Just wanted to Wish Everyone a Happy Halloween weekend! It is always important to be safe and responsible, but it's also important in these rough times to still have fun! :-)
Funimation's Parent to Report Earnings Today
A reminder to anyone interested in the business side of the Anime industry that Navarre corp., which owns Funimation, will report 3rd quarter earnings after the closing bell today (Thursday, Oct 30th).While Funi's profitability has been holding up well in an otherwise tough market this year, Navarre's other divisions including BCI, Encore, and the Game Distribution arm have been flagging. The recent severe drop in Navarre's (NAVR) share price below a dollar (not that everything else hasn't been dropping too of course) has had me a little bit concerned, especially since there has been virtually no insider buying this year (the last insider buy was in June) even though the shares are selling at a fire sale price right now (or are they?). Gen Fukunaga (the head of Funi) hasn't bought any stock as the price has gone down over the last year, but of course he already owns 726,000 shares (worth about $550,000 at today's stock price, close to his annual salary of $350,000) so perhaps he doesn't want to take on anymore risk in his personal holdings. Cary Deacon, his boss, only personally owns about 186,000 shares and draws a salary of $453,000.
Navarre took on a lot of debt when they purchased Funi in 2005, and with credit markets frozen I'm mainly concerned with their ability to service that debt short term. Like most mixed home entertainment distributors / producers, they use short term credit for most of their operational funding and have a fairly poor cash position. Their balance sheet as of the 2nd quarter showed them carrying only .03 cents of cash per share, about $1.2 Million in cash on $663 Million in revenue, while they carry approx $49 Million in debt against a $27 Million market cap at the current share price. That revenue figure sounds like a lot, but they have a terrible operating margin of only 2.41% and a razor thin net profit margin of only 0.74% (that's less than one percent). Those numbers imply that the company will be fine as long as they execute, but has absolutely no room for error.
Needless to say, we watch them very carefully because their business directly impacts ours. We certainly know first hand how Funi is doing in the direct Anime market, but I'm anxious to see how their overall numbers come in for the 3rd quarter, and also to see if they will offer guidance for the next 2 quarters. This particular earnings report is important because we are at somewhat of an economic crossroads in the industry, especially now that Funimation represents about 50% of the total US Anime market (and is currently the most financially sound R1 Anime studio). The numbers and guidance Navarre reports will be important in gauging where the US Anime market actually is right now beyond the 'all is well' rhetoric the studio marketing machines continue to spew out.
If you are interested, Cary Deacon (Navarre's CEO) will be hosting an earning conference call Friday (10/31) at 11AM EST, and you can listen in by calling (800) 299-0433 and entering conference passcode "67756564". You'll need to call about 10 minutes before the start time. The call will also be web cast here if you want to access it over the Internet.
Consensus estimates have them coming in at positive earnings of .02 cent per share. I personally hope they beat by a penny. :-) If they miss, it's a problem.
UPDATE: Navarre reported .04 cents per share. Before everyone jumps for joy it's useful to note that the earnings increase was all carried by Funimation, and mostly due to the additional market share Funimation picked up in the third quarter from the Geneon and ADV license acquisitions. Otherwise earnings would probably have been flat or down. They reported a very tough economic environment, and did not offer any forward guidance except that their goal over the next 2 quarters is basically not to go negative.
Looking at the schedule, most of the real honey pot licenses that Funi picked up in the Geneon and ADV deals will be exhausted by the end of the first quarter next year. Hopefully they are looking forward and working on some dynamite new licenses for stuff that hasn't previously been released, which is the only thing that will carry them through 2009 profitably. I work on the inside of this industry. Doing my best to be dispassionate and look in from the outside, and I hate to say this, but I now believe that in the current environment the bad Anime companies are being eliminated and the good Anime companies (including ours) are now getting an increasing share of a shrinking US market, so expect plenty more shakeout over the next 2-4 quarters.
LET'S BUY ANIME STUFF-- 80s STYLE!
Hey guys, the new BOOKS NIPPON catalog showed up! It's 1984 and the only way to get Japanese animation books and magazines is through the mail, and that means catalogs!
Books Nippon was/is the American branch of Nippon Shuppan Hanbai, Japan's largest book distributor! At some point in the early 1980s, they figured that there might be a little money to be made out of re-routing a bit of the gigantic tidal wave of anime books and magazines currently submerging Japan towards the United States, where a small but devoted audience of what would one day be known as 'otaku' waited, cash in hand, for their chance to buy Roman Albums and This Is Animation books.
Earlier Books Nippon catalogs were xeroxed and had a charming punk rock cut-and-paste aesthetic that resembled the fan pages of your better anime magazines.
Even though Cat's Eye isn't about three detectives, somehow the friendly clip art and hand-lettered copy makes you want to shell out $3.30 for "black and white comic novels". This is back when the word "manga" wasn't a overused tagline and the yen-to-dollar conversion was a lot easier to calculate.
But even the friendliest of graphic design has to move with the times and soon Books Nippon's catalog got all professional-looking with screentones and set type and everything.
When you're back in 1984 be sure and pick me up some Roman Albums, okay? I will gladly shell out $7.10 for the Brygar Roman Album! Publisher Tokuma Shoten's guides to the anime world, "Roman Albums" were/are thick paperbound magazine size books jam packed with production art, story notes, character designs, color pages, posters, stickers, and other bromides, and were absolutely vital for the informational needs of anime fans circa 1984 and beyond.
Another "thank you" goes out to Books Nippon for introducing us to the world of "black and white comic volumes" based on our favorite anime! Turns out it's the other way around, that many of our favorite anime series were based on the comics. Or "manga" as we later learned to call them. All your favorites are here - Urusei Yatsura, Space Cobra, Dr. Slump, Locke The Superman, Golgo 13, and Patalliro. 24 years later, however, and I am still unsure what "Star Boy" is. I'm pretty sure they don't mean THIS "Star Boy."
The Keibunsha Daihyaka books are great little bricks of data; written for grade-schoolers, the Japanese is simple, the kanji are all ruby-equipped, and the photos are big and grainy.
I find myself hauling out my "All Animation" volume for reference a lot more than you'd think. Okay, so it's only updated through 1983, but who cares?
Probably the best part about the Books Nippon 1984 catalog is that it was, for many of us, the very first place to ever advertise Japanese Animation video tapes for sale. And I use the word "sale" very loosely, because HOLY CRAP CHECK OUT THOSE PRICES!!
Do I LOOK like I have ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY UNITED STATES DOLLARS to shell out for the first Space Cruiser Yamato movie? Minimum wage back then was $3 an hour. Do the math. Prices on commercial releases of anime remained high for most of the decade, leading to a thriving bootleg video market and the sad spectacle of little clubs of fans pooling their money to buy Crusher Joe or Urusei Yatsura Only You or Final Yamato at the bargain price of $202. I think these days you could fill a cargo container with anime VHS for two hundred and two dollars and hand them out on Halloween like circus peanuts. Beta - TWO cargo containers.
