japan
Comics A.M. | Archie addresses gays in military; NYT explains Crisis
Kevin Keller #2
Publishing | We noted in late April that Archie Comics appeared to be embracing cultural and political commentary with its upcoming Kevin Keller miniseries, which features Riverdale’s first openly gay character and his father, a retired three-star general. But now the publisher, or at least the character, is going a step further, marching into the middle of the debate over gays and lesbians openly serving in the armed forces by revealing that Kevin aspires to be a journalist, but only after attending the U.S. Military Academy and becoming an Army officer. “Even though we don’t tackle the specific issue of Don’t Ask Don’ Tell, the goal was to show that patriotism knows no specific gender, race or sexual orientation,” cartoonist Dan Parent says. “While it sounds like heavy subject matter, I tried to show it simply that Kevin, like his dad, loves his country. Being gay doesn’t effect that in any way.” [The Associated Press]
Publishing | DC Comics’ line-wide reboot has received extensive coverage by mainstream media outlets, based largely on the original USA Today article or The Associated Press report. But my favorite piece is this one by George Gene Gustines that turns back the clock to 1985 and attempts to explain to The New York Times audience the effects, and problems, of Crisis on Infinite Earths, and the publisher’s subsequent attempts to streamline continuity: “… If the goal was to make the DC universe easier to understand, the end result was the opposite: to this day, fans frequently mention ‘pre-Crisis‘ and ‘post-Crisis‘ as a way to distinguish stories. Twenty years later, in the Infinite Crisis limited series, DC tried to clean continuity up again: Superman’s career as Superboy was back; Batman knew who murdered the Waynes; and Wonder Woman was a founder of the Justice League again.” [The New York Times]
Scott Pilgrim goes to Japan
Although the final volume of Scott Pilgrim has come and gone, Bryan O’Malley’s epic comic lives on overseas — with new cover art by O’Malley himself!
The image at right is for a Japanese edition of Scott Pilgrim that collects vols. 5 and 6. The image, colored by Mariel Kinuko Cartwright, is a not-so-subtle homage to a classic illustration for Street Fighter Zero 2 (also known as Street Fighter Alpha 2).
Although his follow-up project to Scott Pilgrim hasn’t been announced yet, O’Malley has done several new Scott Pilgrim illustrations for foreign editions of his series that you can view on his website, Radiomaru.com.
Animators illustrate colleague’s earthquake story
That didn’t take long: As Japanese anime and manga artists continue to draw hopeful images to cheer up the populace after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, a group of American animators have taken a different tack and illustrated an actual e-mail from a colleague in Japan.
Joe Is Japanese is a graphic novel (currently serialized on the web) and animated cartoon about the adventures of a 35-year-old man and his animator pals in Japan. It’s loosely based on real life, so when the earthquake hit, and Joe’s real-life counterpart, Koga, sent the creators an e-mail about his experiences, they went ahead and made it into an 11-page comic, Koga’s Email. It’s a fascinating first-hand account of the quake—it’s one thing to read about it, another thing altogether to see it happen. (Yes, comics are better than plain prose!) Koga’s English is a tad unidiomatic, but the animators gloss nicely over that by depicting their own puzzlement in places. It’s a quick read and well worth the click.
(Hat tip: School Library Journal tech editor Kathy Ishizuka.)
Comics A.M. | One Piece breaks another record, more on Diamond Digital
One Piece, Vol. 61
Publishing | The 61st volume of Eiichiro Oda’s insanely popular pirate manga One Piece sold more than 2 million copies in its first three days of release, according to the Japanese market-survey firm Oricon. It’s the fastest-selling book in the Oricon chart’s nearly three-year history, breaking the previous record set by the 60th volume of One Piece, which sold more than 2 million copies in four days. [Anime News Network]
Retailing | Heidi MacDonald talks to Dave Bowen, Diamond’s director of digital distribution, about the newly announced deal with iVerse Media that will allow retailers to sell digital comics in their stores: “The retailer will login using their Diamond retailer login and be presented with the opportunity to create store-specific, item-specific codes in whatever quantities they need. Then we’ll use some approved cryptographically secure method to generate random codes for the retailer to use. And we’ll format those in a PDF which they can then print out. Likely what will happen is, it’ll print easily on Avery 30-up laser labels. So what you have is a sheet of Avery laser labels with a bunch of different books and codes on individual labels. In that case the retailer takes that material and secures it and then when someone wants Transformers #16 they simply ring the sale and give the label or sticker or cut-out to the consumer. [...] It’s really very simple. Then the consumer that has that code, which is live, they could literally step out of the line, pull out their iphone or ipad or whatever other device and redeem the code and begin reading the material.” Meanwhile, Todd Allen dissects what he describes as “a particularly silly digital download scheme.” [The Beat, Indignant Online]
Tokyo tightens restrictions on sexual manga, anime
As expected, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on Wednesday passed a controversial bill to further restrict the sale or rental to minors of manga and anime containing “extreme” depictions of sexual acts.
