Spending too much on comics, then talking too much about them
by David Welsh
Shawn Fumo has taken the whole “are manga comics” straight to the faithful by asking the denizens of the Anime on DVD Community Forums, “Is manga’s popularity due to exoticness and difference from parents’ culture?” Forget Daredevil. Fumo is clearly the blogger without fear.
Back at the Comicon thread, Dirk Deppey has expanded on “Wow” in a rather remarkable fashion.
by David Welsh
At Cognitive Dissonance, Johanna Draper Carlson draws some interesting comparisons between network television and super-hero comics. Having just flipped through the Marvel supplement of Previews before reading Johanna’s essay, I had to laugh at this passage:
“Sure, people will say that we haven’t yet seen the end of Identity Crisis or House of M… but I would argue that even if those ‘big events’ ended as happily as possible, with everything fixed and heroic and optimistic, it wouldn’t matter.”
What’s Marvel’s big follow-up to House of M? Why, it’s a little something called Decimation, with its very own logo! But what’s it all about?
“Nothing can undo this… A line-spanning event, Decimation will redefine the Marvel Universe as never before… There will be struggles, there will be battles, and there will be death… The past has now come back to haunt the unwitting, the victims, and those who prayed that their secrets would never be uncovered… Beloved and popular heroes will make tough decisions…”
And so on.
Have I mentioned how happy I am that She-Hulk is coming back?
by David Welsh
Ed pointed me to a column at Sequential Tart on the Asguardian/Hulkling relationship in Young Avengers, and it makes for interesting reading. I particularly agree with one of Michael Pullmann’s sum-up points:
“Aside from it being good drama, it’s fodder for discussion, and that’s something any artistic community needs to thrive. Take a look at the conversations, in the letters pages and on the Internet, that have arisen from a panel or two of innuendo. People are talking and thinking and developing opinions. That’s what art’s supposed to do.”
I think the point holds up particularly well because YA is well-crafted and entertaining independent of its value as a conversation piece. It’s easily one of the best books Marvel publishes.
The current issue, #6, wraps up the inaugural “Sidekicks” arc. While this chapter seems like it might read a bit better as the conclusion of a collection than as a single issue, it’s partly because there’s so much going on. Co-creators Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung need to resolve the conflict that’s driven the arc so far and lay groundwork for subsequent stories. They generally do justice to both, though.
I think the entire cast is terrific, individually and in how they interact, but I can’t help but single out Kate Bishop. She’s an heiress not just to a family fortune but to character traits from some of my favorite old-school Avengers. Kate combines Hawkeye’s playful disruptiveness with Wasp’s dilettantish savvy to wonderful effect. She’s a winning mix of wit, pragmatism, and noblesse oblige, and she’s one of the best new characters in ages.
One thing struck me as I was reading Pullmann’s piece. YA would be a perfect opportunity for Marvel to try and lure in some manga readers, particularly the shonen-ai and yaoi audience. A few well-placed advertisements featuring attractive, heroic young men in love (picturing Hulkling and Asgardian looking soulfully at one another in front of a swirling background of roses) could provide a crossover draw. I’ll even provide a tag line: “You can’t spell yaoi without YA!”
by David Welsh
The debate over whether manga are comics continues over at Comicon.com, or it would if Pat O’Neill would get around to explaining precisely what he meant by that. It’s not like people haven’t asked, both at the board and at O’Neill’s blog:
“I’m sill curious as to how you will back up your claim that manga are not comics. Other than the fact that manga is from Japan, there’s no difference, is there? Manga is based on a serialized release schedule too, it’s just the collected versions (which are serials themselves) that we get here in the US.” (Chris Duffy)
“If you really want to talk about the stylistic differences between Japanese-created comics and North American-created comics (not that you’ve done much actual talking about the difference, other than claiming there is one), then you may want to focus on that point. Redefining comics or demonstrating an ignorance of the breadth of what the term refers to is a distraction that does not service your point.” (NatGertler)
“S’plain yourself, Lucy.” (Paul Smith)
While the clarification is still pending, O’Neill does make a stab at it:
“It’s not that I think they aren’t related—like drama and kabuki they are subsets of a wider medium. Does it help if I use the chimp-human analogy? We’re both primates, we share 98% of our DNA, but boy does that 2% make a difference!”
