Comments for Kent Ward's Land of Awesome http://www.kentward.com Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:23:24 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 Comment on Attack Of The Green Mist: TNA Misses Its Opportunity To Shine by Tom http://www.kentward.com/2011/10/attack-of-the-green-mist-tna-misses-its-opportunity-to-shine/comment-page-1/#comment-5159 Tom Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:23:24 +0000 http://www.kentward.com/?p=1978#comment-5159 Agree with every word and I grew up loving Hogan. Agree with every word and I grew up loving Hogan.

]]> Comment on Following up on “Robama” and Mr. Surat by Shawn WIlson http://www.kentward.com/2012/01/following-up-on-robama-and-mr-surat/comment-page-1/#comment-5142 Shawn WIlson Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:22:53 +0000 http://www.kentward.com/?p=2138#comment-5142 I don't see a problem in the first place. I would love to have turned in some of the garbage manga or anime that I got last year for some of the new 52. (Even though I don't like most of those anyway) I don’t see a problem in the first place. I would love to have turned in some of the garbage manga or anime that I got last year for some of the new 52. (Even though I don’t like most of those anyway)

]]> Comment on The Saga Of Robama And Correcting Mr. Surat, etc. by aaron http://www.kentward.com/2012/01/the-saga-of-robama-and-correcting-mr-surat-etc/comment-page-1/#comment-5138 aaron Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:15:58 +0000 http://www.kentward.com/?p=2113#comment-5138 I was tagged on Facebook with this. I used my actual name here. It's not disingenuous all. You are over thinking that. You made some good points and I'll make my points on my outlets. I was tagged on Facebook with this. I used my actual name here. It’s not disingenuous all. You are over thinking that.

You made some good points and I’ll make my points on my outlets.

]]> Comment on The Saga Of Robama And Correcting Mr. Surat, etc. by Kent Ward http://www.kentward.com/2012/01/the-saga-of-robama-and-correcting-mr-surat-etc/comment-page-1/#comment-5135 Kent Ward Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:42:20 +0000 http://www.kentward.com/?p=2113#comment-5135 Thank you Mr. Pandich for understanding. The whole thing had me very frustrated on multiple levels. Part of me wishes I slept on the matter before writing a rebuttal. It would have certainly been less hostile. I do not hate Daryl Surat. I agree with him on many points in regards to fandom. Sometimes he'll say something that will aggravate me but I say things that aggravate people as well, as I've seen in some of these responses. I wish Daryl talked to me before he brought up the issue yesterday out in the open so I could clear things up with him since I can get more information about what was going on. But likewise, I should have talked to him in person to vent my frustration before I began writing this last night. Thank you Mr. Pandich for understanding. The whole thing had me very frustrated on multiple levels. Part of me wishes I slept on the matter before writing a rebuttal. It would have certainly been less hostile.

I do not hate Daryl Surat. I agree with him on many points in regards to fandom. Sometimes he’ll say something that will aggravate me but I say things that aggravate people as well, as I’ve seen in some of these responses.

I wish Daryl talked to me before he brought up the issue yesterday out in the open so I could clear things up with him since I can get more information about what was going on. But likewise, I should have talked to him in person to vent my frustration before I began writing this last night.

]]> Comment on The Saga Of Robama And Correcting Mr. Surat, etc. by Thomas Pandich http://www.kentward.com/2012/01/the-saga-of-robama-and-correcting-mr-surat-etc/comment-page-1/#comment-5134 Thomas Pandich Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:46:17 +0000 http://www.kentward.com/?p=2113#comment-5134 Fair enough; the two of you do know each other and obviously have a working relationship. I do totally understand being super frustrated with internet stuff especially when it contains something going viral with most negative comics disparaging a friend. No hard feelings from me to you or to A Comic Shop. Thanks for clarifying. See you around at Megacon. Fair enough; the two of you do know each other and obviously have a working relationship. I do totally understand being super frustrated with internet stuff especially when it contains something going viral with most negative comics disparaging a friend. No hard feelings from me to you or to A Comic Shop. Thanks for clarifying. See you around at Megacon.

