Twilight Manga Announced
Posted in Manga News on July 17, 2009 by JohannaPutting out a Twilight manga is a perfect combination for the teen girl target audience. No specific release date has been announced, but publisher Yen Press should have a huge hit, especially if they can get it out around the July 2010 date of the third movie. (I’m guessing November of this year, when the second film, New Moon, is due, is too soon.)
Art is by Korean artist Young Kim, which makes me think it will be left-to-right, which will make it an easier read for much of the American audience. This guess is backed up by the original news post referring to the project using the term “graphic novel”.
Many comic/manga fans are dismayed, since they hate the novels, but they also acknowledge this is a great business decision for the company. The big question is, as always, will this translate into additional comic or manga readers? Other popular franchises (Buffy, for example, or some of the science fiction titles) have found that while fans will buy more adventures of their favorites in illustrated format, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re willing to buy other comics. Also, this Twilight project sounds like an adaptation, so fans may feel that they already know the story. (That didn’t harm the movie, but there’s an additional thrill from *seeing* the characters you’ve envisioned.)
Many purchases of this will likely happen in bookstores, so they don’t necessarily have a reason to encourage the customers to try other graphic novels or manga. Melinda Beasi is more optimistic.
If by some reason you’re not already familiar with Twilight, Lucy Knisley has a wonderful comic strip about her experience becoming addicted to the series. Then she drew very funny short summaries of each book.
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07/17/2009 at 12:00 pm
“Many purchases of this will likely happen in bookstores, so they don’t necessarily have a reason to encourage the customers to try other graphic novels or manga.”
Ah, no you see… that’s the perfect upsell in a bookstore. You put Twilight novels on a display with some of the new graphic novels, then a sign that says, “If you loved Twilight, you’ll love these!” with volumes of things like Vampire Knight, etc. Once the kiddies are hooked on a series they’ll keep coming back for more.
We had a ton of displays this Spring and Summer with graphic novels. “After the Watchmen, what’s next?” lots of Wolverine tables, and so on. They did really well.
07/17/2009 at 12:20 pm
Let me explain more what I was thinking: Any good store will upsell. But in a comic store, what they’ll upsell is something in comic format. In a bookstore, they might include some of the many vampire manga, but they might also put out Anne Rice novels or the original Twilight novels or even the movie DVDs. They aren’t constrained by the format as much. Of course, they might take your store’s approach, too, which would be neat.
Glad to hear that your store did well with other graphic novels.
07/17/2009 at 2:39 pm
Ah, I see your point. I think I was visualizing it terms of our store – we have the Twilight books and the manga section on different floors, so any display with the Twilight graphic novel would probably be manga focused. I imagine not all stores would operate like that. We generally keep our different genres/formats/sections seperate – it makes it easier to find things. (Though I occasionally sneak Neil Gaiman or Terry Pratchett dvds down to the sci fi/fantasy section. They sell well down there.)
I suppose with so many bookstores being part of a chain it’s harder to do the kind of displays you’re thinking of – so much of that is mandated by head office that you have to depend on individual store managers to a) free up the space and b) give employees the freedom to be creative.
07/17/2009 at 4:14 pm
I just want to say that I can’t believe Twilight made Forks a household name. It’s always been, to me, “First sign of civilization after you drive two hours north of Aberdeen or west of Port Angeles.” And now it’s an essential part of vampire lore? Awesome.
07/23/2009 at 7:04 pm
I’m going to be sick…
07/23/2009 at 7:15 pm
MY RAGE SHALL BECOME A LEGEND!
07/23/2009 at 7:37 pm
ruining the minds of children?
now ruining the minds of children even more
07/26/2009 at 9:16 pm
Please don’t make this happen, it’s too awful!
07/26/2009 at 9:50 pm
Saw the finished drawings in EW, they were an improvement. I don’t really get the hate for this series, especially from comic fans. It isn’t for me, but I have friends who rarely read anything who adored this series and now are looking at reading in a new way. (and are looking for other books to read)
Which I thought was a good thing.
07/26/2009 at 10:00 pm
Yeah, I don’t see why people care if they don’t like the series. There are plenty of comics out there that I dislike, hate, or despise but they still have their fans.
07/26/2009 at 10:09 pm
James Schee Says:
“…I don’t really get the hate for this series, especially from comic fans. It isn’t for me, but I have friends who rarely read anything who adored this series and now are looking at reading in a new way. (and are looking for other books to read)”
One comic book that reminds me of the reviews I’ve read of the Twilight series, and especially the unconditional love for someone who ‘can’t help it,’ is Dragonslippers by Rosalind Penfold.
07/26/2009 at 10:10 pm
Oops, I messed up on the HTML – those should be cite tags, not em tags, around the Twilight title.
