Real Marriage, Virtual Girl

This is old news to some of you, but still worth a mention.

The comments are what I expected...

Consolidating Debt in Japan

The recession (and around here, the sad news about Japan's animators) got me to thinking about the different methods of debt consolidation used by the U.S. and Japan.

Granted, this author's conspiratorial-Left view of world history doesn't wash for everyone here, but I found it an interesting read.

Anime workers are unhappy

Japanese Anime Studios Feel Pressure From Unhappy Artists and Outsourcing - WSJ.com: "A shrinking population of children in Japan has discouraged toy makers, television networks and other traditional sponsors from funding new programs. That has driven many anime studios—most of which are small shops—toward making animated soft porn and violent movies targeted at adult audiences. At the same time, YouTube and other free Internet services have hurt sales of DVDs. Sales of Japanese-made anime DVDs slid 18% from a year earlier to 72.8 billion yen (about $800 million) in 2008, after peaking at 93.7 billion yen in 2006, according to the Japan Video Software Association, a trade group.

Morale is low. Industry executives estimate nine out of 10 new workers quit within three years, with the many talented employees leaving for better-paying jobs in areas like videogames. A survey conducted this year for industry executives showed that animators in their 20s made just 1.1 million yen ($11,000) a year on average, while those in their 30s earned 2.1 million yen"

Go Sukashi

This is another project from Shoko Nakagawa and it looks like Earthworm Jim creator Doug TenNapel is involved. Shokotan is probably best known in the U.S. for singing the opening to Gurren Lagenn. She's probably best known on PG for being the cute Japanese chick eating a cat's head. Kawaii but Psycho. Mu.


Source: via ANN

'Moe in the Military 2'

Unlike the Super-Deformed or chibi characterizations which pepper the anime and manga of my generation, I never quite understood the appeal of moe.

My initial, foolish, assumption that moe is a hyper-critical self-examination of the Phallic male gaze was very far from the mark -- pressure-cooker society and all aspects of sexual repression aside, PG pal Jason Thompson does an ace job here in describing what moe actually represents.

The Future of Comics (for balance)

The Future of Comics and Other Publishing
James Hudnall

You can probably date yourself by remembering how much comic books cost when you were a kid. Was it a dime, a quarter, a dollar? Can you believe they cost $4 now?

As the greenies would say, that’s unsustainable. Comic books used to be common. If you went in any kids house in the 50s or early 60s you would probably find some. Not so much anymore. Comics once sold everywhere magazines were sold. You could buy them in drug stores, supermarkets, seven-elevens, newsstands, even some liquor stores. But the so called “newsstand market” was a hostile place to comics publishers, and a shrinking one.

These days, it’s hard to find comics anywhere outside of the comic book store. That means that comics have become a “destination product.” It’s something you need to know where it’s sold, you have to physically go there and if you’re lucky, they might have what you’re looking for. However, most comics retailers order to sell out. So the odds are, you may be unlucky if you don’t come on “comics day,” the day the books come in from the distributor.

And that’s another problem with comics these days. There is only one distributor.
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Manga in Japan: diminished hopes

Once again, Matt Alt has his eyes on the road ahead and gives us a heads-up. More commentary from Carl, Uncle Tim, and our very own B-Chan.

A good read, however depressing.

Veterans Day 2009

Germans in the Woods from Rauch Brothers on Vimeo.

Heartfelt thanks to all military veterans on this day.

Godzilla from a Grunt's Perspective

By Kurt Schlichter

So, when it came time for our little girl to watch her first grown-up movie, I was torn between Saving Private Ryan and a film I have loved since I was a kid, Godzilla, King of the Monsters. Now, Private Ryan teaches important, practical lessons that every American should learn, like how to maneuver your infantry company across a beachhead under fire to wipe out a Nazi crew-served weapons bunker. On the other hand, Godzilla has a hideous dragon with radioactive breath. Tough call, but we decided to save Private Ryan for when she’s six – better late than never. (More)

AUM fifteen years later

Seeing as how I reviewed Kaplan and Marshall's "Cult at he End of the World" in the PG zine some years back, I thought this news to be pertinent. It also puts a reverse-spin on All the Cute.