Picking up where the first volume left off, Howard finds out the banished King Abdul has a new ally. Abdul is coming after Howard and the book Howard has been tasked to guard. Howard’s adventures have him teaming up with his not-as-crazy-as you-thought father and a remarkably well-armed local policeman.

Howard Lovecraft
and the Undersea Kingdom

I asked my nephew Christopher (now 10) to help me in reviewing this book, since he enjoyed the first volume. Christopher really enjoyed this book and read it quickly. He said it was a good adventure story with major twists and turns. He didn’t find the book scary at all. In fact, he thought was a good blend of action and humor. He found the policeman and his cat particularly funny.

Christopher admired Howard’s bravery and liked him as a character. However, Christopher didn’t want to be friends with Howard because he is surrounded by people Christopher hopes to never meet.

I asked about the art. Christopher thought the art was good and easy to follow. He liked the colors used in the book. They let the reader know that the book could be creepy or eerie at times. He especially liked the change of art style when Howard is given a vision of Azathoth. It really caught his attention.

This was the first chance I had to have Christopher read a comic book on the iPad. For the most part, it was a positive experience, but it wasn’t impressive enough to get him to give up physical books. The boy is a true bibliophile in the making. For him, comics on the iPad meant other kids couldn’t bend or mark on pages. He didn’t like how carefully you have to hold the device to keep the display in portrait mode.

For myself, I also enjoyed the book and found it a very quick read. Brown has done a solid job of crafting his own all-ages verison of the Lovecraft universe. Honestly, I didn’t imagine you could do that. I’m happy that kids like my nephew will get some exposure to H.P. Lovecraft and that this series could encourage them to check out Lovecraft’s own writings one day.

I welcomed the change of artists. Boatwright is a better draftsman, and Howard now has a proper character design. Thankfully, the use of watercolor tones was retained, since it’s one of the aspects of the art I liked from the first volume. There’s a lot of use of green in this book, and Christopher is right, it does an excellent job setting the proper mood.

Both Christopher and I recommend this book to kids who enjoy a good action-adventure story. It’s been two years since the first volume appeared. I’d like to see another volume come out next year. A volume every other year will only hurt the series. It’s a lot to ask of adults to wait that long, never mind kids. Lovecraft fans should do like I did and order two copies: one to keep and one to pass on to a child reader or to give to your local library.

Arcana has a five-page preview for the book on their website. You can preorder the book through Diamond using the item code JAN12 0814 or order through Amazon. (An advance PDF review copy was provided by the publisher.)

Like any good geek, I’ve got more interests than I have time or money for. One lifelong passion I’ve had is writing instruments. Over the years, my taste has evolved from ballpoint pens to fountain pens and most recently to brush pens. So when JetPens asked if I’d be interested in reviewing some products for them, it was like a dream come true.

I’ve been ordering from JetPens for about four years or so. I can’t remember what obsession first led me to their website, but they quickly because one of my favorite pen stores. They constantly add new products, so I visit frequently to find new toys to play with. I have to exercise a lot of self-control when ordering, so I don’t max out my credit cards. Thankfully, they have a wish list feature to help me keep track of what I’d like to try or reorder in the future.

Let’s start with my biggest surprise. Brad from JetPens sent me a Pocket Clutch Lead Holder by E+M. I didn’t think I would like it because it was so small. I was wrong. It’s just the right length to fit into my hand. Also, the short body makes it easy to change your grip for different uses. For example, I like having my pointing finger resting on the top of the holder when shading. This was the perfect size to let me cup the holder in my palm. It’s got a nice thick body to keep you from getting cramps if you’re drawing for a long time. The only disadvantage is the short body means the standard size 5.5mm leads are too long to fit the holder, so you will have to either buy E+M leads or break other brand leads to fit. A minor inconvenience at worst.

Pilot’s Hi-Tec-C pens already have a devoted following. This was my first time trying one. I was sent a .4 mm point with brown ink. Usually, when you get tips this small, the pen feels scratchy against the paper. I was really impressed with how smoothly the pen wrote and its nice rich color. I can see why artists like this pen; it has a great ink flow and a thin line perfect for those detailed drawings or for crosshatching. This will be going on my wish list.

The Pilot Double-Sided Brush Pen was fun to play with. One side has black ink, the other side has grey. It’s listed as a brush pen, but it’s a felt tip that simulates a brush line. The tip on this is very stiff, making it a good beginner’s pen. The black is nice and dark. The grey is the same shade as your standard No. 2 pencil, so you can do your outlines with one side and your shading with the other. I could see artists using this as a sketch pen at conventions. I know Johanna liked it, too.

Brad sent one of my favorite disposable brush pens, a Pilot Pocket Brush Pen with hard tip. This is the perfect starter pen for people who want to explore drawing/writing with a brush pen. It has a felt tip with some play to allow for line variation. Because it’s a disposable pen, you can really experiment without worry of ruining a pen you had hoped to be a permanent part of your collection. This has been my convention note-taking pen for a couple of years now. I love the feel as it writes and how smoothly the ink flows. A great pen no matter what you use it for.

If you try the Pilot Pocket Brush pen and want to get more serious about using brush pens, then the next step is the Kuretake No. 13 Brush Pen. This is a pen with a real brush tip. The bristles are nylon. It’s a soft pen, but not as soft as natural hair. This is a pen I’m still trying to master. Andy Runton, creator of Owly, is one of the few people I’ve seen in person who has mastered using a brush pen. He gave me some great advice about maintaining steady pressure. The pen has amazing line variation from hair thin to a nice thick medium. The ink flow is marvelous. It’s like working with a constantly wet brush. This pen is a real pride of my collection.

For people who are looking for a good calligraphy pen, let me suggest the Pilot Parallel Pens. These pens put the old standard Sheaffer calligraphy pens to shame. They are much easier to use and have a smoother feel. The nibs are more forgiving of how you place them on the paper for good ink flow and nice line variation. I use the 1.5 mm nib because it’s the ideal size for addressing envelopes and writing notes. Given the compliments I’ve received for my Christmas envelopes, this pen was money well spent.

If you use wood pencils, then you must get the Stad One-Push Pencil Holder. Finally, someone designed a pencil holder/extender with actual writers and artists in mind. It’s easy to use, comfortable to hold, and actually looks great too. A co-worker saw me with one of these and begged me to get one for her and one for her daughter. All three of us still use and love these. I really can’t praise them high enough.

Finally, this is also for pencil users. The Stad T’Gaal Pencil Sharpener is simply an amazing pencil sharpener. It allows you to choose one of five tip styles for sharpening your pencil. You can go from a long thin point used for writing to a short point commonly used on coloring pencils. Most sharpeners that adjust point length do it by having a fixed blade with a stop. This means for any setting other than the longest, the pencil doesn’t have a real point. T’Gaal actually adjust the blade angle, so no matter the setting, your pencil has a nice sharp point. It’s amazing to get that level of engineering at such a low price. For wooden pencil users, this is a must have.

JetPens really is a wonderland for those of us that love writing instruments and novelty office products. I’ve had nothing but great service from them. They answer all your questions and are willing to do special orders for Japanese products that you’ve seen but that they don’t carry. I highly recommend you check out their website. You won’t be disappointed.

Looking back over 2011, there were some great manga published. In particular, three significant books were translated into English: Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, Tank Tankuro, and Wandering Son. Only Tank Tankuro by Gajo Sakamoto didn’t make my top ten list. It’s an important children’s manga from pre-World War II. However, it doesn’t age very well. Sakamoto’s unquestioning patriotism and use of stereotypes makes it hard to enjoy.

Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths

There were two Tezuka manga published this year, and I desperately wanted to include them in my top ten. However, honesty forbids me. Book of Human Insects is well-written, but I still struggle with a Tezuka story where the villain or villainess wins in the end. Princess Knight is a fun book, but it’s also deeply flawed in its storytelling.

Here are my top ten favorite manga for 2011.

1. Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths by Shigeru Mizuki. Finally, we get a manga by Mizuki in English. A powerful, semi-autobiographic tale of the hardships faced by Japanese troops during World War II, this book is also a needed reminder that not everyone wearing a Japanese uniform supported the Imperial regime. I hope this does well enough to spark interest in his other works, especially GeGeGe no Kitaro.

2. Wandering Son by Shimura Takako. Words fail me when trying to describe the beauty and artistry of this manga. The genius of this series is that Takako doesn’t focus on how ‘strange and unusual’ transgender people are, but rather how ordinary. I want to say this should be required reading for junior high students as a way to help promote understanding. However, I don’t really know if that approach works.

3. A Bride’s Story by Kaoru Mori. My review of the first volume focused too much on my own hang-ups instead of the breathtaking art, wonderful storytelling, and meticulous research. My eyes almost die from ecstasy with each new volume.

4. A Zoo in Winter by Jiro Taniguichi. I feel like Taniguichi is writing his stories for me. His sense of nostalgia, history, and character are almost identical to my own. I immediately identify with his lead characters and sympathize with what they’re going through. Maybe it’s a middle-aged man thing.

A Zoo in Winter

5. Stargazing Dog by Takashi Murakami. Everybody and their brother has praised this book and rightly so. It’s as moving as everyone says. It’s a sad story, so best to save it for when you’re ready for a good cry.

6. 7 Billion Needles by Nobuaki Tadano. This series seems to have been overlooked by most people. It deserves a much wider audience. It’s a solid sci-fi story that gets better with each volume and has a terrific ending.

7. 20th Century Boys Volumes 13-18 by Naoki Urasawa. This series has been an amazing roller coaster ride. I’m impressed that Urasawa is able to maintain real suspense over so many volumes. I can’t wait to see how it all wraps up.

8. Twin Spica Volumes 5-10 by Kou Yaginuma. Another great sci-fi series by Vertical that is getting criminally neglected. This is more of a soft sci-fi, where the focus is on the characters and their development over technology and world-building. A very moving story with lead characters you’re constantly rooting for.

9. Yotsuba Volume 10 by Kiyohiko Azuma. This series is pure joy. Yotsuba is the cure for any bad mood. Unfortunately, we have caught up with the Japanese releases, so that means only one or two volumes a year. Azuma needs to write faster.

10. Chi’s Sweet Home Volumes 5-7 by Kanata Konami. Look, it’s a cat manga, so it’s already 90% there for me. It’s well-written and adorable, so I’m totally sold. This is another manga where we’ve caught up to the Japanese release and will have long waits between volumes.

Well, let’s just dive in to the latest issue of this journal of anime and manga studies. I’ll start with the articles I had problems with.