07/27/2009 at 6:00 pm
Johanna Says:
“Let me explain more what I was thinking: Any good store will upsell. But in a comic store, what they’ll upsell is something in comic format. In a bookstore, they might include some of the many vampire manga, but they might also put out Anne Rice novels or the original Twilight novels or even the movie DVDs. They aren’t constrained by the format as much. Of course, they might take your store’s approach, too, which would be neat.”
Good points!
Also, do you think any other books would be good upsells too? The ones that first came to my mind are
* The Buffy the Vampire Slayer books that also seem aimed at teen girls and women (although they’re not manga and some of them aren’t even comics)
* Any remaining stock of the Minx imprint that was also aimed at teen girls and women (although they’re not manga and are any of them about vampires?)
* The Babysitters’ Club comics that are also based on a series written for preteen and teen girls (although they’re not manga)
* Vampire classics like Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot (although they’re not comics and don’t make vampires look sexy)
* Etc.
Johanna Says:
“Yeah, I don’t see why people care if they don’t like the series. There are plenty of comics out there that I dislike, hate, or despise but they still have their fans.”
Elagia quantified this at GraphJam. ;)
As for me, I can think of 2 or 3 reasons:
(1) The same reasons some people harshed on Titanic’s popularity. Back when that was popular with teen girls, I remember seeing some complaints on rec.arts.sf.written (I tried to find the ones I have in mind again, but Google Groups is awful). One of them was from a middle-aged man who basically went ‘no fair that Leonardo DiCaprio is so popular, he looks like a boy, what ever happened to leading men like Clark Gable’ – either he forgot that most of Titanic’s repeat viewers were girls instead of women, or he didn’t like the idea of girls crushing on actors who appear closer to their own ages than the complainer’s age. Meanwhile, some people will automatically dislike a movie if enough other people do like it.
(2) The same reasons some people harshed on Harry Potter’s popularity. The books aren’t “classic literature” enough for some people, the books aren’t “educational” enough for some other people who think reading any fiction’s a waste of time, the characters don’t adhere to yet some more people’s religious denominations enough, etc. Meanwhile, some people will automatically dislike a book if enough other people do like it.
Now lemme double-check: is Twilight that same series where the hero groom leaves the heroine bride covered in bruises and the bed broken by the end of the wedding night, after they didn’t use any safewords? That’s the impression I got from the Sparkledammerung series of reviews. If so, then :
(3) The same reasons some people harshed on Chris Brown’s popularity. For example:
Milton J. Valencia and Jenna Nierstedt, Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent, Say in “Many Boston teens surveyed say Rihanna is at fault for assault,” The Boston Globe, March 13, 2009:
“Here’s a conversation starter: Nearly half of the 200 Boston teenagers interviewed for an informal poll said pop star Rihanna was responsible for the beating she allegedly took at the hands of her boyfriend, fellow music star Chris Brown, in February.
“Of those questioned, ages 12 to 19, 71 percent said that arguing was a normal part of a relationship; 44 percent said fighting was a routine occurrence…”
Meanwhile, some people will automatically dislike a musician if enough other people do like him or her.
07/27/2009 at 8:38 pm
Oh, boy. Now it’s DOUBLE the waste of paper, for people who are too damn lazy to endure the books! C:
08/09/2009 at 6:34 pm
N-No! My manga sanctuary! They’ve killed my manga sanctuary! How could they!?
08/09/2009 at 8:10 pm
[...] so much interest in the upcoming Twilight manga and the general trend of vampires in popular culture, I thought I’d look at some manga that [...]
08/25/2009 at 8:23 pm
…Oh please no. This is just gonna get a bunch of snotty Twilight fans trying to say that they are hardcore manga fans, just because they read the Twilight manga. I think I’m gonna be sick… Why does Twilight ruin everything? I mean, I thought that I would be safe with anime, BUT NOOO. Yeah, I gotta go. I’m gonna throw up.
08/31/2009 at 12:09 am
Twilight is a blight upon humanity, like furries and Gaia Online. It must be exterminated, annihilated, perhaps even….destroyed?
09/03/2009 at 2:15 pm
A word of instruction to some of the younger readers who wish to comment on this thread: Calling people whose tastes differ from yours names, especially names like “tards”, just shows how unintelligent you are. And it will get your comment deleted. You’re welcome to hold whatever opinion you wish about Twilight, but here, you will express it politely and thoughtfully if you wish to contribute.
09/03/2009 at 2:34 pm
Since apparently “Johanna” could not handle my comment, i’ll put it in a different way.
Just because Twilight has to add to all the tween stuff, doesn’t mean it has to ruin it for REAL manga fans.
I also laughed a little when I saw my comment was deleted.
09/03/2009 at 2:41 pm
I have a rule: the more times someone needs to say “f—ing” to express their opinion, the younger they are. You’re not disproving it.
