Forum - View topicANNCast - The Rise and Fall of Anime Insider
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walw6pK4Alo
 Posts: 9322 |
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But that's why ANN and other sites were already infinitely more useful, with instant news. I think I read Anime Insider for the novelty of it. Still, had it continued to exist, those who keep up religiously with legal streams would feel exactly the same as I did. Do you think the magazine would have had to change focus to reflect on the new manner in which fans watch, start covering the brand new from Japan because it was all honky-dory to do so instead of that "What's Hot in Japan" side blip? |
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TitanXL
 Posts: 4036 |
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You just described why print and television media is becoming obsolete in favor of internet format in general.
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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Honestly, due to the lead times on print, it'd have likely just failed anyway. Unless they were giving us, say, Attack on Titan 2 months before airing (when it likely isn't even close to being ready) then we can't really provide any particularly interesting preview material. The Preview Guide is the most popular piece of editorial on this site due to the nature of it generally keeping up with the pace at which fans consume anime now (preview airing fansubs notwithstanding) and it simply wouldn't be possible in print. It just wasn't meant to be, with the pace of modern fandom. |
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RyanSaotome
 Posts: 4210 Location: Towson, Maryland |
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Which in the end is what killed them. Most anime fans follow anime far more indepth than just R1 releases, so having a magazine that doesn't feature new anime is ignoring too much of the fanbase. |
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Hiro94
 Posts: 299 |
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Zac what is your opinion on Otaku Usa?Have you ever met any of the guys who work on that?If I remember correctly they came out during the summer of 2007 and are suprisingly still going.
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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1. Clearly didn't listen to the podcast as the reason for the magazine's end was explained in full and this had nothing to do with it 2. Ignoring the actual information in order to further personal agenda I get it that you guys don't want to listen to the show or whatever, but please don't just literally make shit up. The facts are clear. |
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Scottius
Posts: 4 |
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Kind of made me nostalgic for the glory days of anime magazines listening to this. Back then I'd get Animerica, Animerica Extra, Newtype USA when it came along and sometimes Anime Insider (including those early Anime Invasion issues)
Animerica I collected and read and re-read. Hands down my personal favorite anime magazine. Newtype was pretty to look at but hollow. Anime Insider I recall reading the issues once and then tossing as disposable. I never really cared for the entire Wizard line of magazines myself. I still have a box with my Animerica's and Animerica Extra was the first manga I ever collected save for a couple of volumes of Ranma 1/2 and a Street Fighter Manga Viz released way back when. |
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poonk
 Posts: 1490 Location: In the Library with Philip |
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OMG it's utterly tragic that Neko Case was ruined for anyone because she is a freakin' fantastic singer/musician...
Fangirling aside, I think I've subscribed to pretty much every anime magazine that available from 2004 on... that includes Animerica, Anime Insider and NewType USA until they died, and currently Otaku USA. I remember enjoying Anime Insider's voice compared to NewType USA, especially. To the writing staff of AI, even if you personally felt stifled at being unable to express any sort of criticism, suffice it to say that I definitely sensed your individual personalities and feelings for various series-- so while I liked NTUSA for the big glossy pics of stuff we in the US hadn't seen yet, Anime Insider had the veiled snarky comments and commentary that told me if I'd really enjoy said show. |
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Henry Jones
 Posts: 97 Location: Nebraska |
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Ah, memories. I was an AI intern (Joe whose name randomly got misspelled and who worked there for the better part of 2005), and yeah, the place was really...... unique. For instance, to expand on the phantom toilet guy, I remember the day when they REALLY had to do something about it. The janitor was ready to quit because that morning there was a message discovered in the bathroom that was written in the author's own fecal matter...... Yeah.....
I'm just glad it wasn't me being a terrible employee being the reason why everyone seemed to be crazy and/or grumpy all the time I was around them, though I'm sure at times I didn't help. If I could just get a writing assignment and write it, I would be fine. But I had social rough edges, my knowledge in practical matters needed severe work, and I was running around with undiagnosed adult ADHD that was unknowingly making me do things where I'm sure people were thinking, "This guy has flashes of intelligence. Why is he so damn stupid?!" At least I now know why Andrew always had that, "I'm hiding the desire to punch you" smile whenever I was listening to my headphones when he came to see me. Oh well, I could do things like when people who legally changed their names to Wolf Princess couldn't get their work of three pages of small print in on time (surprise surprise), I could write up the whole damn thing in 8 hours, so I at least had that going. And I had an Otakon interview with a voice actor roundtable that couldn't be used because everyone but Vic Mignogna was completely hammered. The magazine's "Positive EVERYTHING!!!" attitude bothered me a little bit because I came from an analytical writing background, but I understood it. One corner of magazines is about affirming your hobbies or interests. Before there was the Internet, you didn't always have this group you could go to who shared your interests. I'm from the middle of Nebraska. Nobody I was around understands anime beyond crazy Japanese cartoons, and when they tried, you had to do the best feigned smile and nod. Like when my mom brought me a Beyblade coloring book from Paris. Magazines served that role of, "Hey, we like this stuff, too! We affirm your interests and encourage them!" and from that end, I could get where it was coming from. Still, I was once made to say positive things about Maburabo. I think I started winning poker games after that because if I could do that, my poker face had to have been boosted 10 levels. That series hurt so much, my brain turned itself to stone just so it wouldn't have to experience the pain of processing Maburabo. I don't know what unique experiences I can share from being an intern. Aside from the monthly "these are kind of filler article" portions of the magazine, I