“Dark Energy: What Fansubs Reveal About the Copyright Wars” by Ian Condry shouldn’t have been printed for two reasons. First, the article is out of date. Most of the events referenced in the article took place in 2007 or earlier. This was before Crunchyroll became a legitimate source of streaming anime and licensors Funimation and The Anime Network began their own serious anime streaming initiatives. Such radical changes in the online landscape have changed the dynamics of the discussion about fansubs. Now the article reads like a quaint discussion of bygone days.

Mechademia 5: Fanthropologies

Second, Condry’s portrayal of fansubbers as noble, but maligned, pioneers of new value paradigms is extremely one-sided and destroys any claim he wants to make for objectivity. Condry chose to focus on the actions of a few exemplary fansub groups and then portray them as normative. My favorite example of this distorted view is: “The pedagogical orientation of fansubs, explaining words, kana {Japanese writings}, obscure references and jokes, all reflect a desire to teach.” (203) Sorry, I simply can’t take Condry seriously with such sentences as that. This essay is an embarrassment to the reputation Mechademia is trying to build.

“Undoing Inter-national Fandom in the Age of Brand Nationalism” by Iwabuchi Koichi is another great example of long-winded academia. The entire message of the article is that we should not allow governments to use culture and cultural products for diplomatic and economic purposes. It took Koichi nine pages to say that. This should have been a one-page manifesto.

“Suffering Forces Us to Think Beyond the Right-Left Barrier” by Karin Amamiya is a powerful piece about the realities of being a member of the permanent part-time labor force in Japan. She discusses the psychological effects caused by being part of the “working poor” and how this helped shaped the politics she embraced in her youth. While Amamiya does briefly mention manga as an influence on her politics, it’s hard to see how this article fits into Mechademia. This would be better suited to a sociology or political science journal. An excellent essay, even if misplaced.

I can’t thank Mechademia enough for including “World and Variation: The Reproduction and Consumption of Narrative” by Eiji Otsuka. Otsuka is a leading thinker about anime and manga as well as a manga author himself (The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service). Steinberg points out in the translator’s introduction that Hiroki Azuma’s Otaku: Japan’s Database Animals can be seen as a reaction to Otsuka’s work. You can see that immediately in this essay.

Otsuka argues that what attracts consumers to products is not necessarily the product itself, but rather the narrative behind the product. We buy the toy, DVD, poster, etc. because they are signifiers of the larger story, and by owning them, we can participant in that story ourselves. It’s a marvelous article and a must-read for those any serious fan of Japanese pop culture. It makes me hunger for an entire book of Otsuka’s writings.

Let’s face it, “Speciesism, Part II: Tezuka Osamu and the Multispecies Ideal” by Thomas LaMarre was an easy sell for me. LaMarre begins by looking at the vision of a multicultural empire the Japanese Imperial government preached during World War II. He then explores Tezuka’s own post-WWII stories that wrestle with and ultimately reject this utopian vision. It’s a fascinating study. LaMarre is becoming one of my favorite scholars.

“The Art of Cute Little Things: Nara Yoshitomo’s Parapolitics” by Marilyn Ivy ended up being my favorite piece of the issue because it introduced me to an artist I was unfamiliar with. On the surface, Nana’s paintings sound like the standard hyper-cute figures Japan is (in)famous for. They are children with oversized heads and eyes. However, one look at his paintings will purge you of any warm, sentimental feelings. Nana has subverted, perhaps perverted, the typical notions of cute. Ivy explores the themes in Nana’s work and how his fans connect deeply to the characters he paints. It was like discovering a whole new world existed.

The other essays are also very good, but it would take too much time to talk about each. I will commend Brian Ruh (a friend via Twitter) for his marathon research in documenting every second cut from Miyazaki’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind to create Warriors of the Wind and the cuts made to the original Japanese programs to make the first episodes of Voltron and Robotech. My eyes get sore just imagining all that time in front of the TV.

Mechademia 5 is another solid issue. There is even some value to Condry’s article. It highlights the problems fans are going to have making the transition to scholars. The temptation is to use your training to justify old habits. However, such scholarship will only serve as fodder for critics that doubt the legitimacy of manga and anime studies. Fans who can’t be objective and critical of even their own practices may need to pursue another field of study. I look forward to the next issue of Mechademia and the ways it will excite and challenge my own thoughts. Mechademia has never failed to do that. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

Because of a mischievous angel, Princess Sapphire is born with two hearts: a boy’s heart and a girl’s heart. In the realm of Silverland, only males may become rulers. Since Sapphire is the King’s only child, she’s raised as a boy. Her boyish heart allows her to excel at fencing and other ‘manly’ activities. Her girlish heart and body wishes she could admit to being a girl, so she can wear dresses and go to dances.

Princess Knight Book 1

Lurking in the shadows is Duke Duralumin, who wants his son to be king. He suspects that Sapphire is really a girl and sends his henchman, Sir Nylon, to discover the truth. However, Sapphire and the royal household are too clever to fall for Sir Nylon’s schemes. The Duke’s desperation for the throne leads him to plot the murder of Sapphire. And that’s just the opening chapters of Sapphire’s incredible adventures.

Princess Knight is Tezuka’s love letter to Disney and Western literature. Everything from the artwork to the characters to the plot reads like an epic fairy-tale adventure. Here are just a few of the references I found in this book: the Disney films Cinderella, Snow White, and Pinocchio, William Tell, Captain Blood, Hamlet, and Swan Lake. It’s fun to watch Tezuka weave these influences together to create a rich and cohesive tapestry.

The art is Tezuka at his most Disneyesque. The character designs remind me most of the “Pastoral Symphony” section of Fantasia. It’s a cutesy realism. There are some breathtaking panels and splash pages. As with all his works, you can just flip through the book and get a sense of the story. Tezuka believed in having the visuals tell the story more than dialogue or narration, and he pulls out all his cinematic techniques in this manga.

While the book has one continuous storyline, it’s told in a very episodic manner. Each narrative arc within the greater story feels like a different story genre, which keeps the series exciting. We start out with royal intrigue and romance, then move into the adventures of a masked crusader for justice. Next is a fairy tale complete with an evil witch, and finally, swashbuckling adventures on the high seas. The book is a roller coaster, constantly delivering thrills at each turn.

If Astro Boy is the superhero who is seemingly perfect, then Sapphire is the very human hero with frailties. She can be a fierce swordswoman one minute and a hapless damsel the next. She is kind, loyal, and pure of hearts (remember she has two). She struggles to determine what the right thing to do is. She even wrestles with understanding herself and who she wants to be.

At first glance, it appears Tezuka is asserting traditional gender roles. In Sapphire, it seems only one heart may be active at a time. While her boy heart holds sway, she is one of the finest swordsmen in the country. If her girl heart takes control, she is barely able to defend herself. However, it’s all the same person, Sapphire.

Looking more closely, we discover that Sapphire is not responding to which heart is more dominant. Whether she realizes it or not, both hearts are equally active all the time. Instead, Sapphire is acting as the people around her perceive her. If she is seen as a boy, then she is able to be strong and fierce. If she is seen as a girl, then she is frail and submissive. Tezuka is critiquing the false dichotomy that society creates among male and female. Sapphire needs to learn to be true to herself and not let others dictate who she is or what she can do.

It’s this message of gender equality that’s the secret to Princess Knight’s appeal. Tezuka is telling girls that they have the potential to be what they want. The only limits women have are the ones they place upon themselves. Helen McCarthy mentions the influence of the Takarazuka Revue. Perhaps it’s a lesson he learned while watching the female actors portraying men and women equally. He saw women being kings, warriors, fathers, princesses, maids, and mothers. As a young boy, seeing women be anyone on the stage shaped his belief they could be anyone in real life.

As Helen McCarthy points out, Princess Knight is one of the most influential shoujo manga of all time. It inspired series like Rose of Versailles and Revolutionary Girl Utena. Tezuka has created a gripping story that is almost impossible to put down. When the book is over, you’re left anxiously waiting for volume two. It’s truly a masterpiece. With its pseudo-European setting and numerous references to Western literature, Princess Knight is Tezuka’s most accessible work for American readers. This is a master of the comic genre at his peak. All comic fans owe it to themselves to read Princess Knight.

Sunday

I starting out Sunday by running the CBLDF booth in Anime Artist Alley. We had a few people return to the booth to take part in the daily manga giveaway. I again enjoyed the experience. After the manga raffle, we closed the booth.

My only panel for the day was the CBLDF: History of Censorship. Charles Brownstein was the lone speaker at this panel. This was a much more detailed history of censorship and the CBLDF than given at the Defending Manga panel.

He started off by reading the CBLDF mission statement and the First Amendment. He briefly discussed Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent and the Senate subcommittee hearings on comics.

The CBLDF came into existence in 1986 when a comic retailer was arrested for selling adult comics to an undercover cop. Denis Kitchen started the fund to help the retailer. From there, the fund has helped retailers and readers defend their right to read what they want. A lot of the work goes unseen because the CBLDF helps to make sure cases don’t go to court but are dismissed during the investigation. They also help libraries fight challenges when someone wants to remove a comic from the collection.

This was an excellent lecture and a must-see for everyone. If the CBLDF is giving this panel at your convention, definitely go. Also, become a member of the CBLDF and make sure to protect your own First Amendment rights.

Overall Thoughts & Impressions

We’ll start with my complaints. First, NYCC/NYAF needs to do a better job at crowd control. I know they want to accommodate as many fans as possible, but when a room runs out of chairs, you should stop letting people in. It’s simply not safe to have people lined up against the walls of a room.

The convention really needs to reevaluate room sizes. When you have a convention of 105,000 people it’s ridiculous to have rooms that only seat 30 or 40 people. I would suggest the minimum room size be 200. Also, unless the room is a workshop, tables are a waste of space, so the only table in a room should be the one used by panelists.

Next, have a strict “no signs” policy and strictly enforce it. I saw lots of “Free Hugs” signs and a few “Hugs Free, Kisses $2″. Every anime convention in the country has banned these, and NYCC/NYAF needs to follow suit. The potential for problems is too great not to shut this down immediately. Let’s keep the cons as safe a place as possible.

This brings us to the problems of being press. My understanding is that 10,000 press badges were given out. That means 1 in 10 attendees were press. That’s ridiculous. Because of the high number of press, NYCC/NYAF didn’t have press seating at the panels. This made it difficult, if not impossible, for people who are serious about covering the convention to do so. It meant having to stand in line an hour before most industry panels if you wanted a seat, so you couldn’t cover back-to-back panels.

Let me propose three possible solutions. First, and simplest, limit the number of press badges given out to 1,000 or 2,000. If it means I get dropped from the press list, then so be it. I’d rather make sure the real journalists get the access they need to events and guests than let everyone with a blog in. This would allow you to either have press seating or give press front-of-the-line privileges to most of the events. I understand some panels are simply going to be too popular to accommodate everyone, but those will be very few in number.