Why does the existence of a Twilight graphic novel “ruin” anything? If Hannah Montana “cine-manga” from Tokyopop couldn’t ruin manga, this sure won’t.
09/03/2009 at 2:47 pm
theres a hannah montanna manga too?! thats a new one…
just as long as people don’t go on and on about the twilight manga like they did with the book i don’t really mind…
09/03/2009 at 2:49 pm
A graphic novel twilight would be fine.
But it’s being labeled a manga.
What bothers me is, now all the fans are going to claim they’re big shot manga fans when they don’t read the DECENT manga.
09/03/2009 at 2:50 pm
And really, I prefer my edwards short, blonde, and with a metal arm.
09/03/2009 at 3:12 pm
Once you’ve been around a while, it’s always funny to watch fans of one laughed-at type look down at some other group of fans. “You’re not a REAL fan” debates have been around forever, and there’s never any point to them.
If sales of Twilight manga allow Yen Press to publish (for example) Yotsuba, I’m all for it. I don’t have to buy it.
09/03/2009 at 9:51 pm
. . . Wow. They are trying to milk every single cent they can out of Twilight, aren’t they? Soon it’ll be to the point where people can’t even recognize it anymore.
Not that I care. Twilight it just a fad, it’ll run out eventually.
I just feel sorry for all those people who are going to waste their money on pointless things. Really now, if you wanna know what happened in Twilight, instead of buying every single chapter, it would be much more worth it if you just bought the darn book.
It disgusts me that at every turn Twilight gets so much hype, while other, much more deserving and better written books and series don’t get nearly as much as they should.
Manga? Not so much. Here’s a smartass reply: The word “manga” is Japanese and it means that they are comics that are written from right to left, and this is going to be drawn by a Korean. This means that it’s not really manga.
Obviously that’s not true, but manga is a really broad term, and really, since this ISN’T a manga, but “manga” is easier to say than “graphic novel” people are going to use it more. Simple as that. Besides, since this is technically “made in America”, then it can’t constitue as manga for that reason either. And about the worry of people calling them “hardcore manga fans”, that’s going to happen. It’s inevitable, no matter with any really popular anime that people bother to read the manga to. It’s just something we have to get over.
Although, I have to agree with “Manga fan with common sense”, that’s the way I prefer my Edwards too. xD
09/06/2009 at 3:00 am
“Many comic/manga fans are dismayed, since they hate the novels”
Who said manga fans hate Twilight? I have been a manga/Anime fan my entire life and love Twilight just as I do manga. I suggest you don’t overgeneralize that way, as you can’t know what everyone does or does not like. I’m very excited for the manga and can’t wait for it to come out!
09/06/2009 at 3:04 am
OK, It’s not a Manga, it’s actually called a Manwa (Korean comic) or graphic novel as many have said, but I still am excited! My two favorite things coming together!
09/07/2009 at 11:43 am
Cynacally Cynacal. Says:
“…Manga? Not so much. Here’s a smartass reply: The word ‘manga’ is Japanese and it means that they are comics that are written from right to left, and this is going to be drawn by a Korean. This means that it’s not really manga…”
The version I heard was that the word “manga” is Japanese and it means that they are cartoons (in the sense of “cartoons” that includes comics). That’s it. Translate “some newspapers have editorial cartoons” into Japanese and it will have the word “manga” in it. Translate “A Korean artist will adapt Twilight to comics format and draw the panels left-to-right” into Japanese and it too will have the word “manga” in it. Likewise, translate “lo mein is a Chinese style of noodle” into Italian and it will have the word “spaghetti” in it, translate “Jesus Christ is the son of God” into Arabic and it will have the word “Allah” in it, etc.
09/10/2009 at 6:41 pm
They wouldn’t dare put the Twilight “manga” on the same table as Vampire Knight. And don’t call it manga.
09/19/2009 at 2:39 pm
Wow ever heard, “don’t knock it until you try it?” I think all of you who said that this is going to suck, need to open your minds a little bit. Who died and made you the judge of who is a manga fan or not. If you dont like the idea of Twilight in graphic novel style, don’t read it. It’s simple as that. Personally I think that it’s going to be an interesting twist on the books and say, go for it!
09/25/2009 at 11:54 pm
I agree with Ashley. If you hate the idea, stay away from it. (there are worst manga killers out there) I love twilight and manga so Wooo-Hooo for twi-manga. It’s being produced because someone wants it and if you don’t, go drool over something else.
10/03/2009 at 7:19 pm
[...] here’s the scoop on the Twilight manga. (info from: http://comicsworthreading.com/2009/07/17/twilight-manga-announced/) It’s supposeed to come out in november or July, be published by Yen Press (the people that [...]
10/26/2009 at 5:43 pm
awesome best idea ever