At The Beat, Heidi MacDonald has a very level-headed analysis of recent shifts in the manga market. Don’t forget to read the comments, too, as they’re filled with all kinds of insightful remarks. One comes from JennyN:
“…something very similar happened to publishers of translated manga in France in the 1990s. Takeoff as of c.1992; boom period c.1996-98; speed wobbles, speed correction, some nasty upsets, strong drivers and good navigators back on track within the next couple of years.”
JennyN is one of the truly awesome regulars at the Flipped Forum. (For a probing look at manga stereotypes, check out the “East Versus West” thread.)
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So I checked the chalkboard of the week’s releases in the window before stopping in the comic shop yesterday. I greeted my favorite clerk, the creator of Iron Fro.
“Noodle Fighter Miki?” I asked.
His mood darkened. “There aren’t any noodles in it. I checked.”
“She carries chopsticks,” the shop owner offered, as if that would mollify us.
So, after a fairly lengthy conversation about how noodles are comedy gold, chopsticks are too utilitarian to be comedy gold, and how you shouldn’t promise noodles and not deliver, the creator of Iron Fro and I moved on to our respective tasks. And yes, the shop owner was relieved.