If that’s not acceptable, then how about making the first row at every panel press seating. This way it guarantees some press are able to attend. This would be on a first come, first serve basis. Once the front row is filled, then any other press wanting to attend the panel simply have to wait in line with the rest of the attendees.

Finally, you could try a two-tier press pass system. There would be a regular press badge and a VIP press badge. VIP press would have front-of-the-line privileges and first access to guests. Regular press would simply be treated like regular attendees.

Overall, I was slightly dissatisfied this year. This is the first time I’ve attended such a large-scale event. Also, it was the first time I’ve been to a pop culture convention. I was a little overwhelmed by the sizes of the crowd and the variety of the booths. I like my conventions a little more focused. That said, I’d be willing to give NYCC one more try now that I know what to expect. I’d like to see if I could make such a convention an enjoyable experience or if it’s simply something not for me.

Friday Afternoon

I left the CBLDF booth to attend the Anime Mythbusters panel. The hosts were Rukan Shao and Zhao Chen, both physics students who run the website Animechanics.com. The panel discussed topics like: How fast must breasts jiggle in High School of the Dead to dodge a bullet? (Mach 1.28.) How strong would a character’s legs have to be to jump 25.6 meters like in Naruto? (Strong enough to leg press 3800 lbs.) And how much energy does it take for a Gundam to fly? (128 Terawatts or 8.5 times the current consumption of all humanity.)

Shao and Chen certainly knew their stuff, and it was fun to listen to them discuss how they solved these questions. I do think they might need to tone down some of the physics. I don’t think any of the crowd was interested in which equations they used to come up with their solutions.

However, the Anime Mythbusters also highlighted the fact that this year, the New York Anime Fest was once again ghettoized. First, NYAF was reduced simply to Anime Artist Alley and the Anime Stage, which is where the fan-run panels were held. The anime and manga industry booths and panels were blended into the New York Comic Con. This was a slight improvement from last year, where even the anime industry panels were segregated out.

Second, NYAF was held on the top floor of the Javits Convention Center. Mind you, this was a much nicer ghetto with loads of natural lighting. It was also one of the few places in the Javits where non-Verizon customers could get cellphone service. The downside was that there was only one set of stairs that took you to the NYAF. So you couldn’t just randomly wander up there.

Finally, all the natural lighting meant you couldn’t see anything on the projection screen at the Anime Stage. This was a problem for the panels using that stage. The Anime Mythbusters panel was running short video clips to introduce each segment, and you had no idea what they were showing, so the panelists had to describe the clip to the audience. It’s an understatement to call it a frustrating situation.

There is no reason for participants of Anime Artist Alley to be segregated out from the simpler-named Artist Alley connected to main showroom. The goods being sold were very similar, although there were more handcrafted items in Anime Artist Alley. The same goes for the anime fan panels. Let’s face it: the New York Anime Fest is being treated like the unwanted stepchild of the New York Comic Con. It might be best to drop the pretense and simply declare the NYAF dead.

My next panel was The Anime Network panel. Honestly, I went to this more out of a sense that I should attend at least one anime industry panel than any real interest. The panel was hosted by April Brem, Samantha Stevens, and Stacy Dodson. They opened by showing clips from their current show roster. They went on to show clips of upcoming shows like Persona 4, Murdock Scramble, and Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere. They announced the Loups-Garous movie would be out next month. They also announced the Broken Blade OVA series will air in January. It was an entertaining panel, and the hosts worked the crowd expertly.

I then went over to the Hiro Mashima & Kodansha Comics panel. Mashima is the creator of the popular manga Fairy Tail. This panel was packed past capacity, with people lined up along the walls. Thankfully, the Fire Marshall was nowhere to be found.

The panel began with Mashima giving a drawing demo. While he drew, Dallas Middaugh provided a brief history of Mashima’s career. Then Middaugh asked Mashima questions. It was revealed that Mashima’s favorite current manga is Berserk. He works six days per week, with at least one day being 17 hours. To be able to come to NYAF, he had work several 18-19-hour days so he would have all his required pages handed in ahead of time. He said looking at the NYC skyline inspired him.

Mashima left after they gave away the sketch he did. Middaugh announced the Sailor Moon manga sold so well, there was going to be a second printing. They are upping the print run on future volumes to 100,000. Genshiken and Kitchen Princess will be back in print in omnibus format. They announced two new titles, Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney and Attack on Titan. Also, Kodansha’s iPad app launched during NYAF.

Next up was XX: The Women of Queeer Comics. This panel was hosted by JD Glass. The panelists were Paige Braddock (Jane’s World), Jennifer Camper (Rude Girls and Dangerous Women), Joan Hilty (Bitter Girl), Kris Dresen (She’s in the Trees), Abby Denson (Tough Love: High School Confidential), and Erica Friedman (Yuricon & ALC Publishing). My apologies to the panel, I got confused during the introductions and so wasn’t able to keep track of which person was speaking.

They panel began with Glass asking the panelists why they started creating comics. They talked about wanting to create stories of gorgeous women who were tough, wanting more realistic portrayals of lesbian relationships, and out of a desire to express themselves. They mentioned Howard Cruse and Robert Triptow as being very supportive of lesbian cartoonists.

Glass asked what they saw change over the years. The big one was that queer characters no longer exist just to tell the ‘coming out’ story. They now have their own narratives. They also said the manga boom brought more women to comics reading and creating. They mentioned Archie Comics now having a gay character. This was another excellent panel that helped open my eyes to a different part of the comics universe. My thanks to the panelists for sharing their experiences.

Erica Friedman wrote up her experiences of being on the panel at Okazu. You can listen to the panel at Gay-Nerds.com.

My final panel for Friday was Vertical Inc., run by Ed Chavez with Ioannis Mentzas adding comments. Chi’s Sweet Home has been a huge success for Vertical and helped fund their expansion. Unfortunately, with volume 8, Vertical will catch up to the Japanese releases, so there will be a long wait for further volumes.

Chavez feels that No Longer Human will be their most important release this year. Drops of God will be getting a website. New releases for next year are Flowers of Evil by Shuzo Oshimi, the manga adaptation of 5 Centimeters Per Second by Makoto Shinkai and Yukiko Sieke, Sakuran by Moyoco Anno, and Message to Adolf by Osamu Tezuka. Chavez was really excited about Sakuran. It’s a title he’s wanted to license since he first started working at Vertical.

Saturday

My first panel of the day was Super Inspirations. This was part of the Comics Study Conference (CSC) track of academic programming on comics. This panel was held in a very small room and was quickly packed out with people lining up against the walls. Each panel in this series was an hour and half long with three speakers. The presentations were very dense, so I’ll only offer a very brief description for each.

Brad Ricca’s presentation was The Secret History of the Fantastic Four. He looked at Fantastic Four in light of the space race. He saw the origins of the group as a retelling of history where, through the Fantastic Four, Americans are the first in space.

Hannah Means-Shannon presented a paper called Heroic Process: Super Strength and Supernatural in Tom Strong and Herakles. She compared and contrasted the heroic journey taken by Alan Moore’s character Tom Strong and the inspiration of the character Herakles. She made me want to read Tom Strong.

Rich Shivener’s presentation was Joker and Camp. He used Susan Sontag’s definition of camp to examine the history of the Joker and campiness. We can use the Joker to discuss how our perception of camp has changed over the years.

This was an excellent panel. Hopefully, NYCC will place the CSC in a larger room next year.

Afterwards, I wandered up to the anime ghetto to visit and help out at the CBLDF booth. The “Manga Is Not a Crime” stickers were delivered, and we began to hand them out. Nothing will get you attention at an anime con like free stickers. I found the time spent at the booth in Anime Artist Alley very satisfying. I got to talk to a few people and make them aware of the Christopher Handley and Brandon X cases. Unfortunately, we ran out of stickers before the day was over.

My experiences at the CBLDF booth were wonderful, and I discovered how much I enjoyed discussing these issues with people. It energized me enough that I’m hoping to get a booth and panel set up for Otakon next year.

After the CBLDF manga raffle was complete, I went to the CSC panel, Understanding Comics and the Self. For some reason, I didn’t catch the titles for each presentation. Neil Cohn was the first presenter and spoke on how our brain reads and organizes comics. It’s known that we read sentences in word groupings and not as individual words. It turns out that we do the same for comics. He discussed the details of the tests used to prove this theory.

CJ Suzuki discussed Keiko Tobe’s manga With the Light. This is a semi-autobiographical series about raising an autistic child. This manga helped to raise awareness in Japan about special needs children. The manga even served as an inspiration for a 2004 law to protect the handicapped.

Jeff Barbanell spoke of his experience using comics teaching Native Americans. One way that he used comics was to look at the way Native Americans are portrayed in comics and then discuss the attitudes that inform those images. Terry Moore’s Echo was cited as one of the best depictions of a character with a Native American heritage.

My final panel for the day was CBLDF: Defending Manga. The moderator was CBLDF president Charles Brownstein, with participants Erica Friedman and Deb Aoki.

The panel began with a brief history of censorship. Brownstein pointed out that every generation has its form of entertainment that it believes is corrupting our youth. In the past it’s been jazz, rock and roll, and comic books. Now it seems like the focus is manga and video games. The people that prosecutors have targeted has changed, too. First it was the publishers, then it was retailers, and now it’s readers. The first manga-related arrest was in 2000 when a Texas retailer was arrested for selling Demon Beast Invasion: The Fallen to undercover cops.

Erica pointed out that with Bill 156 now in effect, we can no longer argue that it’s simply a case of misunderstanding Japan culture. A savvy prosecutor can use this bill to show how the manga found offensive by police in the US is also considered offensive in Japan.

The panel pointed out it wasn’t just porn that could get you in trouble. Manga like Love Hina and High School of the Dead feature underage nudity. Depending on the mood of the cop or the customs agent, they could get you arrested for possessing child porn. The only way to be safe is to get the law to understand that a drawing of a child is not a child. Nor is it the photograph of a child. Until such a time, manga readers need to be aware of the risks they face for their hobby. Erica wrote of her experience on the panel at Okazu.

Wednesday

This year I arrived in New York City a day earlier so I would have time to visit two exhibitions Johanna had mentioned to me. The first was Jim Henson’s Fantastic World. This is a traveling exhibit by the Smithsonian Institute; it is ending its run at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria.

The exhibit is a retrospective of Jim Henson’s life. There are pictures he drew as a child, posters he did for his college’s theater department, storyboards from various shows, and original Muppets. I didn’t know Henson’s biography, so a lot of the exhibit was new to me.

Three short films were shown. The first was an experimental piece that Henson did called Time Piece. One film was an abbreviated version of A&E’s Biography of Henson. The final film looked at the legacy of Jim Henson and the Muppets.

