The Push Man & Other Stories HC By Yoshihiro Tatsumi and Adrian Tomine $19.95, 208 pages, Page 276 Drawn & Quarterly Coming in September, 2005
Prior to about 5 years ago, virtually any comic book on virtually any subject published in North America that did not feature the adventures of spandex-clad heroes and villains (or was not explicitly intended for children) was considered "Alternative". Auto-biography? That's 'alternative comics'. Non-fiction accounts of war-torn foreign lands? That's 'alternative comics' too. Adventure stories with all of the trappings of superheroes but sans spandex outfits? Unsurprisingly, that was 'alternative comics' as well.
Then, manga. Now 'alternative comics' means Jeff Mason's company, and little else.
Japanese comics (manga) started out mostly as adventure stories for boys too, though the variety of settings, themes, and audiences grew over time. But what is an 'alternative comic' when it's in Japan, a nation that (to our North American eyes) seemingly incorporates every type of genre and storytelling style into it's comic books to begin with? According to Yoshihiro Tatsumi, it's "Gekiga", or "Dramatic Pictures". Whereas "Manga" transliterates to "irresponsible pictures" but has come to mean simply 'comics' in Japan, manga creator Tatsumi coined the term "Gekiga" to refer to smarter, more mature stories for adult readers, the types of stories that he wanted to tell and read himself (for more on Gekiga, check out the excellent write-up at Wikipedia).
With only 4 or 5 mentions of Tatsumi's work appearing on our shores (if you own both of Frederick L. Schodt's books, the fifth Drawn & Quarterly Anthology, an issue of Pulp magazine and an obscure, out-of-print collection entitled Good-Bye and Other Stories then you own literally everything...) "alternative comics" superstar Adrian Tomine and publisher Drawn & Quarterly have begun to undertake a major publishing initiative and begin bringing Tatsumi's work to North America in a series of hardcover collections.
[As an aside, as a testament to Tatsumi's unfair obscurity, even the exhaustive Lambiek.net 'comiclopedia' offers no entry detailing his many contributions...]
THE PUSH MAN AND OTHER STORIES is the first such collection from D&Q, a hardcover graphic novel edited, designed, and with an introduction by Adrian Tomine and collecting 16 short stories from Tatsumi's output in the year 1969. While printed neither in its original orientation or "flopped" to read from left-to-right, PUSH MAN has been re-arranged panel-by-panel by creator Tatsumi (along the lines of Dark Horse's BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL series) to read in the North American orientation, with as little manipulation of the original artwork as possible.
I've been lucky enough to read this volume in its entirety, and the translation, lettering, and touch-ups are all immaculate. I'm also very grateful for the introduction by Tomine and the short interview between Tomine and Tatsumi that closes out the volume, they give the stories an additional weight and context that is appreciated. I have to admit to disappointment that the material has been so significantly altered from it's original format because with the cutting-and-pasting of most of the panels in the book, there's something lost in the layout and storytelling when this occurs. At the same time, the knowledge that the stories' original creator made (or oversaw) this manipulation himself makes the pill much easier to swallow, and reading through the volume I don't remember being distracted at any point by these changes. The stories, mostly 8 pages in length (though three longer pieces round out the volume) tell short, almost poetic stories of the working class in late-sixties Japan. Reading Tatsumi's stories and thinking of American comics tackling the same subjects in the late 60s and early 70s through the awesome power of superheroes is a bit like the difference between an exquisite chocolate truffle and a hot-dog eating contest; one is short, sweet, and powerful while the other makes up for the tastelessness through bombast and volume. Sweet Christmas!
Anyway.
Yoshihiro Tatsumi at the 2004 Angouleme Comics Festival where he received an "Honourary Festival Prize" (I think).
There's clearly something to be said for the subtle power of these short stories. At the San Diego Comic Con this year chatting with Adrian Tomine and several other young comics creators it's clear that this work is still affecting, poised to influence a new generation of creators just as Gekiga material influenced Japanese manga creators throughout the late 50s and early 60s. With Osamu Tezuka taking cues from Tatsumi's work to produce ADOLF and PHOENIX,
In short, this book is an absolutely essential purchase for anyone interested in either 'alternative comics' or manga for adults. If you enjoyed PULP magazine, if you're waiting for the next OPTIC NERVE or BUDDHA, if you're a fan of 'classic' manga series like SWAN or the work of Kazuo Umezu, or you enjoy the fiction of Japanese writers Haruki Murakami or Kenzo Kitakata, you need to own PUSH MAN AND OTHER STORIES. It's the book I'm most looking forward to this September, and maybe through the end of the year.
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This testament from the forthcoming September 2005 PreviewsReview, now sorely overdue.
Over at ComicsReporter, Tom Spurgeon decides to throw open a question he's received via e-mail to his entire readership. The question is, roughly, "can you recommend me something good to read?"
It's a question we get a lot at the store. Considering the breadth and depth of material we stock (roughly: one of everything) this is the type of question that can either be your favourite thing about a day, or the thing you hate the most about your job. Essentially, there's no accounting for taste. Someone can come in and ask for something that's "Not too violent, but still exciting and not just for kids" and can take my suggestion of say, The Interman and end up with Birds of Prey. You never know. Still, sometimes you can communicate your enthusiasm for a book you love, be it The Invisibles or the work of either Jiro Taniguchi or Taiyo Matsumoto, and really sell them on it. It's better still when they come back the next day asking for more.
So the letter Tom recieved from Tim Buck (too?) is not that out of the ordinary for us comics-pedlars, so I thought it would be fun to write in and offer up my opinion. When I asked my boss the same question, eerily enough he had three of the same suggestions as I did, despite those three suggestions being neither of our favourite books. It really is about finding the right book for the right person, even at a store with a sales 'ideology' like ours. That said, we'd much rather take the opportunity to indoctrinate readers into the wider world of comics, rather than just giving them the next superhero book that they think they need. It's sort of like when your diet consists entirely of candy; eventually you get sick of candy (or become creepy with bad teeth and sap-like sweat). Sometimes, you should take the nice sales clerk up on his offer of a lovely steak dinner, or at the very least some main-course with your desert...
Previews Review? No idea what you're talking about. Seriously, is that the name of Roger Ebert's show or something because you've lost me...