But that's not all Books Nippon offered - they carried a full line of fashion magazines, the charmingly censored Japanese edition of PLAYBOY, and a full page offering glossy color magazines all about your favorite British pretty-boy bands.
24 years later, and the teenage girls have abandoned Duran Duran for the manga - sorry, the "black and white comic volume" section at Barnes & Noble! And thus, the great circle of life... continues.
Books Nippon was/is the American branch of Nippon Shuppan Hanbai, Japan's largest book distributor! At some point in the early 1980s, they figured that there might be a little money to be made out of re-routing a bit of the gigantic tidal wave of anime books and magazines currently submerging Japan towards the United States, where a small but devoted audience of what would one day be known as 'otaku' waited, cash in hand, for their chance to buy Roman Albums and This Is Animation books.
Earlier Books Nippon catalogs were xeroxed and had a charming punk rock cut-and-paste aesthetic that resembled the fan pages of your better anime magazines.
Even though Cat's Eye isn't about three detectives, somehow the friendly clip art and hand-lettered copy makes you want to shell out $3.30 for "black and white comic novels". This is back when the word "manga" wasn't a overused tagline and the yen-to-dollar conversion was a lot easier to calculate.
But even the friendliest of graphic design has to move with the times and soon Books Nippon's catalog got all professional-looking with screentones and set type and everything.
When you're back in 1984 be sure and pick me up some Roman Albums, okay? I will gladly shell out $7.10 for the Brygar Roman Album! Publisher Tokuma Shoten's guides to the anime world, "Roman Albums" were/are thick paperbound magazine size books jam packed with production art, story notes, character designs, color pages, posters, stickers, and other bromides, and were absolutely vital for the informational needs of anime fans circa 1984 and beyond.
Another "thank you" goes out to Books Nippon for introducing us to the world of "black and white comic volumes" based on our favorite anime! Turns out it's the other way around, that many of our favorite anime series were based on the comics. Or "manga" as we later learned to call them. All your favorites are here - Urusei Yatsura, Space Cobra, Dr. Slump, Locke The Superman, Golgo 13, and Patalliro. 24 years later, however, and I am still unsure what "Star Boy" is. I'm pretty sure they don't mean THIS "Star Boy."
The Keibunsha Daihyaka books are great little bricks of data; written for grade-schoolers, the Japanese is simple, the kanji are all ruby-equipped, and the photos are big and grainy.
I find myself hauling out my "All Animation" volume for reference a lot more than you'd think. Okay, so it's only updated through 1983, but who cares?
Probably the best part about the Books Nippon 1984 catalog is that it was, for many of us, the very first place to ever advertise Japanese Animation video tapes for sale. And I use the word "sale" very loosely, because HOLY CRAP CHECK OUT THOSE PRICES!!
Do I LOOK like I have ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY UNITED STATES DOLLARS to shell out for the first Space Cruiser Yamato movie? Minimum wage back then was $3 an hour. Do the math. Prices on commercial releases of anime remained high for most of the decade, leading to a thriving bootleg video market and the sad spectacle of little clubs of fans pooling their money to buy Crusher Joe or Urusei Yatsura Only You or Final Yamato at the bargain price of $202. I think these days you could fill a cargo container with anime VHS for two hundred and two dollars and hand them out on Halloween like circus peanuts. Beta - TWO cargo containers.
But that's not all Books Nippon offered - they carried a full line of fashion magazines, the charmingly censored Japanese edition of PLAYBOY, and a full page offering glossy color magazines all about your favorite British pretty-boy bands.
24 years later, and the teenage girls have abandoned Duran Duran for the manga - sorry, the "black and white comic volume" section at Barnes & Noble! And thus, the great circle of life... continues.
RSS Feed(s) for Store Updates
A lot of people have been asking for us to implement RSS feeds for various stuff. The staff and I are doing a round table this afternoon working on a few IT issues, and RSS feeds will be discussed. I'd like to solicit a little input from you guys out there on a few things regarding RSS feeds.Most people that ask us for RSS want it linked to store updates so they can subscribe to a daily new arrivals feed, so that's were we're focusing our attention.
The technical back end for an RSS feed quite simple, and we already have our feed application and server space in place for the XML files and we have a few beta test feeds setup generated from our regular HTML updates. What gets s little complicated is the presentation and formatting of the data, especially considering how many applications there are for reading them and the different ways each application handles the XML coding. I think it would help us quite a bit if you RSS users out there could give us some input on two things:
1) What is your preferred reader program?
2) How do you use the feeds, or how do you typically setup your reader to format the feed data?
For a couple of examples, it could be as simple as setting up an article headline highlighting the section update and linking back to the master updates page section, or we could setup a slightly more complex feed that contains one linked new arrival item per headline, with the item linking back to the order page. That feed would allow our software to setup one feed item per new arrival. This would be most compatible with people who format as headline readers, but would not work well for our typical large posts as most people setup their readers to only see the last 5 or 10 feed items so generating 60 or 70 feed items in one day would not be practical, though that method would allow absolutely real time updates to happen as new items are scanned in through out the day, which would be kinda neat. There will be at least one or two days a week when we can have anywhere from 15-60 new items on average in a single day. We could breakup to product categories into separate feeds (DVD / Manga / Figures / etc) but that would require people interested in several different lines to subscribe to multiple feeds, and make handling the update data more complex on our end by having to generate multiple XML files each day.
We could also setup the feed data by category and include a headline linking back to the relevant store updates page section followed by bulleted lists that break down each item with a link to that item's order page. This is the method I'm favoring, and you can see above how one of our Beta files looks in Google Reader. This method would require the user to setup the feed to display article data (if they use the reader gadget in Firefox for example), and the linked data would not appear on reader applications set to show the headline only.
So there are a lot of ways we could approach it. Any input would be most appreciated. :-)
Episode27:Dragon's Heaven (OVA)
Blah blah blah 1988s Dragon's Heaven...
Blah blah blah crazy anime fan....
Blah blah blah vintage anime posters and books...
Blah blah blah mecha love...
Blah ANIMELOVE!!!
oh yeah and sweet soca music.....
get some ANIMELOVE on
download mp3 HERE
paging dr. black jack
While at the Beguiling last week I picked up Vertical's new edition of BLACK JACK, Osamu Tezuka's medical suspense manga starring the mysterious unlicensed surgeon with the two-tone hair. Published in SHONEN CHAMPION from 1973 until the mid 1980s, BLACK JACK was Tezuka at his best; moving beyond his comfort zone, away from licenseable children's robot characters and cute animals into (for him) uncharted gekiga manga territory.
