Questions about Tokyopop

[jyuichi]

(I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section, I don't know where to put it)

I went to the comic shop today, like every wendsday, and found a nice new shippment of manga. However I noticed that tokopop changed thier book layout abit. There is now a red genre logo on the back and on the spine of new series. Also the stamp on the back changed (for the better, Its not as tacky).

Why the labels?

I understand the idea but these genre labels are really really ugly. For example Furuba 13 is green. Therefore the label should be green NOT bright red. 'Tis annoying to look at. Also Its a bit much to put the genre on the spine. There is already a big red robofish we don't need any more red. Color corrdinate please!!!!

Also, as for the mini-manga magazine, I think you put the wrong pic for the international RSOM. The pic was of volume 5, so I almost didnt read it. If you didnt has cover art atleast put the new logo.

On another note, the new site layout is very pretty but the navi is broken and not as functional. Im assuming you'll fix this? Oh and banner ads on a site advertising products is lame. You're not poor, you take my money weekly. I adblocked (http://adblock.mozdev.org/) them so w/e.

[feder]

(I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section, I don't know where to put it)

I went to the comic shop today, like every wendsday, and found a nice new shippment of manga. However I noticed that tokopop changed thier book layout abit. There is now a red genre logo on the back and on the spine of new series. Also the stamp on the back changed (for the better, Its not as tacky).

Why the labels?

I understand the idea but these genre labels are really really ugly. For example Furuba 13 is green. Therefore the label should be green NOT bright red. 'Tis annoying to look at. Also Its a bit much to put the genre on the spine. There is already a big red robofish we don't need any more red. Color corrdinate please!!!!

Also, as for the mini-manga magazine, I think you put the wrong pic for the international RSOM. The pic was of volume 5, so I almost didnt read it. If you didnt has cover art atleast put the new logo.

On another note, the new site layout is very pretty but the navi is broken and not as functional. Im assuming you'll fix this? Oh and banner ads on a site advertising products is lame. You're not poor, you take my money weekly. I adblocked (http://adblock.mozdev.org/) them so w/e.

I'm gonna agree with the logo. I liked it much better when it was smaller and not bright red.
I can understand that TP wants to make sure people know it's their manga you bought, but....it's still not the most attractive label.

The ad thing though I don't agree with. If TP wants to put up ads of manga on its site then it should feel free to. You don't see the ads anymore so why complain? At any rate, it's your own fault that TP "takes your money weekly" since you buy the manga. It's not like they're forcing you to or anything. -_-

[PeterAhlstrom]

Since I see one question in your post, I'll answer it. Why the labels? So that people can look at the manga they like, see what genre it is, and then look at the other ones on the shelf and at a glance tell which ones will be similar ones they might enjoy.

The spine genre labels are only going on the new series, not the old ones. And Fruits Basket has always had the red robofish.

[Blu_Moon]

Why the labels?

The first rule about genre icons is . . . you don't talk about genre icons. The second rule about genre icons is . . . you DON'T. talk. about. genre. icons.

No, just kidding. ~_^

Why big, splashy, attention-getting labels that instantly promote brand recognition and story content?

Because suppose Mom or Dad knows that their little Billy or Kathy likes manga, and maybe loves Sci-Fi or romance manga, but Mom and Dad are kinda old foggies and don't know that much about Japanese comic books. Billy or Kathy's birthday is coming up, so they go out to the bookstore and look! The Seikai novel is Sci-Fi! Billy loves Sci-Fi! Wow! Gravitation is a romance with hot boys on the cover. Kathy digs hot boys being romantic (sometimes Mom and Dad secretly wonder where they went wrong, but hey, they lived through the 60s, they're open-minded about hot romantic boys). Into the shopping basket the books go.

Or here's another scenario. A bookstore owner, let's call him Bob, doesn't have a graphic novels section in his little independent chain. Hm, what will Bob do with the Devil May Cry manga? Is it horror? Mystery? Foreign kitch? American comic? Why, goodness, the genre icon says action! He doesn’t even have to flip through the book or look at small print! So Bob puts it in the action adventure section. And Billy and Kathy (who lament that they live in a small town that has no graphic novel sections in the bookstores and that Mom and Dad won't let them buy things from amazon.com with the family credit card just yet) are checking out the action adventure section and see Devil May Cry! Into the shopping basket it goes!

Today, the genre icons lead to better sales among the non-otaku. Tomorrow, who knows? Eventually, TOKYOPOP will take over the world—with the help of genre icons, ninja pirates, and perturbed one-eyed penguins that continually limp slightly to the left.