Despite writing a bunch of it, I got too busy to finish PreRe this month. I'm really sorry about this. I figure since it's the Thursday before retailer orders are due to diamond, though, I have a (small) chance at getting a few book recommendations out there in the (vain) hope of having orders bumped on a few worthwhile projects. So, if you're in the position to bump your pre-order, or a retailer who submits their orders online (by Tuesday at midnight!) I hope the following is of use to you:
Don't blink or you might miss it, the solicitation for Zack Soto's SECRET VOICE #1 is jammed right into the spine of this issue of Previews, in between ACTOR variant covers and a full-page advertisement for a popular-but-terrible manga series. Oh well, at least Diamond certified it to be cool.
SECRET VOICE #1 is the long-awaited first stand-alone comic from Soto, whose work previously appeared in the phenomenal PROJECT: SUPERIOR anthology as well as in the STUDYGROUP books (which he also published). He creates three full-length tales in this issue, inclding a sequel to his excellent "Smog Emperor" story from the Superior anthology, and then packs the rest of the issue full of additional sketch material and short strips. From Soto's own keyboard comes the following plea:
"Even if you hate me, you'll like my comic, so ask your retailer to order a billion! This is going to be a regularly appearing series, packed with radicalness. Seriously though- I'm trying my darnedest to make this book the best thing I've ever done, and I'd appreciate it if you took the time to check it out. It's a mixture of adventure comics, naturalism, the fantastic, cartoony playfulness, character development, and world building."
While we won't be ordering a billion, we're all really looking forward to this at my store and will be ordering strongly. Soto's work shows careful observation of what makes both mainstream superhero comics and "alternative" comics actually work. If you don't actually shop at my store, you really ought to take a few minutes and talk to your retailer about ordering this book for you, I have a strong feeling you won't regret it. For art samples and more on the title visit Zack Soto's website at http://www.studygroup12.com/.
Speaking of "blink and you'll miss it", it seems that the second volume of the TRUE PORN anthology has been relegated to the adult section of Previews. Because, you know, including the possibly salacious info-text on this book might corrupt young minds and... blah blah blah. YOU PEOPLE AT DIAMOND, YOU SOLICIT JIM BALENT'S "BARELY CLOTHED WOMAN STABBED IN THE VAGINA" and mentioning Chester Brown did a cover for a book with actual merit is beneath you? YOU PEOPLE SUCK.
Here's the solicitation information for True Porn 2, rescued from the "Adult" catalogue:
TRUE PORN VOLUME 2 TP Edited by Robyn Chapman & Kelli Nelson The critically acclaimed anthology of autobiographical sex stories has returned for a second volume of funny, heart-breaking, and crazy all-true comics! Featuring some today's brightest cartoonists, True Porn Volume 2 is chock full of the real-life exploits of Sam Henderson, Rich Tommaso, Glenn Head, Hope Larson, Kaz Strzepek, and 50 more great talents. SC, 248pgs, B&W $19.95
I was a little surprised when I saw a flyer circulating at MoCCA with my name on it, my hearty recommendation of the firsst TRUE PORN anthology given front-and-centre placement in their list of quotes. I forget that sometimes people end up reading the things I write, and appreciating them, so to see me listed first and foremost talking up the first TRUE PORN anthology was a little surprising, but it certainly made me smile. Here's what I said about the first TRUE PORN anthology:
"This month's headline graphic novel is none other than TRUE PORN, an anthology of independent cartoonists telling real-life sex stories. What's in the hearts and libidos of comics fresh young minds and talents? Lots and lots of sex (or the absence thereof). In a year flooded with solid anthology titles, TRUE PORN stands out thanks to it's tight, focussed theme and risque subject matter. I've read TRUE PORN, and while the best of the pieces in here aren't quite as good as the best of Fantagraphics' DIRTY STORIES anthology, on average the contributions are of a higher quality, better drawn and more compelling. Despite the title, this isn't the sort of work you'd associate with "PORN", but instead it's an exploration of the human condition, using sex as a metaphor and storytelling device throughout. Recommended!"
I stand by that too. I've been looking forward to the second TRUE PORN anthology for quite some time, with various creative talents posting excerpts of their stories to web sites only whetting my appetite. It's... supremely depressing to think that adults talking about their sex lives (and turning out some beautiful comics) needs to be hidden away in a shoddily-produced little flyer while this:
...is deemed appropriate for all ages. Ah well, that's comics I guess. If your local puritanical retailer refuses to stock or display TRUE PORN 2, it's currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/189186789X/103-6271797-9551801. But do your best to get it from your local retailer, alright? :)
VAISTRON #1 By Broussourir and Andrew Dabb $2.95, 32 pages, Page 220 SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS
Almost a year ago now, Andrew Dabb was nice enough to show me a preview of a new series he was going to be working on, called VAISTRON. Well, not so much a 'preview' as a 'fully-completed first-issue'. VAISTRON is a new ongoing science-fiction series from Slave Labor Graphics; I told Andrew that it seemed both risky in the current market and something of a departure for Slave Labor. He told me to just read the book. I did, and then DEMANDED the second issue, which he assured me was not yet completed and, even so, wouldn't be in stores for over a year. Andrew Dabb: Bit of a bastard.
VAISTRON is a wonderfully-conceived and brutal little piece of science-fiction, with French artist and plotter Broussir drawing inspiration from cartoons, manga, and Geoff Darrow to create some lovely cityscapes, spectacular action sequences, and repulsive character designs. The story is described as 'darkly humourous' in the solicitation, but it's shockingly dark at points, and even I felt guilty at laughing... At any rate, while not for the light-of-heart I can't recommend this series highly enough to folks looking for something very different to read. Andrew has assured me that the first four issues are entirely completed, so you can spare your hatred a little as I'm sure the second issue will be along without too much delay.
ALSO FROM SLAVE LABOR: During my hiatus I missed mentioning that the excellent four-issue mini-series SKAGGY THE LOST is now available in trade paperback ($16.95, 176 pages, Page 222). Well, Slave Labor is offering it again this month and I highly recommend you pick up a copy. The hilarious story of a bunch of insane syphylitic Vikings, off to the New World in search of Incan Gold (and they fight!), all wonderfully illustrated by Igor Baranko. If you've got any room in your budget, make sure to pick this one up.
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The whole thing will be up and online as soon as it's done. Once again, sorry for the lateness... Geez.
On a Quick Lunch-break at work The many controversies of the interweb, solved.
I am so entirely unsurprised at all of the kerfulffles surrounding the ORIGINAL ENGLISH MANGA / MANGA INFLUENCED COMICS material. Usually, and particularly coming out of internet-based fandoms, the more inconsequential an issue is overall, the more imperitive it is that people choose sides and argue them like there's no tommorow. Every once in a while this will be directed towards something worthwhile (the Tenjo Tenge censorship issue), but for the most part it's just sort of piddling nonsense that should be immediately obvious...