Black Jack is a renegade doctor with inhuman skill, a high price tag, and scars the envy of every modern tribalist. Seemingly detached and uncaring about the rest of the world, his true feelings are betrayed by a constant struggle to end human suffering. This usually takes the form of some sort of bizarre, painful, and incredibly disfiguring make-believe disease. At least, I hope these diseases are fictional, because some of them are pretty frightening. However, Black Jack fights back with outlandish and drastic surgical procedures that no other doctor on Earth would approve, let alone attempt to perform. When he's not deep inside some poor slob's intestines (rendered in slightly-too-realistic detail by real-life doctor Tezuka), Black Jack can be found uncovering criminal plots, revealing embarrassing lies, and generally behaving like a scalpel-wielding Columbo. Several times he manages to both fulfill his Hippocratic Oath and nab evildoers at the same time, winding up with stories that read like a cross between Rex Morgan M.D. and the twist-ending E.C. crime comics of the 1950s.
Vertical's new release is not the first time Black Jack manga has appeared in English - Viz released two volumes of manga in the 90s and serialized Black Jack in their MANGA VIZION anthology - but this new Vertical edition is certainly the classiest. A direct reprint of Akita Shoten's 1987 BLACK JACK collection, Vertical's version is printed slightly larger. The Diamond Comics Exclusive Hardcover release - available only in your local comic book shop- contains an additional story, which until now has never been reprinted. Why? Because it's freaking depressing, that's why.
The book includes the first Black Jack story, "Is There A Doctor" - a class-war tale of exploitation and revenge - and rolls right along through the first appearance of the doctor's assistant Pinoko, a story about Black Jack's lost medical school girlfriend, one tale reminiscent of a sushi-themed version of the Michael Caine horror movie "The Hand", and the intriguing tale of the beautiful ice-queen lady surgeon who specializes in amputations, paging Dr. Freud. Some of the stories go a little deep into science-fictional territory; one sequence about a hospital run by a super-computer is a bit Crichton-y. But here's where Tezuka's loose, cartoony style shows its advantage. The outlandish and the mundane are both given the same big-eye treatment and the reader is left not really concerned about the reality of brain transplants or computer-doctors. Anyway, when these stories were written, limb transplants were a hope for the future, and now they're performed regularly. Who can say mix-and-match surgical hijinx aren't coming?
The one minor detail missing from the Vertical editions are the slick, ultra-realistic covers sported by the Akita Shoten volumes. I love seeing manga characters rendered in photorealistic style, every pore and (in Black Jack's case) stitch scar glistening and making us all just a little queasy. I don't think these covers would sell at all in the American market, so it's probably a wise move to have Peter Mendelsund design new jackets. So here's my treatment regimen; hie yourself down to your local comic shop and pick up BLACK JACK VOLUME ONE from Vertical. For a full dose I recommend the hardcover version. You don't need a doctor's prescription and there's no complicated follow-up medication or painful physical therapy - just some serious entertainment from the pen of one of the world's masters of comics.
Black Jack is a renegade doctor with inhuman skill, a high price tag, and scars the envy of every modern tribalist. Seemingly detached and uncaring about the rest of the world, his true feelings are betrayed by a constant struggle to end human suffering. This usually takes the form of some sort of bizarre, painful, and incredibly disfiguring make-believe disease. At least, I hope these diseases are fictional, because some of them are pretty frightening. However, Black Jack fights back with outlandish and drastic surgical procedures that no other doctor on Earth would approve, let alone attempt to perform. When he's not deep inside some poor slob's intestines (rendered in slightly-too-realistic detail by real-life doctor Tezuka), Black Jack can be found uncovering criminal plots, revealing embarrassing lies, and generally behaving like a scalpel-wielding Columbo. Several times he manages to both fulfill his Hippocratic Oath and nab evildoers at the same time, winding up with stories that read like a cross between Rex Morgan M.D. and the twist-ending E.C. crime comics of the 1950s.
Vertical's new release is not the first time Black Jack manga has appeared in English - Viz released two volumes of manga in the 90s and serialized Black Jack in their MANGA VIZION anthology - but this new Vertical edition is certainly the classiest. A direct reprint of Akita Shoten's 1987 BLACK JACK collection, Vertical's version is printed slightly larger. The Diamond Comics Exclusive Hardcover release - available only in your local comic book shop- contains an additional story, which until now has never been reprinted. Why? Because it's freaking depressing, that's why.
The book includes the first Black Jack story, "Is There A Doctor" - a class-war tale of exploitation and revenge - and rolls right along through the first appearance of the doctor's assistant Pinoko, a story about Black Jack's lost medical school girlfriend, one tale reminiscent of a sushi-themed version of the Michael Caine horror movie "The Hand", and the intriguing tale of the beautiful ice-queen lady surgeon who specializes in amputations, paging Dr. Freud. Some of the stories go a little deep into science-fictional territory; one sequence about a hospital run by a super-computer is a bit Crichton-y. But here's where Tezuka's loose, cartoony style shows its advantage. The outlandish and the mundane are both given the same big-eye treatment and the reader is left not really concerned about the reality of brain transplants or computer-doctors. Anyway, when these stories were written, limb transplants were a hope for the future, and now they're performed regularly. Who can say mix-and-match surgical hijinx aren't coming?
The one minor detail missing from the Vertical editions are the slick, ultra-realistic covers sported by the Akita Shoten volumes. I love seeing manga characters rendered in photorealistic style, every pore and (in Black Jack's case) stitch scar glistening and making us all just a little queasy. I don't think these covers would sell at all in the American market, so it's probably a wise move to have Peter Mendelsund design new jackets. So here's my treatment regimen; hie yourself down to your local comic shop and pick up BLACK JACK VOLUME ONE from Vertical. For a full dose I recommend the hardcover version. You don't need a doctor's prescription and there's no complicated follow-up medication or painful physical therapy - just some serious entertainment from the pen of one of the world's masters of comics.
Getting to the 'Root' of the Problem
I lost a filling on one of my back molars a couple days ago, and what I thought would be an in and out routine fix at the Dentist this morning turned out to be a little more complicated and it looks like it's beyond fixing and I'm going to have to have the tooth out. The oral Surgeon got me right in, so tomorrow afternoon they'll be removing the problem tooth. I've never had one out before, and at 38, I still have my Wisdom teeth, so I'm looking forward to the event with quite a bit of trepidation, especially since they told me they would be doing it with just a local.Now let me tell you - after shoulder dislocations, broken bones, and lots of other traumatic events in my life I think I'm pretty tough about things like this, but when it comes to my teeth, I'm a total wuss. If I was ever captured by the enemy I feel like I could endure days of beatings, but as soon as they started messing with my teeth I'd sing like a canary. Don't tell anyone, OK.