wrote for the website nobody probably ever looked at and wrote about the stuff that couldn't get coverage in the magazine. Manwah, really mediocre copies of other, better shows, and occasionally trojan horsing my own obscure shows nobody probably cared about. Spotlights on Galaxy Railways, Victorian Romance Emma, and the Texhnolyze soundtrack? Oh yeah! I distinctly remember the month Zac left when he stopped caring because all of my website work on his last day went into the trash without even being looked at, and I promptly pulled them out, gave them a once-over, and put them in the web guy's posting bin. He was one of those Wizard guys who had no idea about anything anime and he never asked questions. I was always kind of segregated from the rest of the Anime Insider crew because I was put in the intern pen. It started out in the closet next to InQuest where we worked on those beaten up, egg-shaped iMacs whose processing sound resembled two ball bearings having a DBZ fight. Random note: An editor at InQuest had porn as his desktop wallpaper on his work computer. It was a lot of, "So, do you like things?" conversation and then eventually disappearing into my music collection as I did work. Then I was moved into the Wizard bullpen with the Wizard editors because the InQuest editors needed the closet space for themselves. The Wizard guys were nice enough, but once again, we didn't really have much to discuss. Except baseball. I could at least chat baseball, and even got to play in a softball game against people at Marvel comics in Central Park. And despite my life of failure in the art of baseball/softball, I had my one good hitting day. Eventually, they moved me to an intern space in an unused room upstairs where I felt constantly uncomfortable, my computer was always breaking down, and the one intern I was paired with would sing along to all of his music, make ungodly amounts of noise, and then get on my case about being too noisy. That's around when Andrew pulled me aside and told me my internship could go no further. It was a ride. Not always a fun one, but I learned from it in sometimes very harsh lessons. I'd like to thank Kara for being the unsung hero who would slip me freelance work the 6 months I was unemployed before I got into the field I'm in today, which is directing broadcast news. I will say Wizard got me in the habit of being able to handle crazy, arbitrary decisions by management, which happens a lot more in TV news than you'd imagine. |
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clawfinger
 Posts: 38 Location: Illinois |
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I would love to hear more stories about the office life in general. There is always funny stories to be shared.
Shame that both guests seemed to have some connection issues as their sound quality was low. The guy needs a new phone as well. |
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Arsenette
 Posts: 175 |
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Thanks for the podcast. When you deal with stuff that's both painful and informative I find it more fascinating to hear. Most of the magazine stuff was in the periphery for me because half the time I'd read them in a newsstand waiting for a bus or someone's subscription since I couldn't afford it back then. I know the industry has changed drastically however it's sad to hear about the story of management not even knowing how to deal with the anime industry. Props to you guys for trying so hard. I hate corporate America sometimes for making a bad situation already worse by not giving you the resources. Also finally had a chance to hear Zac's background and I somehow missed it before. Explains a lot actually.
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wintersnowgust
Posts: 9 |
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Jeez, it's just like a corporate machine anymore. One interview with one dead company after another. It use to be more casual and good like AnimeWorldOrder [http://www.awopodcast.com]. I actually found AWO through ANNCast.
I miss the way things were probably a year or few ago... Eh well... |
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Arsenette
Posts: 175 |
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There's been an interest of both the readership and ANNCast to remember those who were in the anime rise and fall. Especially when key people are dying.. it's good to know what their contributions and the downfall of the industry was if nothing else to not repeat the past. I'm all for history honestly. Those who don't like history are doomed to repeat it. Personally I like hearing this stuff. |
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Lord Geo
Posts: 2545 Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey |
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Agreed. I can understand people not caring about the past, but I don't see how these kinds of episodes are like a "corporate machine". Zac is simply feeling that these stories about different parts of the anime industry are worth getting recorded into a form that people can continually look back to for a while, helping give this industry a shape & history to it that most fans wouldn't know of. If learning about the past of an industry you enjoy is being part of the "corporate machine" then I guess I'm just another cog, and I'm fine with that. I enjoy the simple conversation between people as much as the next person, but these history lessons are just as cool in their own way. |
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Agent355
 Posts: 5113 Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready... |
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I haven't listened to the podcast yet, but I have to chime in because I LOVED Anime Insider. I'm a lifelong magazine fan (hey, magazines, even niche hobby ones, aren't dead...it's just a flesh wound!) I grew up reading everything from The New York Times Sunday Magazine to Disney Adventures and the late, great Nickelodeon, so I was quite used to the "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" editorial policy with delicious snark and humor on the sidelines.
I got into anime around 2004. I was away at school with limited access to the internet or TV (don't ask) and Anime Insider became my go-to source for everything anime and fun. I wish I had subscribed and kept the issues rather than getting them from the library, because I would still love to read the letters column (somebody once wrote in about naming their kid after an anime character!), joke/filler articles (remember the "versus" feature? I'll never forget the Ranma vs. Kyo from Fruits Basket fight!) and all those wonderful word balloons above the anime pictures, toys and figurines in the magazine. I always thought that working at a magazine would be the most fun job. Maybe not. But you guys made it look like so much fun through the magazine and brought that joy to readers. I want to comment more after listening. Right now I'm wondering what happened at the demises of Nickelodeon Magazine and Shojo Beat and all the people who worked on them. Man, Shojo Beat was so great (the gothic lolita clothing ads! The DIY crafts and recipe columns I never tried! The art and fanart and Junko Mizuno's illustrations for the horoscopes, NANA!) If you could do a podcast on that one... 
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