What's between Old School and New School?

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Drew_Sutton
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Re: What's between Old School and New School?

Post by Drew_Sutton »

DKop wrote:I thnk gramarz errors are mai miggest issue whne it comz to my posts. You just gotta always be creful about hwo you tpye.

Now to check and see if I got my grammar right before I hit submi--
I totally identify with this post as my spirit animal :lol:
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labsenpai
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Re: What's between Old School and New School?

Post by labsenpai »

SteveH wrote: What I recall, even Robotech didn't really push the Japanese connection, but they did put Tatsunoko out there. I think. It's been AGES since I've seen the Robotech credit crawl, if the 'Art of Robotech' book is any guide there's zero Japanese names listed, only the HG people.
The last chapter of Starblaze Editions Robotech Art 1 guidebook (in my hands atm) gives a very detailed background on Studio Nue's effort. Kawamori and others are named, and some producers of other work like Nippon Studio's Crusher Joe. This very book, in 1986, revealed the connection to teens like me far away from coastal fan organizations. I can scan the pages if anyone wants evidence.

A catalyst moment to me is when you step out the door to go to that club, comic show, or cinema for original anime. That is when you joined "school".
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Re: What's between Old School and New School?

Post by SteveH »

labsenpai wrote:
SteveH wrote: What I recall, even Robotech didn't really push the Japanese connection, but they did put Tatsunoko out there. I think. It's been AGES since I've seen the Robotech credit crawl, if the 'Art of Robotech' book is any guide there's zero Japanese names listed, only the HG people.
The last chapter of Starblaze Editions Robotech Art 1 guidebook (in my hands atm) gives a very detailed background on Studio Nue's effort. Kawamori and others are named, and some producers of other work like Nippon Studio's Crusher Joe. This very book, in 1986, revealed the connection to teens like me far away from coastal fan organizations. I can scan the pages if anyone wants evidence.

A catalyst moment to me is when you step out the door to go to that club, comic show, or cinema for original anime. That is when you joined "school".
Yes but read what I wrote again. I'm referring to the show itself. That's the important part. Ardith's work on that book was outstanding, if not for her that thing would have been nothing but HG press material.

And again, look at that book in hand. Page 246. I'm not seeing a whole lot of acknowledgement of the Japanese production staff there, are you? I just don't know if that page is also a reflection on the actual credits crawl in the show itself.
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labsenpai
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Re: What's between Old School and New School?

Post by labsenpai »

I'd readily believe the Robotech credits didn't name any of the original studio staff. Yet, the revealing artbook wasn't terribly rare; I found mine in a nowhere-Indiana Waldenbooks outlet. If you loved the series and were old enough to want something from it other than a toy, some extra reading would help you learn more about Macross, etc.
I can't remember all the clues I must have chased relative to fandom. Without internet, everything had to be absorbed from 'zines or discovered at fan gatherings. By my first year in college, I knew titles of anime/manga I wanted to collect, and possessed my first few raw VHS. The only pieces left of my trail that date from before 1989 are the HG artbook and issues from Pacific Rim Publishing's ANIMAG run.
Returning to the thread's question at large, if this search for the anime connection didn't happen to you, welcome to the "New School".
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Re: What's between Old School and New School?

Post by SteveH »

labsenpai wrote:I'd readily believe the Robotech credits didn't name any of the original studio staff. Yet, the revealing artbook wasn't terribly rare; I found mine in a nowhere-Indiana Waldenbooks outlet. If you loved the series and were old enough to want something from it other than a toy, some extra reading would help you learn more about Macross, etc.
I can't remember all the clues I must have chased relative to fandom. Without internet, everything had to be absorbed from 'zines or discovered at fan gatherings. By my first year in college, I knew titles of anime/manga I wanted to collect, and possessed my first few raw VHS. The only pieces left of my trail that date from before 1989 are the HG artbook and issues from Pacific Rim Publishing's ANIMAG run.
Returning to the thread's question at large, if this search for the anime connection didn't happen to you, welcome to the "New School".
It wasn't that rare because Donning/Starblaze printed a bajillion of them. Way way more copies than orders for. It was one of the things that really put a hurt on the publisher. I'm trying to recall where it was slotted when new, my instinct says with the SF Trade Paperbacks until the stacks came in from a remainder seller. Then it went on one of the tables at the front of the store.