Anyway, I'm just telling you guys this because it means I won't be answering any e-mails tomorrow, and probably only a few on Friday. During that time Jamie will handle any inquires about store business (having to do with orders), but probably won't have time to answer anything else, so don't get upset if I don't reply to any general inquiries for at least a couple of days. Also, this weeks Friday e-newsletter may have to wait until Saturday, we'll have to see how I feel.
Aside from e-mail inquiries and the newsletter, the rest of the operation will run fine without me, and orders will (of course) still be processed and ship normally. And that's good because we've got lots of new stuff for you to checkout this week.
So, what Anime will be good to watch this weekend while I'm recovering.... hmmmm...
UPDATE: OK, all done. They actually took two out since my wisdom tooth next to the other one was impacted and the surgeon felt that it was best to do them both at once. I have Vicodine and antibiotics, and have to go back in a few days to get the stitches out, but I'm doing fine and am actually pretty comfortable. No promises, but if all goes well and I feel good enough in the morning, I'll probably be able to get the e-newsletter done on time as usual.
I want to watch Season 2 of School Rumble, but I think I'm going to wait for the 2nd half box before I start it. Jamie and I already watched Vol 7 of Death Note last weekend, so I think this weekend we'll probably watch vol #5 of Karin, Bludgeoning Angel , and then finally watch the first vol of Claymore which I have been greatly looking forward too (I've always loved the manga). Aria will have to wait for awhile, but Steven Den Beste had been watching it and I've enjoyed reading his blog posts as he goes along, so I think we'll wait to see what he thinks of it before I commit.
OK, enough rambling, I'm going back to bed. Have great evening everyone!
Honda Wagon ~Horikita Maki~
Horikita Maki being a model of Honda wagon ,It was held in Tokyo for attend a PR event.
COSPLAY THAT TIME FORGOT
Cosplay... in the before time.
(warning: this column contains blurry, low-res images. Please do not adjust your eyes.)
Before "cosplay" was a household word, before cosplay.com and the culture of tribes of teens dressed as anime characters wandering from one hotel ballroom to another, like slightly-more-liable-to-have- bathed-recently Deadheads, had permeated every aspect of anime fandom, in the dark mists of prehistory, even then cosplay still existed. Only recently has documentary evidence come to light, enabling us to finally visualize these anime costumer pioneers.
The March 1987 issue of ANIMAGE gave the Japanese audience a glimpse of what their American counterparts were doing with fabric and foam core. Yes, Virginia-san, there are American anime fans! And they cosplay, too, as was seen in a photo spread helpfully titled "That's American Costume Play!" The Jigen and the Raideen are unidentified, but the modified Gatchaman outfit was created and modeled by Pat Munson-Siter , whose work in the field of pre-1990 anime fandom has rarely been matched.
This was not the first ANIMAGE to highlight the champions of foreign otaku (even though the word "otaku" was still in the infancy of its usage) but it would not be the last. Three years later Project A-kon came into being - the first American anime convention, depending on who you ask and what time of day you ask them - and ANIMAGE was there, in spirit if not in flesh, with yet another look at those crazy Americans and their fandom for cartoons in languages they can't understand.
As captured on film by Jack Thielpape, the Dirty Pair pose provocatively as the looming spectre of Captain Harlock ensures a complete absence of any funny business, pal. In the late 80s-early 1990s there were several sets of Dirty Pairs costuming throughout the fandom convention world - one or two in California, a few on the East Coast, and the pair pictured here, who hailed from Georgia and who were actually real-life sisters. Their dedication to the Lovely Angels led them to create several sets of costumes based on the differing suits seen in the TV series, the film, and the OVA releases - even the silver suits from the Takachiho novel (and the Crusher Joe film).
As A-Kon flourished the culture of costuming permeated fandom, and even in late-night after-parties the cosplay spirit can be seen.
The latest in Arcadia-crewmember off-duty loungewear is sported by "S.H." as he digs through a pile of cassette tapes. Yes, cassette tapes, the year is 1992 and Project A-Kon is reeling through the teething pains of its third, crucial year. Meanwhile a Vampire Princess Miyu wonders who these people are and why they're in her hotel room, preventing her from sleeping. As these images were culled from private videotape, identities of our models have been concealed to protect the innocent.
Three years later in Atlanta the first Anime Weekend Atlanta would sport anime costumers from a wide variety of genres and shows. Though we were a few years away from full-blown Sailor Moon Fandom Explosion, the show's effects were being felt even then, as sets of Sailor Scouts competed for the attention of the male anime fan demographic, which had yet to be joined by legions of squealing yaoi anime fangirls. Here we see the first ever Sailor Moon costumer to take the stage at the AWA costume contest, as well as a improvised kickline with a hastily recruited Sailor Mercury.
Cyborg 003 and 001, from the 60s and 70s series Cyborg 009, made an appearance as well, highlighting the lingering influence old-school anime had (and has) over certain of the surviving otaku of the area. 003 is portrayed by L.H. while 001 is portrayed by a stuffed doll. Neither possess cybernetic powers.
Here we see an example of the near-ubiquitous Ryoga. Ryoga was a character from Ranma 1/2 who got lost a lot, and sometimes turned into a pig. It was a great costume for regular-looking guys who wanted something colorful to dress up as, included a backpack so they could carry their stuff around, and had a ready-made comedy skit that could be rolled out at a moment's notice - run into any crowd of people and holler "I'M LOST!" Boy, that didn't get old AT ALL! Not in the slightest! It's as fresh today as it was back in 1995 when we were already thoroughly sick of Ranma 1/2 in general and that character in particular! Also seen - Princess Kahm from Outlanders, about to cut somebody's head off.
AWA would grow from a few hundred at its first show to over eleven thousand attendees at its most recent gathering, but at the early conventions you could easily fit the entire costume contest and its judges and audience in a medium sized ballroom in a small-to-medium sized airport-area off-ramp hotel. Even the judges got into the act.
Lorraine "Anime Hasshin" Savage here sports a Yamato crew uniform as she sits next to future Dark Horse Manga editor Carl Horn, cosplaying as future Dark Horse Manga editor Carl Horn. Costuming at the second AWA was of an order of magnitude more impressive than the first year - most notably the Tatarek-built Patlabor Ingram, which was constructed entirely out of space-age foam-core and was mobile enough to enable the wearer to navigate fairly well. The handgun, however, was non-operational. Other, more recent cosplayers, attempting to add functional handguns to their regalia, have attracted the bemused attention of the police department.
