TokyoPop's American/Canadian line?

[Specierful]

I've heard that TokyoPop has an American/Canadian publisher's line specially made for Western Coast authors. However, I couldn't find anything about it on Google. Does it really exist? And if it does, do you have ANY info on it? heart I know next to nothing. sweatdrop

[Specierful]

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Kenshincat/SpiritedAway.bmp">
Heh, random Japanese text. Can you figure out what it means while I wait lifelessly for someone to come respond to my post? 3nodding

[Specierful]

*yawn* How did I know no one would come? xp

[Specierful]

Well, this sucks. I thought by now at least someone would come. stare

[Specierful]

Well, now I have to go to bed. So, if you have any responses to my question, PM me, please.

[DefiantDrifter]

Uh, it's not so much a line as they're publishing American creators now. Shutterbox is a title they're already publishing, as are World of Hartz and @large. Other titles have been obtained through their Rising Stars of Manga contests...so far, there's Von Von Hunter, Bizenghast, Peach Fuzz, Atomic King Daidogan, MBQ, and Dark Moon Diary, off the top of my head. None of these are out yet, but expect some of them as early as early 2005.

Also, patience is a virtue. Not everybody lives online, especially most of the people with answers.

[Serena]

Don't bump here. Against the rules.

[Serena]

DefiantDrifter

Uh, it's not so much a line as they're publishing American creators now. Shutterbox is a title they're already publishing, as are World of Hartz and @large. Other titles have been obtained through their Rising Stars of Manga contests...so far, there's Von Von Hunter, Bizenghast, Peach Fuzz, Atomic King Daidogan, MBQ, and Dark Moon Diary, off the top of my head. None of these are out yet, but expect some of them as early as early 2005.

Also, patience is a virtue. Not everybody lives online, especially most of the people with answers.

I'm really excited that Tokyopop is publishing and promoting domestic creators. I hope it shatters this "Japanese comics are superior" elitism that exists among many manga fans.

[Yukamina]

Specierful

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Kenshincat/SpiritedAway.bmp">
Heh, random Japanese text. Can you figure out what it means while I wait lifelessly for someone to come respond to my post? 3nodding

Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi....Spirited Away.

[DefiantDrifter]

Quote:

I'm really excited that Tokyopop is publishing and promoting domestic creators. I hope it shatters this "Japanese comics are superior" elitism that exists among many manga fans.

I hope so, too. Unfortunately, this will only work if people actually buy the books. I support as much as I can, but when I read threads all over gaia about kids who read the books in the bookstores so they don't have to pay for them, it makes me think that graphic novels coming to places like barnes and noble isn't as good a thing as one might think. At least with comic shops, you had cranky owners that explained their shops weren't libraries...

I think that as long as the quality is at the same level as the Japanese stuff (or higher), most people will start to lose their prejudices (though there will always be the angry nerds that whine because anime and manga are so "mainstream" now, as they hide in their parents' basements with their copy of Cool Devices). It's just that so much of "Amerimanga" so far has kind of been based on the whole "we think Japan is cool" kind of mentality that otaku do have...which is kind of funny, since their work tends to be rejected by hardcore otaku for being "wannabe." It will be nice to see that diversify, and the lineup from TOKYOPOP's original line looks promising in that respect.

I think that 80% of the people in this forum should note that TOKYOPOP is not publishing stories about cute, blue-haired girls with fox ears named Sakura who go to highschool and wear cute uniforms.

[Kytri]

They have a submission thing on their website, though it didn't say anything about it only being for west-coast people. I've been hoping to get something together to submit to them, my webcomic breaks too many of the rules and isn't high enough quality.

[Serena]

Kytri

They have a submission thing on their website, though it didn't say anything about it only being for west-coast people. I've been hoping to get something together to submit to them, my webcomic breaks too many of the rules and isn't high enough quality.

I think when she said west coast, she meant Western-world creators, like people from North America, South America or Europe and more specifically, the English-speaking readership in those areas.

[Kytri]

Serena

Kytri

They have a submission thing on their website, though it didn't say anything about it only being for west-coast people. I've been hoping to get something together to submit to them, my webcomic breaks too many of the rules and isn't high enough quality.

I think when she said west coast, she meant Western-world creators, like people from North America, South America or Europe and more specifically, the English-speaking readership in those areas.

hmm, I guess you're right. That would make more sense anyway.

[DefiantDrifter]

Submissions can be submitted internationally, as long as you're from an English-speaking country or you're very fluent in English. The website also hints at hiring people just to do something like inking or toning others' work, or even just doing the pencils. Granted, you would have to be AMAZINGLY GOOD at this, and it isn't quite as "prestigious" as getting yer own series, but that's an option, too.

[Stop Him]

DefiantDrifter

I support as much as I can, but when I read threads all over gaia about kids who read the books in the bookstores so they don't have to pay for them, it makes me think that graphic novels coming to places like barnes and noble isn't as good a thing as one might think. At least with comic shops, you had cranky owners that explained their shops weren't libraries...

Well, you have to keep in mind that "reading in the store" applies for all books in a Barnes and Noble, not just manga, and not just kids. I've seen grown adults sit down at the Starbucks with a book, read it as they sip their frappucino, and then leave the book on the table. Nobody at Barnes and Noble complains about this, and in fact you'd almost think it's encouraged. That's their business model at the moment, for better or worse, and they seem to make it work. But anyway...

In truth, TokyoPop is doing far more business in the bookstores (despite people who read but don't buy) than it could ever hope to do in the comic shops. I may be wrong, but I remember hearing something about how TokyoPop outranks the major US comics companies in terms of nationwide book sales. (Of course, they don't publish the floppy comics, only books, but they have a strong presence at most bookstore chains, and certainly in those chains they outperform most American comics companies.) Inside the comics stores, TokyoPop is still outranked by DC, Marvel, Image, etc., but the bookstore market is far more gigantic compared to the comics market.