Review by KC Carlson and Ed Sizemore

[A note from KC: When Johanna asked me to review the new Batman: Gotham Knight animated DVD, it didn’t take me long to realize that I was in over my head. Although the history of American animation is kind of a hobby of mine, I have only a very limited scope of what is going on in the rapidly growing world of anime. Sadly, except for the end credits of the DVD, the talented directors and animation studios that are such a huge part of this video are not mentioned at all on the packaging, nor in the publicity material that was included with this release. Instead, focus falls on the screenwriters, many of whom have comic or cartoon connections, and the voice talent.

Batman: Gotham Knight
Buy this DVD

Knowing that the dedicated manga and anime followers of Comics Worth Reading expect us to do more than a cursory review of this important project, I quickly turned to our resident anime expert, Ed Sizemore, to help me with information regarding that portion of the DVD. Ed, being Ed, went above and beyond the call of duty and wrote a full-blown review, which appears here in its entirety. Check back with me at the end for notes on the American creators, additional credits, and information on the DVD extras. Now, here's Ed.]

Similar to The Animatrix, which expanded the world of the Matrix films through Japanese animation, Batman: Gotham Knight allows anime companies to visually reinterpret Batman. DC comics has hired four of the leading anime studios to animate six stories penned by current and past Batman writers. The idea is for them to use the template created in Batman Begins as a reference for what Gotham looks like and what characters they can incorporate in their stories. The events of these six stories are supposed to take place between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Read the rest of this entry »

The immensely talented Jane Irwin (creator of Vögelein) is trying her hand at a webcomic: It’s called Clockwork Game, The Illustrious Career of a Chess-Playing Automaton. It’s based on the true story of the mechanical Turk, and you’ll get a page weekly on Thursdays. (Bless her for having an easy-to-find feed for updates.) Several are already up for your browsing pleasure. From the press release:

Originally designed to amuse the Empress Maria Theresa, The Turk was a machine that could play chess with the skill and originality of a grandmaster. It captivated audiences all over Europe and the United States, playing against many well-known rulers and dignitaries throughout its long and astonishing career. “I was inspired to retell the incredible story of The Turk because it seems far too fantastic to actually be true, and yet with each new book and article I uncovered, the facts became much more captivating than any fiction I could have created,” Irwin said. “Clockwork Game is a mostly-true dramatization of historical events, told with as little conjecture as possible.” Drawn in a crosshatched pen-and-ink style, Clockwork Game marks a major shift in both medium and presentation from Irwin’s earlier work, though the subject matter shares many similarities with her previous graphic novels, which told the story of an automaton brought to life.

When I interviewed writer Jim Dougan last week about his webcomic Sam & Lilah, he was hinting of future plans. Now he’s announced them: the series will continue at Act-i-vate beginning May 1. He’s also teasing a new strip beginning April 15 at former home Chemistry Set Comics. Illustrated by Molly Lawless, its title has caught my attention: “How I Lost My Sh?! at the Apple Store“.

Sam & Lilah came in fourth place in the March Zuda competition; the winner was something called Black Cherry Bombshells, about scantily dressed “ultra-violent” cartoon girls fighting zombies… in other words, every trend I despise. That was the fifth monthly competition. And apparently, the results are declining — this winner had 18,347 views and was marked a Favorite by 363. The original winner, High Moon, had 77,624 views and 456 Favorites. But that’s not surprising, as the newness wears off.

The second Zuda winner, from the December 2007 competition, was Pray for Death. It’s now begun putting up “screens” beyond the original eight for the contest. I didn’t realize that it took three months for more material to go up after the contest end. In this case, it may be due to the artist developing a new style in the meantime.

Event Review by Ed Sizemore

As Johanna’s unofficial field reporter, I went to the “Manga to Anime: Astro Boy to Spirited Away” seminar at Freer Galley of Art in Washington, DC, Saturday, April 21. The seminar is part of the Smithsonian’s Japan WOW! program that is exposing Americans to various aspects of Japanese culture and will host events through June of this year. The event was from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM with a fee of $45 ($30 for Smithsonian members). There were about 75 people in the audience.

