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Manga Coming To US Paper Funny Pages Date: 11/7/2005 |
| CBS News is running an AP article that mentions in January, the Sunday funnies of several major North American newspapers will have doe-eyed women in frilly outfits, effeminate long-haired heroes and other trademark images of the Japanese comic style. The reason? Newspaper editors want to attract more young readers. A study released earlier this year by the Carnegie Corporation put the age of newspaper readers at 53 and climbing _ hardly a recipe for circulation growth. "We thought if teens and young kids are reading manga, then why don't we get something in the paper that teens want to read?" said John Glynn, vice president at Universal Press Syndicate, which distributes comics and columns globally to newspapers. "Newspapers are being seen as their parents' medium." "The newspapers want the manga more even than we want the newspapers," says Stuart Levy, chief executive of TOKYOPOP Inc., which publishes the cartoon strips that will be carried. "Newspapers are looking for new fresh ways to appeal to young people." Van Von Hunter and Peach Fuzz will be syndicated. "Van Von Hunter," by Ron Kaulfersch and Mike Schwark, is a horror spoof about a warrior and his female sidekick who dress in Gothic-inspired costumes and are on a mission to fight evil. The quirky "Peach Fuzz" explores conflicting views of reality. It depicts 9-year-old Amanda's desire to become friends with her pet ferret, Peach, who harbors delusions of being a pampered, veil-donning princess. The article mentions Stu Levy's next project will be offering an English-language manga service on the Web that will allow people to view the comics online or download them onto their mobile phones to read on the go. |
| Source: Anime News Service |
