Who wants to intern at Tokyopop?

Hey guys!

How many of you want to gain experience in the manga industry? Well, here is your chance! Tokyopop is offering internship opportunities for college credit. Check out the list of available internships and if interested, send your resume to interns@TOKYOPOP.com. Remember to let them know which internship you are interested in.

For quick access purposes:
IT Internship
Editorial Internship
Marketing Internship
Design Internship
Legal Internship

In the words of Tokyopop Gain valuable experience working in a fun and creative environment!

NYAF 2009 Maid and Butler Volunteer Form

Hey guys!

I found that NYAF 2009 is having a maid cafe volunteer opportunity. There are few things you should be aware about. Please click on the link and read the details, which specify age requirements for those who are 18 and those who are 16. I just picked out a select few details, so it is not all the information or requirements.

Please note NYAF is no longer accepting general volunteers; however, Maid Café submissions are now open!

To volunteer, you must purchase a weekend pass to the New York Anime Festival and fill out and return this form. Following the completion of the New York Anime Festival, your weekend pass will be refunded and your maid costume will be yours to keep.

The deadline to submit this volunteer form is July 15, 2009.

For more information about the volunteer opportunity, please check out NYAF 2009 Maid and Butler Volunteer Form

2009 Top Manga Properties

Naruto published by Viz Media is #1 on the top 25 list, while Tokyopop's Fruits Basket is #2. In third place is Viz Media's Vampire Knight. Although the list also includes properties from Del Rey and Yen Press, the list is dominated by Viz Media.

To go further in the manga category, there are the shonen and shojo area. Again, Viz Media is the majority holder of the top 10 list for both. However, in the shojo top 10 list, Tokyopop is #1 with Fruits Basket. Del Rey and Yen Press are on the shonen top 10 list, placing 6 and 7 for Del Rey and 10 for Yen Press. However, Yen Press is not on the shojo top 10 list. Come to think of it, do they have a shojo manga??
© 2009 Linda Thai

'ICv2 Insider's Guide' #65: Top 25 Manga Properties Q1 2009
'ICv2 Insider's Guide' #65: Top 10 Shonen Properties Q1 2009
'ICv2 Insider's Guide' #65: Top 10 Shojo Properties Q1 2009

Getting to Know: John Fuller and Kinokuniya Part 3

Part 1 and Part 2 of Getting to Know: John Fuller and Kinokuniya.

Perspectives

The industry world is not perfect. No industry is perfect, because there are ups and downs. I asked for John’s opinion on what he thought was affecting the industry. “Right now, there is serious fallout in the anime industry as digital formats are easily copied and distributed for free. It is affecting US distributors and vendors more than the original producers right now. But Yuji Nunokawa, producer of anime blockbusters, Naruto and Bleach among others made this point very strongly when he had his event at Kinokuniya. He said that it is a great temptation for people to look for their anime free online. But if the works are not paid for somewhere, somehow, they will disappear. The solution, if it comes, will probably be in the way the anime is paid for before it even becomes distributed.”

Another thing that is part of the industry realm is competition. What competition does the anime and manga industry face in the US market? How does the industry make itself more competitive or overcome such obstacles? “The entire media industry is facing a critical crossroad. Newspaper companies, animation producers, publishers and website hosting companies have all been faced with the pressure of how to pay for the content or services they produce and distribute when people increasingly seek and can find it for free. Different models have met with differing degrees of success. But though one model may not win exclusively over another, the face of the industry is experiencing great change that is not likely to settle down for a long time, if ever.”

Not only do factors affect the anime and manga industry, but also the industry itself affects others. In regards to American business “the biggest effects are probably yet to be seen as this generation of manga and anime lovers move up in responsibility. I anticipate Hollywood doing a lot more manga and anime related films unless they can't get past the damage from the poor showings by 'Speed Racer' and 'Dragonball'. And manga or anime type presentations will probably begin surfacing in a lot of places they haven't been seen before including book publishing and art.” In regards to American culture, John believes that the “American culture is steadily becoming more international. Anime and manga are a positive development in this growing consciousness of art and elements coming in from another place and taking hold here. And that will likely continue as long as they are still visible that way. I recall when I was in Japan talking with someone who insisted that McDonalds was a Japanese originated food chain. She couldn't imagine that it had come in from somewhere else. So, the influences that have entered American culture in manga and anime as they become more mainstream may actually grow to be invisible as to their origin. But, for now, there is a great consciousness that manga and anime are originally Japanese and that it is 'cool' coming out of Japan. This is an excitement, which is shared all over the world. I can't help but think this is bringing people closer together and enriching lives and experience. It may not stop any wars but if it helps make them shorter, that would be great.”