The seminar was divided into three sessions. The morning session ran from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM and was a Q& A with three Japanese guests. The afternoon session ran from shortly before 2:00 PM until about 3:15 PM and was a presentation by Susan J. Naiper, Ph.D. The final session was more Q&A with all guests, including Dr. Napier, that ran until about 4:30 PM. (Unfortunately, I didn’t arrive until 10:41 AM due to delays with the DC Metro system and so didn’t get the name of the questioner for the Q&A sessions.) Instead of trying to duplicate the Q&A format, let me share of some of the more interesting comments made by the guests. In the interest of full disclosure, the citations below are not exact quotes but paraphrases of what was said.

The first guest was Mitsuhisa Ishikawa. He is the CEO and President of the anime company Production IG, best known in America for their work on the Ghost in the Shell franchise and providing the animated sequence in Kill Bill.

Quentin Tarantino has always loved anime. He saw two of our films, Ghost in the Shell and Blood: The Last Vampire. Quentin came to our studio by himself without any announcement or appointment. This is not easy because our studio is an hour outside of Tokyo. We didn’t know who he was or that he was really ‘the’ Quentin Tarantino. The anime sequence in Kill Bill is very violent. Quentin told us to consider the show like it was from outer space and to make the sequence as violent as possible. So the staff listened to him and the more we listened the more we thought Quentin was from outer space.

When I look at Spiderman I see the anime influence. Sam Raimi said he was influenced by the anime Nausicaa. I like the cross-culture influences and how they stir up creativity.

I try to make anime with a good mix of 2D and 3D animation. Facial expressions are best shown using 2D and motion is best shown using 3D.

The tendency of Japanese companies coming to the US is to expand by building franchises. Production IG doesn’t want to do that. We want to expose the US to Japanese animation; that is the focus of our office in Los Angeles.

When you compare the male audience to the female audience, males fall in love with the world and the details of the world. If it’s a robot anime, males want to know the details of the how the robot works and want to buy the toys. Females fall in love with an individual character and not the whole cast. Take the J-Pop group Smack, women like one singer of the group and not all. You need to focus on the characters if you want to reach a female audience.

The second guest was Monkey Punch. He is most famous for creating the manga that launched the Lupin III franchise. He is also one of the founders and current President of the Digital Manga Association.

Thirty to thirty-five years ago manga was unpopular in the US. I attended the San Diego Comic Convention and was told by the attendees that they didn’t like the art style of manga. I went back to Japan and discussed this with the other creators. In 1980, a group of about 10 artists including myself and Osamu Tezuka went to the San Diego Comic Convention and did publicity for manga. This event helped to make a difference in manga popularity in America. Frederick Schodt’s book Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics also helped in changing the US opinion of manga.

I’m currently teaching university courses on how to write manga. I have about 200 students and they all want to be professional manga writers. But the reality is that only one is good enough to become a professional. I would love all them to make it, but that is impossible. I try to treat each student the same, even if they aren’t going to make it. Because even if they don’t become professional manga writers, they might work in another capacity in the manga business and this knowledge of manga writing will help them. Now that the Japanese government is recognizing the value of manga, my course may help them even if they end up working for the government.

I was influenced by American comics, especially MAD and Mort Drucker. Many manga creators are influenced by the American and European comics. The best creators blend the western styles while staying true to the Japanese spirit of comics.

My generation [Monkey Punch is 70] grew up looking to the US and the high production value of their movies and comics. My generation saw Hollywood as its mentor. Hearing that Americans are copying the Japanese comic style makes me long for the days when they were setting the standard. I wish Americans had more confidence to continue to produce great works of their own.

The fan’s response to my work is very important. I try to listen and respond to what fans are saying about my work. In Japan there is a voting system of popularity in the magazines, so you worry when your work isn’t popular. I try to make the story more interesting or sexualize the women more to keep the popularity up. Since my money is from the fans, I have to ensure that I make them happy.