That said, I'm really annoyed by the tone of the arguments being made in posts at AnimeOnDvd and LoveManga. Essentially, it looks like all involved have been shamed into admitting that 'manga' from Korea and China are actually manga too (always careful to use the phrases manhua or manwha), but there's a clear line that can be drawn when it comes to non-Asians that gives them their footing. I mean, despite the fact that MAN-GA is written the same in three languages and pronounced with subtle differentiations and means exactly the same thing, no effort is spared at spelling or making a clear distinction there. But, clearly, a shitty X-Men writer is a step too far and that is not manga. That is "Manga-influenced comics." And unworthy of coverage, of course. One only wonders if the people at AnimeOnDVD consider Japanese-Americans, let alone non-Japanese Asian Americans "asian enough" to have their comics work count as manga or not. If I were Chris Beveridge, I'd be treading pretty lightly right about now regarding their coverage of "Manga Influenced Comics".
It's... I don't want to use the word 'racist' here because it's a pretty loaded term that will spiral the discussion out of control, but the amount of predjudice inherent in the discussion is phenomenal. I can't see how it won't backfire on them a year or two down the road when the popularity of various North American manga-ka explodes and the quality of the work is the rough equivilent of various Japanese releases. Or the Japanese/American hybrids, of which the surprisingly-not-terrible PRINCESS AI is surely only the first. Or when a Japanese-Canadian creator like Takeshi Miyazawa stops doing Marvel work and does a manga-length work, in a manga digest format, from a manga publisher, and is told by a group of white kids that his work isn't Japanese enough to be manga...
Mal and Hope are auctioning off that ultra-slick piece of Scott Pilgrim art I posted to the blog here a few months back. For original art, it's currently pretty inexpensive and it sounds like they could use the cash. Click Here for the auction on ebay.
"Unable to imagine a business model that doesn't involve the superhero comics upon which their corporate officers grew up, incapable of investing in different works unless they do well in the overwhelmingly superhero-oriented Direct Market, and unwilling to spend any significant time or money promoting such works outside of said market if it involves anything laughably resembling a long-term investment strategy, the titans of American comics have thus essentially ceded the game to the Asian invaders without a fight. What makes all of this so wickedly funny is that companies like Tokyopop and Viz are practically rubbing Marvel and DC's noses in the practices that have allowed manga publishers to succeed at levels previously thought impossible... and yet Marvel and DC still clearly can't figure it out. DC's foray into manga has so far been notable mainly for the whole Tenjou Tenge clusterfuck (see Newswatch, TCJ #268 for details). Marvel, by contrast, has responded to manga with an ever more elaborate series of pratfalls and farting sounds -- excuse me, I meant to say "a variety of failed comics imprints and half-hearted attempts at aping the form." No matter how low your opinion of American comics publishers might have been, reality has just proven you an optimist."
"Abernathy did report that there have been many discussions about the [CMX Manga] line as a whole, both in regards to future packaging ... as well as the demographics seen buying the CMX titles, and trying to figure out how to transition them to other DC fare."
- Matt Brady, summarizing the DC: CMX Panel at this past weekend's San Diego Comic Con.
Dorian at PostmodernBarney.com has just put up his thoughts on the current slate of manga offerings in Diamond's PREVIEWS catalogue. He goes through title-by-title, something I'm generally unwilling to do. Figuring out order numbers on books is a good mix of sales history and gut-instinct, and writing all that up in addition to actually doing the work tends to be a little soul-crushing.
It's interesting, because Dorian seems to be working at a store that has definitely experienced a measure of success with manga, as has The Beguiling (where I work), but the sales info he offers up on individual titles (let alone genres) is often completely different than what we've experienced.
Granted, we're working at pretty different stores. The Beguiling is probably the #1 "alternative and art-comix" store in North America, and product lines like toys and Collectable Card Games (let alone Heroclix or whatever) are completely outside our product mix. The fact that we actually carry manga and anime at all frightens and confuses many of our customers (and detractors). So, you know, we're coming at it from a different angle. We tend to push the artsy, more mature titles very strongly (and have the sales to show for it) but even then the industry's biggest sellers more-or-less match up with our own. It's in the mid-list in particular that Dorian's experiences with manga and mine differ significantly, and it's always fascinating to see those differences. I think it helps round out my opinions, anyway, on what kind of material might appeal to people. In that spirit, I thought I'd go over some of Dorian's choices and offer up my own take. Hope you don't mind, D.
(Dorian's original comments are in italics, while mine follow in regular text.)
Dark Horse Hellsing: Impure Souls: It's a manga fumetti, and we just can't sell those. So we'll get one for the guy who gets all things Hellsing, and call it a day.
Have to say I agree for the most part, that the 'cine-manga' or fumetti books tend to be weak sellers. The only audience tends to be those hold-out kids who absolutely won't (or possibly can't) read something in b&w.
Berserk Vol. 9: I don't get the appeal of the title, but it's immensely popular.
Oh come on. You can't tell why a bunch of dudes doing crazy violent shit with giant swords is popular? The frequent rape scenes alone should be the only clue anyone needs... :)
DC/CMX Chikyu Misaki vol. 1: This tale of a girl who moves next door to a shape-shifting monster looks cute, and it may have potential, but I'm going to go conservative. Again, because I'd rather have to re-order than have extras, but also because the CMX books, after a slight flurry of interest, have died back down again, sales-wise.
Chiyuki Misaki is actually a really solid little book. I followed it in Japanese several years ago, as it's by one of Mal's favourite Japanese artists. It's about a sea-monster that turns into a cute little boy, and two perpetually-embrassed teenage girls that look after him. It's exceptionally well-drawn, but because it's CMX I'm actually kind of worried that they're going to censor bits. This series has some early-volumes-of-Dragonball type nudity, mostly revolving around humourous bath scenes and things. I have absolutely no faith in CMX as a brand anymore, and despite wanting to personally pick this series up if it's been editted I'm going to pass. As for customers, the only CMX titles still selling seem to be GALS and SWAN, and even then they're in the low-Tokyopop range. I'll probably order a shelf copy / tryout copy and see what the verdict is then, before reordering any more.
Del Rey Othello vol. 5: Gets good reviews, but that hasn't translated into sales yet.