]]> Comment on The Saga Of Robama And Correcting Mr. Surat, etc. by Jordan http://www.kentward.com/2012/01/the-saga-of-robama-and-correcting-mr-surat-etc/comment-page-1/#comment-5133 Jordan Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:16:40 +0000 http://www.kentward.com/?p=2113#comment-5133 Kent. The only thing I got out of this post is you wanted to physically harm someone who didn't agree with you and also at some point end his life. All I saw here was a kid throwing a tantrum. You don't handle things very well. And I think it's sick that this comic shop takes Cyborg and renames him Robama. And I'm only assuming this was done because both Cyborg and Obama are black. I also think it's stupid that you expect people to dismiss this comic shops poor tastes simply because it's a comic shop. It's not simply a comic shop. It's a brick and mortar business! Kent. The only thing I got out of this post is you wanted to physically harm someone who didn’t agree with you and also at some point end his life. All I saw here was a kid throwing a tantrum.

You don’t handle things very well.

And I think it’s sick that this comic shop takes Cyborg and renames him Robama. And I’m only assuming this was done because both Cyborg and Obama are black.

I also think it’s stupid that you expect people to dismiss this comic shops poor tastes simply because it’s a comic shop. It’s not simply a comic shop. It’s a brick and mortar business!

]]> Comment on The Saga Of Robama And Correcting Mr. Surat, etc. by Kent Ward http://www.kentward.com/2012/01/the-saga-of-robama-and-correcting-mr-surat-etc/comment-page-1/#comment-5132 Kent Ward Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:14:54 +0000 http://www.kentward.com/?p=2113#comment-5132 Hey Mr. Pandich, Daryl knows I wasn't going to punch him in the throat. But I was very frustrated that something I worked hard on for years be called someone else's. Daryl had explained himself in his response and I have moved. (And as you can see, I even praised his work and promototed.) I've said all I could say on this matter without repeating myself. I do appreciate everyone's thoughts and concerns. I've told Aaron to check this post regularly today because I feel there is a lot of useful feedback in these comments that I think he can use moving forward with a market he is unfamiliar with. Thanks you everyone for stopping by. I'll try to approve more comments when I get the chance. Hey Mr. Pandich,

Daryl knows I wasn’t going to punch him in the throat. But I was very frustrated that something I worked hard on for years be called someone else’s. Daryl had explained himself in his response and I have moved. (And as you can see, I even praised his work and promototed.)

I’ve said all I could say on this matter without repeating myself. I do appreciate everyone’s thoughts and concerns. I’ve told Aaron to check this post regularly today because I feel there is a lot of useful feedback in these comments that I think he can use moving forward with a market he is unfamiliar with.

Thanks you everyone for stopping by. I’ll try to approve more comments when I get the chance.

]]> Comment on The Saga Of Robama And Correcting Mr. Surat, etc. by Thomas Pandich http://www.kentward.com/2012/01/the-saga-of-robama-and-correcting-mr-surat-etc/comment-page-1/#comment-5131 Thomas Pandich Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:04:40 +0000 http://www.kentward.com/?p=2113#comment-5131 I can see why fans of anime and manga could take offense to the ad. Granted, the people who are most likely to take offense to the ad are the ones who most likely post "Japan >>>>>>> AMERIKKKA$$$". I think the lesson in general is comic based jingoism is bad on both sides. In any event, Kent I really think if this blog post was to chastise Daryl Surat over misappropriating your anime club to an anime club that you run that belongs to A Comic Shop is at best an overreaction and at worst literate internet trolling. From the way I read it, I thought it was your anime club and only after re-reading could I see your point. Beyond that, ending your post with a half threat to assault to someone you know (who praised you twice during this controversy on twitter) is never cool. If your point was to rebuff the attitude that A Comic Shop likes anime/manga and wants to sell it, well duh. Only the most rage-blinded people would think they're buying up manga to then proceed and burn it. Having said that, the ad taken in a vacuum isn't positive to manga or manga fans. It reads as "get rid of your old shitty manga and trade it for the superior American comics that everyone has been talking about". That and DC doesn't have any other high profile black characters anymore appearing in non-canceled books (save Batwing). I can see why fans of anime and manga could take offense to the ad. Granted, the people who are most likely to take offense to the ad are the ones who most likely post “Japan >>>>>>> AMERIKKKA$$$”. I think the lesson in general is comic based jingoism is bad on both sides.

