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Playing catch-up

November 13, 2006 by

There won’t be a new Flipped this week, as we had company over the weekend (and I’m generally lazy). I’m still catching up on the slew of interesting links Brigid has found over the last couple of days.

The one that immediately caught my eye was the announcement of the American Anime Awards, summarized at ICv2 and printed in full at The Beat. I have to say, if I had been inclined to guess what the first New York Comic-Con awards program would look like, I wouldn’t have picked anime. It’s obviously a driver for manga sales, but given how expansive the NYCC seems to want to be, it seems awfully specific.

I don’t think I really have a problem with it. Anime is a significant subsidiary or companion industry for manga publishers, so it makes sense to me that manga-friendly comics conventions factor it into their programming. And maybe the folks at NYCC didn’t want to compete with existing comics awards programs like the Eisners and the Harveys. But it does strike me as narrow in focus and not entirely in keeping with the general vibe the event projects.

And launching any kind of awards program is tricky in much the same way as assembling a “best of the year” list. A focus on a specific category might be a more sensible approach than the kind of awards programs that lead to frankly bizarre co-nominees in some categories. As the graphic novel market expands, it might be easier to pick a sector when you’re looking to pass out accolades.

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Also eye-catching was the New York Times piece on Dark Horse Comics (found via Comics Worth Reading). As NYT pieces on graphic novels go, it’s something of a relief. Going just from memory, the paper’s comics coverage often involves the reporter swallowing whole some bit of malarkey from either Marvel or DC on how deep and meaningful their spandex themes are.

And while this piece is seriously flattering to Dark Horse, it also successfully makes the argument that, regardless of how varied their product is and how varied its origins are, their business plan manages to cohere. And with a mixture of creator-owned comics made specifically for Dark Horse, licensed manga and manhwa, and property adaptations, that coherence strikes me a significant accomplishment.

It’s not at all unusual for comics companies to convey the impression that their left and right hands barely have a passing acquaintance with one another, much less a full understanding of their respective agendas. Dark Horse seems to have evaded that problem.

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Thankless jobs

November 8, 2006 by

Publishers Weekly has released its list of Best Graphic Novels of the Year, and Heidi MacDonald links to Amazon’s choices. I love this time of year, as it provides so many rich opportunities to nitpick.

In fairness, it’s impossible to say “That choice is empirically wrong,” or “I can’t believe they excluded (fill in name of excellent choice here),” because so many books come from so many sources that the level of subjectivity is automatically high. And the best thing about these lists is how they function as a springboard for discussion and maybe alert readers to books they haven’t read yet.

On the discussion front, Tom Spurgeon offers some initial impressions of the PW roster, and Johanna Draper Carlson goes through the list in more detail. Both note the fact that 2006 isn’t quite over yet, and that only one translated manga title (Tokyopop’s Dragon Head) made the PW cut. Two licensed properties made Amazon’s list: Yoshihiro Tatsumi’s Abandon the Old in Tokyo (Drawn and Quarterly) and Hiroaki Samura’s Ohikkoshi (Dark Horse).

I think Dragon Head is an interesting choice. It was front and center in the negative reaction to Tokyopop’s on-line exclusives initiative, and it’s a critical darling that seems to enjoy retailer support. I like it a lot, though I don’t even know if it would top my list of post-apocalyptic manga. (Viz’s Drifting Classroom and Dark Horse’s Eden are currently vying for the top spot in that niche.)

But again, it’s subjective. When I contemplate the possibility of putting together my own list of the year’s best, I’m gripped with a combination of weariness and anxiety. There are so many books I’ve liked this year for so many different reasons that I would be hard-pressed to develop a single set of criteria for the year’s best.

Is Scott Chantler’s Northwest Passage (Oni Press) as good as J.P. Stassen’s Deogratias (First Second)? If forced, could I pick among :01’s Deogratias, Gene Yang’s American Born Chinese, and Joann Sfar’s Klezmer if I wanted to share the wealth and limit myself to one book per publisher? Do the collections of Castle Waiting (Fantagraphics), Ode to Kirihito (Vertical), or Get a Life (Drawn and Quarterly) count, just because they’re new to me? Are the ways I enjoyed Polly and the Pirates (Oni) comparable to the ways I appreciated Japan as Viewed by 17 Creators (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)? Do I really want to go so far as to develop a unified critical theory when I know perfectly well I’ll violate it at the first opportunity?

So I’m grateful to the people who will actually commit to a set list of the year’s best, because, if nothing else, they provide plenty of food for thought and grist for blogging.

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The other thing that particularly caught my attention in this week’s PWCW was just how hard it is to find someone who’ll come out and criticize Kurt Hassler without the benefit of anonymity. If MangaBlog’s Brigid was troubled by the anonymous sniping in ICv2’s report, her reaction will probably be magnified by the bevy of veiled critics quoted in PW’s.