Sugar Sugar Rune vol. 1: This story about rival witchs striving to become Queen of the Underworld looks cute, with all ages potential. I'm going to err on the side of conservatism again, because, y'know...rather reorder than...
I think that's probably a safe ordering practice, but I'm constantly surprised by the sales volume of all of the various Del Rey titles, including the Gundam-generally-doesn't-move-very-well Gundam Seed. Our minimum orders for a Del Rey title are around 10 on initials, and the top-sellers like Negima, Tsubasa, and XXXholic do much better than that.
Digital Manga Presents Alone in My King's Harem: I suspect we'll do okay with this. One of the reasons I think we've been able to do well with yaoi titles is that the chain book-stores, as near as I can tell, aren't carry[ing] them. So it'll be interesting to see what happens when Tokyopop's "Blu" line debuts. I expect book-store buyers may balk at the idea a bit, given how strongly manga has become associated with teen readers at bookstores. That may be what finally starts to prompt those "kids are reading dirty Japanese comics" stories that people seem to be anticipating.
I think it's just the Gay thing personally, coupled with the fact that DMP and BeBeautiful are both getting ditributed to the book trade by Diamond. Tokyopop has already broken a lot of ground when it comes to sex and violence on the store shelves (Battle Royale anyone?), and even past and present boys-love series like Fake and Gravitation continue to do well. But the combination of explicit gay sex and a book distributor whose eyes are trained firmly on Marvel product means that the yaoi titles are generally going to get the short-shrift. Tokyopop has a very close bookstore relationship and their sales staff are generally on-the-ball, so I'd wager that those titles will get decent representation at Borders when the time comes...
...and I should note the we've also done extremely well with the yaoi, though we do 'card' people for ID on several titles, to much squealing dismay.
Dr Masters Rahxephon vol. 2: It's a manga novel. Can't give those damn things away. Even the person who special ordered the Vampire Hunter D novel stiffed us, and that was the one manga novel I expected to sell.
We haven't done phenomenally well with the novels either, but I've found them to be extreeeeeemely easy hand-sells to parents. It's sort of remarkable. We haven't gotten any complaints yet either, which is nice. I think that with Viz's novel line featuring more popular licenses, we'll end up with a few hits on our hands. And actually, the BATTLE ROYALE novel from Viz continues to be a decent seller, with several 'turns' per year.
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DRAWN & QUARTERLY
Though Dorian didn't mention it, I did want to take a second and note that Drawn & Quarterly are publishing their first manga in September, the translation of Yoshihiro Tatsumi's The Push Man and Other Stories. Tatsumi's is essentially the father of 'alternative' comics in Japan, and this volume features an introduction and re-write by Adrian Tomine, whose own work was influenced by Tatsumi. This book is an absolutely essential purchase for anyone who enjoyed PULP magazine, who is waiting for the next OPTIC NERVE, or is a fan of 'classic' manga series like Swan, Phoenix, or Buddha. In a lushly-produced hardcover volume for $19.95, your shelf will be lonely without it.
We now return you to your regular programming:
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Last Gasp Pure Trance: I realize that Junko Mizuno is one of those manga artists that the hipsters adore, but word has yet to reach Ventura that all the cool kids are supposed to dig her stuff. I honestly don't know what to do about this book. Mizuno is one of those manga artists whose work I feel like we should have in stock, and previous books of hers have sold...eventually. But $20 seems a bit steep.
Totally the opposite opinion here. We do very good business with Junko's material, and we'll be sending a postcard to Ventura first thing tommorow morning. Seriously though, the material continues to sell and sell. We've already got copies of Pure Trance in stock, and it's a fantastic book. Oversized, crisp art, and all kinds of new drawings and text make it a must-own for any Junko Mizuno fan. While $20 may seem steep, the product gives great 'hand' and we've already sold quite a few. Make sure to get one for the shelf Dorian. :)
Seven Seas Captain Nemo vol. 1: I've actually been disappointed with the bulk of Seven Seas sales, so very conservative orders here. I'd actually rather see an English translation of Captain Harlock than a pastiche.
While I haven't been a fan of any of the Seven Seas material either, every time I look we seem to have sold our shelf copies of it. While none of these titles are burning up the charts (and none of them seem to be first-week-must-own titles), they tend to turn fairly well from the backstock.
Tokyopop Dramacon: This is one of the OEL titles that's getting a lot of positive buzz, but by and large those have been hard sellers for us. Mostly, our customers want "real" manga, not American, Chinese or Korean comics drawn in a "manga-style."
Actually, on the recent title MBQ we saw a real turnaround on sell-through for an OEL title, a first for us. While we've never had much of a problem selling Korean books (most kids can't tell the difference, it's only the hardcore fans that do), the OEL stuff has generally sat on the shelves for us. But then looking at books like WORLD OF HARTZ and @LARGE, it's not hard to see why: They're absolutely terrible. But something like MEGATOKYO can really move units, thanks to a built-in fan base and a wide-ranging nerd appeal, and for whatever reason we actually sold out of decent orders on MBQ. With all of the buzz that Dramacon creator Svetlana Chmakova has been receiving and her popular online comics work, this would have received respectable orders anyhow from us. But thanks to the fact that she's local to Toronto and that we're hoping to do some sort of release-event for the book, I'd say that Dramacon may end up as our highest-ordered manga title of the month...!
Kingdom Hearts vol. 1: I'm going with optimistic orders on this one, largely because we have a strong contingent of customers who buy any and all things Disney-related. So I hope I can talk them into this. That it doesn't have a "creator" credit listed gives me slight pause, but at the lower page count and price I'm sure I can move them eventually.
Yeah, a difficult one to order. I think we'll order low on this one and check out the quality and interest before possibly placing a sizable reorder.
Steady Beat: Again, an OEL title that's managed to generate some pretty positive, pre-release buzz, so I'm hoping it'll do well.
Really curious about this one myself, as it features yuri (lesbian) themes and some solid online pre-press. Generally when I'm ordering books I tend to give titles with gay and lesbian themes a much easier go of things, just because of the number of reactionary retailers who won't order the material at all (out of either a personal 'preference' or due to their 'community standards'). I'll probably put in a sizable order for this one, figuring that the novelty alone will move copies to curious non-manga readers.
Arm of Kannon vol. 7: I've actually been able to sell this by describing it as "the most graphically violent manga I've ever seen."
I have only ever sold one copy of this, of the first volume, to a person who said he would never buy it again.
Chrono Code vol. 2: I think I went with conservative orders last time and was happy with those, so we'll continue with that. DearS vol. 4: See my comments on Chrono Code.
