Manga is a fad

[A Green Jedi]

I still believe this wholeheartedly, and even more so.

Manga is just following a trend that seems, to me, to be a fad. It gained huge popularity very quickly (a sign in itself), and the numbers continue to climb.

I think what will happen is that the bubble will burst, and a period of disinterest in Manga will occur.

Which is sad because Manga has some incredible reads.

[cncoyle]

What makes you think it's a fad? It's been around in Japan for what, fifteen or twenty years? (Maybe moreso?)

I'm sure interest will wax and wane, but I don't see it disappearing altogether.

[CountD]

Manga is a bargain?

Manga is attractive to young readers?

Manga is naturally good ?

[Peagle8]

Originally posted by A Green Jedi
Manga is just following a trend that seems, to me, to be a fad.

I don’t think Manga will have sales follow a downward spiral that seems, to me, to be descending.

Seriously though, I don’t think it’s a fad. You said it yourself, Magna has some incredible reads plus it’s readily available to kids at any bookstore.

[manosx]

Originally posted by A Green Jedi
It gained huge popularity very quickly (a sign in itself), and the numbers continue to climb.

Actually this is where you are completely wrong.
First you have to understand that the popularity of Manga goes hand in had with the popularity of Anime and Japanese media culture in our youth.

Japanese media culture has been slowly building a fan base since the 50's, starting with Godzilla and other monster movies. This grew in the 60's with Astro Boy and Speed Racer, Americans first real; exposure to anime. In the 70's we were brought Battle of the Planets, as well as the explosion of "Kung Fu" type movie (which most Americans thought of as Japanese or Chinese no matter which country they were produced in). In the 80's we were given Transformers, Thundercats and other cartoons done in a Japanese style of animation, which culminated in Robotech. In the 90's Square and other video game companies brought Japanese style anime to video games thru games like Street Fighter and Final Fantasy. As those of us who grew up on 80's cartoon's reached adulthood, and had lots of disposable income, we played these games on our Playstations and N64's. Well, not so much on the N64's. We formed an interest in original Japanese cartoons imported from Japan, stuff like Rama, Cutie Honey, and countless others, but it still stayed kinda in the underground. Then, a whole bunch of Elementary kids found Sailor Moon and Pokemon. This took things to the next level, because as these kids went on to junior high and high school they discovered that anime grew with them.. They went from Pokemon to Yu-Gi-Oh to Toonami on Cartoon Network. And they now buy into the entire media culture of Japan, which they know includes Manga comics.
Also, if you ask many comic collectors why they started collecting they say they started buying comics starring cartoon characters they loved. In the 80's we bough G.I. Joe and Transformers, in the 70's they bought comics based on cartoons, and today they do as well. If they cartoons they love are Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Ranma 1/2, they are going to buy those comics.
That's why Manga is here to stay.

[Biffjoanes]

I dunno about Manga being a fad.

If you look at anime, I've been a fan since the late 80's where you had to locate a fansubber and trade through the mail and that mess to now where you can buy it straight from any store that sells DVDs. Anime is stronger than ever, and it's only becoming more popular.

If Manga can follow suit, I don't see it going anywhere. I teach at a high school and am now a co-sponsor of a manga/anime club. I'm actually finding more students reading (and drawing) manga than ever before.

Having said all of that, I don't think we're going to see adults reading "phone book" manga on the train as you would see in Japan, but I don't think this "fad" is going to die off anytime soon.

[Jed Saxon]

Originally posted by cncoyle
It's been around in Japan for what, fifteen or twenty years? (Maybe moreso?)

The first modern manga (Tetsuwan Atom/Astro Boy) was published in 1951.

[skywatcher]

Originally posted by cncoyle
It's been around in Japan for what, fifteen or twenty years?

Manga style can be traced back to the 13th century, Manga-style drawings appeared on Temple walls as representations of the after-life.
In 1702 a book was produced out of prints of these pictures; Shumboko Ono added captions to these prints and created the first Manga comic book.
So Manga has been around for a LOT longer than twenty years!!!!

[algertman]

Manga a fad?

sounds stupid to me

it will die down some eventually, but no reason to think it drop off the radar

[cncoyle]

Originally posted by Jed Saxon
The first modern manga (Tetsuwan Atom/Astro Boy) was published in 1951.

Wow!

Yeah, I think with 53 years under its belt, it's safe to say that Manga is not a fad.

[skywatcher]

Originally posted by cncoyle
Wow!with 53 years under its belt,

53 years? Pah! Read my post earlier! Manga has been around for CENTURIES!

[cncoyle]

Originally posted by skywatcher
53 years? Pah! Read my post earlier! Manga has been around for CENTURIES!

Bah to your Pah! Using your proppah logic, we could say cave paintings were the first comic books!

[wetookhim]

Originally posted by skywatcher

Manga style can be traced back to the 13th century, Manga-style drawings appeared on Temple walls as representations of the after-life.
In 1702 a book was produced out of prints of these pictures; Shumboko Ono added captions to these prints and created the first Manga comic book.
So Manga has been around for a LOT longer than twenty years!!!!

Do you have a site citing this? Any proof to your statements because I would like to read more of the history of manga

[cncoyle]

Originally posted by wetookhim
Do you have a site citing this? Any proof to your statements because I would like to read more of the history of manga

That old fart doesn't need to cite his statements! He was around to witness it all!

[skywatcher]

Originally posted by cncoyle
we could say cave paintings were the first comic books!