I don’t think that’s a particularly helpful expansion on the idea, actually. Nor is this response to a question about manga’s somewhat higher sales and bookstore success:
“That’s a question of marketing rather than content or aesthetics, I think. If sales were the determining factor of superiority, then Star Wars would be the superior of, say, Citizen Kane. (And as much as I like Star Wars that just isn’t the case.)”
The conversations wander into some interesting territory. One of my favorite recurring themes is that manga isn’t looking out for anyone’s salvation but its own:
“Also, I think you might be missing the point of the original essay—manga isn’t trying to be the salvation of American comics (and superhero comics in particular), and it’s succeeding on its own in the marketplace. That, I think, might be the reason so many superhero-centric fans fear it so.” (ED)
“I do agree that I don’t think manga will save American comics. I think it will force American companies to review how they do business and move the format from monthlies to the trade format.” (John Dominguez)
“Manga’s only saving manga. American comics need to earn their own way.” (Jack
Norris)
Then, the fearless Shawn Fumo has to go and bring up the French:
“Most American comics are serialized. Most manga are serialized. Most French BD come out directly to book form. Are the prevailing themes and art styles in American and France the same? No, they’re not. So I guess France isn’t making “comics” are they?”
Not content, Shawn draws OEL manga into the conversation:
“I see a lot of criticism by the die-hards on OEL, partly because it has to compete directly with the best manga coming out of Japan. But I’ve seen a lot of people speak highly of Scott Pilgrim, something which though clearly influenced by manga, has a distinctive style of its own. I think this is where you might see crossover start to happen. With titles that aren’t incompatible with manga, but which have their own distinctive styles.”
Hip-hop, kabuki, Sailor Moon, Millie the Model… the head spins. But what does Dirk Deppey, whose essay inspired all this, have to say?
“Wow.”
Indeed.
And happily, news of the discussion has reached The Comics Journal Message Board.
by David Welsh
It’s always nice to see comics I like at the top of the charts. It’s even more fun to see two of them there. All-ages charmer Yotsuba&! and Ai Yazawa’s Nana led the Taiyosha list of best-selling manga for the week ending Aug. 23 (found via Love Manga).
Yotsuba&! has been getting a fair amount of attention from the blogosphere. Nana, by the creator of the splendid Paradise Kiss, seems to be taking a bit longer to catch on. I haven’t dug too far into the latest issue of Previews, but I was happy to see that the first digest of Nana is set for release. I’m guessing some people are waiting for the tankoubon and aren’t inclined to read it in installments in Shojo Beat.
But for an idea of how big Nana already is, it got glowing coverage in the Financial Times (rather complicated registration required), both for its quality and for the cottage industry that’s popped up around it.
“Nana has become a phenomenon precisely because of its disarming reality. This is not a comic-book filled with one-eyed monsters or perverse S&M fantasies to thrill downtrodden salarymen; rather, it highlights normal, everyday issues such as emotionally absent boyfriends, birth control, the trials of being a young woman in modern-day Japan and (potential spoiler removed). Women identify with one of the two Nanas – or both of them – which is the crux of their appeal.”
Okay, so the writer came uncomfortably close to invoking “tentacle rape.” Given the choice, I’d actually prefer the “big eyes” cliché. Moving on…
“An entire Nana enterprise has been spawned. This autumn, the movie Nana featuring two popular Japanese starlets will be launched; a Nana-themed cafe opened in Shibuya, Tokyo’s teenage hub; a CD of Nana-themed songs has been released, along with a Nana PlayStation 2 game. And those are just some of the officially licensed goods.”
I know the Nanas aren’t giant robots (or at least I strongly suspect they aren’t and will be very surprised if Yazawa takes the story in that direction), and the Financial Times is certainly no Fox News, but it’s always interesting to see the impact of a given title. I wonder how big a splash it will eventually make here?