So with all the external and internal factors that affects the industry, what does John think is the future for anime and manga in the US market? “The future is in the hands of the people who love it today. And right now, I see room for more of it to come down the line. And that's what I would like to see happen. But as a manager at Kinokuniya, I can't rely on that. If things change in a certain direction and we don't move with it, we will also disappear.”

Afterwards

What does John hope for the future of Kinokuniya Bookstore? He would like to see the Kinokuniya Bookstore become “a commonly recognized name in the United States. It is a difficult name for people who have not encountered it before to hear or to even spell it. I would like to see the day when that becomes a thing of the past.” With his hopes in mind and job as Store Manager, does he feel that he has accomplished everything he has wanted in this career? The answer to that is “no,” because the “greatest challenges still lie in the gaps between languages, business practices and understanding.” These “challenges are enormous.”

John’s final words for this interview were “I became a store manager because that is the track my career ended up taking. I like working on projects and at one time dreamed of being a film director or producer. But the title of one's position does not often reflect at all the quality of work that you're doing. I will always want to do creative work that makes me feel I'm being productive and working for some goal.” Well done, John.
© 2009 Linda Thai

To learn more about Kinokuniya Bookstore, please check out the Kinokuniya Bookstore category of this site and their Facebook page.
Thank you John Fuller for the interview!
Thank you for checking out John Fuller and Kinokuniya Bookstore!
Photography by Jason Linetsky.

Getting to Know: John Fuller and Kinokuniya Part 2

Part 1 of Getting to Know: John Fuller and Kinokuniya.

Kinokuniya Bookstore

Did you know that originally Kinokuniya was not a bookstore? In the 1920’s, the company was originally a coal heat supplier. Then in 1928 Kinokuniya was converted into a bookstore “under the charismatic and colorful leadership of Mr. Moichi Tanabe.”

Currently, “Kinokuniya is a general bookstore in Japan with a strong 'cultural' ethic and emphasis.” However, in the United States, it has more of a 'mission' to introduce elements of Japanese culture to a US audience” along with providing Japanese language materials to Japanese people, who are stationed or living abroad in the States. To provide foreign language materials, Kinokuniya would have to import some publications from Japan. So, how does the Kinokuniya Bookstore import items into the US.

We use a wholesale supplier that also supplies our stores in Japan or import direct from our Tokyo Offices. It is a natural, transparent process now that it has been developed but took some time in being created.” Other then providing information on Japanese culture, Kinokuniya “always had some English language side business.” As a result, it was “natural” to provide English sections in the stores outside of Japan, which “tended to become sections in English about Japan,” and majority of those books “are bought locally, though and not imported.”

Like any company, competition exists, and I figured it is a normal part of the business world. Whether the other companies are small or big, in the most basic understanding of mine, they are your competitors if one provides similar services in the same realm to obtain a common goal, such keeping the business alive. So I figured, the Kinokuniya Bookstore at Bryan Park would have competition from others, whether it is another Japanese bookstore or an American bookstore. So, who are their competitors? “Over the years, we have had many number of 'competitors', some are even alternately customers or suppliers.” How does the Kinokuniya Bookstore deal with their competitors? “Most of our competition is given a healthy respect, especially if we are alternately customers or suppliers with them. But we have our competitive side and work to supply our customers with excellent selection and competent service to 'stay on top of our game'.”

Sometimes for a company to stay a float and still be functioning, if they have products to sell, prices of an item can affect consumers’ decision on whether or not to purchase. Again, keep in mind that this is a basic business concept, relationship of seller and buyer, of mine. Yes, we all like sales and reduction of prices for a product, like manga for less than the suggested retail price. Although the concept of a “sale” is adopted in some American based stores, in Japan, “book prices are set by law and cannot be changed.” According to John, “it is a bit of a 'foreign' idea to have sales or even to take returns.” Being a New York located Japanese bookstore, Kinokuniya “has adjusted to local and foreign markets,” where adaptation to such practices might be needed. “It is difficult to get a company wide policy towards these practices, however, since they simply don't happen in Japan.”