We're doing really well with DearS, which sort of saddens me as it's basically chobits but uncharming.
Peach Girl vol. 6: And we'll be passing on the reprints of this book from here on out. We simply have too many of the first printings still floating around to justify giving space to something that's only a marginal seller.
We can't keep Peach Girl, particularly the first series, in stock. It's wierd. We keep ordering the box-sets and breaking them up (we have a stack of the empty boxes near the rack and give them to anyone who asks).
Viz Shonen Jump: I'm dropping orders on this a bit more, though, as the monthly format seems to be wearing out it's welcome with our customers. The only issues I'm consistently selling out of are ones with bonus cards or other give-aways, and Viz isn't good at giving advance notice of those. So I'm willing to risk selling out in order to reduce costs a bit.
Actually, the number one thing affecting our sales on this title is do we get it at the same time as the book stores? You can go and look at our SJ rack, and over the past year it's fairly easy to tell when we got the new issues at the same time as the bookstores, and when we got it a week (OR TWO) afterwards. "One copy left, one copy left, five copies left, no copies, no copies, four copies left." It's kind of amazing, actually.
Fullmetal Alchemist vol. 1 novel: I'm actually going to be bold and order a copy of this for the store. We did finally get people to notice that we had the FMA manga in stock and not only sold through our stock but picked up some subscribers for it, so I'm hoping that the popularity of the franchise will move this off our shelves as well.
I'm actually anticipating this novel now. After reading the first chapter in a give-away at the VIZ booth in San Diego, and talking to the viz rep in charge of translating this, it seems to be a very solid product with a worthwhile story for the FMA fans. Manga novelizations are very popular in Japan, and I'd love to be able to duplicate that success and add another profitable, well-promoted product line to our mix.
I'm not willing to risk the same for the Ghost in the Shell or Socrates in Love novels. I just don't see Viz's novel line having much interest for our customers, and while we do have an audience for Ghost in the Shell merchandise, I think $20 is a bit much to ask them to pay.
Yeah, I think the hardcover on this may have been a bit of a tactical error, but at the same time there'll almost-certainly end up being a softcover editon. Also, hardcover books have a very effective distribution system set up that could see VIZ on a best-seller list somewhere, or at the very least getting placement for their product that they otherwise wouldn't. We'll order 1 each on the initials, but I'll be tracking those sales closely.
Art of Shonen Jump One-Piece Color Walk: Although $15 is a more reasonable price for manga art-books, I just don't feel like it's something that our customers will be interested in. Of course, I'll always be willing to take special orders, but I don't think I want to risk ordering a shelf-copy in the hopes that it'll sell. And it's not just manga art-books we have this problem with, it's all art books. I'd just as soon not order them outside of special requests, as they tend to be too pricey for our customers and they get shelf-worn really quickly from people flipping through them with no intention of buying.
I think we sold more than 5 or 6 of the Japanese editions of ONE PIECE COLOR-WALK 2 at US$30 a pop. A very high order on a $15 book is pretty much inevitable, and I think it'll move very well (most One Piece fans won't even blink at paying twice as much for a colour book as for a black and white manga volume, in my humble opinion). If Viz gets the rights to the NARUTO artbooks, I'd imagine our orders to be roughly twice the orders for One Piece...
Hikaru no Go vol. 5: I've got a very small audience for this comic, which just goes to show, there's some market for just about any comic. One Piece vol. 8: Given how popular I'm told this series is, I'm vaguely surprised this doesn't sell better.
Actually, me too. SHONEN JUMP is the most profitable manga product line we carry, and certainly is in the top 10 for the store. Series like HIKARU NO GO, ONE PIECE, and NARUTO are consistantly among our bestsellers, and if they came out more freqeuntly (instead of once every 4-6 months) they'd probably shoot to number one. In particular, the sports/action titles like HIKARU NO GO, WHISTLE, and PRINCE OF TENNIS are the leaders of the pack.
Monster vol. 1: Another strong buzz book, with the promise of a twisted premise. Luckily Viz gives slightly better solicitation material for this one, so I'll order fairly confidently on this.
I agree completely!
Saikano vol. 6: It's well-reviewed, but we've only been able to cultivate one customer for this title.
In terms of initial sales (that 2 week window that the titles sit on the new release rack) you're right, it's not the strongest seller. But casual buyers account for a good portion of sales, and with a little bit of hand-selling it's been doing alright for us. I'm certainly enjoying it myself (which accounts for a lot of sales on a lot of books, actually).
Banana Fish vol. 10, Basara vol. 14, Boys Over Flowers vol. 14, Hana-Kimi vol. 8, Sensual Phrase vol. 10: More titles with small cult followings.
That's sort of interesting, because while I agree on the rest, I've found Hana-Kimi to be one of our strongest shoujo sellers (when you take the juggernaut sales-titles out of the mix).
Socrates in Love vol. 1: It's got a lot of buzz...but I'm starting to smell the over-hype machine at work on this property. Other-media success in Japan hasn't translated into US manga sales success in the past for our store.
As far as I can tell, actually, Socrates In Love is a single-volume manga adapting the novel of the same name. The one-volume books are always difficult to deal with, because it's easy to forget them once the initial sales have worn off and it goes into the backstock. But single-volume books are also very easy to hand-sell, mostly because so many readers are already 'following' so many ongoing series that they're reluctant to start another 40-volume-epic-romance. Over-hype or not, the editors and production people I spoke to at Viz were genuinely excited about this title, and I'm thinking about ordering strongly on it (pending subscriber orders) and giving it a solid display to build sales. Just gut-feeling again...
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That's it for this month! Thanks to Dorian for his exhaustive write-up on the manga in the first place, and here's hoping he doesn't mind me piggy-backing on his comments. So much ordering is done essentially-blind, so I really do love the chance to see what another educated manga retailer thinks about these books. Hope the rest of you reading enjoyed it!
Better looking and having more sex than you, that's me and Jess Lemon. ...and yet still I bother to show up here for you people
Seriously though, the best part of San Diego was helping people at the Drawn & Quarterly booth and have them look at my name tag and go "Oh, it's you. I read your blog all the time, it's great." That and the DARK SECRETS I learned about Naoki Urasawa. Who knew so many people at Viz read my blog? Heh. The rest of the show was okay, less buzz than 'usual' but I actually appreciated the chilliness of the rooms and the fact that it wasn't manic.
