Forum - View topicShould we cover your "Manga" ?
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Tempest
 I Run this place.ANN Publisher  Posts: 10420 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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ANN gets a lot of e-mail from American publishers putting out what they call "manga."
We've strictly defined manga as "comic books from Japan." Since we're not convinced that there is a single unifying style throughout manga, the only thing that defines it, is the fact that it's from Japan. Of course, there are various common manga styles, and it's possible that an American artist can mimic certain common features of manga, both visual and storyline, in order to create something that will appeal to manga fans. In other words, we don't feel that "amerimanga" is inherently inferior to manga. Although so far, most ameri-manga has been... not up to spec when compared to professionally published Japanese manga. This leaves us (ANN) open to writing about Amerimanga, but skeptical of each title we receive. Today I got yet another e-mail from an amerimanga publisher, and this is the e-mail I shot them back:
-t |
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Kagemusha
 Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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Which I totally agree with. If we were living in Japan, perhapse I would agree with calling it manga, in the same way that I think it's fine to call manga "Japanese comics" in the US. If you want to call it manga, ok, but like tempest pointed out, to justify calling it manga by claiming that is uses the "manga style" would be stupid because there is no single manga style. I also agree with you observations on the Ameri-manga market. There really isn't alot of quality stuff being done right now, but there are some gems out there. I tend to be more interested in comics that are published by comicbook companies that are influenced by manga. Blue Monday, The Dirty Pair and Love as a Foreign Language are all quality comics, and they don't try to sell themselves as manga either. |
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Patachu
Past ANN Contributor
 Posts: 1325 Location: San Diego |
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Then how come eigoManga press releases keep cropping up on the site?
Anyway, I can't stop anyone from applying the geographic definition of manga, if that makes the logistics of things easier. I'd say something else but that's a rant for another day. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15306 |
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If the company actually wants to promote it and gives you free samples, then sure. If they're stingy, then they're on their own.
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abunai
Old Regular
 Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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I am unfavourably impressed at the degree of moral relativism implicit in this statement. You have a shining career ahead of you in the U.S. State Department. - abunai |
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smutchi
Posts: 189 |
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I don't really understand this kind of definition either. Maybe you can explain it to me, because there are also a lot of different comic styles and nobody would say that the only thing that defines a comic, is the fact that it's from the US. Or would you say a pizza is only a pizza if it's from Italy? Soccer isn't soccer if played in Asia? What I want to say is that it's a bit problematic to define something by its origin today... There's also the difference that we all here know the term for a "japanese comic" (manga) but not everyone knows the term for a "french comic" or whatever. |
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Kagemusha
Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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What we're saying is that manga is simply the Japanese word for "graphic fiction", whereas many people believe that it's a word used to describe a specific style of comic originating from Japan. To try to lump all manga into a single style is impossible: just compare the works of Yuu Watase, Jiro Tanaguchi and Taiyo Matsumoto to name a just a few very diffrent artists/writers. Many people seem to think that manga is all big eyes and screentones, and thus try to emulate that common style and claim it's manga. Because there are so many variations of it, it's difficult to name elements that all manga possess, which is why I would limit the term to a geographical description. I'm not against people calling amerimanga "true manga", just like I'm not against people calling manga "Japanese comics". I'd just like for people to learn that the medium is far more diverse than the current American market makes it appear. As for the French comics thing, keep in mind that back in the 80's and most of the 90's manga was, for the most part, known as "Japanese comics". I'm guessing the reason that companies started calling it by the original name was when anime fans really started getting into manga and wanted something "authentic". Tokyopop's success with this marketing made everyone open their eyes, and now just about everyone who's into graphic fiction, both anime and comicbook fans, know the term and use it.
 Do I smell a debate like the WW2 one you guys humored us with not so long ago?
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qollocust
 Posts: 182 Location: Philadelphia |
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I think a good compromise would be if an exceptionally good North American title came along that would appeal to the anime and manga fanbase, then go ahead and write about it. However, if you recieve under par titles, don't mention them. Personally, I probably wouldn't go out and purchase american titles on my own, but if I heard from other manga fans that a certain american title was good and would appeal to me as a fan of "insert japanese series here", then I would consider it. I'm also becoming a bit of an annoying purist though and insist only on things from Japan, haha. So it all depends on the specific series I suppose. |
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CorneredAngel
 Posts: 854 Location: New York, NY |
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My personal position on this - as an ANN reader, not as a staff member - is that anime and manga *are* defined solely by where they are produced, not by what style they are produced in, and ANN is specifically an anime/manga site, not a 'worldwide animation and comics' site. Therefore, while I wouldn't be opposed to a sub-site or subsection of ANN that covers Amerimanga/manga-style comics, I *would* be opposed to treating these the same way as we do our Japanese titles, e.g., including them in the encyclopedia, review archive, and release database, unless we also explicitly identify them as *not* manga.