Now to further educate us about prices, I decided to ask John about the prices of import products. Why are the prices for such products higher compared to those made in the US? John said, “We cannot sell books for the same face value that they are in Japan and make money.” Yes, they need to make some kind of profit, because if the store did not make money, they will not be alive and running. “We also do not sell used, second hand or pirated merchandise. There are costs and infrastructure involved in importing the way we do, which is often a single book or magazine at a time. That costs money. That said, many of our Japanese version manga are actually less expensive than their US released versions.”

Being a Store Manager

John has been with the company for quite a while. He started at Kinokuniya as a part timer, while he was still a student, and “have worked my way up over the years.” The work of a store manager is “always stimulating,” but challenging. Even though there are obstacles to overcome, “particularly where there are language and cultural differences,” John enjoys that kind of challenge. His typical day and schedule varies because it depends on the set projects and goals, which can change overtime. However, “I usually come in early in the morning and leave well after the store closes.”

Although work is work, there is more to his job then just having responsibilities and a career. "I would say that working for Kinokuniya has a kind of family aspect to it. Most who have worked for Kinokuniya come back and visit long after they have left with warm regards. At the same time, the company has changed over the years, sometimes drastically, to keep competitive and there are human costs to such changes as well.” Since John has witnessed and experienced the many changes and activities of the bookstore, they all have contributed to his learning and understanding of his career. “I would not cite one experience but I would say that using Japanese at work on a daily basis has changed my outlook and way of thinking enormously.” So, yes, his ability to speak, read and write Japanese has helped him as the store manager of the Kinokuniya NYC flagship Bookstore.
© 2009 Linda Thai

Stay tune for Part 3!
Photography by Linda Thai and Jason Linetsky.

Getting to Know: John Fuller and Kinokuniya Part 1

Introduction

John Fuller is an American that is slightly younger than those born during the “baby boomer” years but older than those from the “X generation.” Currently, he resides with his wife and two children in Bergen County, New Jersey.

Growing up he lived in several foreign countries, which might explain his “acclimation for foreign languages.” By the way he does speak and understand Japanese. Similar to many of us, John went to school to get an education. He attended and completed public schooling in a Chicago, Illinois suburb, and for college he attended University of Southern California, “originally to study film production.”

As a junior high school student, he had an interest in the field of science and math, but later became more interested in the subject of humanities. During his high school years, John made his own films. “I had interest in a lot of things in the beginning and a great interest in science fiction but my emphasis changed more to literature and film making by the time I graduated.” As a college student, he began as a “general undergraduate but was admitted to USC film school.” Even though he had an interest in filming, after taking a year in Japan, he discovered a new interest. “I changed my major to East Asian Studies.”

So, how many of you guys, other than school, had to work outside of school? What was your first job? John’s first job was being the bus boy for a tennis club near his hometown. “It did not help or contribute to my career but it gave me a lot of respect for workers doing hard physical work.”

Anime and Manga

John’s first encounter to anime or manga was when he was a student in Japan studying Japanese. “Many of my colleagues read manga to augment their study. The nice thing about manga is that in addition to being a graphical representation of the story and therefore easier to follow, in many manga the Japanese kanji characters have the 'furigana' or phonetic characters written next to them which makes them easier to read. I initially stayed away from them because I wanted to force myself to learn reading 'kanji' without help."

Now, you might be wondering, why would John avoid manga if he can study ‘kanji’ from it? The answer is that he did not want to take the easy way out. He wanted to “challenge” himself to read the text “without the 'cheats' in manga that made it easier to read Japanese characters.” Ever since he learned ‘kanji’ without the shortcuts, he has enjoyed a number of manga series. However, since he is the store manager of the Kinokuniya Bookstore located near Bryan Park, his “biggest relationship is professional because manga readers and anime fans are now a growing and very important part of our customer base.”
© 2009 Linda Thai

Stay tune for Part 2!
Photography by Linda Thai and Jason Linetsky.