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This is one of the most remarkable publications in the manga world.
It's a catalog from Comic Market, the twice-a-year gathering of amateur
manga artists (and costumers) in Japan. Larger than most American telephone
directories, the "Comiket" catalog highlights the works of thousands of
artists who are lucky enough to get a table at the huge convention. Imagine
an anime convention the size of the Comdex computer convention that was
in Chicago at the same time as Anime Central, and you'll get an idea of
the scope of Comiket. (We were told that this catalog belongs to Kenichi
Sonoda, long a supporter of the doujinshi art movement.) |
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Storm Front Journal, a group of artists that puts out their own doujinshi
in the U.S., released a book by artist Daniel Kanemitsu at Anime Central.
It's probably the only book on the history of that Japanese art form you'll
find in the U.S. It tells (or warns) fans what to expect if they're ever
lucky enough to go to Comiket. It's a great experience, writes Kanemitsu,
but American fans should be ready for the biggest crowds they'll ever see. |
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People at Anime Central's opening day first got some art lessons from
professional artists Robert DeJesus (left) and Lorraine Reyes (holding
the sketch). The fans got some tips on the subtlies of character design
and page layout. |
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Then, the artists assembled and sat down to create a doujinshi on the
spot. The idea was for everyone to agree on a story line, parcel out page
assignments and create a comic in one hour. That's been done before at
comic conventions, but rarely does it happen at an anime convention. |
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It took a little more than an hour to create the instant comic. Some
artists were finishing their panels during the Friday night karaoke contest
(and what an experience that must have been for the people trying to draw). |
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This was the result. A small black and white comic that was sold at
Anime Central for $1. It wasn't as polished or as large as Comiket doujinshi,
but it was on sale. And, like most Japanese publications, it was printed
with the pages reading from right to left. |
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