Archive for the ALC Publishing Category


Follow-up Note on ‘Tokyo Love’ Delays

September 20th, 2012

So yesterday I told you all about the delays with the print version of Tokyo Love ~ Rica ‘tte Kanji!?

Today Rica and I made a drastic decision. We’re scrapping the manuscript we’re using and starting over from scratch. The original edition of Rica ‘tte Kanji!? was created in 2003, before there were high-res scanners for household use. So many things have changed, the way we letter, and the way we scan, the way we lay pages out…everything.

So, yes, we know this is going to delay the print edition even more than it is, but we’ve decided to remaster all the pages. Re-scan, re-clean, re-letter if needed, re-lay them out.

Why am I telling you this? Because, 1) I want you to see as much as you can into our workshop, since ultimately, this is all about you. Rica and I care about what you see, we care about your reading experience and I want you to know that. And, mostly, 2) Why not? there’s no reason to hide the fact that I made a command decision that didn’t work out. ^_^ We’re human, so of course sometimes we make the wrong decision. And this was one of those moments that “it seemed like a good idea at the time” wasn’t a good idea at all. Oh well. It’s a learning experience.

The upshot is, you’ll get a completely remastered version of the original Rica ‘tte Kanji!?, so everything will look better than it did in the first place. If we have to re-letter those early pages, we’ll replace the ever-hated Comic Sans, with the default I now use (Komika, if anyone cares. And if you hate that one too, oh well. I really like the way it looks. ^_^) Plus, the “More Rica” pages from the Yuri Monogatari collections, and the as-yet unpublished in English work and the brand-new-for-this-collection pages.

At NYCC, we’ll be premiering the ebook version, which will be DRM-free epub – we are committed to keeping all our digital editions DRM-free from here forward. And we’ll launch the online free edition. When NYCC is over, we’ll start taking pre-orders for the print edition, but we still don’t know, exactly, when that will come out. I’m going to pretend it will be available for the holiday buying season and work hard to make that true.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who (so far!) has helped out with this book: Rica, of course, Takami-sama, Diane, Ed, Masayo-san, Yukiyo-san, Erin, Heather (who let me freak out at her a few times)  and my wife who is probably heartily sick of me talking about this book, and really ready for this to be over.

This has been an exhausting process. It’s not over yet. But when it is, you will have the absolutely best book Rica and I can make for you. That is our promise to you.





Sincere Apologies for Delays with Tokyo Love ~ Rica ‘tte Kanji!?

September 19th, 2012

I would like to sincerely apologize to everyone who is waiting for the release of the much-delayed 20-year retrospective of Rica Takashima’s Yuri manga, Tokyo Love ~ Rica ‘tte Kanji!?

This project, which means so much to both Rica and I, has been plagued with an apparently never-ending set of personal, professional and technical setbacks, the likes of which I have never even imagined, let alone planned for.

The original plan for this book release was in June 2012. Then we were sure it would be August. Then it seemed like New York Comic Con would work. Now…we’re still not sure. As you might guess, this project has been a significant time-sink for me this summer and when this is finally done, reviews will resume here at a more typical pace.

I’m not sure if this is some kind of cosmic test the universe is throwing at us, or a dire warning to not continue this process, but every time we approach a finale, something inexplicable and unresolvable seems to happen. We will persevere and this book will be released. Eventually.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that we should, maybe, be able to get e-book versions up and available for purchase by NYCC and maybe the Kindle version too. (Maybe, because everything else has broken just as we finished it and I don’t want to tempt fate with these, too.) We’ve also got a special online version planned, so anyone, anywhere that has Internet access (and within some technical limitations) will be able to read the book, for free.

When NYCC is over, we’ll put up the pre-orders for the print version and start praying that we can get our technical issues resolved before the end of 2012. Start saying Ave Marias now, we’re going to need all the help we can get.

In the meantime, I would like to apologize to you all for what might seem like endless delays in getting this book on the market.