As we pass the mid 1990s, we move into a more documented world of cosplay - email mailing lists, digital cameras, and the world of the World Wide Web, which as we all know was created to facilitate the distribution of high quality images of sexy women - would all lead to anime cosplay becoming one of the dominant forces in anime fandom. Gatherings of anime fans today are a swirling mass of strangely garbed people taking photos of each other, the need of otaku to document their strange behavior an irresistable force of nature. But was it always thus? Yus, it wus. These recently unearthed images from 1983 are proof.
As we see from these video images - captured on a rooftop at Constellation, the Baltimore SF Worldcon, in 1983 A.D. - anime fandom was alive, relatively fit, and could stand sunlight for minutes at a time. Representatives of Gundam's Zabi family pose regally, Yamato crewmembers engage in an impromptu kickline with Leader Desslok (what is it with cosplaying fans and their attempts to imitate Rockettes?), and we see actual photographic evidence of Aviator Sunglasses Kei Yuki, as well as several different stages in Captain Harlock's development from skinny space pirate to chubby space couch potato. Upper left: Leader Desslok and Sasha share a moment.
Difficult it may be to concieve of a time when Matsumoto characters were the mainstream of anime fandom and not some kind of atavistic throwback, but pictures don't lie, even if they're low-res video captures. The influence of classic anime continues to linger in cosplay, as the recent AWA attracted Saint Seiya costumers, Yamato costumers, Harlock cosplay, and even 1984-era Macross crewmembers. Is anime costuming moving full circle, back to segregated rooftop gatherings of different Harlock iterations? I hope not. Though, after a long convention season, lord knows we could all use a little sunlight and fresh air.
(images used in this article courtesy Animage, R. Fenelon, and promotional AWA videos produced by M. Murray.)
(warning: this column contains blurry, low-res images. Please do not adjust your eyes.)
Before "cosplay" was a household word, before cosplay.com and the culture of tribes of teens dressed as anime characters wandering from one hotel ballroom to another, like slightly-more-liable-to-have- bathed-recently Deadheads, had permeated every aspect of anime fandom, in the dark mists of prehistory, even then cosplay still existed. Only recently has documentary evidence come to light, enabling us to finally visualize these anime costumer pioneers.
The March 1987 issue of ANIMAGE gave the Japanese audience a glimpse of what their American counterparts were doing with fabric and foam core. Yes, Virginia-san, there are American anime fans! And they cosplay, too, as was seen in a photo spread helpfully titled "That's American Costume Play!" The Jigen and the Raideen are unidentified, but the modified Gatchaman outfit was created and modeled by Pat Munson-Siter , whose work in the field of pre-1990 anime fandom has rarely been matched.
This was not the first ANIMAGE to highlight the champions of foreign otaku (even though the word "otaku" was still in the infancy of its usage) but it would not be the last. Three years later Project A-kon came into being - the first American anime convention, depending on who you ask and what time of day you ask them - and ANIMAGE was there, in spirit if not in flesh, with yet another look at those crazy Americans and their fandom for cartoons in languages they can't understand.
As captured on film by Jack Thielpape, the Dirty Pair pose provocatively as the looming spectre of Captain Harlock ensures a complete absence of any funny business, pal. In the late 80s-early 1990s there were several sets of Dirty Pairs costuming throughout the fandom convention world - one or two in California, a few on the East Coast, and the pair pictured here, who hailed from Georgia and who were actually real-life sisters. Their dedication to the Lovely Angels led them to create several sets of costumes based on the differing suits seen in the TV series, the film, and the OVA releases - even the silver suits from the Takachiho novel (and the Crusher Joe film).
As A-Kon flourished the culture of costuming permeated fandom, and even in late-night after-parties the cosplay spirit can be seen.
The latest in Arcadia-crewmember off-duty loungewear is sported by "S.H." as he digs through a pile of cassette tapes. Yes, cassette tapes, the year is 1992 and Project A-Kon is reeling through the teething pains of its third, crucial year. Meanwhile a Vampire Princess Miyu wonders who these people are and why they're in her hotel room, preventing her from sleeping. As these images were culled from private videotape, identities of our models have been concealed to protect the innocent.
Three years later in Atlanta the first Anime Weekend Atlanta would sport anime costumers from a wide variety of genres and shows. Though we were a few years away from full-blown Sailor Moon Fandom Explosion, the show's effects were being felt even then, as sets of Sailor Scouts competed for the attention of the male anime fan demographic, which had yet to be joined by legions of squealing yaoi anime fangirls. Here we see the first ever Sailor Moon costumer to take the stage at the AWA costume contest, as well as a improvised kickline with a hastily recruited Sailor Mercury.
Cyborg 003 and 001, from the 60s and 70s series Cyborg 009, made an appearance as well, highlighting the lingering influence old-school anime had (and has) over certain of the surviving otaku of the area. 003 is portrayed by L.H. while 001 is portrayed by a stuffed doll. Neither possess cybernetic powers.
Here we see an example of the near-ubiquitous Ryoga. Ryoga was a character from Ranma 1/2 who got lost a lot, and sometimes turned into a pig. It was a great costume for regular-looking guys who wanted something colorful to dress up as, included a backpack so they could carry their stuff around, and had a ready-made comedy skit that could be rolled out at a moment's notice - run into any crowd of people and holler "I'M LOST!" Boy, that didn't get old AT ALL! Not in the slightest! It's as fresh today as it was back in 1995 when we were already thoroughly sick of Ranma 1/2 in general and that character in particular! Also seen - Princess Kahm from Outlanders, about to cut somebody's head off.
AWA would grow from a few hundred at its first show to over eleven thousand attendees at its most recent gathering, but at the early conventions you could easily fit the entire costume contest and its judges and audience in a medium sized ballroom in a small-to-medium sized airport-area off-ramp hotel. Even the judges got into the act.
Lorraine "Anime Hasshin" Savage here sports a Yamato crew uniform as she sits next to future Dark Horse Manga editor Carl Horn, cosplaying as future Dark Horse Manga editor Carl Horn. Costuming at the second AWA was of an order of magnitude more impressive than the first year - most notably the Tatarek-built Patlabor Ingram, which was constructed entirely out of space-age foam-core and was mobile enough to enable the wearer to navigate fairly well. The handgun, however, was non-operational. Other, more recent cosplayers, attempting to add functional handguns to their regalia, have attracted the bemused attention of the police department.
As we pass the mid 1990s, we move into a more documented world of cosplay - email mailing lists, digital cameras, and the world of the World Wide Web, which as we all know was created to facilitate the distribution of high quality images of sexy women - would all lead to anime cosplay becoming one of the dominant forces in anime fandom. Gatherings of anime fans today are a swirling mass of strangely garbed people taking photos of each other, the need of otaku to document their strange behavior an irresistable force of nature. But was it always thus? Yus, it wus. These recently unearthed images from 1983 are proof.