Some of the muppets on display were the Kermit used in the 1970s, the Ernie from the same period, the Burt from the 1980s, Rowlf from The Muppet Show, and Miss Piggy. This is the real reason I went to the exhibit. It was quite awe-inducing to see icons from my childhood on display. It’s a shame you couldn’t take pictures. You can see some of the earliest commercials and muppet sketches Henson did on YouTube.

The Museum of the Moving Image is an amazing place in itself. It celebrates all forms of moving images, including movies, cartoons, and video games. There is a history of the movies starting with the earliest zoetrope and going to modern CG animation. Anyone living in or visiting New York needs to make the trek out to this museum. It’s definitely worth the time and effort.

The other exhibit was Comics Stripped at the Museum of Sex. This was a retrospective of nudity and sex in comics and cartoons. The exhibit starts with Tijuana Bibles and American comics, then ends with a brief section on adult comics in other countries. Unfortunately, the Japanese examples are a tentacle porn anime and the Bondage Fairies manga, which only serve to reinforce stereotypes about Japan. I wish a copy of Manga Sutra had been included. Otherwise, it was a good exhibit overall.

The rest of the museum didn’t really hold much appeal to me. I understand this is a private museum, but I felt the admission fee of $19.50 was too steep. Even if they hold further comic and cartoon exhibits, I doubt I’ll be back.

Thursday

In the morning, I went by to pick up my convention badge. There were some panels in the morning, but most didn’t interest me, so I decided to do some sightseeing instead. The convention show floor opened at 4:00 PM for press, professionals, and people who bought a four-day pass. I went there to purchase an advance copy of Princess Knight, meet the folks running the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) booth, and meet up with fellow manga bloggers. I was successful on all three accounts.

The best part of Thursday was a chance to wander the showroom before the big crowds hit. The small crowd meant you had room to walk around and exhibitors had time to talk to you. Of course, the bigger booths, like Marvel, DC, and Funimation, were still swamped with people trying to meet artists and get a jump start on the freebies.

I went to visit this year’s version of the anime ghetto and discovered that the Anime Artist Alley was closed and wouldn’t open until Friday. That was a little disappointing.

Friday

The crowd was noticeably larger on Friday. I’d say the showroom felt about as crowded as it did during the peak last year, which made me worried about trying to walk around on Saturday.

My first panel of the convention was It Gets Better (With Comics!) at 11:00 AM. The moderator was Chris Shoemaker, with Prism Comics. The speakers were Charles “Zan” Christiansen from Northwest Press; Daniel Ketchum, an associate editor at Marvel Comics; Ivan Velez, Jr., author of the seminal Tales of the Closet, and Rica Takashima, author of Rica ‘tte Kanji!?.

The panel was packed, and there were people standing up along the walls to attend. I’m not sure why the room had tables in it. They were nice for taking notes, but they used up space better served by bringing in more chairs. Also, this was held in one of the smallest panel rooms.

The discussion started with Shoemaker pointing out that comics (he seemed to mean mostly superhero comics) have gained more popularity in the general culture, but there is still a lack of significant LGBT characters. The panelists pointed out there have been some LGBT characters in comics, and there is a more open atmosphere toward LGBT characters in superhero comics. The problem is that most creators are still white, heterosexual males. They don’t feel comfortable using LGBT characters for fear of offending people. Christiansen pointed out there are many creative restrictions when working with a shared universe, and so writers will have to work harder to introduce new LGBT characters. Velez stated that you need to start off creating a character that is interesting as a human first, otherwise the LGBT aspects of the character come off as a crutch for attracting an audience. Velez also recommended training in LGBT sensitivity for Marvel and DC writers to help them be more comfortable using LGBT characters in their stories.

Takashima talked about how when she began creating her manga there was nothing for lesbian women. The only comics to feature lesbians were porn for men. She was the first to write about real issues for lesbians in their lives and relationships. She has seen the field of lesbian manga grow up and develop its own fanbase during the course of her career.

Ketchum pointed out that while there may not be that many LGBT characters in superhero comics, there are certainly themes in some comics that LGBT readers can identify with. He grew up reading Marvel comics and felt many of the stories spoke to him as a young gay man, especially the themes found in X-Men comics about mutants who feel they are outsiders to ‘normal’ society and how they try to find ways to fit in and be accepted.

Next, they moved on to talk about how to balance advocacy, outreach, and support in the comics you write. Velez said he has lots of training as a counselor and so that informs his writing. If you make the characters authentic, then it’s easy to talk about real issues. Christiansen said the worst thing is to tell lies. The stories have to be honest. Velez said the danger is accepting stereotypes; that’s the sign of a hack. Takashima agreed that creators have to be intentional in the characters and stories they create. We can’t just accept anything.

The panel discussed the need to get their comics into libraries and the hands of teens. The problem is lack of library budgets, so they can’t have as diverse a collection of comics as they would like. Also, LGBT comics get stolen by people too scared to openly check them out. Libraries need help in getting new copies of the books they do stock. Velez and Takashima are putting their comics on the web for free to help reach a wider audience. Christiansen said that Prism will gladly send free books to libraries, churches, or schools.

This was an excellent panel and helped me see a new dimension to comics and comic readers. All the panelists were passionate and articulate about the potential for comics to reach out and inform readers about LGBT people and the issues they confront in life. Hopefully, there will be a panel like this every year at NYCC and in a much bigger room.

After the It Gets Better (With Comics!) panel, I headed over to help out at the CBLDF booth. There was some miscommunication, and the booth that the CBLDF was supposed to have in Anime Artist Alley wasn’t ready, so I helped out at the booth in the main showroom. The crowd was more interested in the books for sale and not the mission of the CBLDF. I got to talk to a few people during the two hours I was standing there, but I felt a little frustrated connecting to the anime and manga attendees. Thankfully, later in the afternoon, the CBLDF was able to set up a booth in Anime Artist Alley.

Like Johanna, I discovered Love Hina early in my anime/manga fandom. I had only been a fan a couple of years when the anime was released, and it was love at first sight. I remember getting the manga as each volume came out and loving Akamatsu’s art and storytelling.

Kodansha’s re-release of the series is like having a mirror that lets me look at my past self. I’m given an opportunity to examine my tastes as an early fan. Truth be told, I was hoping to discover I had great taste from the beginning. Or, at least, come up with a justification of my earlier choices.

Love Hina Omnibus Volume 1

When I first encountered Love Hina, I hadn’t sampled that widely the anime and manga available. I had stuck mostly to the sci-fi genre and some widely praised series like Ranma 1/2. So I didn’t know much about harem comedies or the hyperactive humor used by Akamatsu.

I remember being captivated by it all. I had never experienced a cartoon or comic like Love Hina. I was caught up in that honeymoon phase of a new hobby when everything you experience is wonderful. I was still learning about Japanese culture; Love Hina was my first introduction to hot springs, university enterance exams, and New Year temple visits. It was all new and I wanted more.

Ten years later, how does Love Hina hold up for me? Not as well as I had hoped.

On page 142 of the omnibus, Akamatsu tells us it took 20 submissions and two editorial meetings to finally get Love Hina accepted. That’s not really hard to believe. The setup for the series feels like it was composed by a committee seeking to engineer a hit manga by including all the female stereotypes fanboys love. You have everything from the older, slightly sluttly woman (Kitsune) to the shy, unsure, younger sister (Shinobu). The main love interest is the secretly sexy librarian type. Take off those Coke-bottle glasses and frumpy clothes, and you’ve unwrapped a Playboy playmate.

Our protagonist is the everyman loser that fanboys can both easily identify with and feel superior to. Keitaro isn’t a very good student. He’s not athletic. He’s average-looking and has never had a girlfriend. He has lots of self-doubts. However, he is also romantic, a hard worker, sincere, and has a good heart.

Now take our cast and figure out a setting that allows for maximum fanservice and comedic high jinks. How about an all-girls dorm that was formerly a hot springs inn? It’s the perfect setup for lots of chances for nudity and misunderstandings. At this point in my fandom, it’s a little hard not to be cynical about the whole premise of Love Hina. It feels designed to exploit male fans.

I find that I don’t have much patience any more for the storytelling in Love Hina. Keitaro’s constant tripping and exposing one of the girls gets old before the end of the first volume. Naru’s screaming “pervert” and hitting Keitaro into the sky gets old even quicker. If I wasn’t reviewing this omnibus, I would have quit before getting to the halfway point. I’m shocked I was previously able to read 14 volumes of this.

I can also see the appeal this story had, and to some extent still has, for me. Akamatsu is able to breathe life into these stereotypes. Keitaro’s sincerity and naiveté come across as believable, which is hard to do. Naru isn’t just the cute smart girl. She also has her own fears and doubts. Even Shinobu takes on more depth as we get to know her. Akamatsu’s skill crafting likable characters that transcend their stereotypes is the real secret to his success.

The best story arc in the omnibus is when Naru and Keitaro run away after both fail the entrance exam to Tokyo University. The fanservice and slapstick are toned down, giving the characters a chance to come alive. There is also room for their relationship to develop. It was a refreshing and much welcomed change of pace.

Another reason I loved Love Hina was the artwork. Even now, there is no denying that Akamatsu is a skilled artist. He has no weakness. Everything in the book is done well from character designs to page layouts to beautiful backgrounds. He adeptly handles comedy, drama, and quiet emotional moments. The book is still gorgeous and feels fresh.

At its core, Love Hina has an appealing story of a burgeoning romance. Unfortunately, that’s only 10% of the book. You have to wade through a lot of muck for so little gold. I’ve since discovered many manga that tell the same basic story much better. I won’t be re-reading the series. As I said before, I don’t have the patience. I’m hoping this is a sign of my maturity as a manga reader. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

I can tell the New York Comic Con/New York Anime Fest is coming very soon, because I’m now getting daily emails from exhibitors and companies wanting me to come see what they have on display. The show takes place from October 13-16 this year.

The programming schedule and exhibitor list for NYCC/NYAF was posted about two weeks ago, and there’s a lot to offer. Unless you have narrow tastes and are determined not to experience something outside your comfort zone, you’re bound to have several conflicts when trying to plan out your schedule.

Speaking of being outside your comfort zone, I’ll be a volunteer at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund booth. One of CBLDF’s goals at NYCC/NYAF will be making manga fans aware of threats to their First Amendment rights. I’m putting together a raffle to help encourage people to stop by the booth and to donate. Some exciting things are happening; look for more details soon. So stop by, say hi, and bring cash to donate. Lots of cash, trust me.

Here are the panels I plan to see at the show.

The Must Sees

It Gets Better (With Comics)
Friday 11:00 AM
The It Gets Better discussion about the impact comics can have and their potential to help people is something I’m deeply interested in. We forget that comics are art, and art can be a powerful influence in people’s lives.

