Sometime
in 2004, Lea Hernandez hopes to release a new graphic novel in the Texas
steampunk universe of Cathedral Child and Clockwork Angels. In 2004, six
years will have passed since Cathedral Child was published. At the time,
it was a radical departure from the comics norm - a digest-sized, 100-page
book for $10 when the industry depended on 32-page monthly releases. Now,
graphic novels are all the rage and most manga is being released in that
form in the U.S. It's the hot trend in publishing, but Hernandez worries
that it's a bubble that might burst. Why? Transforming manga so it's ready
for release in English isn't simple or easy - and even though it's in black
and white, it's not less work than color comics publishing.
"Are
you going to be able to manage the flow of traffic," wondered Hernandez about
companies such as TokyoPop, riding the wave of manga graphic novel success.
"Some manga companies are putting out as many titles as a full comic company.
There are so many places where people can slip and fall. It's hard work You
don't have to marshal colorists and an inker and a writer, but you have to
have a translator and a rewriter. You have to turn out 1000 pages of month
- that's a nightmarish volume." It's been suggested that manga graphic novels
have the potential to rescue the U.S. comics industry from what an AnimeIowa
fan called the "superhero ghetto," but Hernandez has her doubts.
Hernandez'
opinions resemble those of people who figure that when you read a lot of
stories about a trend, that means the trend already has ended. She noted
that megapublisher Random House had shown interest in manga, but worried
that Random had a habit of jumping on and off of publishing bandwagons. Regardless,
Hernandez joins the people who think the rise of graphic novels does signal
one solid trend, the decline of the 32-page monthly color comic. "Companies
are seeing the writing on the wall, but Marvel and DC are holding (to publishing
monthlies) with both hands," said Hernandez. "They're saying that the monthlies
are loss leaders." Hernandez also wonders if those two industry giants understand
how to handle manga, noting one title for girls that ended up with a "pervy"
cover.
Sometime
in 2004, Lea Hernandez hopes to release a new graphic novel in the Texas
steampunk universe of Cathedral Child and Clockwork Angels. In 2004, six
years will have passed since Cathedral Child was published. At the time,
it was a radical departure from the comics norm - a digest-sized, 100-page
book for $10 when the industry depended on 32-page monthly releases. Now,
graphic novels are all the rage and most manga is being released in that
form in the U.S. It's the hot trend in publishing, but Hernandez worries
that it's a bubble that might burst. Why? Transforming manga so it's ready
for release in English isn't simple or easy - and even though it's in black
and white, it's not less work than color comics publishing.
"Are
you going to be able to manage the flow of traffic," wondered Hernandez about
companies such as TokyoPop, riding the wave of manga graphic novel success.
"Some manga companies are putting out as many titles as a full comic company.
There are so many places where people can slip and fall. It's hard work You
don't have to marshal colorists and an inker and a writer, but you have to
have a translator and a rewriter. You have to turn out 1000 pages of month
- that's a nightmarish volume." It's been suggested that manga graphic novels
have the potential to rescue the U.S. comics industry from what an AnimeIowa
fan called the "superhero ghetto," but Hernandez has her doubts.
Hernandez'
opinions resemble those of people who figure that when you read a lot of
stories about a trend, that means the trend already has ended. She noted
that megapublisher Random House had shown interest in manga, but worried
that Random had a habit of jumping on and off of publishing bandwagons. Regardless,
Hernandez joins the people who think the rise of graphic novels does signal
one solid trend, the decline of the 32-page monthly color comic. "Companies
are seeing the writing on the wall, but Marvel and DC are holding (to publishing
monthlies) with both hands," said Hernandez. "They're saying that the monthlies
are loss leaders." Hernandez also wonders if those two industry giants understand
how to handle manga, noting one title for girls that ended up with a "pervy"
cover.
