XPost: rec.arts.anime.misc   
   From: warewolfmypants@shaw.ca   
      
   Ping Kuo  wrote in   
   news:020320071444579555%removeantispam*pkuo@earthlink.net:   
      
   > In article , Warewolf   
   >  wrote:   
   >   
   >> This is probably trivial but I like to think that there are comics   
   >> and/or manga available for everybody - that if someone wants to read   
   >> a (heroic) success story, watch a powerful tale of tragedy and   
   >> revenge unfold or simply smirk at the tribulations of a giant teenage   
   >> girl trying to make her way through an ordinary high school, they're   
   >> a shelf or bagged/bargain bin away.  The problem, aside from some   
   >> language/translation barriers, is that not all of the 'better books'   
   >> get the required shelf space and/or exposure once they're   
   >> printed/delivered.   
   >   
   > which, explained the previlance of pirated scanlation on the net, and   
   > it is liked a two headed snake that feed on itself, the more   
   > scanlation, the less likely the publishers will go for fringe titles,   
   > the less titles, the more likely there would be scanlation.   
      
   For what it's worth, I didn't download too many of those scanned   
   comics/manga (or keep them for very long), partly because I preferred to   
   purchase the pulp versions I enjoyed and partly because I wasn't sure if   
   those weren't simply another boring chatfest, tentacle orgy or homage to   
   'super-bullshit'.   
      
   Then again, that skepticisim could add fuel to the idea of researching   
   what scenes and character types appeal to certain niche audiances and   
   promoting properties that cater to those interests. (or am I blowing   
   smoke again?)   
      
   > really, the only legal solution, beside reform the industry, is to   
   > learn another language and cut off the middleman,   
      
   It's an idea but, for some readers, that's not really an option. ^_^;   
      
   >> Even I will admit that I've passed over books that didn't 'meet my   
   >> expectations' because they didn't feature enough magic use or girls   
   >> being gagged...but every once in a while, I'll take another look at   
   >> those 'boring titles' and find a surprisingly good story behind the   
   >> artwork.   
   >   
   > for people who don't follow comic/manga religiously, words of mouth on   
   > the internet is still a pretty good way to judge a title, only if we   
   > have a centralized wiki site that will do review/ranking like IMDB,   
   > since the posters are quite spread out among various commercial sites   
   > and scan group sites, usenet, to tell the truth, is actually lagging   
   > behind on this.  (not enough sample sizes)   
      
   Would you care to post some examples?   
      
   It would be wonderous if these sites allowed visitors to search for   
   certain genres (ie books with giantess stories), particularly since the   
   saying that you can't judge a book by its cover can apply heavily to some   
   titles.   
      
   > wiki, in a way, has many detail information of various popular manga,   
   > and I suppose, comic titles, but not personal   
   > ranking/opinions/reviews.   
      
   I'll give it another try although i didn't find its search engine as   
   efficient as most of the others. (ie Google, AltaVista, etc.)   
      
   >> We could all offer suggestions on how to improve the various   
   >> industries,   
   >   
   > short of bankruptcy there is no way comic industry will change, and as   
   > long as they got their profit from movie right deals to make up for   
   > the loss in book sales, it won't happen,  (for starter, let the artist   
   > hold the right, not publisher/studio.)   
      
   Still, there are some web comics available (ie 'The Wotch', 'Jack' at   
   pholph.com) that may tie the average viewer over until the 'inevitable   
   revolution' occurs. (although, again, your mileage may vary)   
      
   > manga, on the other hand, all it takes is time, they are overflowing   
   > the market w/ titles, and once they reach the saturation point, the   
   > market will self correct and only the good/popular titles will   
   > survive,   
      
   If you say so...although one can wonder how many underdog titles are   
   available.   
      
   >> of course - maybe that next giant robot manga or time travel epic   
   >> will be a great success - but I also think that we could better   
   >> promote the niche titles that are already available.  Would anyone   
   >> like to mention the types of stories and scenes they're looking for   
   >> in a comic/manga or would that provide more trouble than benefits?   
   >   
   > if you are talking about genre, then there are a whole bunch of them   
   > in Japan that will never make it in US, in fact, the last few major   
   > one that has some potentials in making it are Sports and Mystery, I   
   > certainly don't think Cooking, Mahjong, Golf, OL, Salaryman, and Info   
   > manga got a chance at all, hmm, scratch that, cooking might work if   
   > they go for unrealistic shonen titles.   
      
   Well, there are a few 'educational series' here in NA (ie Scott McCloud's   
   'Comics' series, Sandwalk Adventures, Cartoon History of the Universe;   
   Phil Foglio's 'What's New') that gained their own fans and were   
   entertaining in their own right.   
      
   But what I was talking about, in a way, were issues and series that   
   entertained their audiance(s) in more ways than one - they went beyond   
   the cliches of each genre and provided the reader(s) with something   
   meaningful, if not memorable.   
      
   For example, a 'funny animal' series called 'Cutey Bunny' offered more   
   than a medicore story about a superheroic rabbit and her friends - it   
   placed references to various topics in its backgrounds that garnered a   
   second (if not a third) read through...and an underground 'adult' book   
   called 'Stupendous Gal', in spite of its cornball writing, dealt with   
   hypnosis in a clever manner.  The characters 'knew' they were in a comic   
   book and the writers ran with the idea producing an enjoyable experience   
   for the viewer.   
      
   If there are individual issues or series of comics/manga that cater to   
   fans of giant girls or female robots, among other fetishistic examples,   
   while still maintaining its penchant for brilliant writing or 'wacky   
   hijinks' then it would pay to promote their sale/import to a hungry yet   
   skeptical public.   
      
   (And, who knows, maybe titles like Captain Jack will show the WB how   
   Looney Tunes remakes can be done?) *shrug*   
      
   > I am about to read a manga, about a guy who travel on various railroad   
   > (train otaku) to sample unique train station bento (food otaku) and   
   > local scenery (travel otaku), talk about a title that will do well in   
   > Japan since it targets many cross sections, and I expect this type of   
   > manga in US will do as good as Pawnshop manga or living on Antarctica   
   > manga, meaning zero, nada.   
      
   You could be right but then, if compilations like Heavy Metal are any   
   indication, one never knows what will appeal to an alternate audiance.   
   *shrug*   
      
   (Or did I just shoot myself in the foot?)   
      
   > beside, there are already many big name titles that fail in US, 3x3   
   > Eyes, City Hunter, Patlabor, Urusei Yatsura, any Mitsuru Adachi, etc,   
      
   Mind you, one can wonder if that was the fault of the translator rather   
   than the (altered?) content.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)