Getting to Know: Stuart Levy and TOKYOPOP Part 12

Please read Part 11 of the interview before reading Part 12

Afterwards

Looking back at his life as CEO and CCO, Levy has many dreams that he would like to see happen. He believes and hopes that in the next few years, the company, with “some exciting initiatives” will be in “the next level.” For him personally, “my dream is to produce one or more franchises across mediums including film – to produce characters that entertainment the world.”

With all these different dreams that he has, I figured he probably had other career choices he wanted to pursue. If Levy did not establish Mixxzine/TOKYOPOP, what career would he be in? Funny thing is, he never thought about that. With a law degree at hand, maybe he could have been an entertainment lawyer or be working at a Japanese firm. However, “I have been an entrepreneur for so long, it’s hard for me to imagine anything except starting a venture company. Perhaps I could have written and directed films from when I was in school, but I think I needed to develop my skills in storytelling first. So, I’ll stick to being a fatalist – there was no other career path possible for me than this one!”

Knowing that this would have been the path to take, can Levy foreshadow the success or downfall of the industry? Here is what he had to say about the future of anime and manga:

Technology is the catalyst to a revolution. They call it “disruptive,” because it has the power to forever change the world, as we know it. Specific examples include industries that have disappeared and been replaced with entirely new versions of themselves, such as instant photography (Polaroid), cassettes, ice-blocks and of course horse-drawn carriages. There are many other examples. In our time, it’s constantly happening. The recorded music business has been dying and is getting replaced by new business models that focus on live entertainment and sponsorships. We will see in the next few years an affordable reading technology that is so similar to the current paper experience that it effectively kills paper. Stereoscopic 3D will eventually become ubiquitous in the theaters, as well as in the home, and then will evolve into holographic entertainment and true virtual reality.

As all that happens, the exciting and engaging visual storytelling of manga creators will always play a role. And it probably will not be the same role as now. A future generation of manga creators may merge with current anime directors and visual effects supervisors to become a new generation of visual storytellers, utilizing advanced illustration, design and animation techniques.

So, I can’t say exactly what will happen but I can say it will change drastically and creativity will found an outlet and an audience.

So to all you anime and manga lovers out there, who still want to partake in this industry or TOKYOPOP, Levy has some advice for you. His main advice is for you to “get out there and express yourself.” Specifically, the Web has “many outlets to draw, write, create, and even publish.” Even though they are not hiring for individuals for full-time positions, his company has interns working for it. Unfortunately, “with the tough economy, right now is not a time to hire.” TOKYOPOP continues to look for “talented freelancers and contractors to work with as well.” Another way is to meet and greet with professionals and making a connection. “Attending fan conventions, asking questions at panels, meeting other industry people – these are great networking opportunities that one should pursue.” So yes, my fellow anime and manga fans, “there are different ways to work with TOKYOPOP or the industry overall.”
© 2010 Linda Thai

Update - Levy informed me that the company is looking for a full-time "Digital Business Manager." Check it out for more info!

Stay tune for Part 13 of the Stuart Levy interview!