Comics212

If you’re in or around Toronto tonight, we’re throwing a launch party for my buddy Jim’s new graphic novel SKULLKICKERS. It’s from 5-7pm, and we’ll probably go for a drink after and Jim will tell stories about comic books.

Feel free to drop by!

- Chris

Small Press and Comics Symposium of Chicago
Hosted by The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Thursday, March 24, 4:30–8:00 p.m.
SAIC Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan Ave.

Free and open to the public

The stubborn work ethic of Chicago’s independent publishers and comic makers will be explored in the second annual Small Press and Comics Symposium of Chicago, hosted by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) on March 24, 2011. Through panel discussions with ten Chicago presses and comic artists, SAIC’s Small Press and Comics Symposium will investigate the who, what, why, and how of comics and independent publishing—exploring the means and modes of self and small-run publications.

The SP&CSC will be composed of two separate panel discussions featuring comic artists Chris Ware, Onsmith, Corrine Mucha and Aaron Renier, as well as representatives from small-press publishers Front 40 Press, Featherproof Press, Green Lantern Press and the Poetry Magazine. The discussions will be moderated by two of Chicago’s most prominent publishing and comics scholars: Sally Alatalo and Hillary Chute. The questions posed to the panelists will address many issues including: the art of self-publication, the changing cultural status of comics, and the efficacy of collaborative working situations.

For more information: www.saic.edu/spandcsc
Email: comicsymposiumofchicago@gmail.com
Poster Design by Lilli Carre
About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
A nationally accredited leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) offers undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate programs to nearly 3,200 students from around the globe. Located in the heart of Chicago, SAIC has an educational philosophy built upon an interdisciplinary approach to art and design, giving students unparalleled opportunities to develop their creative and critical abilities, while working with renowned faculty who include many of the leading practitioners in their fields. SAIC’s resources include the Art Institute of Chicago and its new Modern Wing; numerous special collections and programming venues provide students with exceptional exhibitions, screenings, lectures, and performances. For more information, please visit www.saic.edu

©2011 Evan Dorkin. From Dork #9 & Dork Volume 2: Circling The Drain. 161

©2011 Evan Dorkin. From Dork #9 & Dork Volume 2: Circling The Drain. 160

Hello! I’m going to be in Boston this weekend (March 10th-13th) for PAXEast, the East-coast edition of the Penny Arcade Expo! I’ll be working for UDON Comics, Booth #124. PAXEast is put on by Penny Arcade (the webcomic) and ReedPop (the New York Comicon people) and I’m expecting it to be a lot of fun.

I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it on the blog, but this September I headed out to Seattle for PAX “Prime”, as the employee of UDON Comics. It was a fun time and it went well–record sales and all that–so they invited me out to help them run their Boston appearance too. I’m happy to do it. I really like UDON’s output, it’s extremely high quality licensed comics and the industry needs more of that. And on a personal note, UDON Publisher Erik Ko is an exceptionally fair and generous guy (let alone for a comics publisher) and I’m happy to get behind their work. And hell, I just like going to conventions, seeing how they run… and what I can steal for my own event. :)

VENT, the Udon 10th Anniversary Book

This weekend should be a hell of a lot of fun, as UDON’s got a couple of new convention exclusive books at the event and I hand-picked the selection of books we’ll be carrying. Lots of art books, lots of comics, and UDON peeps Jim Zubkavich (Street Fighter Legends: Ibuki) and Omar Dogan (Also SF Legends: Ibuki) are gonna be drawing and chatting with fans all weekend long. While I sell mad amounts of books to all y’all reading this (hopefully!). Also, I’ll be at a giant video game convention, and those tend to be pretty fun all on their own, even standing behind a booth for 12 hours a day.

Oh, and I should mention that the fine folks from Oni Press are going to be our booth-mates for the show, Booth #123/124. We’re directly across from the Show Store. All kinds of books and swag will be available!

As a final note, a very cool thing I discovered in getting ready for the show is called The Conventionist (http://conventionist.com). It’s an iphone/Android App that lets you plan convention attendances by downloading the maps, schedules, exhibitor lists, etc., for a whole whack of different shows. It is fantastically useful and highly recommended, and I sincerely hope I can work with them to put together a similar schedule for TCAF!

