reports that the BL publisher with the creepy talking heads (and no published books, as far as I could tell) Yaoi House has been abandoned by its owner/founder to investors.
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Comics Worth Reading is host to an unwanted conflict after an innocent request for feedback became a debate on how poorly ADV handled unfinished Newtype subscriptions in the eyes of some vocal fans, prompting a couple sssslightly passive-aggressive responses from certain PiQ staff. Damn, shouldn’t a “we’re sorry, we hope you’ll give us another chance and help us improve the magazine” suffice?
If you’re none too pleased with PiQ, the short version is that all subscription cancellations and requests for refunds should be made through ADV, although it might be a futile endeavor. Might also be a good idea to include the customer service e-mail from the old Newtype site in your carbon copy field.
I have no horse in this race. My NewtypeUSA subscription blissfully ended more than 6 months ago. Sigh…
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