Yuri Invades JManga (Again!) With Yuru Yuri

August 23rd, 2012

In the 1960s the British Invasion was led by the Beatles, in the 2000s, the Manga Invasion was led by Tokyopop and in the 2010s, the Yuri Invasion is led by JManga and ALC Publishing!

Today on JManga, namori-sensei’s hit manga series from the pages of Comic Yuri Hime, Yuru Yuri lands with the kind of splash that only 4 girls sitting around doing absolutely nothing could provide! (Judges’ score: 10 out of 10 for having fun)

For fans of Yuru Yuri, there is a contest quiz – answer questions that show your knowledge of the series and be entered to win prizes and great fame. ^_^

And last, (but not least, because I wrote it,, so don’t forget to tell JManga how awesome it is, ^_^) JManga’s Poi Poi features an essay I wrote about the Yuri publishing landscape in Japan from 2003-2012, called The Yuri Scene in Japan 2003 – 2012. Enjoy!

More Yuri manga will be coming in the days ahead and more promotional fun from JManga, Ichijinsha and ALC Publishing!





POOR POOR LIPS, Volume 1 debuts on JManga!

February 7th, 2012

Okashi Nako is a young woman living in poverty. When she applies to work at a Gem store, she learns that store owner, Otsuka Ren, is a lesbian. Ren promises that Nako’s not her type, but she may be lying…. Nako takes the job and so begins a comedic tale of rich and poor, sickness and health, for better and for worse!

http://www.jmanga.com/poor-poor-lips/1

Yuri comedy 4-koma manga, POOR POOR LIPS, by Goto Hayako, now on JManga, in partnership with ALC Publishing.

***

That’s the PR. Here’s the real message. I need your help.

Folks who are not in North America are blocked from this and I think it’s a BAD idea. I am trying to convince the folks at JManga that a globally accessible Yuri portal would be a GOOD idea. You can help simply by contacting JManga and letting them know what country you are from and that you would *love* to be able to access their Yuri manga.

You can contact JManga:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmanga.official

On their website: http://www.jmanga.com/contact (Kathryn adds, “if people are trying to access the JManga site from outside North America, all they will get is a blue splash page essentially saying “You are not allowed in here.” For people who therefore can’t access the “Contact Information” section of the website, their email address is:

info at jmanga dot com”

Thanks Kathryn for the heads up!)

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JManga_official

Of course, please be polite. Express your interest in accessing Yuri manga. Even if you get a “we can’t do that at this time” email, please don’t get discouraged.

Also, fans in North America, you can help too. Send a message to JManga telling them how you support JManga’s efforts in getting Yuri to a global audience.

The goal here is to stop the gerrymandering policies that Japanese companies still work under. It’s time to let them know that the world is full of Yuri fans. ^_^

I think we can make this change, if we work together!





ALC Publishing and JManga Announce POOR POOR LIPS Partnership!

January 20th, 2012

Okashi Nako is a young woman living in poverty. When she applies to work at a Gem store, she learns that store owner, Otsuka Ren, is a lesbian. Ren promises that Nako’s not her type, but she may be lying…. Nako takes the job and so begins a comedic tale of rich and poor, sickness and health, for better and for worse!

ALC Publishing and JManga are proud to announce a partnership to bring you Goto Hayako’s Yuri love comedy, POOR POOR LIPS!

From JManga, the world’s first official Japanese manga portal website, directly from the 39 prominent publishers that make up the Digital Comic Association, and from ALC Publishing, a pioneer in Yuri Manga comes a partnership that brings you some of the best in Yuri digital manga straight from Japan! With the honest representation of lesbian life you’ve come to expect from ALC and the convenience of digital manga, Poor Poor Lips is sure to please Yuri fans.

(Cover Image: Poor Poor Lips Volume 1 (c)HAYAKO GOTO/Takeshobo Co., Ltd.)