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TokyoPop splits, invades "comics-to-film"
Some new news today about TokyoPop. I feel it rather relevant that I post about it on Comics2Film. TokyoPop is splitting into two, one anime animations for myspace being a media company focusing on "comics-to-film".
CBR has the press release here and ANN reports here.
According to Stuart Levy, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of the TOKYOPOP Group, “This reorganization is the right business move, but we are doing it with a heavy heart. It involves saying goodbye to 39 of the most talented, creative and compassionate people I've ever known. While it goes without saying, it's important to note that our restructure is not at all a negative reflection on them. The time is now for us to focus our wlgo anime publishing business to overcome current market challenges. Fewer releases will allow for less cannibalization at retail. At the same time, the opportunity is significant in the digital and comics-to-film space. As one of the largest comic book companies worldwide, we must adjust our overhead to properly execute this new business plan.”
Well, gee, it sounds like they're just copying what Marvel comics did a while back. Marvel Studios just had their big hit Iron Man. Naw. I'm sure that had nothing to do with this decision.
Why would a manga company do that? Wait. Holy crap. "Comics-to-film." Did TokyoPop publicly admit they make comics? They just called themselves a comic book company? What happened to "TokyoPop IS Manga"? I guess when a comic book film like Iron Man rakes in a ton of cash, they're quick to change their tune. (Plus, they were a whole numeral away from stealing this site's name. "I think George Lucas gonna sue somebody.")
Speaking about the growth opportunities for TOKYOPOP Media, Mike Kiley commented, “There has never been a time better for a graphic novel based creative studio such as ours. Over the past three free shota anime porn years, we have produced more than 25,000 pages of original comics/manga material, making us the North American leader in production outside of Marvel and DC. With the relationships we have established in the past year, TOKYOPOP Media is ready to move quickly into the comics-to-film and digital markets.”
The leader in production outside outside Marvel and DC? You know, if you so simply ignore Sin City, 300, and Hellboy from Dark Horse. I think president Mike Richardson would like to have a word with you. If they're talking simply about publishing, again, Dark Horse and others have been around long before they got big around 2002.
You can just check out this very website to see how many films have been made from non-Marvel or DC comics. From American Splendor to 30 Days of Night. There are a ton. Some made, some upcoming, some stuck in development hell. There also is upcoming Whiteout and Scott Pilgrim films aloha anime from Oni Press. anime face side view (Then again, after Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley's assessment japanese anime adult of TokyoPop, I'm not surprised they're acting oh so mature and ignoring him.)
TokyoPop is bragging about their comics to film hot anime women status. As someone whose blog is on Comics2Film.com, I'm really not seeing it. I think their deal with Korean manhwa Priest has been in development hell for a while, like a number of comics to film projects. I've been hearings news here about a film for that really neat Korean comic for a while.
They brag they have produced more than 25,000 pages of original comics/manga material? Well, how well has that been selling for you outside of DramaCon and a few others? dears anime Does TokyoPop really support this original content or are they more just selling their own name and 'manga' buzzword?
Plus this idiot even cites posting video on YouTube and MySpace as a "prominent successes in online video". I've seen fan made AMVs (anime music videos) that I'm sure have gotten more hits than their content. Hell, I think my roommate's AMV that someone posted numerous times without his knowing has more views than most of their stuff. YouTube isn't quite the business watermark to point to for making videos. Well, except for Chololate Rain, as we saw on South Park. I see sites like College Humor or The Onion making it big into Hollywood before TokyoPop.
Then there's this golden tidbit that's pure DJ Milky.
Levy added “Our goal is for TOKYOPOP Media to become one of the go-to production entities in Hollywood by building global entertainment franchises across media platforms.”
As usual, TokyoPop really isn't interested in publishing comics or whatever they call them. They want to be a shiny multi media mogul. Let's not forget the other big bit of news here, they laid off a few dozen people and are cutting back on book publishing schedules.
On a side note, what books are they still publishing? This month's Previews catalog shown them releasing large Hardcover editions of OEL books 'i luv halloween' and 'Boys of anime names Summer'. Really. I never thought anyone in their right mind would release a Chuck Austin book in hardcover. I think of all the better books TokyoPop has and it hurts more. I know they did Battle Royale and Fruits original anime fanart galleries Basket in this format. Then they go to this? What a step down. Did they skip DramaCon or did I miss it? I borrowed my roomate's copy to review it and I wouldn't mind that in a neat big HC book.
Upon further inspection, they only ever released one volume of this 'Boys of Summer' and they're releasing "two additional volumes of violin anime sheet music never before-seen-content." What company in their right mind publishes like this? Who hyphenates "before-seen-content"? anime teen titans Also on sale? Two Hannah Montana 'Cine-Manga'. Plus an all new Bratz 'manga'. I guess you have to indoctrinate them into the TokyoPop "manga lifestyle" while they're young and don't know any better. Kinda like a cult. Stunning examples of comics / manga publishing.
(To be fair, I did notice a few neat things I like from them. They're releasing single volume murder mystery manga Goth. They have another issue of the US edition of Gothic Lolita Bible. Plus final volume of OEL book PsyComm yaoi anime wallpapers is listed. The author is on a board I hang out at and has been very nice about my rants. He writes a manga column at CBR too.)
