It’s official! I and Journey Press are pleased to announce By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Manga & Anime.
The term “Yuri” began life as a coded reference to lesbianism within manga and anime genres, but in the last two decades has been shaped by creators, publishers and fans into a genre of its own. Though Yuri as a genre is a modern development, it has a century of artistic and literary history behind it. In “By Your Side: The First 100 Year of Yuri,” we take a stroll through that history, from Yoshiya Nobuko’s pioneering works for young women in 1920s Japan, to current 21st century trends in webcomics, light novels, visual novels, events, manga and more.
Factual, funny and highly entertaining, By Your Side is a series of interlocking essays, articles and lectures from Friedman’s work on Yuri anime and manga. Meant to be approached as informal discussion in the manner of convivial conversation over multiple dinners, or panels at an anime convention, through these essays, readers will become familiar with the key creators, tropes, concepts, symbols and titles of the first 100 years of the Yuri genre. Walk by our side as we journey through the past, present and future of Yuri!
By Your Side is scheduled for a June 2022 release, in time for both Pride Month and the 20th anniversary of Okazu, the oldest and most comprehensive site on Yuri in any language.
About Erica Friedman
Erica holds a Masters Degree in Library Science and a B.A. in Comparative Literature, and is a full-time researcher for a Fortune 100 company. She has lectured at dozens of conventions and presented at film festivals, notably the San Francisco Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. She has participated in an academic lecture series at MIT, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Harvard University, Kanagawa University, and others.
She has edited manga for JManga, Seven Seas and Udon Entertainent, most recently Riyoko Ikeda’s epic historical classic, The Rose of Versailles.
Erica has written about Yuri for Japanese literary journal Eureka, Animerica magazine, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Dark Horse, and contributed to Forbes, Slate, Huffington Post, Hooded Utilitarian, and The Mary Sue online. The founder of Yuricon, she has written news and event reports, interviews Yuri creators and reviews Yuri anime, manga and related media on her blog Okazu since 2002.
About Journey Press
Journey Press was born in 2019 with the goal of bringing unusual and diverse science fiction to the forefront of the publishing landscape. They are dedicated to supporting the women and queer people who have been erased from the history books and reprinting novels that fell by the wayside, in addition to publishing new novels by creators of all types.
For interviews, signings or appearances please contact Erica Friedman
https://www.yuricon.com/contact-yuricon/
For all other publicity, please contact Christine Sandquist at publicity@journeypress.com
This is so exciting! I can’t wait to get my copy!
Congrats on an amazing achievement!
Thank you, I am so pleased to be working with Journey Press. It’s like working with family, without the sulking and screaming and incrimination. ^_^
Is there anywhere where one could pre-order a copy?
It’s coming out in 2022. I guarantee there will be places you will be able to pre-order it. ^_^
Congrats! Looking forward to it.
Excellent work! Congratulations!
Isn’t it amazing how long it takes to get from the press release to the publication?
We chose this on purpose, honestly. It gives us a lot of time to get it right and is a perfect way to celebrate Okazu’s 20th!
Erica,
Congratulations! What a perfect time for a release!
Can’t wait to read it.
Have a great day.
Rachel
Thank you! You have a great day, too.
And a congratulations from me as well!
Thank you!