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.Sy
Posts: 1266 |
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Well, ANN does have manhwa titles listed even if they aren't reviewed or put in the news. But I do agree that this isn't an international comics site, so Amerimanga shouldn't be reviewed or put on the news regulary. So far, I haven't read any titles that I'd consider buying, although we'll see once Bizenghast comes out. Technically, anime/manga is defined in most areas around the world as from Japan. A comic with manga-style art doesn't neccesarily make a manga, so I say no, don't bother covering them unless they have significant popularity. The definition could be expanded, but I'd still prefer to have Japanese manga and anime as a first priority here. The site seems to be busy adding titles as it is.
Last edited by .Sy on Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:56 am; edited 1 time in total |
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sts9
 Posts: 33 Location: Everywhere nice |
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#1) It should be covered, but only if they read from right to left
(okay, #1 was just a joke) #2) There is a clear difference between American comic art & Japanese comic art. If American (or any) artist is mimicing this style, I really don't think the definiton should only include art being produced in Japan. Look at history, is a pizza only a pizza when it's in Italy? ...or should I called it Ameripizza? So in conclusion, once American manga gains more recognition & is carried in anime/manga shops around America, I do think it would make sense to feature these professional manga-style comics. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Allow me to quote myself, with some slight revisions:
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radicaledward
 Posts: 776 |
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I would have to agree with the growing consensus that manga is defined as a graphic novel from Japan, or if you want to be a bit more liberal with the definition (so that manhwa could be included) it could be defined as a graphic novel of Asian origin.
As has been noted by some others, there is no defined style that could be held up and called the “The” manga style – there is variation between the manga so that some include screen tones as part of the art, and others have none at all. As such, the style of art should not be what determines if something is manga or not (however, that means that Megatokyo needs to be removed from the encyclopedia). The only gray area that I might see with the above definition would be if an Asian artist immigrated to West and began publishing here, however, that would have to be a (rare) case-by-case basis. |
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Nani?
 Posts: 632 |
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I would widen it to include Mahwa perhaps right now. I also think that definition should always open to reinterptation.
Agreed. But at the same time I don't think it's being inherintly inferior. I think it's more of a case of Japanese Jazz Musican in 20's or 30's or the first Americans to study martial arts during the occupation. They don't know "tricks of the trade" or the have same experiences the "natives" have. However, that doesn't mean they can't learn or teach themselves. It doesn't mean we possibly can't figure out some ways even to surpass the Japanese. However, right now, we need to show we are in the Major Leagues. I don't think we've done it. As for your current policy, it might not be a bad idea to very occasionally make an exception on a case by case basis by including articles/interviews on extremely notable Americans in the field of "Ameri-manga". I would not do it on the basis of an agent trying to promote something. I would do it because a particular person has become particularly notable stature by general acclaim or infamy or is a notable American comics figure works with a Japanese artist. Examples in the former catagory would include Fred Gallager (perhaps the only current example) of what I mean. In the latter catagory I'd include the Neil Gaiman/Sandman special with a Japanese Artist a few years back. I would not include information on Amerimanga in the encyclopdia, period.
I think you should have a prepared, written statement, basically saying when you've shown you have the following, you'll have earned an exeption and then we'll cover it. Until then, prove yourself. Being currently involved with such a project myself and coming it from the opposite side of the fence, in some ways I'd definately push for any free publicity I could get. In the end though, I want to earn my place on my own merits. All the Best, Nani? |
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Alchemist449
 Posts: 341 Location: LED ZEPPELIN! nuf said |
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Whats wrong with calling amerimanga comics? Sandman was great and it didn't need to cash in on popular trends. The only good comic in that style to come out of america and to hit the mainstream is Mega Tokyo which acts a lot more like a self parody than anything else (Also read Genshiken for a manga that goes into Otakudom). My point is that whats wrong with being American?
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