Asterix vs. Manga

[RZetlin]

Asterix Retaliates as Asian Comics Invade the European Market (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=a6BN0d.7Ttr0&refer=europe)

There more details on the storyline here (http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/7707.html). It's interesting that some European comic creators are trying to fight against the expansion of the manga market in Europe.

Are there any American comic books that are against the manga popularity in the States?

[Nitengouki]

Personally I prefer the Asterix comics when Goscinny was still around. The puns and satire in them are ageless and still funny to read, since they rarely have a specialised target.

The current Asterix would be less funny when read some years later since they are targeting current events which might fade out of memory or be irrelevant to the newer generations.

[Mr. Nail Bat]

[ QUOTE ]
Nitengouki said:
Personally I prefer the Asterix comics when Goscinny was still around. The puns and satire in them are ageless and still funny to read, since they rarely have a specialised target.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, Goscinny was a much better writer than Uderzo. Still, I love them all (even if I love some better than others).

[Althalus]

I've sampled a couple of french (internet-/fan-)reviews for the new album. Many of them consider the new volume to be badly written. The jokes fall flat, the satire comes across as very heavy-handed and he's inexplicably harsh towards manga. Others of course stress that it's still Asterix even with the SF elements or that one should at least give Uderzo credit for trying to reinvent the series. Still others (mainly in the big media like TV or newspapers) just stay silent, probably not wanting to say anything bad about one of their national icons, which is understandable. Most though seem to concur that at least the execution story-wise (not art-wise), whatever good intentions Uderzo might've had (hommage to Disney, gently caricaturing the international successes of manga), is lacking.


~Althalus

[CarlHorn]

All this is going to prove is what manga has said all along. Westerners have really big noses.

My favorite Asterix of all time has got to be "Asterix And The Laurel Wreath." The scene where Asterix acts as his own prosecuting attorney is worth the cost alone.

Anyway, I think in a larger sense this is a shame. English, French, and Japanese-speakers have created the three greatest comics cultures in the world. But each of the three has something distinctive to offer, and influence the other...Katsuhiro Otomo learned a lot from Moebius. Moebius is a big fan of Miyazaki. Enki Bilal likes Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.

Since Dark Horse publishes comics from all three traditions, I whipped up a little game called "American, French, or Manga?" in which, given only a sample of dialogue, you have to guess whether it's from an American, French, or Japanese story. Admittedly it's not all that challenging.

A.) "Even your vaunted 'golden chi' can't help you now!"

B.) "Maybe it's not as good as Miss Belldandy's...but it's straight from my heart."

C.) "Enough of that mystical bullshit, Mangel! Listening to your endless parrotting of the words of the Jewish philosopher Levinas, who was a disciple of Heidegger the Nazi, has become nauseating!"

[ QUOTE ]
CarlHorn said:

Since Dark Horse publishes comics from all three nations, I whipped up a little game called "American, French, or Manga?" in which, given only a sample of dialogue, you have to guess whether it's from an American, French, or Japanese story. Admittedly it's not all that challenging.

A.) "Even your vaunted 'golden chi' can't help you now!"

B.) "Maybe it's not as good as Miss Belldandy's...but it's straight from my heart."

C.) "Enough of that mystical bullshit, Mangel! Listening to your endless parrotting of the words of the Jewish philosopher Levinas, who was a disciple of Heidegger the Nazi, has become nauseating!"

[/ QUOTE ]

Very true. And fundamentally, it's all good (English, French, Japanese) can't we all just enjoy and spread the good, good comic loving?

And BTW, should I be vaguely disturbed that on B I not only know who said it and who they said it too, but also the story arc, etc.?

[Mr. Nail Bat]

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michaelwb said:
And BTW, should I be vaguely disturbed that on B I not only know who said it and who they said it too, but also the story arc, etc.?

[/ QUOTE ]

You aren't the only one, MY BROTHER.

[Njr Scrawl]

Just as a BTW, Asterix translated/adapted into other languages from its original French is often localised to the jokes & puns & name alterations of the nations whose language it is translated to.

In the UK, its (original) translators Anthea Bell & Derek Hockridge made it/kept it possibly as good for the later stories as earlier ones.

Laurel Wreath is one of the best. Big Fight, Chieftan's Son & Cleopatra are others I really like.

[populuxe]

[ QUOTE ]
Geoduck said:
[ QUOTE ]
michaelwb said:
And BTW, should I be vaguely disturbed that on B I not only know who said it and who they said it too, but also the story arc, etc.?

[/ QUOTE ]

You aren't the only one, MY BROTHER.

[/ QUOTE ]

MY OTHER BROTHER!