Quick news roundup
I just realized I did pretty much nothing on this blog for Halloween! How could I be so remiss?
Today I’m just going to give a quick roundup of news:
According to Bleeding Cool, Marvel is releasing Civil War on the iPhone. I don’t know why I’m so excited for this – I hope the first issue is free. I can see myself reading superhero comics this way. I’m not spending the money in the store but if it’s good enough I could drop a dollar on the phone.
This article from Publisher’s Weekly about teen reading habits is interesting. What really jumped out at me was not that teens read graphic novels because duh but that, according to the survey, the most read graphic novel genre is romance. Now, I’m generalizing but I think it’s a fairly safe generalization that more girls read romance. If it’s the largest genre read then that leads me to believe that lots of girls read graphic novels which again duh. Why haven’t the publishers caught on?
And just preparing for Halloween next year, this cracked me up.
Marge in Playboy
Oh, Marge. The thing is, I have never liked Playboy. I think the whole line of Playboy being a feminist magazine is just ridiculous. But I kind of have to admire the move to put Marge on the cover. Because now, they are no longer faking it. The magazine says – ‘look here’s the plastic, submissive, big breasted woman you’ve always wanted’. Her hair is blue, her legs are lean, and she won’t ever walk out on you for being a giant jerk – it’s like a porn viewers dream right? In fact, I think all of Playboy should become cartoons.
Plus, it made national news so I have to hand it to the genius who managed to put this tired rag back in the spotlight.
Would Marge, if she were real, actually do this? I tend to think so, mainly because Marge is so easily suckered in or swayed when someone appeals to her vanity or gives her just a few minutes of undivided attention. Lisa would have a fit though.
What do you think of this cover? Oh, another reason I’m glad it’s a cartoon is because it is seriously unsanitary to sit in what looks like a cafeteria chair without underwear. I’m just saying…
Betty Vs. Veronica – a review of sorts
This adorable post by David Welsh got me thinking about my first love, Archie. I became acquainted with Archie when I was about 10. At that time I liked Archie because he was the hero and I was supposed to like Archie. I rooted for Betty because she was nice and people are supposed to be nice. I despised Veronica because she was mean and so was Reggie. I thought Jughead was an idiot.
Then, I remember the episode that changed everything for me. I was a few years older but Archie was the same age he had always been, except when he wasn’t and he was in those annoying Archie-as-a-kid comics. Anyway, it was Christmastime. Anyone who reads Archie knows that any holiday, especially gift giving ones, are major sources of stress for Betty and, to a lesser extent, Veronica. That’s because they measure their worth in the gifts they receive. So here it was, Christmas time and Betty has on some really ugly boots and Veronica looks smashing in a cashmere sweater. I begin to have my doubts about Betty. Then Archie delivers a pinecone or some such nonsense to Betty and a piece of jewelry to Veronica. Of course, Betty cries alone while Veronica squeals in delight, gives Archie some mild play then sends him on his way. He goes straight to Betty and turns out the pinecone was actually for decorating the tree together and she revels in the best gift possible – Archie’s time. He probably gets some major play for that but we don’t get to see it because Archie is a family comic. Lame.
So there it was, the point where I began sort of hating Betty and sort of loving Veronica. Then later, I would begin to hate Veronica because she whined too much and there really wasn’t anything to whine about. Even later, in college, I realized that this whole thing was Archie’s point of view and so none of it could be trusted because, clearly, Archie was a teenage boy.
What bothered me about the two women was that they were some highschool version of the madonna/whore. But the truth is, most highschool girls try to shove themselves into a mold. They try on identities, join groups and cater to the pimple-faced, red head because he’s “charming”. Usually, the girls grow up to be women and settle quiet nicely into a person. Incidentally, this happens to the highschool boy as well.
If Archie is growing up, I want to see that. I don’t particularly want more of the Betty v. Veronica crap. It’s not a competition and at this point these two women should realize that. It would be a lot more interesting if they figured out how to love themselves or, you know, each other.
Also, this is hilarious. Archie promotes good dental hygiene. Who knew.
FTC Tells Bloggers What to Say
I don’t have a review this week but I thought I’d talk about something that will affect all bloggers who review. Or maybe it won’t because the internet is a huge place, anyone can publish to it and the FTC must really forget that. Recently they stated that all reviewers who receive review copies for free or get paid to review must reveal that they are being “compensated” for their “endorsement”.