In any event, Kent I really think if this blog post was to chastise Daryl Surat over misappropriating your anime club to an anime club that you run that belongs to A Comic Shop is at best an overreaction and at worst literate internet trolling. From the way I read it, I thought it was your anime club and only after re-reading could I see your point. Beyond that, ending your post with a half threat to assault to someone you know (who praised you twice during this controversy on twitter) is never cool.

If your point was to rebuff the attitude that A Comic Shop likes anime/manga and wants to sell it, well duh. Only the most rage-blinded people would think they’re buying up manga to then proceed and burn it. Having said that, the ad taken in a vacuum isn’t positive to manga or manga fans. It reads as “get rid of your old shitty manga and trade it for the superior American comics that everyone has been talking about”. That and DC doesn’t have any other high profile black characters anymore appearing in non-canceled books (save Batwing).

]]> Comment on The Saga Of Robama And Correcting Mr. Surat, etc. by Tom Croom http://www.kentward.com/2012/01/the-saga-of-robama-and-correcting-mr-surat-etc/comment-page-1/#comment-5130 Tom Croom Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:23:43 +0000 http://www.kentward.com/?p=2113#comment-5130 Wow. This is almost like reading Orange Anime in the 2000s - but with better grammar. Interesting predicament. Regardless of right or wrong, though, this DID get A Comic Shop some press. The question is whether is it good PR for the short term or damaging in the long term... Food for thought. Wow. This is almost like reading Orange Anime in the 2000s – but with better grammar.

Interesting predicament. Regardless of right or wrong, though, this DID get A Comic Shop some press. The question is whether is it good PR for the short term or damaging in the long term…

Food for thought.

]]> Comment on The Saga Of Robama And Correcting Mr. Surat, etc. by vash http://www.kentward.com/2012/01/the-saga-of-robama-and-correcting-mr-surat-etc/comment-page-1/#comment-5129 vash Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:22:54 +0000 http://www.kentward.com/?p=2113#comment-5129 Personally, the only American comics I read are Vertigo's Fables and Dark Horse Star Wars. I'll wait a month or so until Aaron advertises a "we've got all this manga on sale" event, and then visit, once the firestorm dies down. Personally, the only American comics I read are Vertigo’s Fables and Dark Horse Star Wars. I’ll wait a month or so until Aaron advertises a “we’ve got all this manga on sale” event, and then visit, once the firestorm dies down.

]]> Comment on The Saga Of Robama And Correcting Mr. Surat, etc. by spankminister http://www.kentward.com/2012/01/the-saga-of-robama-and-correcting-mr-surat-etc/comment-page-1/#comment-5128 spankminister Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:47:40 +0000 http://www.kentward.com/?p=2113#comment-5128 This post initially confused me, since I took Daryl's Tweet to mean that @FistoftheMFK founded the anime club there, and your outrage meant that you, not this @FistoftheMFK person founded it, and how dare Daryl get it wrong. Then I looked at your Twitter handle, and had no idea what you were talking about. Yeah, I'm going to echo Daryl's sentiment: you have the benefit of knowing this person, and what the ad might mean. But it's on the internet now, and it's also relevant <em>how it looks</em> since it ties in with the existing fan/store divide between comics/manga. I think most people's LCS is not as good as yours, and they'll see this as a wedge. This post initially confused me, since I took Daryl’s Tweet to mean that @FistoftheMFK founded the anime club there, and your outrage meant that you, not this @FistoftheMFK person founded it, and how dare Daryl get it wrong. Then I looked at your Twitter handle, and had no idea what you were talking about.