That’s not to say that I’m encouraging criticism or praise for Hassler. It’s just curious to me that the power of the position he’s left still has people taking the Deep Throat route when they assess his performance.

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Updated to add: David Taylor settles into his new MangaCast digs and takes a thorough look at all of the manga-related content in the latest PWCW.

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November 4, 2006 by

A happy side effect of the National Book Award nomination for Gene Yang’s American Born Chinese (First Second Books) has been the interviews with Yang. He’s unfailingly gracious, intelligent, interesting, and insightful:

At the First Second blog, he’s responded to Tony Long’s piece on the Wired web site about the nomination and, surprising me not at all, he’s gracious, intelligent, interesting, and insightful:

“My students are used to reading documents made up of words and images, sound files and movies. They aren’t disturbed when these elements bleed into each other – when words use visual devices to enhance what they’re communicating, when images are made up of textual elements.”

Here are all of Yang’s contributions to the First Second blog.

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No-ruto

October 27, 2006 by

There isn’t much in the way of sequential art in the latest top 150 best sellers from USA Today. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Vol. 1 (Tokyopop) drops from 112 to 134.

I had briefly hoped that the National Book Award nomination for Gene Yang’s American Born Chinese (First Second) might land it somewhere on the list, but no. Hell, a Nobel Prize for Literature doesn’t get you any higher than 94, and poor Orhan Pamuk is barely hanging on at 150, so I don’t know what good I thought a mere nomination would do.

And besides, Wired copy chief Tony Long insists that “the comic book does not deserve equal status with real novels, or short stories. It’s apples and oranges.” Long comes to this conclusion without having read American Born Chinese, and I find that depressing. I was sort of hoping that people would say, “How good must that graphic novel be to earn a National Book Award nomination?” and then perhaps read it to find out instead of dismissing it out of hand. (There’s no word as to where the copy chiefs of Cat Fancy, Town & Country Travel, and Cigar Aficionado will come down in the controversy. File it under “developing.”)

At least poor Captain Underpants hasn’t been unduly damaged by the recent unpleasantness. The Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People is nestled comfortably at #72. (Though it was at #66 last week.)

Filed under: Awards and lists, First Second, Media, Sales, Tokyopop Leave a Comment

Influence peddling

October 19, 2006 by

There are all kinds of power, and yesterday’s list from ICv2 seemed to focus on the market variety – who sells the most. It got me thinking not so much about power as influence… the publishers who are driving manga creatively and expanding what’s available. So here is my list, in alphabetical order, of who I currently see as the Ten Most Creatively Influential Manga Publishers.

ADV: Say what you will about the reliability of their releases. It’s a legitimate criticism and a concern for fans who want to know that a publisher is going to finish what they start. But it’s undeniable (to me, at least) that any publishing entity that offers Anne Freaks, Cromartie High School, and Yotsuba&! deserves a nod for ambition.

Dark Horse: With intriguing recent releases like Ohikkoshi and The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service and upcoming books like Tanpeshu, Dark Horse has really expanded beyond what I viewed as a solid guns-and-swords specialist to one of the most interesting manga (and now manhwa) publishers. There’s great, unexpected stuff coming out.

Del Rey and Go! Comi: I’m putting these two together because I credit them with the same thing: pushing the boundaries of shôjo and shônen with edgier, more experimental offerings than the rest of the pack. Beyond the high production quality both publishers uphold, they’re giving younger manga readers somewhere to go next and older readers something to enjoy now.

DramaQueen: Anyone who launches a niche anthology (global BL in this case) automatically makes the list. Throw in a reputation for quality production of licensed work from Japan and Korea, and it’s a lock.

Drawn & Quarterly: Okay, so their manga output begins and ends with the work of Yoshihiro Tatsumi. Given the impact of that work, they more than meet the cut. They get extra points for a fine global roster of titles like the upcoming Moomin, the charming Get a Life, and the works of Guy Delisle.

Fanfare/Ponent Mon: Do I wish their books were easier to find and a little more affordable? Sure. Can I ignore those inconveniences to get books by Jiro Taniguchi, Kan Takahama, and others? Absolutely.

Icarus: See above for comments on DramaQueen. Ero-manga may not be my thing, but it’s comforting to know that it’s being successfully published by someone who loves it.

NETCOMICS: I admit that I thought they were kind of crazy for dropping as many inaugural titles as they did, but they are seriously leading the charge towards different delivery systems. They’re also assembling an impressive and varied roster of titles available either in print or on-line.

Seven Seas: Licensed works, original titles, web-to-print, novels… Seven Seas is pursuing an ambitious mix of projects that put them right in the thick of what’s happening now in manga, but they’re doing all of those things at a sensible scale. Perhaps I’m unfairly favoring the (comparatively) little guy, but hey, it’s my blog.