Even if you discount the temple drawings, the 1702 book is still centuries ago!
I don't think cave paintings were ever captioned, either!

[skywatcher]

Originally posted by wetookhim
Do you have a site citing this? Any proof to your statements because I would like to read more of the history of manga

Just do a google search for "history of manga". There are loads of sites on this.

[skywatcher]

Originally posted by cncoyle
That old fart doesn't need to cite his statements! He was around to witness it all!

I stood over Shumboko and directed his actions, I suppose? How did you know my real name is Methusalah?

[Zadillo]

Actually, doesn't the word "manga" come from the Japanese term for those woodcuts, etc.? I think it was just a sort of natural progression.

And yeah......... regarding manga as a fad, I don't think so. I mean, certainly it is especially a fad from a technical point, but manga isn't in the same boat as, say, pogs.

It's not like manga just popped up overnight too............... it's just grown in popularity (along with anime) and will continue to do so.

It's been popular worldwide, and even if it dies out in the US, it's still popular in many other parts of the world, and of course it's huge in Japan.

-Zadillo

[cncoyle]

Originally posted by skywatcher
How did you know my real name is Methusalah?

I thought that was just another one of your aliasesesus!

[skywatcher]

Originally posted by cncoyle
I thought that was just another one of your aliasesesus!

I set myself up for that one didn't I?

[Terram]

I wouldn't say it's as much a fad right now as much as it is in a boom period in the present. It'll eventually taper down and not be as big as it is right now, but now that it has a foot in the door...

[Libby]

I don't think manga is a fad.

I just read a paper about fads and how they work, and it suggested that fads are started by people who like novel and interesting things, or "Fad Setters", and spread out from there to "Fad Followers", people who want to be like the Fad Setters. When too many people get into the fad, the Fad Setter (who is typically a nonconformist) leaves the fad. His/Her friends(who are Fad Followers) notice that she/he doesn't like the produst anymore, and also leave it, and so on, and so on.

But the thing is, there are exceptions to this. If the product isn't useful or interesting at ALL outside of being used by the Fad Setter, it won't become a fad, and won't have much market penetration at all. On the other hand, if the product IS useful and interesting and heterogenous, the Fad Setter will continue buying it despite it being popular with others, and will continue to influence others to buy it.

I think the latter case describes manga's popularity to a T. A few people were into it at first, and they influenced thier friends to buy it, who influence thier friends to buy, who influenced thier friends... Those initial few were into it at least partly because manga is so exotic and unique, and you can hear many of them complain about the newbies and how trendy it's becoming. But do they give up the hobby? Hell, no! They love it too much, and there's just too many cool new comics coming out all the time.

That's why I think manga's not a fad, anyway. It's just a theory, but it follows my experience with manga pretty much exactly.

[Zadillo]

Originally posted by Libby
I don't think manga is a fad.

I just read a paper about fads and how they work, and it suggested that fads are started by people who like novel and interesting things, or "Fad Setters", and spread out from there to "Fad Followers", people who want to be like the Fad Setters. When too many people get into the fad, the Fad Setter (who is typically a nonconformist) leaves the fad. His/Her friends(who are Fad Followers) notice that she/he doesn't like the produst anymore, and also leave it, and so on, and so on.

But the thing is, there are exceptions to this. If the product isn't useful or interesting at ALL outside of being used by the Fad Setter, it won't become a fad, and won't have much market penetration at all. On the other hand, if the product IS useful and interesting and heterogenous, the Fad Setter will continue buying it despite it being popular with others, and will continue to influence others to buy it.

I think the latter case describes manga's popularity to a T. A few people were into it at first, and they influenced thier friends to buy it, who influence thier friends to buy, who influenced thier friends... Those initial few were into it at least partly because manga is so exotic and unique, and you can hear many of them complain about the newbies and how trendy it's becoming. But do they give up the hobby? Hell, no! They love it too much, and there's just too many cool new comics coming out all the time.

That's why I think manga's not a fad, anyway. It's just a theory, but it follows my experience with manga pretty much exactly.

Exactly.......... if you want to get an idea of real fads, check out http://www.badfads.com/home.html

Granted, some of these fads have been somewhat enduring, because they were genuinely clever or interesting (i.e. Pac-Man, Rubiks Cubes, etc.)....... but even in those cases, these are things that hit a huge height of popularity as fads.

I still think pure feds are things like the Pet Rock.

-Zadillo

[gOgIver]

At the time, I thought the Superman Manga influenced books were not that great but compared to what DC is doing with Superman now I'd welcome them back. So IMO everyone who said to DC, "get and pay for big name talent on the Superman books and that will 'fix' them" were wrong.

Really, I'm not into them.

[Zadillo]

Originally posted by gOgIver
At the time, I thought the Superman Manga influenced books were not that great but compared to what DC is doing with Superman now I'd welcome them back. So IMO everyone who said to DC, "get and pay for big name talent on the Superman books and that will 'fix' them" were wrong.

Really, I'm not into them.

I'm starting to actually warm up to all three of the Superman titles....... they're all getting more interesting to me.

Personally though, I think I'd love to see Busiek and Mark Millar on the title. I just recently read Busiek's Superman: Secret Identity, and Millar's Superman: Red Son and his animated-style Superman Adventures trades..... and even though they are all elseworlds titles (or whatever you call them now), I think they are really good illustrations of how well Busiek and Millar "get" Superman.

-Zadillo