Comments on: Ain’t No Making It – the Manga http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/ Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog Fri, 25 May 2012 02:00:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Bill Benzon http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/comment-page-1/#comment-76089 Bill Benzon Thu, 24 May 2007 14:14:28 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/#comment-76089 In Japan manga constitute about 30% of the annual print output. And there's a good deal of non-fiction manga as well. In Japan manga constitute about 30% of the annual print output. And there’s a good deal of non-fiction manga as well.

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]]> By: James http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/comment-page-1/#comment-75992 James Thu, 24 May 2007 01:11:34 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/#comment-75992 You bring up Manga as being part of the student life, but habits like these carry on to adulthood. One of my Taiwanese co-workers mentioned this when we went to grab lunch a few weeks back. She mentioned she went to the comic book store and paid 7 NT to borrow a few comics from the comic book store. I then asked her what she reads, and she reads comics on becoming a sushi chef, on love, on work relationships. She went on to say that it is normal to read comics, and her fiancee as well as the other people I work with read them as well. The next day I asked other other native men and women if they read comics as well, and everyone said yes. You bring up Manga as being part of the student life, but habits like these carry on to adulthood. One of my Taiwanese co-workers mentioned this when we went to grab lunch a few weeks back. She mentioned she went to the comic book store and paid 7 NT to borrow a few comics from the comic book store. I then asked her what she reads, and she reads comics on becoming a sushi chef, on love, on work relationships.

She went on to say that it is normal to read comics, and her fiancee as well as the other people I work with read them as well. The next day I asked other other native men and women if they read comics as well, and everyone said yes.

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]]> By: John Fulton http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/comment-page-1/#comment-75452 John Fulton Fri, 18 May 2007 19:46:47 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/#comment-75452 You ask a very good question: "The whole exercise made me wonder if there wasn’t a market in re-writing classic ethnographies as manga?" It's a fine idea, and I can think of a couple people well suited to do such work. But, I have to wonder what the copyright issues would be in any graphic novelization of classic ethnographies. Wouldn't the original author, their estate, or the publisher have to sign off on something like this? Interesting too that you are using McCloud in your ethnographic film course. What you are proposing here would be a form of visual anthropology. You ask a very good question: “The whole exercise made me wonder if there wasn’t a market in re-writing classic ethnographies as manga?” It’s a fine idea, and I can think of a couple people well suited to do such work. But, I have to wonder what the copyright issues would be in any graphic novelization of classic ethnographies. Wouldn’t the original author, their estate, or the publisher have to sign off on something like this?

Interesting too that you are using McCloud in your ethnographic film course. What you are proposing here would be a form of visual anthropology.

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]]> By: Kerim http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/comment-page-1/#comment-75394 Kerim Thu, 17 May 2007 23:17:55 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/#comment-75394 I'm actually using McCloud's new book, Making Comics, in my Ethnographic film course this semester, but I think I left my copy of Understanding back in NY. I’m actually using McCloud’s new book, Making Comics, in my Ethnographic film course this semester, but I think I left my copy of Understanding back in NY.

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]]> By: srude http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/comment-page-1/#comment-75388 srude Thu, 17 May 2007 20:20:13 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/#comment-75388 I used to have McCloud's book. I'll second Rex's rec. Wish I never let that one go... I used to have McCloud’s book. I’ll second Rex’s rec. Wish I never let that one go…

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]]> By: Rex http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/comment-page-1/#comment-75384 Rex Thu, 17 May 2007 18:06:45 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/#comment-75384 Scott McCloud (not McLeod) has a nice bit in _Understanding Comics_ about portrayals of ethnicity in Japanese-style manga and the stylistics of manga more generally (its not the eyes, its the hair). In fact that book is superb -- I have used it to teach in the past.Also wasn't there an article in Cultural Anthropology like 15 years ago on portrayals of African Americans in Japanese advertising? Scott McCloud (not McLeod) has a nice bit in _Understanding Comics_ about portrayals of ethnicity in Japanese-style manga and the stylistics of manga more generally (its not the eyes, its the hair). In fact that book is superb — I have used it to teach in the past.Also wasn’t there an article in Cultural Anthropology like 15 years ago on portrayals of African Americans in Japanese advertising?

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]]> By: Kerim http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/comment-page-1/#comment-75377 Kerim Thu, 17 May 2007 15:29:55 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/#comment-75377 Matt doesn't just do research on Manga, it seems he is a member of a full-fledged "Faculty of Manga"! I'll have to take a look ... Matt doesn’t just do research on Manga, it seems he is a member of a full-fledged “Faculty of Manga”! I’ll have to take a look …

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]]> By: Loops http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/comment-page-1/#comment-75376 Loops Thu, 17 May 2007 15:21:17 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/#comment-75376 Do Asians themselves consider the characters' features to be Caucasoid? I think anthropology comics/manga could be fun and useful way to do ethnography...so many people don't even know what exactly anthropology is. But they may end up romanticizing fieldwork. Do Asians themselves consider the characters’ features to be Caucasoid?

I think anthropology comics/manga could be fun and useful way to do ethnography…so many people don’t even know what exactly anthropology is. But they may end up romanticizing fieldwork.

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]]> By: Sarapen http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/comment-page-1/#comment-75374 Sarapen Thu, 17 May 2007 15:08:15 +0000 http://savageminds.org/2007/05/16/aint-no-making-it-the-manga/#comment-75374 The few times I've seen black characters in manga, they're usually presented following racial stereotypes--big lips, frizzy hair, etc. Actually, you've just reminded me of this one anthro that does research on manga, Matt Thorn, I've just found again the <a href="http://www.matt-thorn.com/mangagaku/faceoftheother.html" rel="nofollow">essay </a>he wrote on the depiction of race in Japanese comics. The few times I’ve seen black characters in manga, they’re usually presented following racial stereotypes–big lips, frizzy hair, etc. Actually, you’ve just reminded me of this one anthro that does research on manga, Matt Thorn, I’ve just found again the essay he wrote on the depiction of race in Japanese comics.

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