Vertical: If they’d only ever produced the hardcover version of Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha, they’d deserve a place on the list. It’s the kind of classy accomplishment that a publisher can ride for a lifetime. But they keep going. And if anyone is going to give me a gorgeous edition of Rose of Versailles, it will probably be Vertical.

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Power mad

October 18, 2006 by

ICv2 has released its new manga power list, putting global mangaka/Borders graphic novel buyer Kurt Hassler at the top. In July, they offered a list of the 10 most powerful people in anime, and David Taylor wondered who would make a manga-centric list. The answer is, pretty much who you’d expect:

“1. Kurt Hassler, Graphic Novel Buyer, Borders Group
2. Hidemi Fukuhara, Chief Executive Officer, Viz Media
3. Stuart Levy, Founder, CEO, Chief Creative Officer Tokyopop
4. Dallas Middaugh, Associate Publisher of Manga, Del Rey
5. Jim Killen, Graphic Novel Buyer, Barnes & Noble
6. Mike Richardson, CEO & Publisher, Dark Horse
7. Mike Kiley, Publisher, Tokyopop
8. Yumi Hoashi, EIC & VP of Magazine Division, Viz Media
9. Hikaru Sasahara, CEO, Digital Manga Publishing
10. Masashi Kishimoto, Creator of Naruto”

Kishimoto is the only full-time creator to get a nod, but it makes sense, given Naruto’s top spot in the Top Ten Manga Properties and fair enough ranking on the anime list. The presence of big-two bookstore reps makes sense, as does the higher placement for Borders than Barnes and Noble. I can understand why other retailers get irritated with those Borders exclusives that some publishers pursue, but they certainly seem to help shift books.

I was initially surprised to see Digital Manga make the cut, but their Juné books are a powerful presence in comic shops, hovering high on the graphic novel bestseller lists every time they’re released. And in my entirely anecdotal experience, they’re reliably easy to find in chain bookstores, even more than offerings from Dark Horse. (If the DMP rep had ranked higher than Dark Horse’s on this LCS-focused list, MangaCast might well have fomented another manga revolution. I can already hear the cries of “Caaaaaaaaaaaarl!”)

I’m going to have to track down a copy of this, if only for the “Shojo Rising” article about the growing anime-for-girls market. This came up in yesterday’s PWCW piece on the Cartoon Network Effect, particularly in Thomas J. McLean’s discussion with Viz’s Liza Coppola:

“Graphic novel publishers may only be beginning to benefit from TV. Consider that there is not yet any animated version of shojo manga—the wildly popular subgenre that targets teenage girls. ‘We’d love to have a shojo network out there,’ Coppola says. ‘I think that’s the dream of a lot of publishers.’”

Understandably so. In the shôjo category, Absolute Boyfriend joined Fruits Basket on the Top Ten Manga list, and Loveless represented shônen-ai all by its cat-eared self. But as far as the anime properties go, plenty of the properties are equally appealing to male and female viewers, but nothing there falls conventionally into the shôjo category.

I find it hard to believe that Cartoon Network isn’t at least considering the possibility of introducing shôjo properties into its programming. I find it irritating as hell, but Totally Spies could probably anchor at least one other girl-centric program with the right cross-promotion, and as Brigid notes at MangaBlog:

“True, but what are the girls doing? Playing with their Barbies? My daughters watched CN too, when they were that age, and I’d love to see some shoujo anime on TV.”

Maybe I’m just hoping for something to break Naruto’s monotonous dominance of the sales charts. But seriously, didn’t shôjo-rific Sailor Moon start all of this anime-manga frenzy in the first place?

Updated to note: Brigid and Simon Jones have offered reaction to the list.

And again to note: So has Ed Chavez at MangaCast.

Filed under: Awards and lists, Bookstores, ICv2 1 Comment

There's good news

October 12, 2006 by

Gene Yang’s excellent American Born Chinese (First Second) is a finalist for a National Book Award in the Young People’s Literature category. The New York Times (free registration required) confirms that the book is the first graphic novel ever to be nominated.

This makes me really happy, because the book is excellent. It’s already been nominated for the American Library Association’s list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens, but this kind of recognition is sure to put it on the radar of even more librarians and booksellers, and that’s all to the good. It’s an added bonus that the book comes from First Second, because they really seem to sincerely love every book they publish, and to lavish attention and care on them as a result.

Here are some of the reviews for American Born Chinese:

In other award news, I share Brigid’s limited enthusiasm for the Quill Award given to Naruto Vol. 7. But look at the awards program’s guiding principles:

“The Quill Awards pair a populist sensibility with Hollywood-style glitz and have become the first literary prizes to reflect the tastes of the group that matters most in publishing-readers.”

So they’re roughly equivalent to the People’s Choice Awards or the ones Wizard gives out, and I don’t really expect Alison Bechdel to win one of those, either. Plus, just being nominated in the category is bound to give the other books a bump.

Reed Business Information, sponsor of the Quills, is the parent company of Publishers Weekly.

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