Yeah, I’m going to echo Daryl’s sentiment: you have the benefit of knowing this person, and what the ad might mean. But it’s on the internet now, and it’s also relevant how it looks since it ties in with the existing fan/store divide between comics/manga. I think most people’s LCS is not as good as yours, and they’ll see this as a wedge.

]]> Comment on The Saga Of Robama And Correcting Mr. Surat, etc. by Kent Ward http://www.kentward.com/2012/01/the-saga-of-robama-and-correcting-mr-surat-etc/comment-page-1/#comment-5127 Kent Ward Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:43:37 +0000 http://www.kentward.com/?p=2113#comment-5127 I really do understand your perspective and you do make some valid points. This post was written as a response to people on my twitter feed that developed the opinion that A Comic Shop doesn't care for anime fans based on this advertisement. Unfortunately, by the time I had finished writing this and hit the post button, the issue blew up beyond a ridiculous point. I'm incredibly intrigued that this story is running on places like <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/01/17-1/dcs-robama-ad-sends-out-battle-cry-to-discourage-manga-sales" rel="nofollow">Crunchyroll</a> and <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-01-17/comic-shop-dc-funded-ad/buy-american-trade-manga-for-dc-issue" rel="nofollow">Anime News Network</a>. I see the mass of negative comments from the Crunchyroll post, but it doesn't help that their headline is "DC's "'Robama' Ad Sends Out Battle Cry to Discourage Manga Sales." What's actually going on is that A Comic Shop is encouraging people to use manga they already bought as currency to encourage sales of an "American" brand of comic books. (Of course, you know this already.) Anime News Network's headline is "Comic Shop's DC-Funded Ad: 'Buy American,' Trade Manga for DC Issue" and is not editorial at all. (I also see that the response from readers is far less hostile, which is a shock considering the nature of that forum.) Segregation of of the fandoms is indeed a problem but on the flip side, anime fans in those comments who have not taken to the ad aren't doing the fandom any favors when they ignorantly go on and say things that would implicate that American comics are terrible and that all manga from Japan is superior. Hell, here is one of the comments I read, posted by "torbonator": "Marvel > DC Manga > Comics Japan > America" It's thoughts like this that have made it so the rest of geekdom have taken to looking down on anime fans. And as an anime fan myself, I don't want to be group in with that. Yeah, xenophobia exists in comic book fandom but American youth who have become anime and manga fans and have lashed out against all things American because they have failed to fit into society are no different. (Felipe Smith's "Peepo Choo" illustrates this point very well.) Convincing people who are a passionately into manga to buy American superhero comics is a lofty task. The problem is, the American comics industry doesn't seem to have figured out how to corner that market. The only clear successes I've seen so far are "Scott Pilgrim vs The World" and "The Walking Dead." The former is presented in a black and white graphic novel format similar to manga(and has art that looks closer to the average youth-targeted manga than superhero comics) and the latter has zombies in it. I understand the push for the DC 52 since A Comic Shop believes in the product but I think a better deal to entice manga fans to "buy American" would have been to find volume #1 graphic novels of western comics that manga fans could enjoy and perhaps run a deal like "trade in X number of volume #1 manga and get one of these really good graphic novels for free." (Actually, I'm just posting a deal that I would go for since I'm not high on the DC 52 like they are.) I have a feeling that this ad will help A Comic Shop do better business than what I have proposed. It's so controversial that every major anime/manga news site is picking it up and essentially giving A Comic Shop free advertising. A friendlier ad would have not gotten the same coverage and while there are plenty of people mad, there are those the ad would not have reached otherwise who may find it worth trying out. (Who doesn't have a volume #1 of a manga they aren't going to read ever again?) It won't be known how well this will do until after MegaCon. I have a feeling that there will be a nice collection of $1 manga being sold at that store though. But for anyone in Orlando who wants to go to a very good anime club that happens to meet at A Comic Shop, we'll be having a meeting there on Saturday, January 28th at 4PM. You'll find that A Comic Shop is a pretty cool environment for anime fans to hang out in. (No yiffing though.) I really do understand your perspective and you do make some valid points. This post was written as a response to people on my twitter feed that developed the opinion that A Comic Shop doesn’t care for anime fans based on this advertisement.

