View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
|
cyberphin
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
Posts: 8
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:45 am
|
|
|
gave up on regular monthly issue american comics about a year ago. I might just have out grown then at 31 but I'm buying more manga per month in terms of money than I ever did comic books.
One is the price/volume. get 3 issues of a comic or one volume of a manga.
I think comic books will become more and more niche and will become graphic novel driven. I saw a marvel collection of spider-girl the other day in the manga tpb style.
|
Back to top |
|
|
Aaron White
Old Regular
Joined: 23 Aug 2002
Posts: 1365
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:07 am
|
|
|
This is interesting. It isn't really news, but I remember recently there was a thread in which a number of posters argued that superhero comics still dominated western comics sales. Hope this clears that up.
Arty comics like Jimmy Corrigan are doing okay at the bookstores, though; arts-comics, superheros and manga seem to have different demographics.
|
Back to top |
|
|
littlegreenwolf
Joined: 10 Aug 2002
Posts: 4796
Location: Seattle, WA
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:44 am
|
|
|
Intresting article, but it seems kind of odd that they make it seem like a war. Is manga really taking away the comic fans? I just don't see it. I still buy the same comics I always have, I just buy manga too.
The article also left out the little fact that most of the people buying manga are female, and that's part of their major boost in sales.
|
Back to top |
|
|
phoelixian
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:47 am
|
|
|
Manga accounts for probably 95% of the "comics" I read/purchase now. Interesting that about 5 years ago it was 0%. I guess it was a 'time to try something new' rather than a 'been there, done that'. I haven't looked back.
|
Back to top |
|
|
Sam.:
Joined: 25 Jun 2004
Posts: 136
Location: ANN WebSite.
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 12:15 pm
|
|
|
littlegreenwolf wrote: |
The article also left out the little fact that most of the people buying manga are female, and that's part of their major boost in sales. |
yeah, your right lgwolf, thats odd. Insead they depicted a working man in a suit and tie, -- trying to picking a Dragonball manga insted of an X-men comic. -- That just gives people the wrong idea what kind of people 'really' buy translated manga. But i guess even older male adults like it too. Anyways,.. But I do remember reading somewhere that the large portion of manga readers both in Japan and in the US are female.
|
Back to top |
|
|
Mr Mania
Joined: 10 Feb 2003
Posts: 581
Location: UK
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 12:59 pm
|
|
|
Quote: | I saw a marvel collection of spider-girl the other day in the manga tpb style. |
Yeah they have been doing that for a while now. Well obviously they have been printing graphic novels for years but it seems they are bringing more and more collections out now. Especially with their ultimate line.
Its a shame really, there are a lot of really good superhero comics out there which are on par with the better manga. I actually like to read my comics monthly but its just so much simpler to pick up graphic novel now.
|
Back to top |
|
|
beelzebozo
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 308
Location: Aurora, Colorado
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:23 pm
|
|
|
I was a big comic book fan before I discovered anime But even before I dropped comics, I had gotten tired of many of them. Circular storylines that gave you a big build-up and finish, only to have most of it erased when the next writer/artist team stepped on board. Right now, I only buy graphic novels collections of exceptional stories (Dark Knight, Kingdom Come, Marvels, etc). Which is why I like manga: Beginning-middle-end.
Speaking of manga sales being fueled by female readers, I find it funny that DC Comics is getting on the manga bandwagon, because their Vertigo line produced one of the biggest female-read comics of all time: Sandman. If American comics want to compete with the imports, they will need to erase the damage done by "Seduction of the Innocent" & the Comic's Authority Code that doomed American comics to superhero stories and get to producing the variety that Japan (& Korea) does.
|
Back to top |
|
|
Jadress
Joined: 08 Oct 2003
Posts: 808
Location: Seattle. It purdy and nerdy!
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:36 pm
|
|
|
beelzebozo wrote: | I was a big comic book fan before I discovered anime But even before I dropped comics, I had gotten tired of many of them. Circular storylines that gave you a big build-up and finish, only to have most of it erased when the next writer/artist team stepped on board. Right now, I only buy graphic novels collections of exceptional stories (Dark Knight, Kingdom Come, Marvels, etc). Which is why I like manga: Beginning-middle-end. |
I tend to agree with your statements. I was never attracted to comics when I was a kid. I liked the old X-men cartoon, but when trying to look at the comics, I didn't know what issue was in the beginning, or near the end... partially because many superhero comics don't have endings. This confused me and I quickly lost interest.
|
Back to top |
|
|
littlegreenwolf
Joined: 10 Aug 2002
Posts: 4796
Location: Seattle, WA
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:56 pm
|
|
|
beelzebozo wrote: | their Vertigo line produced one of the biggest female-read comics of all time: Sandman. If American comics want to compete with the imports, they will need to erase the damage done by "Seduction of the Innocent" & the Comic's Authority Code that doomed American comics to superhero stories and get to producing the variety that Japan (& Korea) does. |
I buy Sandman on a regular basis mainly because I'm a gaint fan of Neil Gaiman's books. The other comic titles I collect are image's Magdalena and Tomb Raider, though I believe those may have been discontinued.
|
Back to top |
|
|
GATSU
Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15606
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 2:31 pm
|
|
|
Kind of ironic, considering comic book movies(Catwoman aside) make just as much money.