As we see from these video images - captured on a rooftop at Constellation, the Baltimore SF Worldcon, in 1983 A.D. - anime fandom was alive, relatively fit, and could stand sunlight for minutes at a time. Representatives of Gundam's Zabi family pose regally, Yamato crewmembers engage in an impromptu kickline with Leader Desslok (what is it with cosplaying fans and their attempts to imitate Rockettes?), and we see actual photographic evidence of Aviator Sunglasses Kei Yuki, as well as several different stages in Captain Harlock's development from skinny space pirate to chubby space couch potato. Upper left: Leader Desslok and Sasha share a moment.
Difficult it may be to concieve of a time when Matsumoto characters were the mainstream of anime fandom and not some kind of atavistic throwback, but pictures don't lie, even if they're low-res video captures. The influence of classic anime continues to linger in cosplay, as the recent AWA attracted Saint Seiya costumers, Yamato costumers, Harlock cosplay, and even 1984-era Macross crewmembers. Is anime costuming moving full circle, back to segregated rooftop gatherings of different Harlock iterations? I hope not. Though, after a long convention season, lord knows we could all use a little sunlight and fresh air.
(images used in this article courtesy Animage, R. Fenelon, and promotional AWA videos produced by M. Murray.)
The Last Princess
Here`s the lastest Nagasawa Masami Movie it called "the Last Princess".
Shinji Higuchi’s remake of Akira Kurosawa`s The Hidden Fortress (screened in LA last week) starts off with a bang. Literally. It’s a startling deviation from the original, almost as if director Higuchi was throwing down a gauntlet and defiantly stating that this was his version of the 1958 blockbuster that had Inspired George Lucas’ Star Wars.
Higuchi’s The Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess stars Jun Matsumoto as the rough-edged, independent miner Takezo, a man who has little to no respect for Japan’s noble families and the samurai who protect them. In an ironic twist of fate, he is joined by a fleeing princess in disguise (played by Masami Nagasawa) and her samurai bodyguard (Hiroshi Abe) as well as a fellow peasant conspirator (Daisuke Miyagawa) as they attempt to smuggle the defeated Akizuki kingdom’s wealth across enemy lines. While there are many nods to Kurosawa’s original story, Higuchi and screenwriter Kazuki Nakashima have added excitement in the form of exploding fortresses and thrilling sword fights that pay homage to George Lucas and his lightsaber duels, everything that a 21st century audience expects from its action films.
While many other directors would be satisfied with the updated special effects and a faster paced story, Higuchi tries to incorporate a romantic storyline that, while integral, seems forced at best. Many action films struggle to find the perfect balance between believable romantic developments and heart-stopping action scenes and while the premise of the budding love affair is understood, because it plays second fiddle to the main plot, the almost too rapid attraction between the beautiful young princess and Matsumoto’s dirt-covered miner is hardly believable. But in a movie that blends breathtaking cinematography and amazingly well choreographed fight scenes, this romantic blip is easily forgiven.
It also doesn’t hurt than Hiroshi Abe, stepping into the intimidating shoes of Toshihiro Misune, gives a subtly deft performance as general Rokurota. Daisuke Miyagawa’s simplistically greedy Shinpachi plays a perfect foil to Jun Matsumoto’s independent and intelligent Takezo. Both actors slip easily into the unenviable roles of impoverished peasants that toil endlessly at the whim of an ungrateful aristocracy and create a comedic chemistry that maintains the levity that Kurosawa’s own Hidden Fortress is known for. Masami Nagasawa is as beautiful as she is talented, playing the role of a naïve princess whose eyes are quickly opened to the harsh realities of the world outside of her pampered palace. And unlike Kurosawa’s original, it is not only the princess who grows during this life and death journey. Each of the four main characters develop a better understanding of their fellow man as a result of their forced interaction with one another.
With a stellar cast and an action-packed story, Higuchi has the makings of a blockbuster hit on his hands. The Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess will appeal to not only the Japanese audience that it’s intended for but it has a commercial appeal that will easily cross any language and cultural barriers. In fact, it could hold its own with any of the summer blockbusters that Hollywood is planning on releasing this year.
Update on the Completion of Red Garden, Pumpkin Scissors, and NHK
After deciding to re-release Red Garden, Pumpkin Scissors , and Welcome to the NHK strictly as boxed sets, and leaving customers who previously bought some of the initial volumes released by ADV with no choice except to rebuy the series, Funimation seems to be back peddling and may in fact offer Red Garden vol. 4-6, Pumpkin Scissors vol. 5-6, Welcome to the NHK vol. 5-6 individually. We have passed on every comment and complaint sent in to us by you directly to Funi management, and it appears they are listening.
We've been talking to them regarding this since Wednesday, and I know some news has already slipped out (which is the only reason I'm posting on it at this stage), but right now nothing is firm (there are no exclusive deals set in stone either, despite what's been printed on blogs and forums). I'm hoping we should get a decision on this tomorrow (Monday). It's my hope we will indeed be able to offer the missing single volumes to collectors who need them to finish their initial purchases and complete their boxed sets.
Stay tuned.
We've been talking to them regarding this since Wednesday, and I know some news has already slipped out (which is the only reason I'm posting on it at this stage), but right now nothing is firm (there are no exclusive deals set in stone either, despite what's been printed on blogs and forums). I'm hoping we should get a decision on this tomorrow (Monday). It's my hope we will indeed be able to offer the missing single volumes to collectors who need them to finish their initial purchases and complete their boxed sets.
Stay tuned.
Episode26 Astroboy/Tetsuwan Atom:The Greatest Robot On Earth
This time...
-I take a look at a classic Astro boy storyline
-Talk on the joy of laser discs
-Rant on the American dub of the 80s Astro boy
-Bring home the ANIMELOVE!
download HERE
Stock Market Giving You the Blues? You're Not Alone...
I know it's really no laughing matter, and believe me, I'm feeling your pain right now if you're a long term investor. I've been around long enough to have been through these sorts of 'crisis' since the early 70's, and the only things that are certain is that they are very painful, they eventually pass, and if you stay calm, make smart choices, are patient, and God forbid - don't take advice from your brother in law or ANYONE on CNBC - you'll come out ahead in the end.With that in mind, someone sent me this today. I thought it was hilarious and wanted to share:
"Once upon a time, in a place overrun with monkeys, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each. The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest, and started catching them. The man bought thousands at $10 and as supply started to diminish, they became harder to catch, so the villagers stopped their effort. The man then announced that he would now pay $20 for each one. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again. But soon the supply diminished even further and they were ever harder to catch, so people started going back to their farms and forgot about monkey catching. The man increased his price to $25 each and the supply of monkeys became so sparse that it was an effort to even see a monkey, much less catch one. The man now announced that he would buy monkeys for $50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on his behalf.
