Interest

Art Shops to Stop Carrying Manga Artist-Favored Ink

Artists in Japan are scrambling with the announcement that a favorite watercolor ink brand will cease domestic distribution in Japan at the end of the year. The Toyama art shop Gazai Tanpopo shared on May 7 that U.S.-based company Dr. Ph Martin's watercolor ink will not be readily available after December 31. The shop followed up on May 9 with a statement that read that the product's cancellation is due to a drastic price revision by Dr. Ph Martin's parent company, Salis International.

Ganzai Tanpopo evaluated the price increase and concluded that it will likely alienate the customer base and instead decided to no longer carry the product. Ganzai Tanpopo is not the only shop discontinuing its stock of Dr. Ph Martin's ink. The art supplier Bonnycol Art issued the same statement on May 9. Bonnycol Art provides product to art supply stores across Japan.

Enthusiasts, including manga artist and character designer Arina Tanemura, took to social media to share their disappointment. Tanemura plans to continue to purchase the ink via official channels online.

Other manga artists shared examples of their work where they utilized Dr. Ph Martin's ink.

Animators found themselves in a similar situation in 2015 when Mitsubishi Pencil announced it would no longer produce colored pencils favored by the animation industry. Cartoonists flocked to art supply stores to buy up the remaining orange, blue and yellow-green pencils used to draw cels.

Source: Bonnycol Art via Nijimen