12 Reasons Why Manga is Not a Gateway Drug to Western Comics

The first in a SERIES of new articles... THIS one was just lying around awaiting its cue... which has now sounded.

I used to get into discussions with male comic book fans that would start with them saying, "Females read. If only they'd read comics. But I guess chicks just don't dig comics." I would patiently explain to them that the atmosphere of the comics industry was basically "by males, for males", that token efforts aimed at "the female reader" as a single demographic with little to no marketing, with "female friendly" comics that often featured goofy or passive heroines or eye candy for male readers, comics that were simply either humor or romance, were doomed to failure. I'd explain that a female that didn't know comics aimed at females even existed probably wouldn't go into comic book shops to get said comic, especially when they saw that the vast majority of comics were still aimed almost exclusively at male readers. I'd also explain that with a lack of female characters female readers could identify with, with the vast majority of writers, editors, and those working in the industry being male, the female readers probably felt there was nothing in comics for them.

Then, I'd smile a thin smile and say, "You see, if a company or two were smart enough to have a whole line of products that female readers could enjoy as a diverse demographic, if said comics were put into bookstores instead of specialty stores like comic book shops, places where female readers don't feel unwelcome, and if there were a system of delivery and marketing that could get said comics in the hands of female readers, they'd come in droves. But, if this did happen, you'd see real and perhaps disturbing changes in the nature of comics themselves. It could be done, if a company or three did things right and had enough money to be in things for the long term. The problem is that you---and frankly, the industry---want female readers' money, but don't want the product mix or the consequences of having female readers. Superheroes would have to move over in order to make way for comics that females WOULD be interested in reading."

They'd look at me as if I'd just spoken in Japanese. Perhaps I had...

When manga exploded, I smiled another thin smile. This time it was a smile of vindication. As a feminist and a female comic book reader, I've been waiting for such a thing for a long, long time.

Yet, in spite of the manga explosion and manga outselling many Occidental comics by a wide margin, something I hear a lot of lately from fanboys of Western comics and even creators is that "manga comics will eventually lead manga fans to Western comics." Frankly, I think that's a form of denial concerning the way manga has taken over the "by males, for males" comic book market.

There's a "moving" or changing line in the I Ching that speaks about one "losing the meaning of the moment." From what I've seen so far, comic book companies are in danger of losing the meaning of the manga trend. They somehow see manga as only being about the art. What's in danger of being ignored: the diversity of stories. So, just to use Marvel as an example of how jumping onboard the manga train can lead to failure, the company tried bringing out translated manga of the X-Men and Spiderman (remember when those comics went over like a lead balloon?). They tried bringing out a Tsunami line, which also failed. Perhaps these titles failed because the company only saw the superficial meaning of the moment (manga art is popular) instead of the deeper meaning (people want newer, fresher stories that appeal to more diverse audiences, perhaps even those who aren't interested in traditional comics or comic book fanboy culture).

To bring out the old Bible quote I use a lot, by simply manga-ing up their art, comic book companies seem to be trying to put new wine in old wineskins. Or, to secularize matters, it's the opposite of the old story about emperor having no clothes. The "clothes" (by which I mean, the manga style artists) are groovy. It's just that the emperor is not in them (by which I mean, the stories) or he looks like a tired old man indeed. New times need new ideas, new talent, new characters, and new stories, not the same old stories in cutesy art.

Here are the top twelve reasons that I don't think manga fans will eventually flock over to Western comics:

1. The initial gateway is different.

While a lot of comic book fans become comic book fans because of other comic book fans they know, manga fans often become manga fans because they've seen an anime on television, rented an anime from a video store, or have seen a manga character in a video game. True, there are Western cartoons of superheroes (interestingly enough, more and more of these are done in manga style). True, there are Hollywood films of comic books. True, there are superhero video games. However, the sheer number of anime influenced video games and animes on television threatens to dwarf the Occidental output of cartoons, movies, and video games. This is because anime has been so popular in Japan over the years that a lot of their television consists of cartoons...cartoons that can easily be translated and marketed in the West.