However, fuck your enjoyment of my writing and opinions, because apperantly I am a hack. I got hate mail this morning when I opened up my e-mail and it's awesome:
I come from a long line of Vampirella, Bernie Wrightson and Tales from the Crypt artists and writers being a reviewer at SCORE!Media, LLC. I believe that you were out of line in your blog?blurb on your view of Marvel Rawhide Kid writer Ron Zimmerman being untalented. A better view for you would be to realize that writers undergo much editing via the magazine departments which, believe you me, by the time the piece gets re-tooled(pun intended)...the writer has little control over it. Ron has been involved in/with comics for over 25 years long before he started writing with Howard Stern and other popular TV shows. I have yet to see anything of your writing anywhere at all. RH Kid has been an immense success with or without your opinion(since you have no actual expertise of your own). I've seen many a writers brilliance get lost in the PC departments and Marvel has done well to select an excellent writer who is not afraid to take necessary risks in bringing a cutting edge innovative gay cartoon to a 3 dimensional likable character. If you have such a keen eye, infinite knowledge and ability to label artists and writers as talented or talentless why arent you in charge at Marvel? I dont think I've seen you round there offices at all...
Marvel-this
Dude, I swear, I used to go by all the time but I made one crack about the maid being on vacation and now I'm banned for life (Joe Quesada has no sense of humour).
This is hate mail for something I wrote in February of 2003. I was going to insert a joke here about 'Ron Zimmerman's mom just learning to use Google' or something, but that's usually followed by the offended subject saying "MY MOTHER HAS CANCER", so I'm gonna skip that entirely. Instead:
"Thank you for your letter. Although we appreciate your feedback SCOREmedia2@aol.com, due to the high volume of e-mail we receive we are not able to respond to every comment personally. Still, your comments are being noted and we hope that future installments of our material will continue to meet your satisfaction.
Beguiling Postcard Art, featuring Genevi�ve Castr�e A little look at something we'll be handing out in San Diego http://www.beguiling.com/artproductlist.asp?ID=62 In preparing for San Diego, we (at The Beguiling) are making a more concerted effort to promote the wonderful artists we represent for original art sales. Part of this is a very lovely postcard, featuring art by Genevi�ve Castr�e, a very talented Canadian artist who is making her "English Language" debut in Drawn & Quarterly's Drawn & Quarterly Showcase Volume 3. It looks sort of iffy as to whether or not the book will make it to the show, and Genevi�ve isn't coming to San Diego, so... you know. Best laid plans. Still, I think that Peter and I put together a lovely little postcard and I figured I'd give those of you not coming to SDCC a chance to take a look (and subtly direct you to The Beguiling's artstore...)
In an earlier iteration of the postcard design, I had some adorable little children that Genevi�ve had painted in part of a larger image resting atop the Beguiling logo, which I thought was quite cute (and clever). They fit the design perfectly, actually. Peter thought while Genevi�ve had given us permission to use her art for this project, repurposing it to that degree might be a bit excessive and so we decided not to go in that direction. Still, I think it's adorable so I figured I'd show it here for a little while, a little behind-the-scenes for y'all.
I'll be at the big to-do from roughly Wednesday morning until (very) roughly Sunday evening. I'm kinda-sorta looking forward to it, though I'll be working fairly hard this year selling books for the illustrious Drawn & Quarterly. With their convention staff expecting any day now, I was happy to fill in and resume my roll as the only high-pressure artcomix salesman.
"You gonna buy that Seth comic, son? You look like you could use a Seth comic, if you catch my meaning."
Come on by, I might feel guilty about pressuring you into a sale and give you a discount. You never know. We're booth #1529, which is in the 1500's aisle, second row up.
If my marvelous presence isn't incentive enough to stop by the fantabulous Drawn & Quarterly booth, check this out: Also in attendence will be Gary Panter! Adrian Tomine! Marc Bell! and Sammy Harkham! Here's the signing schedule, straight from the keyboard of Peggy Burns herself:
FRIDAY: 11-1 PM Sammy Harkham signing D+Q SHOWCASE 3; 1:00-4:00 PM Adrian Tomine Signing (come pick up a promo flyer of THE PUSH MAN!); 2:30-3:30 PM Gary Panter Spotlight Panel Room 3; 4:00-7:00 PM Gary Panter signing SATIROPLASTIC.
SATURDAY: 11:00-1:30 PM Gary Panter signing SATIROPLASTIC; 2:00-5:00 PM Adrian Tomine signing; 2:30-4:00 PM Gary Panter on "The Graphic Novel" Panel Room 4; 3:00-6:00 PM Marc Bell signing THE STACKS; 5:30-6:30 PM Gary Panter signing.
SUNDAY: 11:00-1:00 PM Adrian Tomine and Marc Bell signing.
20TH CENTURY MONSTERS What's up with Naoki Urasawa's English Language Books?
Hey there folks, I forgot to mention a little tidbit I picked up at this year's Book Expo Canada regarding the disappearance of Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys from the publishing schedule.
It turns out that though Viz wanted to run 20th Century Boys and Monster concurrently, creator Urasawa was the one against the move. He felt that his art had developed so much between the end of Monster and the beginning of 2CB that it would be something of a disservice to his work to have them not be released in chronological order. In fact, he was fairly insistant about it, and so Viz had to relent and cancel 2CB, with it not to appear in English until after Monster is finished it's run. It was implyed that they were going to have a fairly quick release schedule on Monster though, which was awesome.
I actually bugged them a little about the proposed book design, which was a little more Shonen Jumpy (juvenile) than the content of the series implied, so it'll be interesting to see what it looks like when it ships...
So, you know, I'm actually still pretty bummed about the whole thing but I really do feel that what the creator says goes, so if this is what he wanted I'm glad Viz respected it. I guess we'll all just have to wait. Still, September can't come soon enough...
Canada Customs, Comics, and My Job A look behind the scenes at challenging the seizure of books imported to Canada
At the comic book store I work for, located in scenic and sunny Toronto, Canada, we're in the unique position of firmly believing that there are comics for everyone, and it's our job to carry them (being a comic store). This means that we carry superhero comics and their half-cousins, but also artcomix, indies, zines, manga, bande desinee (French comics), and quite a few more categories of comic books besides. Including "adult" material. Which is to say, "erotica", "pornography", or as we like to call it, "smut".