Hiro Mashima and Kodansha Comics
Friday 6:30 PM
Hiro Mashima is the creator of Fairy Tail, but I’m not attending to meet him. I’m going to meet the staff at Kodansha. They have been a black hole of information, so getting to put a human face to the company will be a great help.

Vertical, Inc.
Friday 8:45 PM
My love of all things Vertical is well-documented. Ed Chavez, Marketing Director, has promised new license announcements. I believe one is even a Tezuka license. So yeah, I have to be there.

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund: Defending Manga
Saturday 7:30 PM
The CBLDF will be discussing the recent case where a man was arrested by Canadian Customs officials for the manga he had stored on the hard drive of his laptop. I’m a huge believer that a person should have the right to read whatever comic they want.

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund: Censorship Then & Now
Sunday 2:45 PM
This is just what the title says, a history of comic book censorship from the 1950s to today.

The Most Likely to See

Yen Press
Friday 12:15 PM
I’m going to see what new licenses will be announced. Also, I’m hoping they will announce an expansion of their digital manga to a multiplatform system like Viz Media has.

The Comics History of the World
Friday 1:30 PM
This panel is about writing comics based on real people and events. Fred Van Lente of Action Philosophers is one of the panelists.

Mythbusters: Anime Edition
Friday 2:00 PM
Two graduate students in physics talk about the physics of anime. I’m geek enough that I enjoy learning why things are physically impossible.

Food and Comics with Wylie Dufresne
Friday 2:45 PM
Even after reading the panel description, I’m not really sure what they’ll be talking about, but a chef and a Marvel VP (C.B. Cebulski) on a panel together promises to be interesting.

Comic Studies Conference 1: Super Inspirations
Saturday 10:30 AM
There will be a programming track of academic discussion of comics on Saturday, 8 panels in all. This one talks about the real-world and mythical inspirations behind some comic characters and the world they live in.

Comic Studies Conference 3: Requiem for Weisinger: The Life and Work of Superman Editor Mort Weisinger
Saturday 1:00 PM
Superman is my favorite superhero, and this is essentially a look at the first 30 years of the character.

Makoto Shinkai Spotlight
Saturday 2:45 PM
Since I missed his spotlight panel at Otakon, I’ll most likely make this one.

Comic Studies Conference 6: Understanding Comics and the Self
Saturday 4:00 PM
This is a look at what happens in the brain when we read comics, how shojo creators use manga to make social/political critiques, and how comics are used in Native American education. Wow, this might move up to the must-sees as the convention gets closer.

Archaia Entertainment & The Jim Henson Company
Sunday 3:45 PM
This is an advance look at the upcoming graphic novel, A Tale of Sand, a previously unpublished story by Jim Henson. I already have the book on pre-order.

A Zoo in Winter is based on Jiro Taniguchi’s own beginnings in the manga industry back in the late 1960s. The protagonist, Hamaguchi, quits his job at a small textile firm to become an assistant to a manga creator. The book portrays key moments from his first two years as an assistant.

Change is one of the themes of the book. Not just the life-altering changes that Hamaguchi is obviously going through, but the changes Japanese culture is experiencing, too. The 60s brought the same unrest to Japanese college students and young adults that it did to their American counter-culture counterparts.

A Zoo in Winter

One place that is experiencing big change at the time is manga. By the time Hamaguchi begins his apprenticeship, the gekiga manga movement was in full force. Magazines like Garo, Com, and Comic Baku were helping to create a venue for experimental and alternative manga. A couple times in A Zoo in Winter, we hear characters talking about manga’s potential to change the world.

The moments that Taniguchi tells of us are all firsts: the first time Hamaguchi becomes an assistant to a manga artist, his first time doing nude drawings, his first time getting drunk, his first time falling in love, etc. They are also key moments that help shape Hamaguchi as a man, and by extension, who he will be as a manga artist.

One of my favorite chapters in the book is when Hamaguchi’s unnamed older brother comes for a visit. Their father had died when Hamaguchi was young, so his brother served as a surrogate. It’s during this visit that Hamaguchi finally gets to see his brother as a person and not a parental figure. It’s a moment of maturity that all of us go through, and Taniguchi captures it with proper subtlety and poignancy.

I’m also a sucker for Hamaguchi’s first romance with Mariko. He meets her as a favor for a friend, but they end up hitting it off. The problem is that Mariko has a frail constitution and is constantly under a doctor’s supervision. She isn’t allowed much free time away from the hospital. At first, people assume it’s just pity that Hamaguchi feels, but it becomes evident his affection is real. Their relationship is further tested when Maiko moves back home to continue treatments in a hospital close to her parents. There’s still a part of me that finds such melodramatic romances touching.

I really don’t have any new ways to praise Taniguchi’s art. His linework is as delicate and precise as ever. The realism of his art is perfect for the down-to-earth stories he tells. I love all the detail he puts into each page. Characters don’t have a uniform they wear throughout the book; with each new day, we see a new set of clothes. There are some wonderful panels of Tokyo at night. As always, a Taniguchi book is a feast for the eyes.

It’s no surprise by now — Taniguchi is one of my favorite comic creators. His stories resonate deeply with me. The characters, the themes, the art, all of it speaks to me in powerful ways. I’m thankful to see Fanfare/Ponent Mon moving to hardcover editions of his works. I treasure his books, and they deserve the best presentation available. If you like realistic stories that are more meditative in tone, then Taniguchi is a must-read. A Zoo in Winter is a tremendously satisfying book that I look forward to reading several more times in my life. (The publisher provided a review copy.)

Pages from Under Bunnies by Eric Leland

Under Bunnies by Eric Leland
This is a beautifully crafted book. I love the cardboard covers and spiral binding. The story is wonderful, too. It’s about bunnies stealing carrots and has a Fantastic Mr. Fox feel to it. This is a must-own.

   Contents of Octobox by Pam Bliss

The Last Island by Alex Cahill
This is a story about a boy on a desert island and the odd things that begin to happen to him. Or so it seems. There’s a fantastic twist at the end that will make you go back and re-read the book. You can read a preview of the book at New Radio Comics.

Octobox: A Box of 8 Eight-Page Minicomics and Fleek by Pam Bliss
This is an artist Johanna introduced me to, and I’m very glad she did. Fleek is a fun tease of a book. The junkyard receives a box and tries to identify it. We’re never shown what’s in the box as they debate what it is. Perfect for eight pages.

I highly recommend the Octobox. It’s a great sample of the various styles of story Pam tells with her comics. There’s a travelogue, a couple of slice-of-life tales, a couple of dreams, urban fantasy, and a meditation. Also included is an instruction book on making your own eight-page minicomic with advice on how to structure the story. I can’t wait to buy more stuff from Pam.

Gimmick Illustrated #1 Vlak by Jason Little
I’m a big fan of Little’s Bee Comix, so it was thrilling to get to meet him. Vlak is done like a photo book of a vacation. It’s an odd but intriguing tale. There isn’t much of a plot; it’s a man going through a sparsely populated town and catching a train. There’s lots of suspense with no explanation yet. I’m definitely going to pick up the next volume.

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund: 2010 Year in Review by Various
I love the fact that the CBLDF did their year in review as a minicomic. This is another must-read, if they are at the next comic show you attend. Pick this up, then donate. Actually, don’t wait. Donate now. These people are doing great things and need our support.

Milky Way Shuffle by Eilo, published by Koyama Press
This was a good read, although the art is a little busy for my tastes. Also, I can’t say I’m a fan of the character designs. It’s a nerd-saves-the-day story, so I have to confess I’m sympathetic to the plot. Also, it has a good sense of humor.

In the Parlor Room by Jeremy Sorese

In the Parlor Room by Jeremy Sorese
This is another comic I picked up because it was beautifully constructed. I love the yellow band and the Velcro flap. The interior art is as beautiful as the book. It’s the story of a couple of thieves having free reign in an abandoned, flooded city. You can read it free online. However, you’ll miss the joy of the physical book itself. This is another must-own.

Oh boy, comics! #1 by Neil Brideau
I initially bought this because it had hand-stitched binding. The artwork is simple but highly effective. This is a collection of earlier works. There are fun nonsense rhymes, illustrated poems, and short stories. I was struck by how much I enjoyed the writing. I love seeing someone play with language, and the stories are of a perfectly length. Brideau even has a minicomic of the month club. If I have any money left after NYCC/NYAF, I plan on joining.

Wall Street Cat: Money Takes Naps by Sara Lindo
Okay, it’s a comic about a cat, so it’s not really a hard sell for me. This is a delightful fantasy where Lindo’s cat serves as a stress counselor for a Wall Street firm. The art is just as good as the story. Plus, this has a beautiful full-color cover. I do love cat comics.

The Rise & Fall of Studly Pete: Chapter 0 by Renee Lott
This is a short preview of the webcomic. The art is well done, but there isn’t enough story to know if I’ll like the webcomic. I assume if the name doesn’t attract you, then the comic isn’t for you.

Impartial? by Gregory Robison
This is a fictional account of how Washington DC’s first newspaper, The Impartial, got started. It’s not a bad read, but it doesn’t have a real ending. Robison just stops telling the story. I’m also not convinced Robison isn’t reading 21st century motivations and politics into 18th century people. This really needs to be a full-length graphic novel — there are just too many unanswered questions.

Black Magic Tales by Carolyn Belefski & Joe Carabeo
This is the same team that did The Legettes, which I enjoyed. The minicomic is a sample from a longer comic. It’s about a pair of crooks with incredible luck and skill. It was fun, and I’ll definitely check out the full comic. You can see preview pages of the completed first volume.

Map to Worlds End, Cyrano de Bergerac’s Ballade, and Unsung by Ken Wong
I’ve been a huge fan of Ken Wong since I discovered him at MOCCA three years ago. He is the most innovative creator of comics that I know. I’m always impressed with this newest works. These three are no exception.

Map to Worlds End is just what the name implies, a road map to the end of the world. It’s a great pastiche of the old Rand McNally maps. There are references to the Book of Revelation, Mayan mythology, Planet of the Apes, Harold Camping, and more. You’ll spend hours figuring out the references. The blend of dystopian sci-fi and religion is perfect for me.

Cyrano de Bergerac’s Ballade is an adaptation of the fight scene Cyrano has with Valvert from the first act of the play. There’s a clever device for illustrating a poem with a repeating refrain. This is done in comic strip format, with the final page longer than the rest. The final panel of the final page is the refrain, and thus, it is always visible as you flip through the book.