The third guest was Ryuhei Kitamura. He is the director for such live action films as Versus and Azumi. He is currently working on the movie adaptation of Clive Barker’s Midnight Meat Train.

I went and learned filmmaking in Australia. I wanted to be a manga artist but couldn’t draw. I wanted to be an animator but liked to chase women too much. So I became a live action film director.

In Japan the creators of manga write their stories with the audience in mind. They know the pace of the readers and they know where to put cliffhangers to keep the audience coming back. Anime has had this experience to draw on. Japanese live action didn’t have a similar experience to drawn on, so Japanese live action films are still learning how to pace stories.

The big turning point in making anime and magna popular in the US was how the Matrix used Ghost in the Shell as a model. This opened people’s eyes to anime and manga. Hollywood movies are very important for spreading awareness. When I made a live action film based on the manga Azumi, I did it with a Road Warrior feel, even though the manga was very traditional. This swapping of ideas increases the audience.

I try to make movies for myself and my fans. All my films must connect to the fans. If my movies stop connecting to the fans then I’ll quit. I try to stay in tune with what fans want and pick my films based on what the fans want to see. I believe in the power of the fans.

The final guest was Susan J. Napier, Ph.D. She is the author of the book Anime from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle, Updated Edition: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation. She was one of the first, still one of the few, American academics to write seriously about anime and manga. Dr. Napier gave a lecture titled “Japan’s Floating World: Art, Manga, & Anime.” (Floating world is a reference to the 17th and 18th century court culture of Edo (modern day Tokyo). It is said that fashions rose and fell like the tides.) The lecture began with the historical antecedents to modern manga such as the monk scrolls of the 10th and 11th century and the 19th century woodblock artist Katsushika Hokusai.

There are three modes of anime. 1) Apocalyptic - This is a theme common in late 20th century American films as well. The Japanese islands are very vulnerable to fire, earthquakes, and tsunamis. This vulnerability is seen in early Japanese literature. Also, the memories of Nagasaki and Hiroshima are still very vivid to the Japanese imagination. There can be hope in apocalyptic literature, since some apocalyptic literature talks of the a renewed or restored world after the great cataclysm. Examples of anime in this mode are: Akira, Nausicaa, Evangelion, and Barefoot Gen. 2) Elegiac - This is a lament for someone or something that has been lost. This has not been a prevalent theme in American art, but we see it more in post 9/11 America. Examples of anime in this mode are: Ghost In the Shell, Grave of the Fireflies, and Totoro. 3) Carnivalesque - A theme we are familiar with in the West. In America, we see this theme in the Mardi Gras celebration, a time to cut loose. People can hide behind masks and do crazy things. It serves as a release valve for society. Example of anime in this mode are: Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yatsura, and scenes of Spirited Away.

What are the qualities of anime that attract American viewers? Differences:

1. there is no guarantee of a happy ending
2. a lack of black and white moral dichotomies
3. the themes of sacrifice, deep emotion and sentimental romance not common in American literature
4. coolness of the look/design
5. the use of action, sexuality and imagination

Similarities/Universalities:

1. the realness of anime - how the stories seem to reflect actual people, events, and problems we encounter in our life
2. identification fantasy - the way we feel we can relate to the characters and their situations
3. stories that deal with coming of age, generational problems, adventures, romances, and comedies

I’m interested in the subject of fan power. Japan is promoted by fan power. The global image of Japan is going from a hardware giant to a software giant. I’d also like to know how the otaku culture in Japan effects the anime and manga companies. I’ve heard that companies are making products directly marketed to the otaku instead of the general population.

After the three sessions were over, there was still a half hour left for the audience to personally meet the guests. All four guests were very gracious in talking to their fans and in giving autographs and sketches, and they even posed for pictures.

Overall, I enjoyed the seminar. (I got a sketch and autograph from Monkey Punch!) My only complaint was the ticket price to attend. $45 is very steep for a one-day event. The week previous (Saturday the 14th) the Freer Gallery had an anime marathon as part of the Cherry Blossom festival. The director Satoshi Kon was there in person to present his two films and to answer audience questions. This event was free to the public. The low audience for last Saturday’s seminar is a direct result of the high price tag for the event. Hopefully in the future the Smithsonian will make events of this type more affordable.