This is more difficult than you might think, as Diamond Comics Distributors (the only frontlist comics distributor in North America) won't ship any adult material to Canada. This is so that they can freely ship all of their non-adult material without worry of it getting held up at the border. It doesn't always work 100%, but it's a pretty good system for them. For those of us that would like to sell adult comic books to adults, it makes the job more difficult (but not impossible). Luckily companies that deal in mature material (and not just porn, but excellent works of art with the occasional erect penis in them) like NBM Publishing and Fantagraphics have retained a measure of sanity and not signed exclusive with Diamond (truly the stupidist thing most non-superhero publishers can do, and more on that later). So we're able to order direct and have them shipped across the boarder and, in the midst of their daily duties officers of Canada Customs (the agency that monitors importation of various goods to Canada) will open boxes or read shipping manifests to make sure that whatever is being brought into the country is allowed to be imported.
(As an aside, it's important to note that it is perfectly legal to print and distribute within Canada much of the material that is seized when it is being imported. There's a very specific difference between importing smut and printing it here for consumption. It's almost laughably funny, except not so much.)
A little while back, a shipment of books from Fantagraphics was seized at Canada Customs, following a search of several boxes. While the customs agents seemed to have had no problems with works from mssrs. Sacco, Ware, and Clowes, unfortunately several more risque titles hit a bit of a road-block, including several issues of the Japanese erotica import Co-Ed Sexxtasy.
A vital part of democracy is using the opportunities to voice your opinion that are presented to you, and with any seizure of materials Canada Customs allows for avenues to challenge that seizure. So, being that I am a writer who strongly believes in comic books, I set about writing a defense of the various seized titles. My favourite defense involves the paragraphs I wrote for Makoto Fujisaka's Co-Ed Sexxtasy, which I've decided to share with you here. I enjoyed writing this because I think it's actually particularly well-done pornography, not as mysogynist as some of the material, with an ongoing plot (more-or-less) and because it's very solidly a product of the Japanese sexual psyche. It allowed me to flex my knowledge of Japanese culture, 'erotica', and do a little bit of research in the service of challenging what we feel is an unfair seizure of legitimate material of artistic merit.
I will say that I did reach a little bit though, and I hope that none of my generalizations of Japanese culture are taken entirely at face value, as with any passionate piece of writing I maximised the aspects of various cultural situations that supported my argument. Also, in keeping with the style of the response (first challenge of seizure with a call for further review) I didn't really site any of my arguments, which I'm fairly certain I could do on a follow-up letter.
Anyway, without any further ado, here's how you argue in defense of pornography! Enjoy!
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To Whom It May Concern,
...
As per the instructions provided with the Notice of Detention I received I am writing this letter to request a closer review of the material. It is my feeling that the artwork in these books may have been prejudicially viewed given that they are comic books. It is our position that the comic book is a legitimate medium for artistic expression and should be viewed in the same light as a novel or book of illustrations. If you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Co-Ed Sexxtasy #1 Objection: Descriptions and Depictions, Sex with pain/mutilation, Sexual Assault
Co-Ed Sexxtasy #4 Objection: Descriptions and Depictions, Sexual Assault
Co-Ed Sexxtasy #6 Objection: Descriptions and Depictions, Sexual Assault
Co-Ed Sexxtasy #7 Objection: Descriptions and Depictions, Sex with pain/mutilation, Sexual Assault
Co-Ed Sexxtasy #9 Objection: Descriptions and Depictions, Ridicule/Humiliation, Sexual Assault
It is my belief that the majority of the problems that Canada Customs seems to have with this series of books is because of a misunderstanding of Japanese sexual mores and the inherent �alienness� of Japanese sexuality when viewed through the eyes of Western laymen. Specifically, the traditional gender roles of men and women, and the fear of feminine sexuality.
Though luridly named and marketed, Co-Ed Sexxtasy is in reality a work of artistic merit, exploring, sometimes comically and satirically and sometimes seriously, the sexual awakening of a young Japanese woman. There is a clear character arc of the character coming to terms with her own sexuality, and that sexuality is frequently juxtaposed against traditional Japanese sexual mores. To support this, you�ll note that the character�s name is �Miss Nagi�. �Nagi�, in Japanese and when used as a name, translates to �reluctant or docile person�. The character here is meant to represent a specific iteration of the Japanese 'everywoman' in regards to her retticience involving sex and sexuality, and it is her awakening that is explored in the books.
Miss Nagi (or our docile person), in the first issue demonstrates a clear pre-existing sexual relationship with the male character. The notion that she is assaulted is false, her protests a result of the misconception that women are not allowed to enjoy or want sex (despite the fact that the couple in question have had sex numerous times prior). Any Japanese national or Canadian familiar with this style of work will immediately recognize the archetypes and characters depicted as being part of a larger societal and artistic tradition. The depictions of �assault� are meta-textual in nature, and not meant to reflect any specific act between two people (as evidenced by her �everywoman� stature).
As the series progresses, there is a clear sexual awakening within the character. Issue by issue, various taboos that are perfectly acceptable in Canada (exhibitionism, anal intercourse, sexual aides/toys, light bondage, sado-masochistic exercises) are shattered, often in a graphic way. Each issue shows reluctance, enjoyment, and then acceptance of theses sexual practices, each issue ends with a positive sexual message (the lead�s developing interest in her own sexuality), to be followed up on at a later date. Issue 6 marks a turning point in the series, as Nagi moves from being a docile, sexual submissive into the role of aggressor (although she must be under the influence of alcohol to do so). Her actions in issue 6 are directly contrasted with the actions of another woman who has not undergone a similar sexual awakening, to show both how far she has come from previous stories and to continually shatter the institutionalized illusion that �sex is bad�, by showing mutually enjoyable sexual intercourse. The rest of the series continues on this tack of showing various sexual taboos being shattered and Miss Nagi coming to terms with them. The ultimate shattered taboo is in issue nine, where she is forced to urinate in front of another person. Though this circumstance is intimate, it is not directly presented as sexual (the male character is still fully clothed) and is intended to make Nagi confront her own feelings of embarrassment and humiliation, rather than revel in said humiliation in a sexual or lurid way. Though this issue ends on a cliffhanger, it is clear that by the end of the issue she has not been humiliated so much as empowered by her experiences, and is eager to continue them.
The question is obviously raised that if this is a work of artistic merit, why is it presented both in translation and in it�s native country as �erotica� (or in the pejorative, pornography)? Simply, because such �low-art�, or art of the people, is designed to reach the masses in a way that high literature or scientific discourse is unlikely to. Comics make up more than %50 of the entire publishing industry in Japan, and this series (known in Japan as �Nagi-chan no Yuutsu�) is very popular there, among the more respected �low-art�, which made it an obvious and immediate choice for translation and publication in North America. With an incredibly wide distribution network and designed to appeal to more prurient interests, the work reaches the widest possible audience with its positive message of sexuality.