Unfortunately, by the time I had finished writing this and hit the post button, the issue blew up beyond a ridiculous point. I’m incredibly intrigued that this story is running on places like Crunchyroll and Anime News Network.

I see the mass of negative comments from the Crunchyroll post, but it doesn’t help that their headline is “DC’s “‘Robama’ Ad Sends Out Battle Cry to Discourage Manga Sales.” What’s actually going on is that A Comic Shop is encouraging people to use manga they already bought as currency to encourage sales of an “American” brand of comic books. (Of course, you know this already.)

Anime News Network’s headline is “Comic Shop’s DC-Funded Ad: ‘Buy American,’ Trade Manga for DC Issue” and is not editorial at all. (I also see that the response from readers is far less hostile, which is a shock considering the nature of that forum.)

Segregation of of the fandoms is indeed a problem but on the flip side, anime fans in those comments who have not taken to the ad aren’t doing the fandom any favors when they ignorantly go on and say things that would implicate that American comics are terrible and that all manga from Japan is superior.

Hell, here is one of the comments I read, posted by “torbonator”:

“Marvel > DC
Manga > Comics
Japan > America”

It’s thoughts like this that have made it so the rest of geekdom have taken to looking down on anime fans. And as an anime fan myself, I don’t want to be group in with that.

Yeah, xenophobia exists in comic book fandom but American youth who have become anime and manga fans and have lashed out against all things American because they have failed to fit into society are no different. (Felipe Smith’s “Peepo Choo” illustrates this point very well.)

Convincing people who are a passionately into manga to buy American superhero comics is a lofty task. The problem is, the American comics industry doesn’t seem to have figured out how to corner that market. The only clear successes I’ve seen so far are “Scott Pilgrim vs The World” and “The Walking Dead.” The former is presented in a black and white graphic novel format similar to manga(and has art that looks closer to the average youth-targeted manga than superhero comics) and the latter has zombies in it.

I understand the push for the DC 52 since A Comic Shop believes in the product but I think a better deal to entice manga fans to “buy American” would have been to find volume #1 graphic novels of western comics that manga fans could enjoy and perhaps run a deal like “trade in X number of volume #1 manga and get one of these really good graphic novels for free.” (Actually, I’m just posting a deal that I would go for since I’m not high on the DC 52 like they are.)

I have a feeling that this ad will help A Comic Shop do better business than what I have proposed. It’s so controversial that every major anime/manga news site is picking it up and essentially giving A Comic Shop free advertising.

A friendlier ad would have not gotten the same coverage and while there are plenty of people mad, there are those the ad would not have reached otherwise who may find it worth trying out. (Who doesn’t have a volume #1 of a manga they aren’t going to read ever again?)

It won’t be known how well this will do until after MegaCon. I have a feeling that there will be a nice collection of $1 manga being sold at that store though.

But for anyone in Orlando who wants to go to a very good anime club that happens to meet at A Comic Shop, we’ll be having a meeting there on Saturday, January 28th at 4PM. You’ll find that A Comic Shop is a pretty cool environment for anime fans to hang out in. (No yiffing though.)

]]>