While the man was away the assistant told the villagers, "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has bought. I will sell them to you at $35 each and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each." The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys. They never saw the man nor his assistant again, and once again there were monkeys everywhere.
Now you have a better understanding of how the stock market works."
LOL! :-) Seriously though, before you start hording beans, bullets, and bullion - no worries - remember economic cycles are finite, but Anime is forever. :-)
Funimation's December Release Schedule Posted!
This will be a quick post for lack of time, but I wanted to post a couple of things.
Funimation sent us their December release schedule this week, and we've got it all posted on the store site now for pre-order.
First, the announcements have answered the questions about what they are going to do with ADV's former unfinished titles, and I know many fans will be a bit disappointed because it appears that Kanon will be the only series they will finish as single volumes and the rest will all be re-released as full season or half season boxed sets. This applies to Welcome to NHK, Red Garden, Tokyo Majin and Pumpkin Scissors. I'm not sure if this is an ADV problem, or if Funimation has looked at the economics and decided they simply could not afford to carry the cost of these licenses while only deriving revenue from a small part of them, but I think it's important to remember that it was not Funimation who let fans down on these titles in the first place, and that without them it's likely they would never have been completed in any form.
Ok, nuff said about that, now on to the list.
The following December releases from Funimation are now available for pre-order:
Air Gear Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set
Funimation sent us their December release schedule this week, and we've got it all posted on the store site now for pre-order.
First, the announcements have answered the questions about what they are going to do with ADV's former unfinished titles, and I know many fans will be a bit disappointed because it appears that Kanon will be the only series they will finish as single volumes and the rest will all be re-released as full season or half season boxed sets. This applies to Welcome to NHK, Red Garden, Tokyo Majin and Pumpkin Scissors. I'm not sure if this is an ADV problem, or if Funimation has looked at the economics and decided they simply could not afford to carry the cost of these licenses while only deriving revenue from a small part of them, but I think it's important to remember that it was not Funimation who let fans down on these titles in the first place, and that without them it's likely they would never have been completed in any form.
Ok, nuff said about that, now on to the list.
The following December releases from Funimation are now available for pre-order:
Air Gear Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set
Xenosaga Complete Collection DVD Boxed Set
While I'm at it, we also managed to post a few new Q1 2009 figures for pre-order, and they are all pretty spectacular:
Full Metal Panic! Teletha Testarossa 1/6 Scale PVC Figure
While I'm at it, we also managed to post a few new Q1 2009 figures for pre-order, and they are all pretty spectacular:
Full Metal Panic! Teletha Testarossa 1/6 Scale PVC Figure
And finally, we added four more 2009 Import Calendars for pre-order based requests that folks e-mailed in this week:
Death Note 2009 Wall Calendar (Japanese Import)
Death Note 2009 Wall Calendar (Japanese Import)
Masamune Shiro Saber Tooth Cats 2009 Calendar (Japanese Import)
Due to heavy Japanese demand I've posted a disclaimer on the Saber Tooth Cats calendar:
Due to heavy Japanese demand I've posted a disclaimer on the Saber Tooth Cats calendar:
The Japanese publisher of this years Shiro Masamune calendar has designated it for the Japanese market only, and is not offering any unit to direct exporters. We have a partner in Tokyo that we have ordered them through that will transship them to us once it is released, however, the print run of this calendar is strictly limited and retailers will be filling Japanese orders first before our orders will be filled. This means that we probably will not get the amount that we ordered, so pre-orders for this calendar will be filled first come first served. Also keep in mind that we may not be able to obtain enough units to fill all pre-orders, so please keep in mind when ordering that our ability to fill your order will depend on circumstances beyond our control. We'll do our best, but we cannot guarantee that all orders for this particular calendar can be filled.
I'll be back tomorrow with lots more in our regular Friday newsletter. Have a great evening everyone!
MISSING: LOCKE THE SUPERMAN!
Here in the smoky aftermath of the "anime boom" we're digging ourselves out from under piles of $1 clearance manga and unsellable VHS tape, wondering just what the hell happened. And as we survey the hits and misses, we start to wonder about some titles that, to our creaky old school eyes, are conspicuous by their absence...
CHOJIN LOCKE! The immortal teenager with immense psychic powers, an enormous shock of green hair, and a constantly-frustrated desire to just be left alone. For more than thirty years his story has unfolded in manga from more publishers than I can count and four separate animated adventures. Along with other dreamy ESPers with curious hair colorings like COSMO POLICE JUSTY and TOWARDS THE TERRA's Soldier Blue, the image of Locke decorated the bedroom walls and the fan artworks of many an anime fangirl, carving a vital niche between more manly space operas and the other, girlier side of the spectrum. Even the American otaku scene of the Reagan years was lousy with those giant-haired psychic prettyboys.
However, in the subsequent wave of manga translations of series both popular and obscure - an avalanche of imported Japanese comics destined to strain the shelving capacities of bookstores from coast to coast - our ESPer friend and his 38 volumes of manga were neglected. The LOCKE THE SUPERMAN animated film from 1984 was released here, after a fashion, and the LORD LEON and NEW WORLD COMMAND videos got American anime-boom releases, but manga? No way.
But why not? It's a no-brainer. It's a classic, reader-friendly space adventure series with appeal to Americans from both a "manga is cool" angle and a "X-Men meets Star Wars" approach. Yuki Hijiri's artwork plants one foot in the high-tech world of the future and another firmly in the delicate linework and soup-plate eyeballs of Shoujo manga. His art style is breezy, uncomplicated; yet manages to seamlessly integrate the outer-space computers, blasters, and starships aesthetic with that of beautiful youths and their rose-petal strewn melodrama, and sophisticated enough to make us believe in both. (Fun fact: Hijiri designed characters for COMBATTLER V, VOLTES V, and DAIMOS as well as drawing manga for the tokusatsu series NINJA CAPTOR.)
Even though the story of CHOJIN LOCKE spans a thousand years and the aforementioned 38 volumes - a heft that might scare your more chicken-hearted manga publishers - LOCKE's saga is conveniently spread out over dozens of separate, moderately self-contained stories set amid the backdrop of Earth's discovery of star travel and colonization of the galaxy.
Locke the Chojin (don't call him "Superman" when DC's lawyers are around) is - well, appears to be - a teenager with long green hair and a gentle manner. But in reality he's at least a thousand years old and is quite possibly the most powerful ESPer in the universe. His youthful looks hide a world-weary soul whose desire to enjoy the simple life is constantly being frustrated by the space criminals and secret organizations who attempt to conquer the galaxy and the Earth Federation who, backs to the wall, is forced to ask Locke for help. In spite of his wishes Locke is frequently forced to take an active part in events; his innate, almost childlike sense of right and wrong driving him to seek the truth and fight for justice. And tragically, even though he's the most powerful ESPer in the galaxy he can never have the one thing he wants most - a normal life.