Alright! If you’re going to PAXEast speak up in the comments and tell me what you’re most looking forward to (especially if it is seeing me).

- Chris

TANK TANKURO: PERWAR WORKS
by GAJO SAKAMOTO

Japanese Manga Classic Masterpiece!
Roots of Astro Boy!
The Pioneering Robot Manga from Pre-World War II Japan.
COVER DESIGN BY: CHRIS WARE
Language: English

$29.99. This Spring.

http://presspop.blogspot.com/

- Chris

Forgot I had a website for the last week. Lots of comments on my Tokyopop article (which, given the timing of Lillian leaving the company is kind of… ugh… now) which I just got to. Sorry if your comment was held in moderation for the past 7 days, I’ve had a lot going on.

- Christopher

“One of the things I most hate to see on manga-related forums are comments like, “I’m interested in this series, but I don’t know if they’re going to cancel it, so I’ll wait a bit and see if it continues.”

“You know what practically GUARANTEES that something will get dropped from publication? Not putting your money where your mouth is and picking up volume 1.

“This sounds snarky, and I know everyone has to prioritize his or her budget, especially in tight times, but seriously—this is a business that relies heavily on perceived demand, and how do we know there’s a demand for a title if no one is picking it up?  I think there’s an idea in the fandom that the manga market is a lot bigger than it actually is, and if you pass on a volume for now, enough people will still buy it that it’ll stick around for a while. Unfortunately, this isn’t really the case–Manga is a hit-driven business, and most series only get one chance to get out there and succeed.”

- Tokyopop Representative “TPHENSHU” on the realities of manga publishing

Someone named “TPHENSHU” on the Tokyopop website addresses the question of why certain series “go on hiatus”, by turning the practice around and blaming it on the fans.

See, here’s the thing. The rest of that article (http://www.tokyopop.com/TPHenshu/tp_article/3180353.html) is actually a really straight-forward, plainly spoken explanation of how book publication, distribution, and sales works. It’s a smart explanation, and incredibly helpful. Some of the finer points are disagreeable to me personally (particularly the enthusiasm for print-on-demand, though that at least is somewhat tempered by describing it as an ‘emerging’ technology) but at the core of the article is a very real problem; the combatative attitude between this Tokyopop employee–and really Tokyopop in general–and their fans. You don’t start off an answer to a frequently asked question on your website by complaining about your customers. You don’t do any one of dozens of weird aggressive things Tokyopop has done over the past 10 years or so (running Sailor Moon in the same magazine as Parasyte? Really?), but that’s a big one.

And the thing is I don’t disagree with the frustration expressed by the TP staffer. Standing behind the counter at the store, it can be brutal to hear customers say things like “I really like that series but I’m not going to buy it because they might drop it half way through.” Hell, it’s even more angering to hear a customer (or potential customer) say “I’m not going to buy that because I already read it online.” But if I responded to such comments with, say, “People like you saying things like that is what’s killing manga!” I would get creeped-out, blank looks as the once-potential-customers backed out of the store, never to return.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is unacceptable.

If you want to be “that guy” who attempts to treat every uninformed statement by a potential customer as a “teachable moment,” go ahead. His name is Jeff Anderson. (Admittedly I do pick my battles on this front, only engaging folks on the subject of piracy who, after saying something dumb, twig to the fact that saying something like that out loud was at least slightly socially inappropriate in a store dedicated to selling such material.)

But look at the history of manga publishing in North America and you can see it’s filled with unexpected and unfair treatment of customers, particularly in regards to series dropped in the middle of runs. Even putting aside the incredibly poor business decision of randomly insulting your customers, how can you really blame anyone who’s had their heart broken when it comes to a favourite manga series for being cautious on future series? A reader who has 14 volumes of a never-to-be-completed 26 volume series looks at those books on their shelf and feels personally and financially betrayed, a loss of hundreds of dollars, dozens of hours, all from a company who won’t even acknowledge the fact that they’re cancelling the series publicly, or the reasons for it. Manga publishers’ behaviour regarding series cancellation (“going on hiatus”), and Tokyopop’s in particular, have been absolutely abhorrent. For them to criticize their fans for ill feelings that they created?

Poor form.

- Christopher