(Quick question: For those who’ve read it either in scanlation or SB, would you classify Nana as shojo or josei? I’m leaning towards josei myself. Not that the label matters; I’m just curious.)
by David Welsh
Okay, this one I found on my own. I didn’t require any Bad Idea Bears to point me to it (though I do extend warm birthday wishes to one of them).
While surfing around to see what the kids are saying about manga these days, I found this thread at the Comicon.com message boards, which led me to this blog entry. It’s a response to Dirk Deppey’s essay from the shojo issue of The Comics Journal.
And… well… I think I’ll just pull some quotes and let Pat O’Neill speak for himself.
On manga, in general:
“Manga are not comics. Both manga and comics are forms of graphic storytelling…but so are kids’ picture books, but we wouldn’t call those comics.”
To elaborate:
“I think of the relationship between Euro-American comics and manga somewhat the way I think of the relationship between Euro-American drama and kabuki—both are forms of theater, but kabuki is not a form of drama in the traditional Euro-American sense.”
On whether girls really like manga:
“The percentage of girls buying and reading manga is probably smaller than the percentage of boys buying and reading comics, and almost all of those girls are participating in a fad, not a movement.”
Then why do they buy it?
“Simply put—it’s not American. It’s foreign, it’s exotic. To really get into it, it helps if you are willing to put in a lot of time learning at least rudimentary Japanese or learning about Japanese culture. The manga fangirls, to use Deppey’s term, are the same group of girls who would have gotten into French cinema two decades ago.”
On the future of the manga market:
“In five years, the currently burgeoning manga sections in bookstores will dwindle to two or three shelves…and the titles on the specialized anime racks in places like Suncoast Video will merge back in with the science-fiction or animated titles. The boomlet of interest in Japanese graphic culture will have died.”
And a parting shot:
“For now, let me end this way: Manga is not, and never will be, the salvation of the comics form in America.”
Ohhhhhhhhhkay.
by David Welsh
Sure, it’s almost Wednesday, but I’m more excited by the prospect of shopping at Barnes and Noble. I was there over the weekend picking up some column fodder, and I was happy to see how many titles were on the shelf that had showed up in the sense-of-place comics recommendations. I’m leaning towards The Rabbi’s Cat, partly because of The Shrew’s review.
Okay, back to the LCS.
One of DC’s Seven Soldiers mini-series, Shining Knight, concludes, which means it’s time to sift through the piles of comics and read the story as a whole.
In the “better late than never” file, there’s Young Avengers #6. Runaways starts a new two-part story arc with #7. And Captain America seems to be back on schedule with #9.
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but I’m crazy about Rhonda Bleenie, the cranky, sarcastic friend-enemy from Amelia Rules! Issue #14 arrives this week, hopefully with plenty of caustic, ill-tempered observations from that quarter.
Tokyopop seems to be starting a second run of Girl Got Game, an appealing gender-swap/sports manga. I’ve liked what I’ve read so far, though it wouldn’t have been the first title I’d pick for a series of reprints.
Is it just me, or does Viz seem to be releasing Fullmetal Alchemist on a somewhat accelerated schedule? I like this book a lot, but I’m partial to a quarterly timetable. It’s kinder to the wallet.
Love Roma is the latest in Del Rey’s recent block of new titles. I’m underwhelmed by the product information available on the publisher’s site, but Del Rey has a pretty good track record with me, so I’ll give it a browse. (Update: Found a review at Manganews, which hosted a scanlation of Love Roma until Del Rey licensed it. Sounds interesting.)
by David Welsh
If you buy only one manga starring a dimwitted young brawler whose dreams of romance are undone by supernatural forces, make that manga Tuxedo Gin (Viz). If you buy only two, there’s always Ranma ½ (Viz). If you insist on making it three, you’re on your own, because I can’t recommend Midori Days (Viz).
Like Mike Sterling, I’ve been rather fixated on this title, at least prior to publication, because the premise sounds so creepy. Maybe I hoped it would transcend the ick factor of its premise – luckless thug wakes up one morning with his right hand transformed into the upper body of a girl with a crush on him – and become something amusingly absurd. But for me, at least, ick prevails.