Unsung by Ken Wong

Unsung is the story of a man whose heroic feats can’t be made public. The President has a private meeting with Dr. Unsung to thank him for all he’s done. Again, the construction is brilliant. It’s a single sheet folded very small. As you unfold the page, the story unfolds. As the page gets bigger, so does the mystery of Dr. Unsung and how he’s able to do all these amazing deeds.

Swamp Talk! by Mike Stanley

Swamp Talk! by Mike Stanley
This is a neat little work. It’s a small eight-page comic made from a single sheet of paper. It’s book style but uses no staples. Instead, it’s done by making a single cut in the paper and some very ingenious folding. The story is about an alligator janitor enjoying some music.

Strange Fruit Comics #1-4 by Joel Christian Gill
The series subtitle, “Obscure Black History Comics”, says it all. The stories include a slave who escaped by being mailed north, the story of the first black professional basketball player, and the first American stage magician. I hope that Gill does a huge collection of stories. These four issues only whet your appetite for more. You can see previews of the comics at his website.

The Matter #1-2 by Various
This is an anthology. It’s a mix of comics and very short prose stories. Two comics, “Turriimo” and “Brink”, are continuing stories. I enjoyed all the pieces. My favorite piece would be the sci-fi psychological tale “Brink”. My only complaint is with the anthology’s grim tone. A few humor pieces would be nice.

There is a website listed in the books, but currently, the website doesn’t exist. This is a problem because Turriimo is done mostly in Somali, and you’re directed to the website for a translation. There is an active Facebook page for the anthology.

Secret Prison #5 by Various
This is a newspaper-style anthology. These were more miss than hit with me. I enjoyed the comic strips by Tommy Rudmose on the inside front cover. I liked a piece by Box Brown and Mike Sgier, which I took to be an homage to Steve Ditko. You can see the piece here. As a fan of Jack Kirby’s art, Tom Scioli’s Myth of 8-Opus is always a delight to look at. The rest didn’t really connect with me.

Overall, I was surprised at my batting average for minicomics. Part of my success may have been my taking my time this year and reading before I buy. I’m glad that I got to add several new artists to my shopping list for next year.

In Codename Sailor V (Sailor V), Minako Aino is a middle school student who excels at sports but is poor at academics. She encounters a strange cat with a crescent marking on its forehead who tells her she has been chosen as a guardian of justice. She is given a special compact and pen that allow her to transform into Sailor Venus. She must fight aliens seeking to enslave the Earth. The cat, named Artemis, serves as her mentor.

In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon), Usagi Tsukino is a middle school student who is a slacker and gets poor grades. She encounters a strange cat with a crescent marking on its forehead who tells her she has been chosen as a guardian of justice. She is given a special broach and pen that allow her to transform into Sailor Moon. She must fight aliens seeking to enslave the Earth. The cat, named Luna, serves as her mentor.

Codename Sailor V Book 1

These books have remarkably similar first chapters and premises. That’s not really surprising, since Sailor V and Sailor Moon are companion series. The events in Sailor V take place first. Sailor V is only two volumes long, and the lead character will become a part of the Sailor Moon story.

Sailor Moon was previously released by Tokyopop and was a early success for them. The Sailor Moon anime played on Cartoon Network. Sailor Moon was one of the series that brought females into anime and manga fandom. It’s one of the reasons anime conventions can brag about a 50% female attendance. Kodansha has re-released Sailor Moon with a new translation, while this is Sailor V’s first time in English.

While both series have lots of fighting, Sailor V is almost a pure shoujo fighting manga. Each chapter, Minako is fighting a new minion of the Dark Agency. There is some character development in the story, but it feels more like those moments are used to keep the manga from being just one fight scene after another. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Minako is a typical 13-year-old, so there isn’t much depth to explore.

Sailor Moon is more evenly divided between fighting and story development. From the beginning, Takeuchi introduces more story elements. Usagi’s responsibilities aren’t just defending the Earth, she also has to assemble a team of Sailor guardians to help her locate the Moon Princess and the Legendary Silver Crystal. The forming of a team allows Takeuchi to work in more character development for Usagi.

So let’s talk a bit about our two learning characters. Minako’s skill at sports gives her a lot more confidence than Usagi. She’s also better at taking the initiative and certainly a better fighter. Being 13, Minako has a rebellious streak in her. At her core, she’s good-natured and very empathetic to the people around her. She’s at that wonderful time in her life when she is equal parts child and woman. Her self-sufficiency makes her the more likable of the two characters for me.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Book 1

Up front, I’ll say I found Usagi grating. She is also a good-natured, caring person. However, she is also very lazy and seems to always need rescuing. She certainly starts out having the steeper incline of development and maturity needed. She is the least likable character in the series. The other guardians are much more mature and developed persons.

There is one moment toward the end of Sailor Moon that makes me slightly sympathetic to Usagi. She realizes her allies are better guardians than she is. Usagi then wonders how she can be their leader. If she is capable of such honest moments of reflection, then there is hope for Usagi, and she might turn out to be a wonderful person.

One thing you can say about Takeuchi’s artwork: She likes long legs and short skirts. There is a solicitousness to the way the Sailors are drawn that made me wonder at times who the intended audience is for these manga. This art inspired the Barenaked Ladies lyric, “Gotta get in tune with Sailor Moon / Cause that cartoon has got the boom anime babes / That make me think the wrong thing” (from the song “One Week”). The character designs make me think of fashion models who look much older than their 13 or 14 years. I confess to being a little uncomfortable with this aspect of the art.

That being said, I do love the page layouts of both books. Sailor V has a more traditional grid structure, while Sailor Moon has more of those innovative pages that I love in shoujo manga. There is a wonderful maniac energy in the art that brings all the characters alive. The fights are dynamic and dramatic. There is even a wonderful homage to 70s shoujo art in the romantic scenes between Tuxedo Max and Sailor Moon. Takeuchi’s art is truly a feast for the eyes.

I definitely liked the lead character and story of Sailor V better. Sailor Moon left me a bit cold by the end of the first volume. There were too many ‘Usagi as damsel in distress’ moments for me. If Sailor Moon wasn’t such a pivotal series for American fandom and a favorite of several people I respect, I would drop it at the first volume. I will admit, I’m not the target audience for Sailor Moon, and so much of its appeal will be lost on me.

I’m willing to give Sailor Moon’s next two volumes a try in hopes it will grow on me. It’s not uncommon for a manga series to be slow finding its groove. It took One Piece eight volumes to get interesting and another four or five volumes to get good. Hopefully, Sailor Moon will be a bit quicker to develop. For now, I can’t really recommend the series except to those like myself, curious to see what the fuss is all about.

Cyrano de Bergerac's Ballade minicomic by Ken Wong

This past Saturday, I headed out for my annual day trip to SPX. I’ve come to love this show, since it allows me to see people experimenting with comics. I never know what I’ll see, and I’m always pleasantly surprised with what I find. The biggest restriction for me is my budget. It’s a testament to the quality of artists at SPX that I can never buy everything I’d like to.

I picked up my press badge and walked into the showroom just as the doors were opened to the public. This allowed me to get in ahead of the big crowd to come. There’s always so much to see, it’s hard to remember to pace yourself. I haven’t figured out a good system to do an initial walk through, note the tables I find most interesting, and then go back to examine them more closely.

In general, I was looking for kids’ comics and books that were craft objects. I’m a sucker for hand-stitched pages, thick cardboard covers, and high-quality paper. If your comic looks like a work of art, then odds are I’ll buy it. I also wanted books that I could share with my nine-year-old nephew. I wasn’t disappointed on either count.

I was really happy to see Ken Wong and excited to get his newest origami comics (reviews forthcoming). I was thrilled to see Stephen Vrattos at the Fanfare booth and pick up their latest two books (review forthcoming). I also got to say “Hi” to Jonathan Baylis, whose recent book I got to review in prep for SPX.

The Secret History of Women in Comics

I went to two panels this year. The first was “The Secret History of Women in Comics”, moderated by Heidi MacDonald. The guests were Jessica Abel, Robyn Chapman, Alexa Dickman, and Diane Noomin. The discussion started with MacDonald asking if each panelist knew about women comic creators when they started their comics. Noomin said she wasn’t that aware, and it wasn’t really a factor in her making comics. She became more aware as she created comics and met other female creators. Chapman’s response was similar. Abel got started just as the Twisted Sisters comics came out, so she was highly aware. Dickman isn’t a comic creator. She’s a comic reader who became aware there were female comic creators and most were being forgotten. This inspired her to start a blog to remember these women and their place in comics history.

Trina Robbins’ books were discussed. The general consensus was that the books were flawed, but they were the only ones available. Abel called for a good integrated history of comics that included women. It would be nice not to need separate books just for women comic creators.

One item that I found interesting was how manga had helped usher in a new generation of women creators. Chapman and Abel teach at colleges and saw a large influx of female students with the manga boom. What’s fascinating is how even after the boom, there is still an increased female presence in comic art programs. Many of the students got into comics through manga but expanded their reading into other comics. That was encouraging to hear.

Stories of Cultural Identity

The second panel I attended was “Stories of Cultural Identity”, moderated by Rob Clough of The Comics Journal. The panelists were Jessica Abel (La Perdida), Marguerite Dabaie (The Hookah Girl), Sarah Glidden (How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less), and G.B. Tran (Vietnamerica: A Family’s Journey). The focus of the panel was the issue of cultural identity (ethnic, religious, or national) in comics.

Each of the authors had a fascinating story to tell about what led them to write the comics they did. Dabaie began exploring her cultural heritage after 9/11 when family and relatives told her it was best to hide her Palestinian roots. Tran became interested in his family’s history and how that tied into the Vietnam War. Glidden was also inspired by 9/11 and wanted to know what events could lead up to such an act. Abel wanted to explore how American’s preconceived notions can cause us trouble when we’re in a foreign country.

They discussed how they intentionally made their stories as nuanced as possible, showing both the good and bad within a given culture. This lead to a discussion of how their works were received by their cultural communities. As could be expected, the books were given both criticism and praise. The majority of reactions were positive for each book.

It was a wonderful panel and I hope that Clough will do it again next year. It really brought to light a lot of normally unexamined themes in comics.

Finishing Up

The Show Must Go On

Two highlights of the show for me were meeting Jason Little and Roger Langridge. I got to tell Jason how much I’ve enjoyed his two Bee books, and I picked up a new minicomic he is doing. I was able to get a signed copy of The Show Must Go On from Roger. I also told him I thought his Muppet Show comics were brilliant.

I and my budget were wiped out by about 5:00 PM. I got to spend some downtime with Johanna and our friend Julia. It was great comparing notes about what we found and our overall thoughts for the show. We did one last quick round through the showroom before calling it a day.

My only complaint was how crowded the convention got from about noon on. I was happy to hear that SPX announced they will expand the floor by 50% for next year, so now my only other obstacle is saving up money for next year. Thanks to all the staff and artists that made SPX such a successful and enjoyable experience! I look forward to seeing everyone next year.