My first thought, as I usually tend to do with most stuff, was ‘Oh who cares? Just slap a little extra line down at the bottom.’ My second thought was, ‘Wait, this is really stupid. Did they really think this was necessary?”
Yes, it’s probably not a big deal to just mention that you’re reviewing from a review copy given to you for free. Uh, did I mention that’s completely and totally redundant. If it’s a review copy, it’s free. If it’s a galley, it’s free. In fact, publishers send out lots of them not just to reviewers but selection librarians, teens in schools and heads of books clubs. They want to get their book out there and they accept that with the magical power of people talking they may end up with a hit or they may have a bad product and sink their boat before it floats. That’s how it works. It’s kind of like an airplane, if something starts to tip it sideways physics will force it to right itself.
This rule is completely unnecessary for several reasons:
1. Reputation. In the blogging world you don’t have a boss standing over your shoulder giving you a paycheck, or encouragement or a national byline despite lack of readers. Every blogger I know know had to spend years, yes years, building up a reputation. For bloggers who review this means years of good trusted reviews. So before a blogger even gets on a publishers radar as someone they may want to send a book to, the blogger is already known for a track record of honesty. If, all of a sudden, the blogger suddenly starts singing the praises of books that then turn out to be not very good and this consistently happens then readers will look elsewhere for reviews.
2. Says Who? If the publishers aren’t talking and the blogger isn’t talking then how in the world is the FTC going to police this? Plus, just because one group of ethical bloggers follow the rules doesn’t mean there’s not a whole bunch waiting to greedily grab up the “free” copies and post glowing reviews. In fact, the FTC admits taking it case by case:
The revised Guides specify that while decisions will be reached on a case-by-case basis, the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement.
I take this to mean that they aren’t going to require publishers send them a list of bloggers or expect someone to sit in an office and read blogs all day looking for suspicious review patterns. So, it basically means they will sit and wait for someone to rat out the blogger, then case by case, decide to prosecute. That’s a really great system. I guess print reviewers aren’t held to this rule because they write for companies and there’s a hierarchy that gives the illusion of journalistic integrity. Which brings me to my next point:
3. Corporate vs. Independent What about a blogger like me? I blog for a newspaper and received a hat, a mug and a mouse pad. Am I exempt from these rules since I’m not an independent blogger? If I don’t follow them, who gets prosecuted – me or the Oklahoman? Really, should I have told you all about the hat, mug and stunning mousepad earlier?
4. Common Courtesy. Most bloggers I know already disclose if they are reviewing off a free copy. It’s considered good manners. Making it a law kind of cheapens that I think. Bloggers do it to inform their readers. We like our readers, we don’t want to deceive them.
In conclusion I revert to my 16 year old self and say, whatever. It’s a stupid rule but not a harmful one. People will follow or not follow it as they see fit. It’s something most already do anyway. What do you think? Was it even worth a whole blog post on?
My Personal Favorite Challenges
In my time as a youth services public librarian, I had a few challenges. Most just went away when I mentioned that the person would have to fill out a form. They would rant about such and such a book being wholly inappropriate for children and that we the library should be protecting children and – oh, a form, nah that’s too much work.
Here are the ones I really did enjoy that made it past the form.
Akira. This complaint actually came directly to me since I was the de facto graphic novel person and since I had read the entire series. Oh, note to would be banners please read the book, don’t just flip through and look for cuss words. Now there’s a lot to take issue with in Akira, especially if you’re one who doesn’t like drugs, violence, sex and horror. I braced myself for an angry tirade but instead the complaint was only three words long – “This isn’t art.”
A Distant Soil. Colleen Doran’s masterpiece was on our young adult shelf not getting read. My teens much preferred manga and superheroes but still it’s good series and I thought it deserved at least some shelf space. Then a mother picked it up and complained about “homosexuality”. By flipping through (of course, it’s always a flip through), she had seen two women kissing and clearly about to make love.
Me: Oh, that’s not two women. That’s a man and a woman, he’s just an alien species that wears their hair long as a symbol of power.
Her: Oh, ok, nevermind then!
I’m just glad she didn’t turn the page to see the male alien make out with his very male slave.
