The cover art for the upcoming chapter of my manga series, Legend of the Ztarr, is now available for download as desktop and iPad wallpaper and for purchase as posters in various sizes. Legend of the Ztarr Chapter 1 is available online and through most ebook retailers like iBooks and Kindle. The second chapter is due to be released this May.
| widescreen | standard | iPad |
| AnimePaper.net |
The news broke recently that Tokyopop is closing its North American publishing division. Many are wondering what position that leaves the creators under contract with Tokyopop’s OEL line, which had already been cancelled by the company before the closure and slew of layoffs last February. I for one, hope that “OEL” dies along with Tokypop.
That’s not to say that I don’t want to see those creators move forward, gain the rights to their creations back. I’m talking about the term “OEL” itself, not the business of having non-Japanese creators making manga.
I’ve voiced my dislike for the term OEL and Global Manga before, in a post called “What Is Manga?”. Many fans will argue that the term “manga” is simply the Japanese word for comic book, and they’re right. But that doesn’t mean that there’s “no such thing as manga” (and therefore either anything or nothing can be considered manga). Others believe the term should only be used for comics created in Japan; using it for non-Japanese works implies that “manga” is one genre or art style and any manga reader will tell you that there is a diverse range of genres and styles within what is sold as manga. But what, then, do you call comics created outside of Japan aimed towards the market of manga readers? This is how the labels “OEL” and “Global Manga” were born.
As a non-Japanese creator of manga, I can tell you that I feel very uncomfortable with the notion of labeling my work “OEL” or “Global manga”. The reason comes down to this; the term “manga” is a useful marketing label. There are people looking to buy comics which fall withing a wide spectrum called manga. What interests them in this spectrum are the different types of stories and the various art styles they find within it. If I want to create a series which will appeal to those readers the best thing I can do to help them find it is to simply call it “manga”.
No reader cares about what nationality the creators are as long as the series fits generally withing this spectrum and is, y’know, good. Actually, that’s not completely true, and gets to heart of why I hope the habit of labeling non-Japanese manga into a subcategory. The only manga readers who care about whether or not a manga series was created in Japan have a negative association with manga produced outside of Japan—-automatically dismissing it based on the creator’s nationality. This makes it a really bad business move to give your product line a label which will only serve to drive certain readers away.
A few years ago, Viz considered publishing content from non-Japanese creators. Not only did they seem to have creator-friendly contracts (no taking ownership like Tokyopop did), but they had a really nice label for this endeavour: their “original content” line. This was a perfectly fine distinction, since Viz deals with licensed manga, but was interested in seeking potential original content to publish. Although they never did, I imagine perhaps this was even just a way to advertise to creators that they were accepting submissions; it’s possible that if they had picked up a series that they would simply publish it along with the rest of their manga, making no labeled distinction between licensed manga and original content manga. We can’t say for sure, but I think that would be the most logical business move.
I create comics that are most likely to be enjoyed most frequently by people who enjoy reading manga. So calling my comics “manga” helps readers find my work. Distinguishing it from other manga based solely on my nationality will either have no impact or a negative impact on readership, so why bother?
I’ll change my mind when there’s evidence that large masses of manga fans are looking specifically to read manga created by Canadians 
I read an interesting article, Why Feminism Is Also Dude-ism. I found this woefully true:
Every woman he knows has been talked down to by a man who wasn’t as smart or capable as she was. Almost all of them have been treated poorly or made uncomfortable by some dude at some point who saw getting into her pants as a prize to be won.
I imagine that most people, perhaps especially guys, would read that and think that a guy would really have to be a major jerkasaurus to act like that. But, sadly, I find those two things to be among my most common experiences. Sometimes it’s even from guys who would describe themselves as supportive of gender equality; I know one male friend who even does a lecture about female characters in storytelling who always made me feel like there was nothing I could say that could be convincing or credible when it came to ‘the big stuff’. Sure, if I’m going to ramble about She-ra (which, btw, I’m awesome at) that’s fine…that’s something I “should” know—-but I couldn’t possibly be taken seriously if I’m talking about cosmology, the laws of physics, the brain, the scientific method… Nope.