The stories themselves are dense - packed with supporting characters who frequently take the spotlight from Locke, they jump from era to era over a thousand years of space history,leaving the reader with a colorful tapestry of mankind's journey to the stars. Events or people mentioned in one story will be expanded upon in another, and blank areas are filled in piece by piece casually, as part of a natural storytelling technique. The anime versions of Locke follow this tradition with flashbacks of Locke's time with the rebellion on Lonwarl or by inserting friends and foes into the opening credits of the OVAs.
(fan translation of the first Locke story courtesy L.G. from the "Mind's Eye" APA)
It's interesting because there's always been a Locke contingent of American fans who collect the manga and write fan fiction about Locke, Justy, Soldier Blue, Takeru and Marg from GOD MARS, and other angsty future psychics of manga. The 1984 feature film not only was one of the screen's earliest (and most restrained) uses of computer animation, it recieved two video releases in the States, an edited version courtesy Just For Kids (titled "Locke The Superpower") and a later uncut release from Best Film & Video. Locke's always been in the background of the Western anime fan scene, but unlike other contemporaneous titles like SPACE ADVENTURE COBRA, LOCKE's manga never made the jump. And that's the surprising part, considering the volume of Japanese comics that have been thrown at us over the past few years.
I'd like to think the success (or not - see comments) of Vertical's TOWARDS THE TERRA and Tezuka manga has proved there's interest in elaborate 70s SF shoujo action. While LOCKE perhaps isn't as philosophical as TOWARDS THE TERRA, it's at least girl-friendly, with enough spaceships and blasters to keep the guys reading. And that's my challenge to Tokyopop, to Viz, to Vertical, to CMX, to Del Rey, to whoever is still mining that manga vein - use your super psychic manga powers for good, not evil, and deliver LOCKE THE SUPERMAN to America!
(Locke fanart by D.V. from the "Mind's Eye" APA)
CHOJIN LOCKE! The immortal teenager with immense psychic powers, an enormous shock of green hair, and a constantly-frustrated desire to just be left alone. For more than thirty years his story has unfolded in manga from more publishers than I can count and four separate animated adventures. Along with other dreamy ESPers with curious hair colorings like COSMO POLICE JUSTY and TOWARDS THE TERRA's Soldier Blue, the image of Locke decorated the bedroom walls and the fan artworks of many an anime fangirl, carving a vital niche between more manly space operas and the other, girlier side of the spectrum. Even the American otaku scene of the Reagan years was lousy with those giant-haired psychic prettyboys.
However, in the subsequent wave of manga translations of series both popular and obscure - an avalanche of imported Japanese comics destined to strain the shelving capacities of bookstores from coast to coast - our ESPer friend and his 38 volumes of manga were neglected. The LOCKE THE SUPERMAN animated film from 1984 was released here, after a fashion, and the LORD LEON and NEW WORLD COMMAND videos got American anime-boom releases, but manga? No way.
But why not? It's a no-brainer. It's a classic, reader-friendly space adventure series with appeal to Americans from both a "manga is cool" angle and a "X-Men meets Star Wars" approach. Yuki Hijiri's artwork plants one foot in the high-tech world of the future and another firmly in the delicate linework and soup-plate eyeballs of Shoujo manga. His art style is breezy, uncomplicated; yet manages to seamlessly integrate the outer-space computers, blasters, and starships aesthetic with that of beautiful youths and their rose-petal strewn melodrama, and sophisticated enough to make us believe in both. (Fun fact: Hijiri designed characters for COMBATTLER V, VOLTES V, and DAIMOS as well as drawing manga for the tokusatsu series NINJA CAPTOR.)
Even though the story of CHOJIN LOCKE spans a thousand years and the aforementioned 38 volumes - a heft that might scare your more chicken-hearted manga publishers - LOCKE's saga is conveniently spread out over dozens of separate, moderately self-contained stories set amid the backdrop of Earth's discovery of star travel and colonization of the galaxy.
Locke the Chojin (don't call him "Superman" when DC's lawyers are around) is - well, appears to be - a teenager with long green hair and a gentle manner. But in reality he's at least a thousand years old and is quite possibly the most powerful ESPer in the universe. His youthful looks hide a world-weary soul whose desire to enjoy the simple life is constantly being frustrated by the space criminals and secret organizations who attempt to conquer the galaxy and the Earth Federation who, backs to the wall, is forced to ask Locke for help. In spite of his wishes Locke is frequently forced to take an active part in events; his innate, almost childlike sense of right and wrong driving him to seek the truth and fight for justice. And tragically, even though he's the most powerful ESPer in the galaxy he can never have the one thing he wants most - a normal life.
The stories themselves are dense - packed with supporting characters who frequently take the spotlight from Locke, they jump from era to era over a thousand years of space history,leaving the reader with a colorful tapestry of mankind's journey to the stars. Events or people mentioned in one story will be expanded upon in another, and blank areas are filled in piece by piece casually, as part of a natural storytelling technique. The anime versions of Locke follow this tradition with flashbacks of Locke's time with the rebellion on Lonwarl or by inserting friends and foes into the opening credits of the OVAs.
(fan translation of the first Locke story courtesy L.G. from the "Mind's Eye" APA)
It's interesting because there's always been a Locke contingent of American fans who collect the manga and write fan fiction about Locke, Justy, Soldier Blue, Takeru and Marg from GOD MARS, and other angsty future psychics of manga. The 1984 feature film not only was one of the screen's earliest (and most restrained) uses of computer animation, it recieved two video releases in the States, an edited version courtesy Just For Kids (titled "Locke The Superpower") and a later uncut release from Best Film & Video. Locke's always been in the background of the Western anime fan scene, but unlike other contemporaneous titles like SPACE ADVENTURE COBRA, LOCKE's manga never made the jump. And that's the surprising part, considering the volume of Japanese comics that have been thrown at us over the past few years.
I'd like to think the success (or not - see comments) of Vertical's TOWARDS THE TERRA and Tezuka manga has proved there's interest in elaborate 70s SF shoujo action. While LOCKE perhaps isn't as philosophical as TOWARDS THE TERRA, it's at least girl-friendly, with enough spaceships and blasters to keep the guys reading. And that's my challenge to Tokyopop, to Viz, to Vertical, to CMX, to Del Rey, to whoever is still mining that manga vein - use your super psychic manga powers for good, not evil, and deliver LOCKE THE SUPERMAN to America!
(Locke fanart by D.V. from the "Mind's Eye" APA)
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