Quote: | Evocative of a clash between Captain America and the Red Skull, today the U.S. comic book industry is struggling to survive against Japanese manga (comic books) by attracting new fans with free merchandise. |
I didn't know the Red Skull was Japanese.
Quote: | "It (manga in translation) kind of started out as a fad, but now it's dominated the trade-paperback market," said Amanda Fisher, 26, co-owner of Muse Comics in Missoula. |
It's not any more of a fad than multiple covers or alternative storylines.
Quote: | This current rash of box-office success and critical acclaim is far removed from classically lame comic movies such as 1989's "Howard the Duck," semi-derived from Steve Gerber's satirical stories. |
*cough* LXG *cough* (And possibly Batman Begins after seeing the Batmobile in action.)
Quote: | Reviewing even this abbreviated list it's clear FCBD 2004 was a challenge to Japanese manga. |
I guess we know where Tokyopop and Del Rey are blacklisted.
Aaron:
Quote: | It isn't really news, but I remember recently there was a thread in which a number of posters argued that superhero comics still dominated western comics sales. |
Compared to a decade ago, they do. But they have a long climb up to the success of the 80's.
greenwolf:
Quote: | Intresting article, but it seems kind of odd that they make it seem like a war. Is manga really taking away the comic fans? I just don't see it. I still buy the same comics I always have, I just buy manga too. |
I usually just buy comics, depending on who's involved. But when you think about it, they've been competing since the early 90's, when IMAGE started ripping off the manga style. For a while, business was booming, until McFarlane annoyed the hell out of everyone, by defending the Spawn movie and merchandise he slapped his name on.
Quote: | The article also left out the little fact that most of the people buying manga are female, and that's part of their major boost in sales. |
There are female comic book readers, but they're usually the male equivalent of otaku. (Although there was this one girl at AX 2k3 whose number I'd wished I picked up...)I think manga's success is being able to appeal to the trend-setting girls who'd normally look down on comics. I guess Britney Spears fans and Ganguro girls have more in common than initially believed.
Jadress:
Quote: | I was never attracted to comics when I was a kid. I liked the old X-men cartoon, but when trying to look at the comics, I didn't know what issue was in the beginning, or near the end... |
It also doesn't help when they say, "Seen is Issue..." and that issue is OOP.
|
Back to top |
|
|
Shiki MSHTS
Joined: 10 Jul 2003
Posts: 738
Location: NoVA
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 2:40 pm
|
|
|
GATSU wrote: |
Quote: | Evocative of a clash between Captain America and the Red Skull, today the U.S. comic book industry is struggling to survive against Japanese manga (comic books) by attracting new fans with free merchandise. |
I didn't know the Red Skull was Japanese. |
I might be a gigantic gullible fool, but that was sarcastic... right?
|
Back to top |
|
|
Mr Mania
Joined: 10 Feb 2003
Posts: 581
Location: UK
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 2:40 pm
|
|
|
Quote: | *cough* LXG *cough* (And possibly Batman Begins after seeing the Batmobile in action.)
|
Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freemen, Ken Watanabe and Christopher Nolan directing. You can't go wrong with them credentials, at least I hope.
|
Back to top |
|
|
the_soultaker
Joined: 25 Mar 2004
Posts: 685
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 2:51 pm
|
|
|
Shiki MSHTS wrote: |
GATSU wrote: |
Quote: | Evocative of a clash between Captain America and the Red Skull, today the U.S. comic book industry is struggling to survive against Japanese manga (comic books) by attracting new fans with free merchandise. |
I didn't know the Red Skull was Japanese. |
I might be a gigantic gullible fool, but that was sarcastic... right? |
Well, in the lame 90's Captain America movie the Red Skull was portrayed as an Italian. "it'sa me, Skullio"!
Arriverderci
|
Back to top |
|
|
Kagemusha
Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 2783
Location: Boston
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 3:11 pm
|
|
|
I for the most part read manga now, but I still do enjoy many diffrent comics, my current favorites are 100 Bullets, Y the Last Man, and The Goon. I really think some people are playing up a hostility between comic and manga fans that really doesn't exist. All of the comic fans I know enjoy manga and the people at the comicbook stores are supportive of both mediums (though I can't say that about most manga fans I know). Manga isn't really killing the comic book industry. Its basically going to remain at about the same state as it has been for the last ten years.
|
Back to top |
|
|
LordRobin
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Posts: 354
Location: Akron, OH
|
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 3:37 pm
|
|
|
I don't think it's the "Japanese-ness" of the source material that is causing manga's utter domination. It's just that manga TPBs are so much more accessible. To explain:
-- You can buy them in any major bookstore. Not all bookstores carry comic books (and those that do carry a very limited selection). Most mainstream consumers don't even know where the nearest comic shop is.
-- You can carry them around very easily. Flimsy comic books are damaged by the slight mishap.
-- There's always great stories to join at the beginning. The lion's share of comics are titles that have been going on for months, years, or even decades. It's easier to hop on at volume 1 of a manga than Superdude #572.
-- Shojo. How many domestic comic books are specifically aimed at females?
Comics will survive, but look for them to become more like manga. Trade paperback format, more individual limited series, less concepts designed to go on ad infinitum.
------RM
|
Back to top |
|
|
|