Believe it or not, liberals challenge books too. I had one woman who was furious when she stuck in an audio-cassette of Dragonwings by Laurence Yep and her children were exposed to the devastating lives of the Chinese immigrants at the turn of the 20th Century. She didn’t want her children knowing how badly they were treated because she was trying to teach her children to be kind to everyone. I really had to bite my tongue on this one because the description on the back clearly states that the boy works in a laundromat and surely she didn’t think that child labor was going to be sweet and funny did she? Also, if you are really worried about what your children are reading or listening to – read or listen to it yourself first! It might save you some heartache.
On Being a Good Reader – and Not Screwing it up for the Rest of Us
I’m forgoing my usual review blog to use this tiny virtual plot of space to give you an Oklahoman’s perspective on the news I received yesterday. I was actually picking out my son’s bedtime books when I hopped online and heard that the awesome Ellen Hopkins had been speaking at a Norman Middle School when a parent complained – do I even need to go on? Sigh. Complaint, Compliance, Censured. Ellen even offered to move to the highschool. A fair compromise but she was denied. Her books (all of them) were removed and this morning you get to hear the rant of one irritated blogger.
I have said before that if you accept books can change a person or leave someone with the inspiration to do good things or be something different, something stronger than they were yesterday – then you have to accept that it works the other way too. After all, Timothy McVeigh was a reader.
I would hope that when a writer sits down he or she recognizes the proverbial power of the pen. Young adult writers have an even bigger responsibility because they are writing for teenagers. By no fault of their own, teenagers are some of the best and worst readers. The young adult writer has to be aware that teenagers literally have half a brain. They can absorb, imagine, and articulate but they aren’t so good with the whole action/consequence concept. So a book written for a young adult must be fine balance. The good ones challenge these young readers.
These writers take that responsibility very seriously but they also know that the teenage experience isn’t an easy one. That dark things happen. Sex happens. Relationships, healthy and dysfunctional, make up the entire life of a teenager. These writers help them manage those relationships. Because, ultimately, any decent young adult writer leaves with the message that you, the hurting teenager, will be ok. You will survive this, you will come out a better person. They don’t necessarily leave this message with their characters (come on! that would be too easy and boring.) When Alaska (Finding Alaska by John Green, check it out) accidentally-on-purpose kills herself the message to teens is not “hey this is a good idea” but rather, “it hurts to lose someone. it will hurt to lose yourself. go ahead and feel that pain here, where it’s safe and hopefully you’ll avoid it in real life.” In Ellen Hopkins brilliant Crank and the sequel Glass, the poet experiences addiction and all the things that go along with it. Readers can experience it too with the added benefit of not actually being addicted and also getting to read some beautiful poetry. Bonus!
Of course, that brings me to the second part and biggest of the equation. The reader. It isn’t just the writer, a writer without a reader is nothing. She’s like a misshelved library book – there but, not really. Timothy McVeigh was a bad reader. If you want to read about what he read visit the memorial. Visit the memorial anyway. I would join you but I have two small children, one who’s sleeping next to me on his blanket, and I can’t take it right now. Because McVeigh was a reader who didn’t understand what he was reading or why it was fiction and why he could never make his world the way he wanted it. The world he envisioned could only ever exist in one very messed up book but he wasn’t a good enough reader to get that the reason the book was written was to fulfill a sick fantasy that the author could never make real.
As a parent of a child or teenager, it falls on your head to be the good reader. Which, incidentally, means actually reading the book you’re about to ban. Just saying.
Anyway, a parent absolutely has the right to step in and decide what their child will read. Because, as I stated before, teenagers aren’t really at the point where they can make the best decisions. So it is up to the parent to help guide them, or if it feels right, not allow the child to read the book. My own mother, an avid reader herself who always encouraged me and let me read Stephen King when I was 11, once took all my V.C. Andrews books away. Ha, I know, no big loss but at the time I was furious. She later explained that the books were changing me, making me depressed and angry and distrustful. I wasn’t a good reader, I couldn’t read those books and see them as guilty pleasures - to me, they were a representation of the world and my life.
So they were banned from my house but not the library. I don’t think it ever even occurred to my mom to try and have them taken out. She did talk to my librarian who made a suggestion. Instead of V.C. Andrews, I was allowed to read Christopher Pike and I was really good at reading Christopher Pike.
