Erica Friedman is already doing a good job of this, but I keep running into it in different corners of the Internet, so I wanted to do a short post on it.
Seven Seas has clearly tapped into a need with their Strawberry line, but they are not the first licensors of yuri in the U.S.
ALC is. They have been on my radar since last year, when Rica ‘tte Kanje!? started getting some attention. ALC is one of those small manga companies that we fans really like, the sort of place where everyone really is working for love, not money. For that precise reason, their hard work should be acknowledged.
I’m sure Seven Seas is going to do great things with yuri manga, and they will doubtless expand the market. They just weren’t there first.
And while you’re waiting for Strawberry, which launches next year, check out Erica’s welcome-to-yuri essays at Yuricon and her yuri reviews at her own blog, Okazu.
And Rica is a really charming book. I also loved the way ALC marketed it, assuring readers that it was actually fun yuri. I like being reassured that books are fun.
Thank you Brigid – and David!
You’ll both be please to know (and hopefully to read, I’ll definitely send you both copies) that Rica and Miho from “Rica ‘tte Kanji!?” will be returning in Yuri Monogatari 4, which should be released in the next few weeks.
On behalf of all the writers and artists and folks who work on ALC yuri publications, thanks for your support!
Cheers,
Erica
ALC Publishing – “Where the girl always gets the girl.”
http://www.anilesbocon.org/