One of the books premiering this week at SPX is So Buttons #4 by Jonathan Baylis. As the cover boldly announces, this is his biggest issue yet. Since I’ve complained in the past his books were too short, I found this longer issue a welcome change.

This volume contains 11 short stories, each with a different artist. As with the previous issues, these are slice-of-life remembrances. The topics include baseball, movies, and getting to meet one’s idols. The stories are told with a nice blend of nostalgia and humor. Those looking for existential angst will have to search elsewhere.

Baylis and I are approximately the same age, so a few of the stories struck a chord with me. I, too, used to eat my M&Ms by color and remember making origami drinking cups and balloons. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to work in the same company as some of my childhood heroes. So I missed both the thrills and disappointments that brings.

Baylis always finds great artists to work with. Having Fred Hembeck draw the story about being an intern at Marvel is perfect. I love Thomas A. Boatwright’s linework. He’s able to capture of feel of those black-and-white movies. Baylis’s longtime collaborator, T.J. Kirsch, is excellent as always.

Folks heading out to SPX this weekend are encouraged to drop by Baylis’ booth and grab a copy of So Buttons #4. If you can’t make the show, then you can order books directly from Baylis at his website. He also has a list of comic stores that carry his books. Maybe I’m reading the wrong books, but upbeat autobiographical comics seem rare these days. It’s great change of pace to read a comic by someone who seems happy about his life.

You can read an 8-page preview at Issuu.

According to translator Sunsuke Nakazawa’s essay, Tank Tankuro is “still one of the best known characters of pre-war manga.” The purpose of making Tank Tankuro available in English was to show American fans that manga was a vibrant, evolving art form before Tezuka. While Tezuka may have given shape and direction to manga after World War II, he did not create the medium ex nihilo. The god of manga was building upon a foundation laid by pioneers like Gajo Sakamoto.

Most modern fans will find both the Tank Tankuro manga and its eponymous main character to be odd creatures. Sakamoto describes Tank as “a human inside an iron ball”, and that’s exactly what he looks like. The iron ball surrounding Tank has many holes, and from them, he can produce hands, legs, propellers, airplane wings, guns, bombs, etc. Like Bugs Bunny, Tank seems to have any item at his disposal. The only requirement is his desire to call it forth.

Tank Tankuro

The manga was written for pre-school children. However, like many kids’ stories from earlier generations (e.g. the Grimm brothers), there is no shortage of violence. Tank loves to fight. The first two stories have Tank fighting monsters and villains he encounters on his travels. The rest of the book is Tank fighting in the Great War. There are lots of bloodless battle scenes, but it’s clear that people and animals are dying. By today’s standards, this book is clearly PG-13.

Another word of warning to modern readers: Sakamoto was a Japanese nationalist. Tank Tankuro is filled with racist stereotypes of Chinese soldiers. The ‘official’ nationality of the Tank’s enemies is never mentioned, but the designs of their uniforms and clothes makes it clear they are Chinese. There is also a lot of flag waving and shouts of “Banzai!” Students of history that know about the horrors of Japan’s occupation of China will find this unsettling, to say the least.

To say Sakamoto is highly imaginative as a storyteller is putting it mildly. It’s not hard to see the appeal of Tank Tankuro for kids. The manga has a maniac energy that draws the reader in. Tank might enjoy a good brawl, but he is fighting for the good guys. The battles are chaotic, with enemies and weapons appearing randomly. You can’t really describe the plot; it will only make sense within the context of the story. Needless to say, you’re never bored.

The art is deceptively crude. The characters look like they were designed by a five-year-old. However, the visual storytelling is highly effective. Sakamoto’s drawings are kinetic; each page is bursting with action. The art is also very upbeat. Tank and his friends are always smiling regardless of what is going on. It’s done mostly in black, white, and red with other colors occasionally showing up as highlights.

Presspop has included two works in this single-volume release. The first is the only collection of Tank Tankuro stories printed in Japan. It’s essentially the first two years of the manga. The second work is a special supplemental booklet that appeared in the April 1935 issue of the magazine Tank Tankuro was serialized in, Yonen Club.

Presspop has done a wonderful job with the packaging of Tank Tankuro. It’s a beautiful hardcover book that comes in a thick pressboard slipcase. The cream-colored pages give the book the appropriate time-aged feel. The presentation and price point tells you that Presspop knows this manga is only going to appeal to the most hardcore manga fans and libraries.

Thankfully, Presspop has included three excellent essays in the back of the book. The first is by Sakamoto himself about how he created Tank Tankuro. The second is by Sakamoto’s son and talks about his father’s life and his memories of his father. The most shocking comment is, “As his son, I never found him to have a sense of humor.” You would never guess that from Tank Tankuro. The final essay is a brief history of the pre-World War II era by Nakazawa. This essay is essential for understanding the manga within its original historical context. I began the book by reading these first, and it helped me appreciate the manga much more as I was reading it. I recommend everyone do the same.

Tank Tankuro is going to have a very limited appeal. Only manga fans deeply interested in the history of the form are going to want to read this book. Fans of classic comic strips also might enjoy this book, since you can tell that Sakamoto was influenced by comic strips from the 1920s. For this limited readership, Presspop has done us a great service by giving a taste of the great diversity of manga. I can only fervently pray this does well enough to encourage them to translate more pre-World War II manga. You can read an eight page preview of Tank Tankuro at The Comics Journal website.

Artie and the Knights must save the school’s Battle of the Bands program. It’s been twenty-seven years since Camelot Middle School has won. If they don’t win this year, then Principal Dagger will use the Battling Bands money to purchase school uniforms. Artie is also on a mission to find the missing Battle of the Bands trophy, the legendary Singing Sword.

Knights of the Lunch Table:
The Battling Bands

I’ve enjoyed the previous two volumes of Knights of the Lunch Table, so I was pleased to see this new volume out. Quick warning to those of us over thirty: This book will make you feel very old. Artie finds an ancient relic that he’s never seen before, a cassette tape.

The lesson for Artie this volume is not to judge people and objects based on appearances. The most visual example of this lesson is a geode he discovers. The person Artie misjudges is Melody, a new student who looks like Pippi Longstocking with glasses. She tries a little too hard to fit in, and Artie mistakes her eagerness for romantic attraction. Artie, why must you learn everything the hard way?

One of my favorite aspects of this series is seeing Cammuso work in references to Arthurian legend. The Singing Sword is actually the creation of Hal Foster. It’s Prince Valiant’s sword, said to be a sister sword to Excalibur. Of course, a book about swords has to have a reference to the Lady of the Lake. There’s even a reference to the Fisher King.

Unfortunately, Gwen still has only a small part to play. The strong female character in this volume is Melody. I talked to Cammuso about the female characters at the Baltimore Comic-Con. He admitted that the girls get short shrift in Knights of the Lunch Table. Part of the reason is Scholastic’s worries that a strong female character will turn away boy readers. A second reason is that the girls are so much more interesting that they threaten to overtake the story if they have bigger roles. This makes me wish Cammuso would do a companion series starring Gwen and her adventures.

Cammuso’s artwork is delightful. I love the guitar design featured on the front cover. It gets hard to find new ways to praise his art as the series continues. As always, my favorite part is the facial expressions. He’s perfect at conveying any emotion visually. Just flip through the book, and you can tell what any character is feeling without reading a word.

I continue to highly recommend the Knights of the Lunch Table series for everyone. It’s a great all-ages series that adults and kids can enjoy together. The Battling Bands has plenty of humor, heart, and a strong message about getting to know people for who they are and not how they look. A lesson that’s always relevant, regardless of your age.

Johanna and I made our annual daytrip to the Baltimore Comic-Con (BCC) this year. My focus was on getting at least one commissioned sketch of Astro Boy and Superman done. They are my two favorite heroes, and I wanted a couple pieces of art with them together.

I began Saturday walking around Artist Alley looking for someone I thought could draw both a good Astro Boy and a good Superman. It seemed Artist Alley was a bit smaller this year. I can think of at least three artists I bought comics from last year that I didn’t see this year. One positive aspect of this shrinkage was a noticeably smaller presence of zombie-themed works. The big negative was some of the diversity that independent artists bring was missing.

It appears that most of the zombie booths were replaced with people focused on fanart of superhero comics. There were some really good artists, who did professional-quality prints and posters of various members of the DC and Marvel universes. Unfortunately, there were also the artists doing nudes and near nudes of female superheroes. My impression was that Artist Alley was more about superheroes this year than original creations.

My first commission of the day was from Andy Runton, the creator of Owly. He was doing sketches of Owly as any person you wanted. I couldn’t resist getting a sketch of Owly as Superman.

I’m happy that BCC chose to put most of the kid-friendly artists in one place. They called it the Kids’ Comics Pavilion. BCC did this last year, too, and I’m hoping it’s a permanent feature of the convention. The pavilion included a little ‘diner’ area where kids could sit down and draw. It’s a great way to encourage a new generation of comic readers and creators.

The Kids’ Comics Pavilion is where I spent the rest of my money. Based on a recommendation from Rob at Panel Patter, I went over and checked out Mike Maihack’s booth. He’s the creator of a webcomic I love, Cleopatra in Space. That turned out to be bad for my wallet but good for my art collection. Once I saw his Princess Mononoke and Superman prints, I was hooked. I’m very happy he was willing to do an Astro Boy and Superman commission for me. I also picked up several of his prints. Maihack really needs to do an artbook of all his prints, because I don’t have the wall space for all of them.

To Maihack’s right was one of my favorite kid’s artists, Frank Cammuso. At his table was a very pleasant surprise, the newest Knights of the Lunch Table book, The Battling Bands. I wasn’t aware the new book was out, and I quickly snatched a copy. I couldn’t wait to get home, so I read it during one of my breaks from the convention room floor. I’ll have a review up shortly.

To Maihack’s left was Jason Horn, creator of the webcomic Ninjasaur. I liked the art and decided to pick up two of the comics, Ninjasaur versus Professor Deadbones and Ninjasaur: The Ghost in the Library. Both were quick and enjoyable reads. If you buy into the premise of a dinosaur who’s a ninja, then you’ll most likely enjoy the webcomic. I have to say this is the nicest paper I’ve ever seen a comic printed on.

Well, one hour into the show and my budget was gone. So I decided to tag along with my friend Ron (aka Twitterless Ron) as he bought comics.

The dealer’s section of BCC was crowded. I’ve come to the conclusion that no matter how wide you make the aisles at a comic show, they will always be jam-packed. You have people with bulging backpacks hunched over long boxes, and usually another person with a backpack looking over his/her shoulder on both sides. So even if the aisles were thirty feet wide, you would get someone looking over the shoulder of someone looking over the shoulder of someone looking through a long box. Regardless of the starting width, in the end the actually amount of walkway will always be six inches.