2. One can watch anime and read manga without becoming a manga fanatic (an Otaku, in other words).

While it is true that there are manga/anime fanboys and fangirls out there known as Otakus, one feels somewhat less pressure to read manga or rent anime and then take the extra step of fanaticism. While it is also true that one can do the same with comic books, there's more of a pressure to become part of the comic book community. For instance, with a lot of Western comics, one cannot enjoy them without knowing a lot about the continuity of said comic. With some superhero comics, for instance, a casual reader might feel lost without some prior knowledge of the comic book's continuity. With a manga, the story is often get-into-able without a knowledge of the characters' long history. You can start in the middle of many mangas and not feel lost in reading them, partly because the stories are episodic as much as they are story arcs. Unlike with Western comics, there aren't five part story arcs in manga. True, there are extended plot lines. However, each story tends to make sense in and of itself, as well as in a longer story arc sense.

3. One need not go into a comic book store to read manga.

While I love comic book stores, sometimes they feel very "by males, for males," both in terms of the comics that are there and the camaraderie between the workers and the fans. While this sometimes makes comic book stores very home-y for frequent customers, a casual customer might feel left out, especially when the clerk is more interested in talking comics with the regulars than helping a customer or checking out a purchase. While a lot of comic book shops aren't like that, a lot are. No wonder some people prefer to go to a Borders or a Barnes and Nobles to buy their manga (plus, one can get coffee and a muffin!). Now, I don't like chain stores. I believe very strongly in independent book store ownership. However, even I have to admit that I like the efficiency and selection at a chain bookstore, sometimes better than I like a comic book store. What's more, at a chain bookstore, I can sit on the floor and read manga without getting dirty looks from clerks or the "hey, this isn't a library" line. True, I don't just read manga, I buy it, but I like not being disturbed while choosing manga. Plus, there are times when I have more choice in buying manga at a chain store than at a comic book store, especially when the store in question has decided only to have a token manga display. Now, a lot of great shops have great manga, but some comic book store retailers only have a small manga display or even none at all, as manga isn't to their tastes. This buying for oneself as the ideal customer can be a real turn off if one isn't into what the comic book store owner is into.

4. Manga has pretty boys, not just pretty girls.

Sometimes my husband and I joke that we like Fred Perry's Gold Digger (Antarctic Press) because the main jokes is that the female characters are at least as letch-y as the men. You get cute girls and cute boys with manga. While I'm not into beefcake per se, some (heterosexual) female comic book readers are, believe it or not. While comics from the West seem to sexualize the female figure almost exclusively, manga consists more of really cute and vaguely sexy androgynies (okay, the hentai is a bit of an exception, but what porn isn't?). Both male and female manga characters are equally pleasant to the eye. This matters because it's rather difficult for a female to identify with a female character that is simply cheesecake for male readers. When a female reader is constantly barraged by female babe art without male babe art, we start thinking that there's nothing for us here. And, as long as that situation persists, I don't see how manga comics can lead to Western comics, as there's less for us in Western comics than in manga. Which leads me to my next (and related point).

5. Manga heroines, although lookers, are not just cheesecake.

There is a totally unfounded male assumption amongst a section of comic book creators and readers that female readers don't like violence, sex, action, or rough humor in comics. What they think we like: romance---and JUST romance. While it's very true we tend to like relationships in our comics, we do not just live for the stuff. What's more, we like our fictional romance to be in the context of a story with some type of action in it. What's MORE, contrary to some male creators beliefs, we like active heroines, not passive ones. We like our heroines to be smart, brave, plucky, funny, strong, compassionate --- and often pissed off. No one, may that person be male or female, can identify with a passive, helpless, victimized hero or heroine. They're called heroes and heroines for a reason.

6. Manga doesn't treat female readers as a single demographic.

Something I've protested against since my first comic book related internet column has been the tendency to lump the female audience into one demographic called "the female reader". It's been assumed we walk lock step, all read the same comics, and all have the same opinions. We don't. We're a diverse demographic. Manga companies seem to understand that, by offering female readers horror, romance, comedy, fantasy, etc., but with strong, well-written female characters. In short, it's not a "what women want" question as much as a "how you create the stories and characters" question.