The point is, by all means, guide your child’s reading. However, your reading habits do not extend to the children of other people. Other people’s children are their own readers with their own minds and those minds do not belong to you. Reading is a deeply personal experience. That’s what makes it so wonderful and frightening. Leave it that way.
Also, parents are not the only readers looking out for the kids. Any decent school has an actual living breathing reading machine called, the librarian. I’m one. I’m good at my job. When I was a children’s librarian I was great at it. I read reviews, I read the books and I made well informed decisions of what went into my library. I was careful, on my limited budget, to include the most enriching books, with a few Christopher Pike’s thrown in for fun. The librarian is like a teacher. Trust her or him. Because they want the best for their readers (plural, remember, plural).
Censorship is a bomb. It’s a misguided attempt to make the world a singular place and it won’t work. It just messes things up. It’s the desperate action of a bad reader or even worse, a non-reader.
I hope my boys are lucky enough to hear an author of Hopkins quality speak at their school someday. I hope that they aren’t embarrassed when I push past the line of kids to get an autograph. I hope I’m a good enough parent and reader to keep up with them, to read what they read, to watch for the signs that they’ve got a bad book (for them) and act accordingly. In my own home, leaving that book on the library’s shelf to find a reader who’s ready for it.
What would you shoot out of the manga canon?
Kate Dacey asks: What Belongs in the Manga Canon?. By extension of course, she’s also asking, should there even be a manga canon? If you aren’t an English major (and why would you be) then you may not be familiar with the concept of a canon. Basically, a bunch of like minded folks get together and make a giant list of what they think you should be reading. Then some other people, from a different perspective, come along and point out the stuff they missed. Then you read it and wonder, ‘why the hell is this on the list’? Only don’t call it a list cause then you’ll look like a giant uneducated idiot. It’s a canon.
So go over and read the post because it discusses the points and pitfalls of making a canon. I’ll wait here.
The biggest problem I see with making a manga canon for an English speakers is that it means the entire canon is translated material. I think this would just make all the problems Kate discusses tenfold. By being translated the integrity of the original work is compromised. Of course, I’m all for translating because it means I get to read manga and I know that most translators do an excellent job. But still, that’s one layer removed from the original intent.
Are Americans really the ones who should be making a canon out of completely foreign material? Won’t we inevitably add works that appeal to our sensibilities without even realizing it? Other people will know more about unlicensed material than I will, but what about that?
What would we be saying with a canon like this?
I’m not entirely against the idea. It will be interesting to see what people believe is canon worthy through that American filter. What do a bunch of Japanese books say about our own experience? What do we see in these stories, especially those “masterpieces” that reflects our image?
Kate also mentions the issue of gender. Different perspectives is, of course, the canon’s fatal flaw. Shakespeare means half of what Kate Chopin means to me. How do you include everything that represents everyone? It’s impossible. Things will be missed, not because anyone wants to exclude them purposefully but because we just won’t see them.
I don’t know what the answer is on this one. I’m a huge fan of Top lists. Mabye we should do that? Lots and lots of Top 10 lists – with pictures.
Vampires as Metaphors for Banality
UPDATE: I’m not the only one who thinks Vampire Knight is emotional porn. Lianne at Sleep is for the Week talks about the melodrama and SEXY VAMPIRES that have young teens hooked – and some adults too 
Thanks for pointing me to the post, MangaBlog.
I was working on this post last week to coincide with shojo head-meet-wall manga Vampire Knight topping the New York time bestseller list but then some other news happened and I had to write about that just to show everyone I knew what was going on. See! See! I know what’s happening, I do – wah don’t leave me behiiiinnndd. I’m an insecure blogger.
But then Vampire Knight went and did it again so this post is revived.
Before I launch into what might be a long and rambling rant of sorts, I want to be clear that I’m all for teenagers reading whatever they want. However, if I accept the idea that books can change minds for the better I must also accept that they can give you ideas that are, oh, not so good. The thing about literature is that most times you can read something and enjoy it for what it is without actually agreeing with everything or incorporating it into your identity. What I’m saying is, I’m sure many bright young women read books like Twilight and Vampire Knight without then turning into glass eyed dolls.