I know they're not the only anime episode downloads ones forgoing comics for Hollywood glam, but they seem to be rolling in it like a pig in its own filth. They're too busy bragging about living that "manga lifestyle" and being the leaders in some anime kasumi sex crazy scheme of global domination. For the emperor!
Stu Levy (?)
Also, the whole "About TokyoPop" blub is so full of self-fellating TokyoPop Newspeak, it's cringe worthy. Let's pick that apart. "Founded by multi-cultural media visionary Stuart Levy". Ha! Not too high an opinion of himself, huh? Never mind that TokyoPop wasn't really founded by him. He took over Mixx Entertainment amid some controversy. They changed the name to TokyoPop. So he really didn't start any company. Nice little rewriting history there, Stu. Or should we call you DJ Milky? Which youtube anime sex clothes are you not wearing today, emperor?
"From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way teens experience pop culture."
Where do I begin? Well, I xxx free anime bondage porn guess you could argue about the semantics about "extensive". TokyoPop did break into the major book angelique anime downloads chains. Yet before that they were in the comic book and anime specialty stores. They even published single issues on the comic racks. I still have some. Before that they were the publishers of Sailor Moon issues when they were Mixx. I've seen mixed reviews of them from skimming commments from Sailor Moon fans online.
They were far from the first-ever "manga publishing program in North America". Again, they've got a very selective memory. They ignore Viz, Dark Horse, or even smaller ones like ComicsOne. They were publishing full volumes years before TokyoPop started pushing theirs and became known for it. All TokyoPop did was not flip the art, shrunk the size format down, and dropped the price. Without these other companies, never mind US comics shops, there would have been no market for TokyoPop to start with. Without these companies TokyoPop ignores, there would be no TokyoPop. What a self serving prick of a company they are.
Lament of the
Lamb, Vol. 1
by Kei Toume
They also speak of adapting films. I'm sure we've all seen those great TokyoPop films like. Um.. Yeah. I've heard about their Princess Ai indie film for years. Oh and just ignore the coincidence that Princess Ai isn't manga, but a pet project by DJ Milky, none other anime tity comics than company 'founder' Levy himself.
Of course my biggest complaint is their report of adapting actual manga Lament of the Lamb. ANN reported on it a while back. how to traw anime characters They plan do to it.. in threeeee deeee. I am a fan of this interesting family drama with a real discipline anime gallery world take on vampirism as a disease. It's a very good manga, low on action but high on relationships and tension. I admit it's a bit of a 'soap opera' and I love it. So, when they make comments about 3-d, I think, SAY WHAAAAT?!
In the linked Hollywood Reporter article Levy describes a dramatic scene where the main character smashes a guitar and the 3-D effect enhances the drama. Unless he's smashing it over Levy's head, I don't have any interest in seeing that.
The newspaper describes the movie's plot, with key differences from the original manga, by saying, "…the goth-flavored tale revolves around a slightly anemic high-school boy named Blake Edwards, who meets a beautiful girl called Jira. Their relationship becomes increasingly intense — and gory — before a final twist."
Wait. Wait. Blake Edwards? What lame mary sue fanfic did they pull that name from? Is this what we can expect from TokyoPop? You have Neo-Manhattan or Glaactus as a cloud level of changes just pictuers of anime sex to appeal to a young teen audience while tossing aside anything they want from the original Japanese manga. With a publisher turned studio like this, who needs big Hollywood studios who change everything about the manga you love?
I guess now would also be a good time to bring up again how TokyoPop ruined their anime division. They had the popular anime Initial D. Initial D angel s feather anime was a street racing anime that was known for its Japanese Eurobeat music. (I don't know how that works either, but it was awesome.) Yet TokyoPop decided to replace all that great music in the dub. Fans were pissed. They replaced it with the music of local 'musician' DJ Milky, who just happens to be 'founder' Stu Levy. He also did this with Reign The Conqueror, which was aired on Adult Swim with his original opening song. That was surely a sign of things to come.
If TokyoPop manhandles their anime and a good licensed manga like Lament of the Lamb, often quoted by Levy as a favorite, I hate to see what they do to the original books that they own lock stock and barrel. For example, I'd love to see DramaCon as a film. It could be like a Mallrats for the mangaphile generation. (As someone who cites Mallrats as a favorite film, I do not do that lightly.) Yet if TokyoPop's the one producing, I'd be very wary after hearing what they're doing to Lament of the Lamb.
This is like that old joke. A guy goes to heaven. His host shows him around and sees Jews, Baptists, and all kinds of denominations. Then he sees a walled off area with signs telling people to be quiet. He asks about it. The host replies, "Oh, that's the area marked off for the pin up anime Catholics. They think they're the only ones here." (It makes it okay if I heard that joke from a teacher at a Catholic school, right?)
So maybe I shouldn't make too much noise about all this. It might force TokyoPop to take a look around and see other comic publishers and the many other ones getting movie deals made.
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Posted on Jun 3, 2008 by The Xenos
Views: 1032 views
Categories: Main Posts, TokyoPop, manga
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