7. Manga has female creators.

Yes, comics have female creators. But, isn't it interesting that the vast, vast majority of them are self-publishers, as if they feel that there's no room at the inn for them in the mainstream or the more popular indie comic book publisher line? Well, yes, I've seen female creators in indie comics, but they're mostly stuck in the humor/all ages/slice of life categories. While I've seen a few new female writers in mainstream comics (e.g. Gail Simone), I think the number of female writers in mainstream comics has actually gone down since the early 1990's. No wonder female readers once again feel there's nothing for them in Western comics. Manga (at least what we're getting in the USA) seems to have several female creators: Clamp (a female collective), Rumiko Takahashi (perhaps the most beloved comic book creator in the world), Matsuri Akino (Pet Shop of Horrors), Yû Watase (Ceres), and a list of shoujo manga-kas as long as your arm. Maybe female readers are, at least partly, attracted to manga because it feels more like an equal opportunity employer.

8. Manga IS a gateway drug already---To Other Manga.

When you like a style of art, a type of book, a type of movie, or whatever, you tend to seek out other works like the one you liked, only new to you (yes, the "similar but different" contradiction is an art lover's dilemma). When manga fans get through with one manga series (which usually takes a long time), they tend to go for other manga. I mean, there are so many manga comic books out there that I could easily spend most of my spare time and money on them. I still haven't tried Zodiac, PI, for instance. There's a steady (and growing) supply of manga coming in from Japan, not to mention some very nice American mangas out there (Courageous Princess, Neotopia, Lea Hernadez's work), not to mention some very nice websites with manga style work out there (try http://www.wirepop.com/ on for size). Remember, manga has been a part of Japanese pop culture for quite some time now. There's a big backlog of it and companies like Tokyopop can pick the best of the bunch, giving a skewed picture of how many good manga comics are out there.

Well, maybe manga fans will tire of manga, in spite of the abundant supply and availability of the work, some may argue. I don't see that happening. I mean, how many superhero fans tire of superhero comics? And if they do, don't they oftentimes just leave comics, period? I mean, sometimes, yeah, those tired of one type of comic do leave for another type, but often, they just leave.

People are leaving, or at least changing their tastes, but the migration hasn't been away from manga towards the West. In fact, the gateway I've seen lately has been away from mainstream comics towards independent comics or manga. I've seen people that two years ago chided me for reading manga now admit to reading it themselves. I've seen web reviewers that told me they'd never review anime or manga now review these comics. If the reviewers looking for worthwhile work to review are looking to the East, doesn't that say something about the same old, same old nature of current Occidental comics?

What I'm saying is that if people are leaving one art form in an emerging mass migration and shifting into another art form, it's usually because the other art form is offering the consumer something more interesting, more innovative, fresher, or something more to the consumer's taste. Since I'm seeing a migration away from comics to manga instead of vice versa, I don't think it's illogical to say that manga must be offering something (if just the shock of the new) that Western comics aren't. If/when manga ceases to be the new kid on the block, will those bored with it really want to go (back) to staid, old faithful superhero comics (because, that's what people really mean by the "gateway to Western comics" talk) or will they want something new? I mean, heavens, even Barbie dumped Ken...! If I do see any migration at all to Western comics, I'm seeing that (female) manga fans are also reading Sandman TPB's, indie comics, and cute goth comics, not superhero comics.

9. Otakus already have their own community and fan culture, thank you.

As I said, many manga and anime fans don't become Otakus. However, many do. And from what I've heard from these people, they don't feel particularly liked or respected by Western comic book fans. Instead, they feel looked down upon by Western comic book fans. There simply isn't an acceptance there. There's no "the farmer and the cow man can be friends" feeling here...and I think a lot of that is the Western comic book fans' fault. We often splinter our subculture into many camps, often not accepting other camps that are just as valid. The mainstream comic book readers often think the indie comics readers are snobs. The indie comics readers often think the mainstream readers are zombies. Then, they often think, "at least we're not gamers or fan ficc'ers". It's quite sad, really. Some of us look down at the cosplay aspects of Otakus, some of us make fun of the big eyes/small mouth crowd. And, it's as unneeded and unwelcome as it is unfair. No wonder a lot of Otakus that I know prefer their own cons (even the tiny ones) to the big name comic book cons. I've been to both types of cons and I'll tell you, I've had a lot more fun at anime cons. The people are nicer, the atmosphere's more festive, and I just plain had more fun.

