Interesting story in WIRED about how manga sales are slumping in Japan despite exponential growth abroad.
Fans and critics complain that manga — which emerged in the years after World War II as an edgy, uniquely Japanese art form — has become as homogenized and risk-averse as the limpest Hollywood blockbuster. Pervading the nation's $4.2 billion-a-year industry is a sense that its best days have passed.
I'm sorry. Did that say billion?
link
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
It's interesting to read the Wired article in conjunction with my reading of the online translation of Manga Zombie. I wonder if the average manga reader really thinks the golden era is gone or if it's just a few very vocal critics.
Also, I can't help but think that Manga Zombie reads like a book length Comics Journal article. Especially, since it appears that Japanese and American underground comics appear roughly around the same time and enjoyed the same growth and decline timeline. Don't get me wrong I love the passion of the book and I always enjoy learning more about manga. However, I've heard many American underground comics fans make the same argument.
Post a Comment