If this were a novel, there would simply be no cause for seizure. None of the descriptions of the acts were called into question, only their visual depiction. [Writer's Note: Canada Customs makes clear delineations between descriptions of unacceptable occurances, and deptions of them.] That leaves only the argument that �Co-Ed Sexxtasy� is not a work of artistic merit. Just as novels such as �The Story of O� have dealt with similar stories of female sexual awakening through bondage and other sexual taboos and are considered great works of literature (though were greatly misunderstood upon their initial release), so to should �Nagi-chan no Yuutsu� be afforded the same consideration. We feel that were Canada Customs to re-read the works in question with this in mind, they would ultimately come to the same conclusion. We ask that they please do so.
Thank you for taking the time to review this material more closely. I think that consideration of the nature of comics as an artform and the taking of the content cited as "objectionable" in the proper context will lead to these publications being again admisible.
So that's it. It's worth noting that you (the reader) could quite readily assume it was all just bullshit, and that's fine. The book is called CO-ED SEXXTASY, I'm aware that it's a hard sell at the best of times. It's certainly no Birdland or Small Favors, and if it's smut it's at least very well drawn and fairly interesting. But it's more about the principle of the seizure, that depictions of adults participating in entirely legal behaviour are somehow illegal or at least illegal for importation. It's ridiculous, and these sorts of challenges are important. Making officials constantly re-examine what they're disallowing into the country and why under ever-changing societal mores reminds them that there's a much bigger world out there. I don't agree with much that Dave Sim has to say, but when he donates money to the Comic Book Legal Defence Fund because "Canada doesn't have a first ammendment," it certainly does hit home...
Hope you enjoyed this little look behind the scenes. If you're interested in further reading about customs fights and comics material, I recommend taking at Little Sister's Bookstore's website. A Gay and Lesbian Bookstore out of Vancouver, Little Sister's has experienced some very heavy-handed treatment from customs officials and taken the Government to court over it--and won. A fascinating case that's recently ended in a sort of depressing way. At any rate, check them out online at http://www.littlesistersbookstore.com/index_court.html and maybe drop a few bucks into their bookstore.
Happy Birthday Self-indulgent, yes, but heart-warming(?)
I swear I'm not begging for birthday wishes (in fact, don't) but growing up I was keenly aware of the fact that no one cool was born on my birthday, throughout all of history. It means a lot more when you're 12 and that sort of thing is a status symbol, but yeah. I thought it was wierd. Egotist that I am, I also decided that I would have to be the first one, somehow. The one where you go and look up who was born on July 5th and it's says "Some Guy, Entertainer", and "Christopher Butcher, _______". I never knew what the blank was supposed to be, and I also realised at a young age that infamy was getting harder and harder to achieve. I was going to have to get onto that list on merit, and I had no idea how to do that either, which is why I got into comics.
Luckily, I discovered this morning that the pressure is off, and now I can slack like nobody's business.
Thanks to Tom Spurgeon at ComicsReporter.com for reminding us all that July 5th is Bill Watterson's Birthday. Watterson is the creator and artist of Calvin & Hobbes, which I love with all my heart. You can go here to see a profile of Waterson (and a photo! I had no idea he modelled the 'Dad' character after himself), and you can go here to read a few strips.
Now, to begin drinking.
- Christopher (Sorry for this, I've got two really great pieces of actual content going up later today.)
For People I Know That Read This: My Birthday Stuff
Hey there. Since many of my friends read this and I don't always have accurate e-mail addresses and things for you, I just wanted to let you know we're going for drinks tommorow for my birthday, and karaoke on Saturday. Drop me an e-mail and I'll fill you in on the details.
Go check out the secret preview of Corey SHARKNIFE Lewis' next comic, PENG. It's about a kid who plays extreme kickball. Sorry, Advanced Kickball. Coming from Oni in September, 64 pages or so.
Just wanted to shout a out a Happy 138th Birthday to the place where I keep my apartment, Canada. I rang in the 138th year with a Double Gin and Tonic, and shall hopefully see it go in the same fashion. To celebrate this day, I give you Canada's truest superhero. Though he is not its first, most prominent, or one that is even particularly appreciated (until some crap hack is having him gutted for shits-and-giggles)...
... he stands on guard nevertheless. It seems more Canadian that way. :)
The Push Man & Other Stories HC
With only 4 or 5 mentions of Tatsumi's work appearing on our shores (if you own both of Frederick L. Schodt's books, the fifth Drawn & Quarterly Anthology, an issue of Pulp magazine and an obscure, out-of-print collection entitled Good-Bye and Other Stories then you own literally everything...) "alternative comics" superstar Adrian Tomine and publisher Drawn & Quarterly have begun to undertake a major publishing initiative and begin bringing Tatsumi's work to North America in a series of hardcover collections.
Five For Friday
Manga! Manga! Manga!
Secret Voice #1
True Porn Volume 2
On a Quick Lunch-break at work
Scott Pilgrim - Original Art Auction
Dorian at PostmodernBarney.com has just put up his thoughts on the current slate of manga offerings in Diamond's PREVIEWS catalogue. He goes through title-by-title, something I'm generally unwilling to do. Figuring out order numbers on books is a good mix of sales history and gut-instinct, and writing all that up in addition to actually doing the work tends to be a little soul-crushing.
Steady Beat: Again, an OEL title that's managed to generate some pretty positive, pre-release buzz, so I'm hoping it'll do well. 
Viz
Art of Shonen Jump One-Piece Color Walk: Although $15 is a more reasonable price for manga art-books, I just don't feel like it's something that our customers will be interested in. Of course, I'll always be willing to take special orders, but I don't think I want to risk ordering a shelf-copy in the hopes that it'll sell. And it's not just manga art-books we have this problem with, it's all art books. I'd just as soon not order them outside of special requests, as they tend to be too pricey for our customers and they get shelf-worn really quickly from people flipping through them with no intention of buying. 
Socrates in Love vol. 1: It's got a lot of buzz...but I'm starting to smell the over-hype machine at work on this property. Other-media success in Japan hasn't translated into US manga sales success in the past for our store. 
20TH CENTURY MONSTERS
I actually bugged them a little about the proposed book design, which was a little more Shonen Jumpy (juvenile) than the content of the series implied, so it'll be interesting to see what it looks like when it ships...
Canada Customs, Comics, and My Job
Happy Birthday
