| Grown-up Manga, Organization |
[Apr. 1st, 2008|02:37 pm] |
I get teased a lot for the content of my bookshelves, made up mostly of young adult novels, children's books, and tons and tons of shoujo manga. There's some physics books, a lot of Jeannette Winterson and Murata Murakami, and a load of classics sprinkled about, but all the bright pink spines can be a bit difficult to miss.
The other day, I was flipping through some of the shoujo manga I used to read, however, and I realized something: I don't read shoujo anymore. I mean, I have a few favorites still: "Peach Girl", "His & Her Circumstances", and occasionally I'll pick up and reread "Sailor Moon" for nostalgia's sake. But in general, what I've been following lately have been titles aimed at a more adult audience.
Now first, let's make a distinction. There is a difference between adult and mature. If you see a label that says "mature content" that means erotica, porn, not for toddlers' eyes. But in my eyes, adult implies simply: "Kids can read this, but it's about grown ups, for grownups, so they may not appreciate it as much." Unfortunately, the age ratings imposed on the backs of 5.5" x 7" graphic novels don't make that distinction.
I still believe that instead of using vague terms such as "13+", "18+", "all ages", etc, that rely on whether or not there's a nipple showing to determine the rating, such graphic novels should be labeled the same way regular books are: "childrens", "young adult", and "adult" with varying degrees for "historical", "travel", "cooking", etc, in between, and categorized in distinct groups as well, ie: all under the same section of "graphic novels" but with separate shelf groupings.
Perhaps then I wouldn't have to browse through close to 5,000 volumes of manga every time I go to the comic book store just to find something I like.
To me, what the graphic novel industry currently lacks that books have down pat is organization. It's certainly far, far improved over what it was ten years ago, and with the introduction of POS (point of sale) machines and bar codes, I can only see it getting better. Yet, there is still no way to pick one genre from another without having to flip through just about every book on the shelves. Several publishers have managed imprints (such as Viz), which at the very least helps, but they're still categorized on the end shelf with everything else (and its mother) in the end.
Back to the grown-up stuff. And I don't mean porn. I mean books like "Buddha", "Ode to Kirihito", "Tramps Like US", "To Terra", "Eagle". I love history. I love slice of life. I love politics. But where would I go in the comic book store to look for similar? I THINK they exist, but I don't know for sure. I could do a search online, but that means leaving the store, having to write things down, relying on it actually being there, etc. Pain in the ass. Might as well order through Amazon (which I won't, for the record). And there's no guarantee even Amazon has it right anyway. Look up "political manga", and up comes a motley of titles, most with absolutely nothing to do with politics and a few historical ones. "Eagle" isn't even on the list (though funny enough, "Steady Beat" IS, ha!). And there should be a veritible deluge of indy titles.
The question I ask is this: Is it just the lack of distinct organization that's made it so I'm only currently following one title ("Nana" which I consider more josei than shoujo because of grown-up content and the age of the characters) because I can't find anything else to read anymore? Or does it also have to do with what seems to still be very little published outside the realms of shoujo, shonen, cleavage, and spandex? Not that there's anything wrong with them. Quite the opposite, in fact. Every segment and every niche serves its purpose.
But where are the titles like "Tramps Like Us"? I for one would sing the praises of any publisher who can start taking a serious look at more well-written josei titles (non-anthology) and seinen titles that aren't in the realm of the fantastic. Slice-of-life stories, you know? With relatable characters and relatable circumstances. I still enjoy fantasy, but for some reason, I've always found slice-of-life stories more appealing in the visual medium than the written.
(Why that is, I have yet to figure out, being a devout fan of the fantastic when it comes to the written novel . . . you'd think it would be opposite . . . ?)
Titles I would like to see in the US would be more "Tramps Like Us" type series, but also histories or gentle vignette-type series like "Record of a Yokohama Shopping Trip". Just . . . the kind of stuff you don't typically see on shelves. There's always a niche waiting to be filled. That's how many publishers survive: you find a niche like "scuba diving" or "underwater basket weaving" stick to it, do it well, and reap the rewards.
If I had a financial backer, heck I'd do it myself. I've run a publishing company. I have the contacts and way too many friends in PR. But artist's wages don't necessarily make for good credit. Perhaps someday. ;) After I'm done with this children's series. (TWENTY PAGES LEFT TO EDIT! WHOOOOOOOOO!)
In the meantime, perhaps there's a petition we could start? Leave a list of "grown-up" and alternative titles you would like to see licensed in the US. It's a long shot, but maybe at least somebody is listening.
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For the record, this post is entirely about manga. I'd like to see more home-brewed titles like this as well, but I already have faith they're on their way. :) :) :) Or already here. Craig Thompson is love. XD XD XD |
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