MISTBORN Reviews

[Spriggan]

Ahh, I forgot Naturo.

I hadn't checked May numbers so you're right on what's on top.

http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/8672.html

[EUOL]

Ookla,

Interesting.  It sure is good to have an expert around.

Part of me wants to say that I would rather do something more artistic and visually exciting, such as the Sin City or Paper Eleven, type art.  However, the larger part realizes that you're right.  A more standard manga style would probably be more appropriate, and the art for those can be just as good.

(Though, I wouldn't complain about something that was in between.)

What do you think of the Demonology 101 artist?

http://faith.rydia.net/101.html

Of course, this is all completely wild speculation and dreaming.  However, I think it's good to begin thinking about things like this, particularly since I'll be having a Japanese version of ELANTRIS coming out soon.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

"I would rather do something more artistic and visually exciting"--ouch!

Demonology 101's art looks more indie or even newspaper.

It's really hard to know who to recommend, because the really good artists are already working on something, y'know?

Did you look at any of the art on mangaonline? The Rising Stars UK 2nd place winner Sonia Leong (her entry is in there as chapter 2) might be open to a project. Her stuff is...a bit unpolished; the lines are a bit thick, but I think she's getting better over time and might respond well to a good editor. Looks like she's working on a Romeo and Juliet adaptation at the moment for a small publisher in England.

http://www.tokyopop.com/mangaonline/series_page.php?seriesDir=risingstarsuk (chapter 2, check out the fighting girls--she did the whole thing in 5 days right before the contest deadline, so it's a bit rushed and unpolished, but it shows potential)
http://community.livejournal.com/self_made_hero/1061.html#cutid1 (This first pic is a lot more polished; not as impressed with the 2nd.)
Some other stuff at http://www.fyredrake.net/
http://www.fyredrake.net/gallery.cgi?cb08.jpg (Hm, this page is pretty good, though a bit thick-lined again. Check out cb01.jpg through cb15.jpg...not bad.)

[Fellfrosch]

Man, what I wouldn't give to get Lee from Chopping Block to collaborate on a comic. That would rock.

[Spriggan]

I know you're trying to get mass appeal but those artists styles are so generic they're boring, they're very well drawn but boring.  I can walk into any bookstore and find another 80+ manga that look exactly the same.

[EUOL]

Sprig's thoughts are kind of my thoughts, though he stated them a little stronger than I would have.  I guess that's what my comment earlier meant.  I don't think that the standard appeal art is bad--it's quite good.  It doesn't stand out to me, however.  But, maybe that's a good thing.  

Anyway, I guess that's why I like the Paper Eleven guy.  I haven't ever seen anything that I like quite as much.  I like him even more than the Frank Miller art I've seen.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

I can walk into any bookstore and find another 80+ manga that look exactly the same.

Exactly. You can find 80+ manga like that because it sells.

It's possible to be satisfied with putting out a book that only a small fraction of the market will be interested in buying. But it's less likely to be economical.

What keeps someone buying a manga series is usually the story and dialogue. But art is the first thing that gets noticed, and if it doesn't look appealing, the reader is less likely to read enough of it to get hooked.

[Bookstore Guy]

I would just like to put my spin on the whole manga thing since I work in the bookstore in Utah where most people seem to go for it.

What was said above is true.  Most people are reading for the stories.  If the art is familiar to what they already have read and liked, then they will usually buy the first 2 or three books in a new series (assuming they are out).  Whenever I ask about what draws people to manga, they all say the stories.

That said, I have noticed that almost to a person, the readers are more impressed with the art of the koreans.  In my opinion it is much better, and most readers seem to agree.

As far as book to comic adaptation, there are a few that have done already that, honestly, are just so-so.  Dragonlance and Salvatore have gone that route.  You would need a very different and yet known artist to adapt the art, and then hope that it gets enough marketing "oomph" to get people to know about it.

Anyways, thats my thought for the day...

[Eric James Stone]

I was talking to a comic book artist recently, and he mentioned that the richest artists in the world are Japanes manga artists, some of whom are billionaires.  Apparently weekly manga sales in Japan are higher than annual comic book sales in the U.S., and the Japanese artists get a much higher royalty rate.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

I...think that's an exaggeration, by at least an order of magnitude. Rumiko Takahashi only made 6 million bucks last year... But the market definitely is huge. (Though if "billionaire" is in yen, that's definitely true.)

On royalties, however, I believe 7% is pretty standard for manga in Japan. The sales volume is huge, though, and most series are creator-owned, unlike the superhero comics in the U.S., so the most popular ones get all kinds of dough from anime and ancillary products.

[Eric James Stone]

I believe 7% is pretty standard for manga in Japan. The sales volume is huge, though, and most series are creator-owned,

Right, my mistake.  It's not the royalties per se, it's the ownership of the series and that comes with it.

[Bookstore Guy]

The magazine manga are huge!  They easily out sell magazine's like People, FHM, etc...

If a person buys manga, they buy the Shonen Jump and Shojo Beat magazines (hope i spelled those right).