| Project: A-Kon - Friday
- Helen McCarthy |
 Helen McCarthy
loved anime so much that she's written books and founded magazines on the
subject. This fan, author and writer from Great Britain has been compelled
to spread the anime gospel through her writings. "It's not just a big business
opportunity, it's something that brings people together," McCarthy said
at a Project: A-Kon panel on Friday. |
 McCarthy has
been involved with two anime magazines in Great Britain. She helped found
and was the editor of the well-regarded Anime UK and Anime FX titles, which
folded a few years ago ("Stopping Anime FX was like burying a child," she
said). After those projects shut down, McCarthy helped convince the owner
of Titan Publishing in Great Britain to launch a successor, Manga Mania
- which turned into the current Manga Max. McCarthy said around half of
Manga Max' 30,000 monthly circulation is in the U.S. - and she added that
the magazine's sales in Great Britain are larger than the number of anime
tapes sold in that nation. "We're trying to reach an intelligent audience
who wants to talk about anime," McCarthy said, adding that Manga Max faces
some changes in the coming months to appeal to American readers. |
 McCarthy joked
that she wanted the cover to her book on erotic anime to have "sex" in
big letters on the cover, but the publishers settled on "The Erotic Anime
Movie Guide." Co-written with Jonathan Clemens, the current editor of Manga
Max, the book was a response to those on both sides of the Atlantic who
don't like anything to do with sex. "You have, even more than we do, pockets
of people who feel that anything created after 1900 shouldn't be distributed,"
said McCarthy. While a lot of bad erotic anime sells well (McCarthy despises
the film with the English-language title "Gigolo,") the book also sells
well - and is being used by film schools as a reference guide. |
 The defining
work of McCarthy's career is her book on filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, published
in the U.S. by Stonebridge Press. "Writing this was an absolute dream for
me," she said. McCarthy was worried that Miyazaki might be inaccessible,
but was delighted to find that his production company was more than willing
to set up an interview. That led to a memorable trip to Japan for a four-hour
interview with the master filmmaker. "He was very well read, very opinionated,"
McCarthy said. "He's at the stage where everything's marvelous to him.
He has these enormous emotions and passions. He's one of the few Japanese
who isn't afraid to say `no.' " |
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