Sunday morning links

On Go! Comi, Jake Forbes explains how sound effects are translated. This is a great link for those who are curious about the changes manga go through as they move from Japan to the U.S. I prefer the untranslated sound effects—somehow the shapes seem to suggest the sound. I’ve been reading Initial D lately, which has a lot of panels of cars zooming around curves, and the kana really work in that context. (Thanks to Johanna at Cognitive Dissonance for pointing out this link.)
By the way, Go! Comi now has previews of all four of their new manga up. I particularly liked Tenshi Ja Nai, the story of a pathologically shy schoolgirl saddled with a celebrity roommate.
Meanwhile, Manga Life reviews volume 2 of Sgt. Frog. I’m providing a direct link so you can bypass the full-screen ads that muck up an otherwise excellent site. There must be a better way to pay the bills. Those new to Sgt. Frog should also check out David Welsh’s July 11 Flipped Column, in which he counts the ways he loves this manga. My 11-year-old, who recently described herself as “the kidliest one in this family,” absolutely adores Sgt. Frog, while my very sophisticated 12-year-old shuns him entirely.
For those who aren’t heavily into the comics blogosphere, there’s some sort of war going on between fans of superhero, independent, and manga comics. As a heavy reader of all three at one time or another, I find this discussion profoundly boring, but if you want to check it out, save yourself some time and go to Focused Totality, where Mark Fossen summarizes the debate and provides lots of links. I’m with Mark on this one:

I don’t care if it’s a multinational conglomerate or a basement inkjet, I’ll read what appeals to me. I don’t feel the need to be an activist, and I don’t feel the need to let Marvel/DC frame the debate. I am not reacting for or against them in the slightest, because I have no interest in being a foot soldier for someone’s else’s’ economic concern. I don’t want “mainstream” comics, or “Indy” comics … I want good comics.

They’re only comic books, folks
Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter comments that whether or not there is a “market correction,” manga are likely to be around for a while, and he’s hoping that we continue to see “quality” books like Buddha and The Push Man.

A range of upper level work becoming published may keep tastemakers from heaping praise on relentlessly middlebrow books and thus risk disappointing readers hoping for more.

Hmph! Some of us just read comics for fun, you know. After a hard day at the word factory, there’s nothing more relaxing than kicking back with a nice, brain-dead schoolgirl story. Still, I agree with Spurgeon that there should be room in the market for both.