It also has never become easier to realize that someone you were hoping would be a friend and would be interested in you and your work was actually pretty much just interested in making out with you. If that’s not an option for him then you’ll probably stop hearing from him.
And to my fellow skeptics; You think it’s hard trying to communicate to someone evidence that they are wrong in a manner which they might be likely to consider it? Try attempting that when you’re a tiny brunette with giant brown eyes of whom nobody ever has a problem likening to a pixie. People stare down at you like they’re looking at a box full of kittens.
Cute. But nobody takes a box full of kittens seriously.
Homg, what?! You’re trying to tell me dowsing is due to something called the ideomotor effect? Whatev, I’m a super smart scholarly man who couldn’t possibly be wrong about anything (especially when it’s pointed out by a pixie!).
To be fair, women have dismissed me as well. But they’re usually wiccans and reiki masters who hate me because my words threaten their magic mother Earth goddess powers.
Nobody likes hearing they’re wrong, but apparently it’s especially annoying to hear it from me—-and much easier to dismiss me as well. Just admit it, people, if I was an old man with elbow patches on my sweater, you’d take my arguments more seriously. You wouldn’t be so compelled to lecture me as if I need to be taught a lesson because you wouldn’t automatically assume you know far more than me.
So, I guess I’m saying that I don’t necessarily mind if you look at me like I’m a box full of kittens as long as you listen to me like I’m old elbow-patch sweater man. Wait, no! Stop! Now you’re picturing a box full of kittens wearing elbow-patch sweaters! THAT’S EVEN MORE ADORABLE!
It comes to no real surprise to anyone in the industry that Tokyopop has closed its Los Angeles office and North American publishing division. The company has been on shaky ground since Borders declared bankruptcy and companies cut ties with them—-Blizzard and HarperCollins. Last February, the company laid off several staff members, including its Senior Editors, the few people left in the company actually interested in publishing manga.
And that seems to have been what really lead to the shutdown; a manga publisher not focusing on publishing manga anymore. Granted, the fact that Borders owed them money when they went bankrupt was a big blow, but under the management of company founder Stu Levy Tokyopop began to invest more in his side projects like America’s Greatest Otaku—-a reality series filmed cross country. Levy has state flat-out that he has lost interest in books:
Wow #GDC2011 [Game Developers Conference] is blowing my mind. Why have I been stuck in such an old-school, out-of-touch industry for so long?! (yes I mean books!)
via twitter
Over at The Manga Critic, Katherine Dacey points out, “Levy’s interest in new media is well-documented, but coming on the heels of the editorial layoffs, his comments suggested a lack of awareness about how consumers viewed TOKYOPOP: as a manga publisher.”
I met Stu while I was a guest at Otakuthon in Montreal; a group of us hung out in old Montreal and he struck me as a very talented and quite nice guy. But if you’re not interested in publishing manga, then don’t run a manga publisher. It’s fine to want to do the Hollywood thing and film documentaries and reality series, but obviously its not going to help business if you’re a manga publisher.
Manga fans want to read manga. They don’t quite care about reality show road trips about otaku across America, they aren’t interested in behind-the-scenes documentaries at conventions (ask Jeff Nimoy, who canned the “Adventures in Anime” web series before it ever really even got started).
Tokyopop’s contributions to the North American manga industry are significant. They released unflipped manga, and took the plunged into publishing original content with their “OEL” line (a label I’ve never liked). But that endeavour shouldn’t take any of the blame whatsoever for the company’s downfall. Their OEL titles and creators never really got the support and attention they deserved. The company’s American-style business model for contracts with these creators gave Tokyopop ownership of the titles, leaving creators with little options when the company ceased publishing of them, even before the closure.