Publishers Weekly has posted their list of the Best Comics of 2005. Overall, it’s a pretty accurate portrait of the year’s trends and what was talked about. Here’s my groupings of the items on their list (and I apologize for overusing the word “good”):

Read It, Loved It

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni Press) — Took me a while to get it, then I was smitten.

Gemma Bovery by Posey Simmonds (Pantheon) — Several years ago, actually. I need to reread it. I wish we’d get more of her work available in the US, it’s so beautiful.

Teenagers from Mars by Rick Spears and Rob G. (Gigantic Graphic Novels) — Although some of the criticisms of the ending are valid, it’s still a powerful work by (at the time) new creators.

Yotsuba&! by Akira Toriyama (ADV Manga) [nb: Author is really Kiyohiko Azuma] — One of the many interesting manga choices on this list. Note that no Viz books were listed, and the only Tokyopop were OEL.

Good, But Not THAT Good

WE3 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (Vertigo) — Fundamentally, it’s one of those cute animal movies dressed up in SF trappings.

Astonishing X-Men Volume 1: Gifted by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (Marvel) — To really love this, it required that you also be a X-Men fan, since a lot of it was “yeah, that was cool back then, wasn’t it?” The actual new stuff was predictable and not very good. Also, my memories of this series have been damaged by how quickly it took a nose dive.

Street Angel by Jim Rugg and Brian Marucca (Slave Labor Graphics) — I want to reread this now that everyone and their dog isn’t trying to push it. I suspect this won’t be one for the ages, but it wasn’t intended to be.

Own It, Looking Forward to Reading It

The Rabbi’s Cat by Joann Sfar (Pantheon) — Thanks, Sequential Swap.

Salamander Dream by Hope Larsen (AdHouse Books) — It always takes me forever to get to the good stuff, so I wind up praising good work months after everyone else is done with it. I need to work on that.

Tricked by Alex Robinson (Top Shelf) — Given this one’s length and scope, it’s going to require some time set aside for it.

Dramacon by Svetlana Chmakova (Tokyopop) — I hope this one is as good as I expect it to be.

Night Fisher by R. Kikuo Johnson (Fantagraphics) — This comment isn’t inspired by this title, but around this point, I started noticing how interesting it was that all the expected publishers got at least one book listed. Maybe that’s part of their point, that there are so many consistently good releases from the usual suspects. Yet even Marvel got a nod (see above).

Read It, Thought It Overrated

Epileptic by David B. (Pantheon) — I guess I need to develop more patience for primitive art styles to be a true comic critic.

Ex-Machina: The First Hundred Days by Brian Vaughan and Tony Harris (DC/Vertigo) — The concept is much more interesting than the execution we get every month. And while I admire Vaughan’s ability to spin out plotlines, I’d like to see more actually resolved without sudden stops.

Walt and Skeezix : Book One by Frank King (Drawn & Quarterly) — One of those books that’s more interesting when you hear people talk about it than when you have to get through it yourself.

Didn’t Read It, Not Interested

Black Hole by Charles Burns (Pantheon) — I don’t do horror.

King by Ho Che Anderson (Fantagraphics) — What I’ve seen of the artist’s style I’ve found hard to read.

MBQ Volume 1 by Felipe Smith (Tokyopop) — Too much good manga, too little time.

Why Are You Doing This by Jason (Fantagraphics)

What, Are You Kidding Me?

Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface by Shirow Masamune (Dark Horse) — Go look at that cover and tell me it says “worthwhile, meaty read.” No. It says “chick in bodysuit so tight it looks like painted skin.” If this book is really that good, it’s been severely undercut by the marketing (or lack thereof, given its publisher).

The Genshiken Volume 1 by Kio Shimoku (Del Rey) — I can see why geeks like this — it’s a more even-handed portrayal of their hobbies and fetishes than the usual stereotypes — but still. Best of the year?

