But there’s an inherent generalization in this conclusion that overlooks the fact that there’s still many more styles of manga than we’ve seen here in the U.S. They’re not all cute and sexy and they’re just starting to make their way into the market. But we know that there’s also many new styles of storytelling and drawing in occidental comics in this new marketplace than ever before. Even if they don’t sell like the most commercial manga.

It sure is early to be writing off conventional American comics, be they super hero comics or art comics. This is all still very new to the book market and I believe the direct market, or at least significant parts of it, are adapting and refining what they sell and how they sell it. If you don’t like how the market looks today, stick around, it’s likely to change.

Let a thousand comics bloom!!! There’s a market correction going on. Certain genres have artificially dominated the comics marketplace, primarily because of how comics are traditionally sold. But thats changing. There was a time you could barely find anything but a superhero comic in a chain bookstore. Thats clearly changed.

Manga is here to stay and it will settle into a shifting balance with the other categories in the market. The winners in the long run will be the readers, creators and publishers as this market fitfully begins to reflect the wide variety of comics available. The long awaited death of the one-genre comics marketplace is upon us.

It was you.

I swear!

{dammitIhategettingoldandlosingmymind}

2) I’ve been to Borders and Barnes & Noble and all those many times in many major metropolitan areas. Never, not once, have I ever seen manga outshelf the others EIGHT TO ONE! Maybe two to one, but generally it’s dead even at best, from my own anecdotal experience.

3) You can’t call them “Occidental” comics unless I can once again order “Oriental” delivery.

– Jonathan