The amendment to the Youth Healthy Development Ordinance, which already prohibits the sale of “harmful publications” to anyone under the age of 18, also calls for the industry to self-regulate by toning down content designed for general release.
Requirements for self-regulation and restrictions on sales will take effect on April 1 and July 1, respectively. The amended ordinance includes a non-binding clause stating that the city government will carefully consider a work’s artistic and social merits in the evaluation process. According to BBC News, publishers, studios and retailers who break the law face fines of up to 300,000 yen (about $3,575).
The bill has generated strong opposition from publishers and creators. On Friday 10 Japanese publishers, including including Kadokawa Shoten, Shueisha, Shogakukan and Kodansha, announced they will boycott next year’s Tokyo International Anime Fair, sponsored by the Tokyo government.
Comics A.M. | Tokyo’s anti-loli bill lives, a bookstore apocalypse may loom
Lolicon
Legal | The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly is resurrecting a revised bill to tighten regulations on the sexual depictions of minors in manga, anime and video games. An earlier version of the controversial proposal was voted down in mid-June. The new bill removes vague defining terms like “nonexistent youth” and reportedly avoids references to “characters younger than 18,” increasing the likelihood that the proposed legislation will pass. [Anime News Network]
Retailing | As the small independent retail chain Joseph-Beth Booksellers files for bankruptcy protection, its president warns of even tougher times ahead for bookstores. “I think in the next three to five years, you’ll see half the bookstores in this country close,” Neil Van Uum says. [Lexington Herald-Leader, via ICv2.com]
Awards | The Webcomics List Awards is accepting nominations until Dec. 20. Winners will be announced on Jan. 31. [via Forbidden Planet International]
NYCC ’10 | Stan Lee teaming with Japanese rock star for motion comic
X Japan
One day everyone will have a comic book created by or with Stan Lee. Following the news from this past weekend that Lee is working with the NHL, MTV and 1821 Pictures on new projects, GalleyCat reports that Lee will team with Yoshiki, co-founder of the Japanese band X Japan, on a motion comic featuring a superhero based on the singer.
Yoshiki is doing the music for the project, while Lee will do “whatever else needs to be done,” he said at the New York Comic-Con.
X Japan, a metal band founded in the early 1980s by Yoshiki and Toshimitsu “Toshi” Deyama, has sold over 30 million records and sold out the Tokyo Dome 18 times. After disbanding in 1997, the group reunited in 2007 for an Asian tour, and their first North American tour kicked off late last month. They plan to release their first studio album in more than a decade next year.
The Fifth Color | The Kyoto International Manga Museum
Imagine your elementary school, if your elementary school was filled with comics.
Filled with them, from floor to ceiling, all in alphabetic order, to simply remove from the shelves and read to your heart’s content. Books all the way back from the 1940’s, comics you can only see in reprints or expensive collections, and no one scolds you for daring to get your fingers on something expensive or for reading for too long. Some magical school where you can read comics from 10am until 6pm (admissions close at 5:30).
I have seen the future and, unsurprisingly, it’s in Japan. My tens of readers (Hi Mom!) might have noticed a short absence from my musing duties here at The Fifth Color, and I am proud to report to you that I took a short trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, mostly to get rid of some of that fat Comic Shop Employee cash you just get laying about from selling comics all day. Secondly, to enjoy the adventure of traveling somewhere that wasn’t the San Diego Comic Con, to live where hot dogs are for breakfast and waffles are a dinner dessert. To see the great green expanses, to marvel at historical landmarks and to fly at 150mph on a bullet train. To have a public toilet entertain me with music.
When the Kyoto International Manga Museum was but a short walk from my hotel, there was no way I could resist.