Yes . . . it's all going to our diabolical plan, my pretties. All going according to plan.

[Alexis]

Good job revealing our secret plans, Blu Moon...

[Blu_Moon]

The penguins will clean it up, keep it hush hush. That's what those limping Cyclopses are there for. ~_^

[rivkah]

perturbed one-eyed penguins that continually limp slightly to the left.

What is it with editors and their obsession with penguins? ;P

[PeNCILz]

What is it with editors and their obsession with penguins? ;P

I would like to know that too... Maybe it is because they ish so cute! *huggles a penguin*

[KaYoKitten]

O___O One of my characters is a penguin...(way off-topic, I know).

Anyways, I actually like the bright red label--it may clash with the art, but it's easily recognizable against other manga. I can clearly see which is Dark Horse, what's Del Rey, and what's TP now. ShonenJump needs to redo its label, though, it doesn't stand out enough. (Hmm...I wonder if the other companies come up on this board to snoop??? )

[dudie]

Good explaination(?) Blu Moon..LOL
Allthough i buy my manga online so i dont see thos e labels :P But if there where more stores selling manga here it would be a good help to pick a new manga when a serie is completed and you want to start with the next.

About the red label.. be sure you use the same ink color all the time..coz my chobits serie mostly have those white logo, and some red but some reds are looking more orange and even a bit purple..but also the bleuish color looks different on every manga of chobits. Not that it matters to much its a good series anyway ;)

[eternal_midget]

but also the bleuish color looks different on every manga of chobits. Not that it matters to much its a good series anyway ;)

I'm pretty sure they did that on purpose. Lot's of series will have a different color scheme for each book, Chobits just had slightly different shades of blue/lavender...

[PeterAhlstrom]

Mmmm I'm pretty sure that was a mistake. :)

We've got really specific color instructions nowadays, so hopefully we can keep things like that from happening again... GetBackers vol. 13's logo is screwed up, but that's a fluke, I swear... And new Dragon Knights volumes should be the same color of purple...

[dudie]

I knew it was a mistake ;) Now i think of it i could've used those chobits manga for my presentation about colormanagement 2 weeks ago :P

[Ashton_Anchors]

Doesn't the manga already have genre on the back? Where it says

Manga
Fantasy/Romance
US $9.99
CAN $13.99
UK 6.99

I think by looking at this, Bob is able to catagorize the manga easily if he is doing so by genre? Since it says Romace Fantasy, he could put it in either section right?

[Blu_Moon]

I think by looking at this, Bob is able to catagorize the manga easily if he is doing so by genre? Since it says Romace Fantasy, he could put it in either section right?


Yes, but you see, as I said, "Bob doesn't have to read small print" meaning he doesn't have to hunt around for it. Because, you know, bookstore owners don't actually like reading.

The genre icon picks just the main genre, so that hopefully all bookstores and online sellers will list it in the same place.

I'd talk more about this, but it would only further perturb the penguins.

[PeterAhlstrom]

Doesn't the manga already have genre on the back? Where it says

Manga
Fantasy/Romance
US $9.99
CAN $13.99
UK 6.99

I think you're the first person who ever noticed that!!

BTW the Canadian price is dropping. Yay for all you Canadian fans out there.

[BettinaMarie]

The penguins will clean it up, keep it hush hush. That's what those limping Cyclopses are there for. ~_^

HEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!!!:( I resemble that remark! *says the non-penguin-completely-blind-in-one-eye-creator* ;___;


just kidding dear! XD...though it is true about the me and the blindness thing>.>;;

[stickmanbob0]

its a good way of promotion. ppl will easily reconize it as tokyopop

[Veroniku]

I think you're the first person who ever noticed that!!

BTW the Canadian price is dropping. Yay for all you Canadian fans out there.
Wha', really? Did you plot this or something? Dropping the prices after I decided to not buy manga anymore? ;__; Must... Sell... Collection as fast as possible... Before prices drop... And make my manga worth even less... ><;

Not that I don't like your manga, they're awesome, it's just I'll be going to Japan for a year, I need money & to clear space... And I'll get my faves in japanese. ^^

You did plot this against me, didn't you? To tempt me into buying more even if I shouldn't... ¬¬ *glare*

[PeterAhlstrom]

You did plot this against me, didn't you? To tempt me into buying more even if I shouldn't...
Yes. And we're not sorry about it, either!!

[crino]

does some oel manga go to japan and if there has been did it sell (sell good)