I can see why they read them. These books are essentially emotional porn. They fulfill the typically female, typically teenage fantasy of being the only girl in the room. In Twilight, Bella is the only girl whose thoughts Edward can’t read. In Vampire Knight, Yuki is the only human allowed into the vampires world. The new series, X-Men Misfits takes it one step further by making Kitty Pride literally the only girl in the school. This emotional porn doesn’t really bother me, in fact, I’m sure I’ve indulged in a few or a hundred dream sequences of me attending a ball with every hot guy I’ve ever met. I don’t even really mind that these books kick it up a level by having all the men fall in love (read: become obsessed) with the main character. That’s part of the appeal I suppose.
What bothers me is what the men become obsessed with, which as far as I can tell, is nothing. Yuki and Bella are boring. Less than boring. They are helpless, pretty creatures that spend most of their time innocently looking coy and confused. What message does this send? I admit, maybe I’m analyzing these books too much and I should just relax and enjoy the making out but - I don’t know. The other thing that bothers me is that the female antagonist in these books is often outspoken and demanding and, you know, eeeeevil. So to me the point is clear – you want all men everywhere to be obsessed with you? Um, yes. Well, then shut up, sit down and open your top a little. Try and put yourself in danger with your own stupidity. Engage your target with a little chatter about how you simply can’t love him because he’s too big and strong and ohhh, what to do?
The thing is, you can get all your fantasies without actually having to sacrifice self worth. The hilarious Ouran High Host Club is about a girl who has to join the all hot-all male host club to pay off a debt. Of course, all the boys fall in love with her but there’s a lot to love. She’s funny, level-headed, hard working and actually calls them out on their many flaws. And by flaws I mean, weaknesses, not being supernaturally hot – which isn’t a flaw at all but I’m sure you got that. Unlike Yuki and Bella who are themselves flawless (being clumsy doesn’t count as a flaw), Haruhi is distrustful, painfully shy and at times, pretty snobby. These are things she has to overcome before finally falling in love herself.
Like I said at the beginning, I’m sure many readers are able to read Vampire Knight for enjoyment without imitating the heroines. But what I would like to know is if these readers actually like Yuki/Bella or if they just see them as blank vessels that the reader can step into, filling them with their own personality and then indulge in the fantasy?
Eisner’s According to Me
I’ll briefly touch on the categories I care about or have read.
Best Publication for Kids – Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC)
I was kind of shocked that this won over The Amulet but Tiny Titans is a great comic for kids.
Best Publication for Teens/Tweens – Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, adapted by P. Craig Russell (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
Ugh.. I, personally, hate the artwork in this adaptation. I don’t think it suits the story. Also, how it won over choices like Skim or The Good Neighbors is kind of a mystery. I would really like to know what was discussed that put Coraline over the top.
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist - Jill Thompson, Magic Trixie, Magic Trixie Sleeps Over (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
Neat! This is a charming work and I’m glad to see it recognized.
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Japan – Dororo, by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical)
Or, in other words, manga. I love Monster. As one of my friends puts it, I want to take Monster underneath the bleachers and make out with it. But if something had to beat it, Dororo is a good choice.
Best Writer – Bill Willingham, Fables, House of Mystery (Vertigo/DC)
Duh.
Best Continuing Series – All Star Superman. by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC)
Monster loses again.
Best Anthology – Comic Book Tattoo: Narrative Art Inspired by the Lyrics and Music of Tori Amos, edited by Rantz Hoseley (Image)
This is a gorgeous book, just really beautiful.
Best Graphic Album—New – Swallow Me Whole, by Nate Powell (Top Shelf)
What’s a graphic album?
Borders Ink and Teens
Thanks to supernatural hot tickets Harry Potter and Bella Swan, the teen market is booming. Or as booming as anything can be right now. It’s also bolstered by manga like Naruto and Vampire Knight, edgy superhero novels and the indie comics that appeal to the art students.
Borders is hoping to capitalize by adding a new section targeting teens called Ink.
According to the Wall Street Journal, it will stock “graphic novels, fantasy and young-adult titles together” along with all kinds of other teen merch. The facebook fanpage already has over 1,000 fans. I don’t have time to see how many of them are actually teenagers.
Hopefully, this will make the teen books easier to find. I had a hard time finding a Scott Westerfeld title the last time I was in a Borders. However, sometimes this kind of branding can be the kiss of death. Older teens are too embarressed to go there, thinking of themselves as too mature and adult readers feel preverted if they flip through a slighty suggestive manga underneath the fleetingly hip teen signage.
Thoughts?