The gum must be made of Kryptonite
Pink Tentacle shares an awesome series of posters “that appeared in the Tokyo subways between 1976 and 1982.” They offer riders etiquette lessons and reminders, and feature a wide variety of pop culture icons — including Superman, Astro Boy, John Wayne, Santa Claus and Jesus, among others.
Found object: Bootleg Batman cards
Not your father's Batman cards
Translator and Tokyo-dweller Matt Alt ran across some cool unlicensed Batman trading cards recently in a toy shop, and when he turned them over, the images on the back were even cooler.
Introducing Monkey D. Luffy, supermodel
Men’s Non-No magazine
One Piece‘s Monkey D. Luffy is the protagonist of the bestselling manga ever and the star of a television series, nine feature films and 27 video games, plus light novels, art books and — well, the list goes on.
Is there anything he can’t do? Apparently not, as this week Luffy adds fashion model to his resume.
Anime Vice reports that he’ll appear on the cover of the new issue of Shueisha’s Men’s Non-No fashion magazine, illustrated by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda. It’s the first time the 24-year-old publication has showcased a manga/anime character and the first time Oda has illustrated a cover for a non-manga magazine.
Other members of the Straw Hat Pirates, as portrayed by real models, will be featured inside.
Since One Piece debuted in 1997, the 55 volumes (and counting) of the comedy-adventure have sold a combined 176 million copies — 14.7 million this year alone. For a little perspective on that 2009 figure, I’ll turn you over to blogger David Brothers.
Gigantor to guard Wakamatsu Park in Kobe, Japan
Gigantor statue in Kobe, Japan
The Mainichi Daily News reports on the construction of a statue of Tetsujin 28-go, or Gigantor, as he’s known in the states, in Kobe, Japan. The statue was dedicated this past Sunday.
Japan one-ups everybody (again) with erotic Obama comic
Obama and friends, from “My Neighbor Taro-kun”
Savage Dragon and Barack Obama? Old news. Spider-Man and the president? Pfft. Kids’ stuff.
Japan pushes past the Spandex and slugfests — and, apparently, boundaries — with Tonari no Taro-kun (“My Neighbor Taro-kun”), an erotic manga starring Prime Minister Taro Aso. Hence the title.
But the February issue of My Neighbor Taro-kun features a very special guest: a dead ringer for U.S. President Obama. If I’m not mistaken, er-Obama is flanked in the panel at the right by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and possibly Sen. John McCain. Or Ron Howard; it could go either way.
According to Gia Manry, the gist of the issue is that Taro-kun gets “a black neighbor who calls for change.” Judging from these scans from Sankaku Complex — not safe for work, but probably not as bad as you imagine — he wants a little more than change.
Manry also points out the artist draws er-Obama with a dot (or Urna) on his forehead, a symbol of enlightment or wisdom often seen in depictions of Buddha. Cue another round of those “Chosen One” comments … now.
Spider-Man: ‘The man who saved Toei’s heroes’
From Toei Company's "Spider-Man"
Spurred by Marvel.com’s streaming of episodes from Toei Company’s 1978 Spider-Man TV series, Matt Alt dusts off his translation of the show’s origins — courtesy of liner notes that accompanied a Soul of Chogokin toy, naturally:
Even though Toei added their own original elements — such as Spiderman’s powers originating from “Planet Spider” rather than a radioactive spider and the introduction of the “Iron Cross Army” as his sworn enemy — they respected the original’s portrayal of Spiderman as a less than perfect hero, as symbolized by the show’s ending theme. There were also no shortage of episodes with a pessimistic mood. But Toei ensured a balance by putting a spectacular climax in every episode: the appearance of the giant robot Leopaldon. The catharsis of Spiderman’s bug-eyed monster enemies getting blown into smithereens by Leopaldon’s explosive attacks was, at times, a much-needed stress valve for viewers subjected to thirty minutes of somber and stressful drama.
Nothing relieves stress like blowing up bug-eyed monsters. There’s more at the link, of course.
Spider-Man and his giant robot fight evil in Japan
Marvel.com has started posting episodes of the 1970s Spider-Man TV show from Japan. Gasp and marvel as Spider-Man rides around in a flying Mach 5 and teams with Voltron to fight the evil Iron Cross Army.
The first episode, titled “The Time of Revenge Has Come! Beat Down the Iron Cross Group!” is available now, with more to come each Thursday.