Forum - View topicNEWS: Publishers Weekly on Tokyopop OEL
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Vantos
Posts: 102 |
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Hmm, although I prefer Japanese manga, I'm not doubting that American-produced stuff can improve. Like the review of A Midnight Opera said, currently, artists --- some with no real-world writing or publishing experience --- are being asked to emulate something foreign. Still, I think that MICs (manga-influenced comics) can throw off their "cheap imitator" stigma if they work at it.
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Steventheeunuch
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The big difference is that Osamu Tezuka was creating an entirely new "standard" for Japanese-produced TV Animation and comics, not simply copying American-likeness. He used Betty Boop and such as a basis, an inspiration, not a rule. What a lof of these Amerimanga authors are being told to do is to create stories that emulate a "style" that really isn't actually there (since Manga, regardless of stereotypes and cliches, is not a style), and most of those authors (not all, before you explode) do not actually know this.
As much as Manga is not a style, it also never has to follow rules of applying to, being about or even appealing to Japanese people. Big O is set in New York for example, and plenty of things in Jojo's Bizzare Adventure happen in the US. Just because it doesn't share certian plot-points and somesuch doesn't mean it can't be a shameless imitation. |
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saishokushugisha
Editor, Anime Insider
Posts: 101 Location: USA |
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I love American comics. I love Japanese comics. I hate someone trying to foist themselves off as something they are not. The interviewee can't even keep his own spin straight. First he says the term "Ameri-manga" is a "diss" then he mimics a kid discovering his cool friend Billy draws awesome "Ameri-manga." So which is it?
Anyway, we all know exactly why TP is flogging the OEL/World Manga/whatever you want to call it. And believe me, TP's approach is not doing their American creators, some of whom do fine, funny work, any favors. I sure wish companies would figure out that kids can smell a disingenuous PR spin a mile away. If your product is good, people can tell, and you don't have to dress it up. TP has some great American titles, they're just going about this all wrong. |
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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Mark of the Succubus had really competent art but the story was one of the most derivative, lazy things I've ever read. In fact, I'd say if you want a great example concerning what's wrong with the writing in OEL manga, read Mark of the Succubus and the equally nauseating Bizenghast, both of which read like they were written by amateur fanfiction writers. Having a good idea for a story doesn't mean you have the skill or talent or know-how to write it well. Given that in the biographies of the authors of these two books they never once mention having taken any classes or learning anything at all about how to write for sequential art - hell, even a screenwriting class would help them tremendously - it doesn't surprise me that the writing is chock-full of bad decisions, technical errors, typos, hackneyed plot development and absolutely laughable dialogue. Again, I'll agree that the artwork was really nice, but that's it. |
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linlinchan
Posts: 286 |
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Oook... I'll give you Bizenghast, which I didn't find enjoyable at all, but I really liked Mark of the Succubus. Again, I don't think you can expect everyone to agree that this (or any other) title is good. |
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The Ramblin' Wreck
Posts: 924 Location: Teaching Robot Women How To Love |
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Hey, I liked Bizenghast, if only for the wierd Tales of the Crypt feel I think it has. True Confessions: I'm a big Megatokyo and Van Von Hunter fan too. |
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milcor1
Posts: 337 |
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I'm all for original creations but for now most of them are not worth my time. As the talent begins to develop then hopefully I'll start to see some things worth purchasing. Just seems to me that Tokyopop is just flooding the market with so many of them and barely any of them are even worth opening. Yuck.
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ladumetro
Posts: 4 |
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Or it could be that TP and Seven Seas is giving, "manga" style" creators outside of Japan, a chance to publish their own stories.
Ever read anything by Seven Seas? You know books like Last Hope? How about Sokora Refugees, Off Beat, Dramacon, or Steady Beat from Tokyopop? You should look through them sometimes. Last edited by ladumetro on Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:24 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ladumetro
Posts: 4 |
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Wow. I like how you insulted every inspiring "manga style" artist, out there. I hope you know that most of these creators are dedicated on what they are doing. They want a chance to published, with the style they love drawing. You can't force them to draw diffrently... and have them work at Marvel. Manga style artists are manga fans themselves. --- If you want to talk cashing in because of popularity. How about talking about actual Japanese mangaka and their publishing companies. How about how Akira Toriyama wanting to end Dragonball yet Weekly Shonen Jump wanting to cash it in. So much for control over his creation. Last edited by ladumetro on Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:39 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Steventheeunuch
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Honestly though, that probably is the case. It's a lot easier and cheaper to produce content that you have 100% say over, and don't have to deal with the Japanese in the first place. You can always dress it up as something else.
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JTtheBrick
Posts: 99 |
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It's funny how people rash on those who "imitate" manga outside of Japan. I bet there are loads of "imitators" or "wannabes" in Japan too. If you're gonna hate the marketing ploy part, then plainly say it. But, to rag on the artists who simply adopt another style for the sake of drawing it is pretty stupid.
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Steventheeunuch
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If you haven't noticed though, people aren't ragging on them just because they're copying, but because they're copying and not even producing anything legitimatly good from it. Yes, Japan has lots of imitations, but they're not all legitimately published works either. |
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adam_omega
Posts: 256 Location: Seven Seas |
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For the sake of clarification, I need to point out, in case it might have been implied differently, that Seven Seas currently does not accept unsolicated submissions. - Adam Arnold Seven Seas Entertainment http://www.gomanga.com/ |
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carol_kitsune
Posts: 2 |
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Uh...what? Paying creators to script, pencil, ink and tone hundreds of pages while investing in aggressive marketing campaigns for previously unknown works is somehow cheaper than licensing and marketing series for which stories, art and fan bases already exist? If you can figure out how to do that, call TP (or any publishing company, for that matter) and you'll no doubt be hired in a New York minute. Partial or complete ownership of a property can theoretically become extremely profitable if that property happens to hit it big, but even if there were precedent for that in OEL (which there isn't), it'd still be a huge gamble. |
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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You do realize that the kids who draw OEL manga aren't making a lot of money, right? They're not getting anything resembling a salary out of this. I won't disclose the average amount but suffice to say it's more about getting published and having your name on the shelves than making money. On the whole it is MUCH cheaper for Tokyopop to produce something in-house, especially since much of the time they're not hiring artists or writers who command high fees. Licensing fees for manga from Japan have gone through the roof, and that's no exaggeration, it's ridiculously expensive. |
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