What's more, Western comic book fans and serious Otakus may both read comics, but they really don't talk the same language. Western comic book fans have their cliches. So do Otakus. I can crack up my friend Trish (former editor of Anime Insider) any time I mention anything about Neon Genesis Evangelion, for instance, just because she's so into the work. Excel Saga (especially the anime) is all about anime cliches. Manga fans have their own terms, their own favorite creators, their own peculiarities, just like Western comic book fanatics. Since the Western comic book community's ticks and eccentricities rarely coincide with those of manga fans, Western comics might not have enough to offer them...and the things we think are cool, such as the fiftieth comic book cover spoof of "Flash of Two Worlds" or Fantastic Four # 1 might, therefore, go over like a lead balloon in Otaku-land. But, spoof, say, Lupin III in a manga or in an anime and you'll hear howls of appreciative laughter.

No, you don't have to become an Otaku to like manga, but once you are, it's sort of hard to get into the mores and customs of another type of comic book culture. And no one yet has given me a valid reason why Otakus should have to or indeed would want to do so.

10. Otaku culture is consumer culture, not collector culture.

Manga reading in the USA is based on buying cheap trade paperbacks, reading them, keeping them, selling them on ebay or to Half Price Books, or giving them away. It's all about consuming the work, not about thinking it might be of intrinsic value one day. So far, we don't have alternative covers to mangas or other Western comic collector tricks to make people buy a comic because it MIGHT go up in value someday.

Okay, yes, there are lots of little manga/anime type collectables out there, but they're also part of the consumer culture of manga, not the collector mentality of Western comics. For instance, you buy Hello Kitty because you like Hello Kitty, not because if you never remove her from the box, she might go up in value. People buy anime/manga-related stuff because they want to consume it, not because they want to save it. Manga people don't see these works as investments or museum pieces or bits of the past. They see manga, anime, and related materials as things to be used and enjoyed in the here and now, which I also think is quite healthy.

11. As a related point, manga graphic novels are cheaper than comic book trade paperbacks.

They're also more portable and easier to put on bookshelves. These aren't oversized coffee table books. These comics aren't meant to be put in Mylar and handled with care. They are meant to be read, as books should be.

The fact that manga TPB's are cheap and small might make them more appealing to, say, librarians stocking the limited space of their shelves than Western graphic novels. I mean, take it from their POV. A manga graphic novel has a "for readers ___ years old and up" label, only cost two thirds (or less) as much as a Western comic TPB, and has appeal to both female readers and male. Which option sounds more equal, fairer, and more cost efficient from a library's point of view?

12. The attitude towards DIY fan work is different in manga.

In Western comics, fan fic'cers are often put down as unoriginal and perhaps even thieves. In Japanese culture, fan fic is a cottage industry. Cosplay is normal and accepted (even covered by the media). Fanship, even fanatical fanship, is seen as more of a compliment than anything else.

As a result, a kid can start drawing manga as copies of other works and soon become an adept manga artist. At least in Japan, it's encouraged. Yes, it's also true for Western comics fans, but it takes less time to start writing and drawing your own manga than it does to start writing Occidental comics. That's because it takes a few lines to represent a biable drawing of a human being in manga. You don't have to be Bryan Hitch to draw a viable manga comic.

So, as a result, in both Japan and America, they're making more. And more. And more.

When it's that easy to create comics with manga art, why would one want to go into mainstream comics, where you're not welcome unless you can draw like a combination of Neil Adams, Alex Roth, and Jack Kirby?

Manga and wanna-be manga artists, like self-publishing and web comics, is part of a growing revolution of people who are turning their backs on corporate bland out comics in favor of newer works that haven't been rebooted to death...and their own artistic visions. These are people who don't see a huge gulf between creator and fan. What's more, since a lot of these manga-ka wanna be's are young women, it's obvious that they think they can make comics. They're happy because they can be a part of an art form they love, whether they're experienced creators or not....and they don't need to know Barry Allen from a hole in the ground to do it. Nor do they have to enter the old boys' network of Western comics in order to make comics. They're happy because they're expressing themselves in a simple-to-create-format that they can put into mini-comics, self-published comics, or (increasingly) on the World Wide Web as web comics.

And, as Captain Beefheart put it, they "will not go back to your frownland."

I'm starting to suspect that there's little in Western comics that manga fans need.

They've already seen a new path the manga gateway could lead them to....

It's called Do It Yourself.

Your New Mantra: NO GURU NO METHOD NO TEACHER