More on ADV’s Existence, Tokyopop OEL

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ADV Insists It’s Not an Ex-Publisher

At the end of May, there was some discussion as to whether ADV Manga still existed. Now, Brigid talks to Chris Oarr (link no longer available), and the answer comes back “we’re still selling books, but we’re not doing anything new (including the much-in-demand Yotsuba&! 6) and we’re not reprinting.”

Does that really count as still alive? That’s just selling off the backstock. Of course, they have to say “no, no, we’re a going concern” or people would start dumping their line. I’m thinking that I might should get the Yotsuba&! 3 I’m missing sooner rather than later. When the best a spokesperson can say is “we’re sorting everything out” and “our core business is anime”, I don’t have a lot of faith in the long haul. It’s bizarre to me that people are viewing these non-statements as proof that the company’s still in good shape.

Update: gia finds (link no longer available) that ADV is selling off a bunch of office equipment and wildly speculates. I hope she’s right, that we do hear something more after Anime Expo next weekend. Then Chris Oarr responded that it’s just an auction of surplus material. He’s very good at seeming to answer questions without actually saying much. I admire his skill.

The State of Tokyopop’s OEL Manga

Tokyopop’s had a bunch of bad news and changed plans; now Newsarama runs down the status of the existing OEL titles. Of the ones I cared about that haven’t already finished, Steady Beat won’t see print unless the creator successfully recaptures her rights, but we already knew that.

Fool’s Gold won’t have a conclusion, leaving the characters in limbo. The author sounds like she agrees with the decision not to end the series. She’s now working for DC. No one seems to know about Off*Beat, which doesn’t bode well.

Also, according to the Newsarama piece, Lindsay Cibos (Peach Fuzz) is the new penciler on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, with Tania del Rio just scripting (instead of drawing as well). I wonder what happened there?

When a few more years have passed, I wonder if OEL Manga will be remembered at all? Even the best of the line were hampered by endings that, in my opinion, weren’t as strong as they should have been. (I have hopes that Steady Beat will still prove me wrong.) The books aren’t likely to be kept in print over the long run, what with the publisher sort of bailing on the concept now. It’s been a useful stepping stone to many of the creators, but that was a side effect of the experience, not the books. I suspect they’ll be forgotten the same way DC New Talent Showcase was or early APA work in another generation.



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