Tezuka, Inoue, and thoughts on the Japanese model

In his latest podcast, Japanamerica author Roland Kelts talks manga with Tyler Brule, editor of the UK magazine Monocle.

Christopher Mautner presents Osamu Tezuka 101 at Robot 6.

At the Icarus blog, Simon Jones comments on a recent report that things aren’t going too swimmingly for the manga industry in Japan:

But it all comes down to fewer companies being able to produce mainstream products, because a growing segment of mainstream audiences are no longer willing to pay for them despite increasing demand. So instead, companies focus on a specific set of consumers who are willing to pay top dollar to own official releases – i.e. otaku (doujinshi already work on the same principle. Fans regularly pay $10+ for 20-page parodies that have low print runs.) I’ve mentioned this before… the less the masses support art directly, the more likely art will revert back to the patron system of old, where a few individuals dictate the direction of art.

Jones also looks at a specific manga on which the creator initially took a loss (which is not unusual) and explains why publishers are necessary for the current model. It’s well worth a click.

At The Eastern Edge, Gottsu-iiyan shows off some drawings from Takehiko Inoue’s sketchbook that were reproduced in a Japanese magazine.

Danielle Leigh has more personalized recommendations in her latest Manga Before Flowers column.

At Same Hat, Ryan posts Deb Aoki’s pic of Shintaro Kago at Comitia (NSFW, if you look closely enough).

Noah Buchan of the Taipei Times has an interesting article about Yoshitaka Amano’s fine art career.

This ShojoYourMojo column at the Tokyopop site has a quick overview of sunjeong manhwa as well as a quick look at a number of different titles. (Via Manga Bookshelf’s Manhwa Monday column.)

Reviews: Johanna Draper Carlson takes a quick look at some recent Del Rey titles at Comics Worth Reading. And the Manga Recon team has a bonus set of Manga Minis for us this week.

Julie on vols. 1 and 2 of Blood+ Adagio (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 1 of Deka Kyoshi (Comics Worth Reading)
Lexie on vols. 1-10 of Emma (Poisoned Rationality)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 1 of Happy Boys (Kuriousity)
Sesho on vol. 1 of Happy Mania (Sesho’s Anime and Manga Reviews)
Billy Aguiar on vol. 1 of Night Head Genesis (Prospero’s Manga)
Sophie Stevens on vol. 1 of Kimi ni Todoke: From Me To You (Animanga Nation)
Snow Wildsmith on Liberty*Liberty (Fujoshi Librarian)
Scott VonSchilling on vol. 1 of The Lizard Prince (The Anime Almanac)
Connie on vol. 6 of Mixed Vegetables (Slightly Biased Manga)
Oyceter on vols. 1 and 2 of Nightschool (Sakura of DOOM)
Lorena Nava Ruggero on vol. 1 of Ooku: The Inner Chambers (i heart manga)
David Welsh on vols. 1 and 2 of What a Wonderful World (Comics Reporter)
Lori Henderson on the November issue of Yen Plus (Comics Village)
Erica Friedman on vol. 18 of Yuri Hime (part 2) (Okazu)

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  1. […] poetry. (Particularly number five.) ♦ It seems the manga industry could be heading towards the play-to-the-hardcore-fans strategy which is where American comics are stagnating in. It’s too bad. On the other hand, IDW is […]