My Additions

Here’s my list of books I really enjoyed reading in 2005 that were not included. These are the works that kept me excited about comics. (Please note, I used my database as a reminder, so there may be great stuff out there that I’m blanking on and haven’t filed yet.)

Avigon: Gods and Demons
Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards
Capote in Kansas
Owly: Just a Little Blue
Tramps Like Us (books 4-7 out in 2005)
True Story, Swear to God: This One Goes to 11
Wet Moon: Feeble Wanderings
And Planetes, which concluded in 2005.

Since PW only covers graphic novels, left out from the lists above are Finder #38 (although I expect to see the eventual collection, Five Crazy Women, get high praise next year) and Hopeless Savages: B-Sides.

Johanna Draper Carlson

I’ve been reviewing comics for over fifteen years, reading them for multiple decades, and running Comics Worth Reading since 1999. My credits include:

• Graphic Novel and Manga Reviewer, Publishers Weekly, 2003 - present
• Columnist, “Graphic Novels Worth Owning”, Comics Unlimited, 2003 - present
• Columnist, Hogan’s Alley, 2008 - present
• Judge, Glyph Comics Awards, 2007, honoring the best in black comic books and creators
• Judge, Isotope Award for Excellence in Mini-Comics, 2007-2008
• Contributing Writer, PiQ Magazine, 2008
• Contributor, The Savage Critics, 2007-2008
• Contributor, The Comics Journal #269
• Submissions Editor, Saucy Goose Press, Smut Peddler, 2003-2005
• Contributing Editor, Comicology, 2000-2001
• Online Editor/Webmaster, DC Comics, 1996-1997
• Contributor, The Guide to United States Popular Culture

Please email me with comments or questions. For information on submitting review copies, please read that post.

KC Carlson

KC Carlson has been working in comics since 1972, where, as a teenager, he stripped the covers off unsold comics to return to the publishers for a local magazine distributor. Since then, he has worked for DC Comics (as editor on The Legion of Super-Heroes, Zero Hour, and Superman), the Westfield Company, Capital City Distribution, several retail comic shops, and many other places, continuing to destroy comics at every step. He also once worked as a “pooper-scooper” for a dog show. (Guess which one paid better?)

KC writes the occasional piece for Westfield Comics. Links to his writing can be found in the KC category (feed) at this site.

KC and Johanna have been married since 1999. They met at a comic book convention and share a love of the Legion and the Monkees.

Ed Sizemore

Ed says, “I started reading comics in my early youth. My only claim to fame as a writer is having four letters printed in the fan mail column of Arion, Lord of Atlantis. I quit reading comics when I joined the Navy after high school and didn’t rediscover them until about ten years ago. At the same time, I was beginning to explore a then little known art form called anime. A couple of years later, I read my first manga. Currently, I read mostly manga but make an exception for people like Steve Ditko, Mike Mignola, Ted Naifeh, and Josh Howard. My favorite manga artists are Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy, Phoenix, Black Jack), Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell), Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha, Maison Ikkoku), and Ken Akamatsu (Love Hina, Negima). I’m also very interested in academic writings about anime and manga.”

Ed has previously reviewed two manga exhibits, one on shojo and one at the Smithsonian, and an academic journal for this site. View all of his contributions.

Rob Vollmar

Rob is currently taking a break from the site while promoting his Bluesman collection.

Rob is a writer of and about comics and manga from Norman, Oklahoma. Rob writes commentary and reviews for magazines like The Comics Journal and World Literature Today as well as having authored manga columns such as “The Occidental Tourist” (Ninth Art) and “International Geographic” (Comic Book Galaxy). His favorite contemporary manga-ka include Moyoco Anno, Naoki Urasawa, and Matsuri Akino but if anyone ever drew more fabulously than Kyoko Ariyoshi, he hasn’t seen it yet.

Rob created and wrote The Castaways and Bluesman, as well as the webcomic Inanna’s Tears. He manages a direct market comics shop (Atomik Pop! Norman branch) and reviews manga for this site. For more information on his tastes, view his recommendations of seven classic manga.