I was surprised at the number of $5 trade paperback books for sale. I was even more shocked to see recent titles like Bakuman volume 6, One Piece volume 58, and B.P.R.D: King of Fear on the $5 table. It appears that Borders closing is good for discount comics and manga sellers. If you don’t need to read a comic the day it’s released, comic shows are the best way to buy your books at significant discount. My friend Ron has gone this route.

I attended one panel this year. It was an informal conversation between Jeff Smith and Stan Sakai. I have to confess I only know the two men by name. I’ve not read any Bone or Usagi Yojimbo. I will be rectifying that oversight. It was obvious they had known each other for several years. They shared some anecdotes from a tour they were a part of. After ten minutes, they opened it up to audience questions.

Two things stood out during the panel. First, they both are unusual among comic creators in that they write, pencil, ink, and letter their own comics. This one person appropriate to comic creation is very rare among established artists. They both continue to do their own lettering because they believe the lettering should match the artwork. I love hearing people talking about the craftsmenship of comics and being intentional about every aspect of comic creation.

Second, when asked what advice they had for comic artists, Sakai said to learn to draw from life and not comics. He said that a young artist should attend drawing classes and study anatomy. If you learn to draw from comics, then you don’t know how to draw. It was hard not to jump up and scream, “Amen!” It’s the very rare genius who can pick up a pen and draw well without any formal training.

I enjoy the Baltimore Comic Con a lot each year. I wish I had better budgeted for the show, and I’m hoping the organizers will do more to encourage independent artists to attend next year. As it stands, BCC is a great show for lovers of superhero comics and kids’ comics. Both were well-represented this year. I always enjoy the artists I get to meet and the people I hang out with at BCC. I’ll be back again next year.

Gabby & Gator

Gabby & Gator

by James Burks, $16.99 US

Gabby is a very serious young girl. She is a committed vegetarian, practices yoga, collects bottles and cans in the park for recycling, and is responsible enough to start her day by making a To Do List. Needless to say, she’s having a hard time fitting in with her classmates. Gator is an alligator who’s been living in the sewers for ten years. His favorite food is dogs. These two find and befriend each other.

Gabby & Gator is a heartwarming tale about feeling like an outsider and the importance of finding a friend who accepts you for who you are. Both of the leads are very likeable. It’s a testament to Burks’ skills as a storyteller that a dog-eating alligator can be a deeply sympathetic character. (Of course, as a cat lover, I’m biased.)

The art is cartoony and works perfectly for such a fantastical premise. The visual storytelling in this book is phenomenal. Burks does a wonderful job conveying emotions non-verbally. Just open up to any page, and you will instantly know if Gabby is feeling sad, lonely, or happy. Burks reminds us a well-drawn picture really can be worth a thousand words.

I had minor quibbles with Gabby being portrayed as the poster child for NPR. I felt she came across more like a 40-year-old woman than a young girl, but I can overlook that for the sake of the story. This is a great all-ages book. I recommend it for everyone who enjoys a well-crafted comic story.

The World of Quest Volume 1

The World of Quest Volume 1

by Jason T. Kruse, $9.99 US

Quest was a great hero who 20 years ago was banished from the kingdom he helped save. Now, Quest’s help is needed again. The foes everyone thought were eternally imprisoned in another dimension are back. However, Quest is still bitter about his exile. Only when his house is destroyed does he reluctantly agree to help. And even then, it’s only because he wants to make sure someone reimburses him for his house.

The World of Quest is a fun take on the fantasy genre. There’s lots of humor and action in this volume. The story moves quickly, and there are lots of interesting characters. Kruse does a marvelous job introducing this large cast without making you feeling overwhelmed.

The two leads can be a bit problematic for some. Quest is a cantankerous anti-hero, but Kruse is smart enough to make sure that circumstances keep Quest from acting out his baser desires. The prince who begs for Quest’s help, Nestor, can be obnoxious. However, Nestor is trying to save his parents, and it’s easy to see his acting out coming from worry. Kruse also uses their prickly personalities to create humorous interactions.

The art is very cartoon-like. It’s no surprise Kids WB decided to create an animated series from the book back in 2008. The character and place designs are delightful. The villains look evil, and the heroes look tough. The variety of beings that populate the World of Quest is amazing. The visuals are as fun as the story.

It’s a shame that neither the books nor the cartoon found a wider audience. There are only two volumes of the comic available, leaving the story unfinished. Fans of fantasy stories will enjoy this series and the way it plays with genre tropes. Kids will simply love the action and jokes. This is an great all-ages book from Yen Press.

The Yen Press App

I bought both of these books digitally to test out Yen Press’ iPad and iPhone apps. Plus, Yen Press is currently running a sale on first volumes so they are only $2.99 each.

Yen Press’ iPad app is as good as Viz’s. You get the same high-resolution images, and it’s easy to navigate the reading menu. The only feature lacking in the Yen Press app is a bookmark. It’s not essential, but it’s nice for when you want to casually flip a few pages ahead or if there are culture notes at the back you want to flip to as you’re reading.

Yen Press’ iPhone app has the one essential feature missing in Viz’s, a two-page landscape mode. This is nice for looking at two-page spreads, and both of the reviewed books had these. There is still no panel-by-panel mode for easier reading of dialog.

Yen Press’s digital model has three major disadvantages. First is their price point. They are currently charging $8.99 for digital copies. Viz only charges that for the 3-in-1 omnibus editions. Yen Press needs to come down in price if it wants to be competitive with other digital comics and manga.

Second, their apps are still Apple only. Now that Viz has launched Vizmanga.com and become multi-platform, Apple only is no longer acceptable.

Finally, when you pay for a volume from Yen Press, you are only buying one digital version of that book. So if you bought a book on your iPad, you have to pay for it again to read it on your iPhone. Again, Viz’s ‘pay once view on any platform’, makes this model not just obsolete but utterly ridiculous.

I can’t help but feel that Yen Press isn’t really serious about digital distribution of their books. The prices and limitations seem designed to turn away customers instead of invite them. It’s a shame. There are some great books by Yen Press that deserve as wide an audience as possible. Yen Press is doing a disservice to their books and their customers with their digital distribution.

Update: I was contacted by Kurt Hassler at Yen Press to correct an error in my review of their iPad/iPhone app. I was wrong; you do not have to repurchase a book to be able to view it on multiple devices. I can’t explain the procedure better than Kurt did, so here are his instructions:

“First, make sure that you’re using the same account for both versions of the app. If you are, then you just need to go through the motions of “repurchasing” a book that you’ve already bought on another version of the app. When you’re asked if you want to confirm your purchase, click “Buy” when prompted. The app will recognize that you’ve already purchased the title and ask if you want to download it again for free. You won’t be charged again.”

Kurt further let me know that Yen Press is working on making this feature of the app more transparent and customer-friendly.

With that new information, I retract the last two paragraphs of my review. I still want to see Yen Press emulate Viz in both price point and becoming multi-platform. However, I have to say now their current app is a good foundation to build a digital presence. Heartfelt thanks to Kurt for his correction and instructions.

The last day of Otakon started early for me. I recorded two episodes of Manga Out Loud before heading over to the convention.

Anime Studies: A New Decade

The recordings took a little longer than anticipated, so I walked into the “Anime Studies: A New Decade” panel half an hour late. The panel was moderated by Mikhail Koulikov, who is one of the moderators of the Anime and Manga Research Circle mailing list. His panelists were Carl, who is doing manga research in Holland; Lila, an independent researcher working on a book about shoujo; and Daniel, another independent manga researcher.

There was a lot of good advice for people looking to write about anime and manga for academia: don’t duplicate existing research, really know your discipline, have an extensive knowledge of anime and manga, admit what you do and don’t know, etc. Anime and manga studies are only about 30 years old, so there is still a lot of open area to explore. The panel drew a good crowd who were very engaged. Makes me hopeful for the future of anime and manga studies.

Japanese Directors and Producers

Next, I attended the “Japanese Directors and Producers” panel. On the panel was Noburo Ishiguro, Kazuya Murata, and Makoto Shinkai. Ishiguro is a 48-year veteran of the anime industry. Murata has been in the anime industry for about 20 years, while Shinkai has been working in anime for 10 years.

Ishiguro admitted that he doesn’t work as much as he used to. He is still trying to get use to digital animation. He also felt that the sensibilities of anime have changed, and he feels out of place among younger animators. During the questions, Ishiguro revealed that he went to film school and learned how to direct there. Also, he is a fan of animation from all over the world, citing shows from countries like the Czech Republic and China. It was impossible not to be impressed with his knowledge and thoughtfulness.

Murata said he was sitting with two of his favorite directors. He talked about the challenges of directing Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos. The main obstacle was creating a story where the characters experience real emotional growth but that doesn’t break continuity with the existing storyline. He also showed how much a student of film he was during the question period, discussing different techniques for non-verbally communicating a character’s emotional state.

Shinkai said he was nervous sitting next to such great directors. He was asked what it was like going from working alone (Voices of a Distant Star) to being part of an animation team. He said he didn’t feel lonely with a full staff working for him. Also, a group of people working on a film lets you have a greater pool of ideas to draw from. He broke the heart of one questioner when he admitted he wasn’t a mecha fan and the robots used in Voices of a Distant Star were simply a design challenge he wanted to tackle. I was impressed with how thoughtful his answers were to all the questions.

The panel ran over, and I had to leave. Which was really unfortunate since the last question asked was what advice Murata and Shinkai could give to Ishiguro about working with digital animation. You can read their responses at the Anime News Network write-up of the panel.

Viz Celebrates 25 Years

My last panel of the day was Viz Media’s panel. I arrived at the panel only to discover that previous panel had been given permission to run half an hour longer. Viz was still given its full hour; it would just start once the current panel ended.

Amy Mar from Viz’s marketing group was the spokesperson. She started out talking about Viz’s 25-year anniversary and the special website set up to celebrate this milestone. She then went on to discuss various other Viz initiatives like their iPhone app for manga and the new Vizmanga.com website. There were no new licenses announced. The biggest announcement for me was the first volume of Oishinbo being available digitally.

Final Thoughts

This year, Otakon set a new attendance record, with an unofficial total of 31,348. It’s not hard to see why people keep flocking to Otakon. For me, it’s a chance to hang out with fellow reviewers and bloggers. I enjoy going to the panels to learn new things about Japanese culture and to discover new anime and manga series. There is always at least one Japanese guest I’m excited to see each year. Finally, regardless of what people say, Baltimore is a nice city with some great sights of its own. I’m already looking forward to next year.