That’s one of my biggest gripes with the company—-their American publishing model. In the Japanese manga industry, ownership of a series lies with the creator, the mangaka. Publishing companies simply have the rights to publish the series. This is not the case in the American comic book industry, where a series like Spider-man is owned by the company, Marvel. This difference has an effect on storytelling—-namely, mangaka have more freedom and control over the creative process. At one time, Viz looked as if they were interested in producing original content using the manga model, but as far as I can tell, never developed anything.
Who knows what will happen to the titles of the OEL creators under contract with Tokyopop, now that the LA office will close. I imagine they are at the mercy of Levy’s ADD whims. The right thing for him to do with be to step out of the way and let what’s good for manga happen—-getting good manga titles into the hands of manga readers.
Hey, young Canadian voters, have you heard the horrible news? The evil coalition of Liberals, NDP, and Bloc all want a $75 tax on devices like iPods. Wow, that must mean we should vote Conservative; obviously they have their finger on the pulse of young people! Except, a few tiny details are wrong:
1) There is no coalition.
2) Conservatives don’t give an eff about young people.
3) There is no proposed $75 iPod tax.
Oopsies.
It didn’t take long for this ad to be debunked—-which the Conservatives could’ve known would happen if they knew anything about young tech-savy Canadians: we knows how ta Google. Damn nabbit that interwebs contraption and alls its information! CBC’s Reality Check ran a spot on it and posted an article explaining the many inaccuracies in the ad:
1) The bill was to expand the definition of “audio recording medium” to devices with internal memory.
2) The bill didn’t state an amount.
3) The bill died.
4) The Liberals opposed the bill.
5) The NDP proposed a levy of $5.
6) The tie-breaking vote to send the bill to the House was the support of a Conservative MP.
I think this ad wasn’t so much an attempt to convince young people to vote Conservative, but an attempt to persuade young people not to vote at all. Harper knows he doesn’t have our support, so his strategy is to count on us not voting. The Conservatives will even go as far as trying to get student ballots nullified after disrupting a special advanced polling at Guelph University.
Harper doesn’t want the vote of young people. The only card he has to play is fear: he’ll scare older voters into believing there’s an evil coalition which will ruin the economy and let criminals run loose in the streets. And he’ll try to scare young people into not voting at all.
In the words of NDP Leader Jack Layton, “Hashtag fail”, sir!
#fail, indeed.
Jack Layton, leader of the NDP, is all kinds of awesome. And not just because he used the term “hashtagfail” in the debate last night. Not even just because he was the only leader to get the audience to laugh of loud with a remark about not needing to build so many new prisons when all the criminals seem so comfortable in the Senate. Burn.
Mr. Layton was the only leader out of all four candidates to bring up the issues of violence against women, proportional representation, women in politics (with the NDP having the highest representation of women candidates), living conditions for First Nations, pensions, and the environment. Harper seemed backed in a corner, trying to defend what, if any, credibility he has left—-actually it was simultaneously sad and arrogant of him to keep repeating he’d like a majority government but will settle for a minority. Iggy got sucker punched by Layton for his horrible attendance record in the house—-missing 70 percent of the votes.
If you’re still not convinced that Layton is full of win, here is the evidence he is the Canadian political equivalent of The Picard himself, Captain of the Enterprise.
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“Engage”
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Yes, that’s a photo from 1991 of Jack Layton in a custom tailored Star Trek Next Gen uniform. With that kind of nerd cred, the man’s got my vote. For serious!
There’s such an arrogant sense of entitlement with the Conservatives and Liberals in the Federal government. They have people convinced that they are the only choice. But here in Canada we don’t just have a two party system; we have another option and it’s one we should take serious. Decade after decade people aren’t satisfied with whoever is in power. Like the great Tommy Douglas’s story of Mouseland, grandfather of our universal healthcare system and first leader of the NDP, we’re mice who keep voting for either the black cats or the white cats.
In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.
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Sara E.M. | 
04 26th, 2011| 