Seiji, the protagonist, is unlucky in love. Girls won’t go out with him because he has a reputation as a dangerous thug (merely because he’s always beating people up). He wishes for a girl who loves him, and his wish is granted in the form of Midori (or at least a miniaturized half of her, extending out from his right wrist). Midori, it seems, has had a crush on Seiji for years and dreamed of being close to him. Midori is elated, Seiji is freaked, and voila!
In fairness, I’m not exactly sure where I think Kazurou Inoue could have gone with this idea that would have made it work for me. As it is, things veer between goofy and creepy. On the goofy end, there’s Seiji taking Midori to an action figure shop to try and find her some clothes. On the creepy end, there’s the scene where a spirited classmate of Seiji’s gets threatened with a variety of horrors when she stands up to some bullies. (In the midst of this, a female classmate notes, “She got her due!”) Hovering somewhere in between the two states are scenes (yes, that’s plural) where Midori offers to help Seiji urinate and incidents where Midori accidentally gets felt up.
What’s creepiest for me is how happy Midori is about all this. Her grief-stricken family and friends think she’s in a coma, and she’s literally become an appendage to a boy she barely knows, but her current state is a source of nothing but delight. She gets to be close to her Seiji and can help him with housework, school, and urination, and that’s all that matters. That’s a level of ick that no amount of absurdity can overcome.
***
Over at Comic World News, this week’s column focuses on one of those titles that just can’t seem to find an audience.
by David Welsh
Just a quick listing of the recommendations I received of comics with a sense of place, with some links for those interested:
Thanks for everyone who took the time to make some suggestions. Feel free to keep adding titles, if you’re so inclined. By the time SPX rolls around, I should have a nice shopping list. With any luck, these folks (who provided some of the shopping highlights at the Pittsburgh Con) will be present.
(Edited to note that I’ll be adding recommendations as they come in, just so I can have the list in one place.)
by David Welsh
“Confession,” Kyra Sedgwick whispers at the end of innumerable commercials on TNT, “is good for the soul.” Oh, Kyra, how I hope you’re right. Because I can’t stand the secret shame any longer.
My name is David, and this is my admission of failure. (Well… one of them.)
It was Wednesday, and I had just picked up my comics for the week. There’s a sandwich place near the comic shop, and I thought to myself, “What would go well with a stack of graphic novels? A toasted foot-long turkey sub with pepper jack, that’s what.”
In I went, and placed my order. The shop was manned by two young gentlemen. The cuter one prepared my sandwich. The merely cute one stared at me in that unnerving way that makes you suspect you’ve run into a classmate from high school, like when you run to the grocery store while visiting your parents and constantly pray that you don’t see your student council vice-president running the pharmacy counter.
But he wasn’t staring at me, just the parcel in my hands.
“You been to (the local LCS)?” he asked.
“It’s Wednesday, isn’t it?” I replied. We sounded like bootleggers exchanging code.
The ice was broken. “What are you picking up?” he asked, all enthusiasm at seeing an old man with a bag full of comics.
“Uh… weird stuff,” I stuttered self-consciously. My purchases suddenly seemed —I don’t know — artificially eclectic. A couple of Oni books. A comic drawn by Rob Liefeld. A magazine with a woman on the cover who didn’t have “Spider-“ in front of her name. Some manga. It felt… composed, base-covering. I deflected: “What about you?” I asked.
“I’ve been loving the new team on Fantastic Four,” he noted. “It’s the first time it’s been good since, like, Byrne.”
And a week of heated internet discussion swirled through my head… art comix versus cape fetishists and their ilk, boredom, the gay manga mafia, children cluttering the floor of bookstores and Byrne-stealing without even realizing it, bad shops, good shops, helpmates huddled by the register while their significant others sift through the racks… This was my chance to take a side, here in this humble sub shop!
But I didn’t. I just muttered, “I’ll have to check it out.” I didn’t even go for the meal deal.
And now I’ve shared my disgrace with you all. And the chipotle sauce was bitter… bitter as ashes.