Heck, I picked up copies of the 'The Stars my Destination' graphic novel hardcover (supposed to be a 2-volume set, the first volume came with a slipcase for both, the second volume was never printed and it was years until the complete work was published as one trade paperback)..just looked, ooops, this wasn't Donning/Starblaze and I forgot that it was a signed limited edition that was way late coming out-there's a letter of apology that came with mine, including some art cards. hehehehe. I remember the days of crazed buying of signed editions.

anyway, Art of Robotech was a decent book. The second one was kind of odd, I think it was mainly kissing up to some specific fans and the third one not much more than H-G puffery for the abortive Sentinels project. I guess Robotech Art 3 command some crazy prices in some quarters for as little as it contains.
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Re: What's between Old School and New School?

Post by _D_ »

Wow! Some grand old names mentioned here. Whatever happened to Ardith anyway? I'll have to find out. Macek I don't recall meeting. Fred Schodt though...I have an autographed copy of his manga book from 1993. Lotsa people used to do the convention circuit back in the day. I don't recall Speed Racer but Astroboy must have been on for me to watch as I remember picking up the comic in the 1960s. But then everything goes dark until the late 1970s and me finding out about Albator (Harlock) on the local French CBC affiliate, and then Star Blazers on a cable channel out of Duluth Minnesota. I should see if I can check the dates as I have those on tape, though as I recall, I was not able to get Albator on its first run since I did not get my first VHS recorder until 1980. But the VCR was the real revolutionary device. Without that, there was no way to introduce anime to the early fandom. So, Macek had it right for his business model but wrong for fandom in general. The other biggie was the creation of the World Wide Web. I was already on newsgroups in the early to mid 1980s as well as several BBSes (remember those?) so things like email were common to me but once actual websites started to appear, that created a huge number of new fans. Wonder if any French Canadian fans found out exactly how CBC and other French language TV stations started picking up on anime back in the early 1980s? Would be interesting reading...
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Re: What's between Old School and New School?

Post by SteveH »

Ardith, as far as I am aware, is still gainfully employed at Hobbylink Japan. If I heard right she's even bought some property, a former noodle shop that she and her companion live over.

(I will not make 1000 Year Queen comments, I will not make 1000 Year Queen comments, I will not make 1000 Year Queen comments)

It's meaningless to say of course but I am very very proud and happy for her success.
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DKop
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Re: What's between Old School and New School?

Post by DKop »

Over a year ago she was on the Anime World Order Podcast to talk about her otaku life, very interesting (as well as the secret Brygar theme song that was sung by SteveH IIRC)

http://www.awopodcast.com/2015/01/anime ... orrow.html
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Re: What's between Old School and New School?

Post by PinkAppleJam »

Drew_Sutton wrote:I think Steve's right - it's less about a 'generation' and more about an inflection point or catalyst anime. I grew up in the mid-80s watching GI Joe, Transformers, JEM, Thundercats and Silverhawks - all of these American shows that outsourced animation to Japan and contemporaries of Robotech that certainly inspired an enjoyment of Japanese animation. But growing up where I did, we were too enthralled with our parent's stories of rivers catching on fire to busy ourselves with Robotech; I didn't see it until the late 90s (after I watched Macross II!) I wouldn't count myself as an anime fan until the mid 90s when I saw fansubs at a comic book show, advertising 'Japanimation' as the tape played on a small TV at the booth. And even then, it was still another year before I really got sucked in with Sailor Moon and Yoroiden Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors.

I consider those mid-90s adventures my inflection point - I not only saw these cartoons as really different, I knew they were really different. I devoured as much as I could about them. Fortunately, I got on the Internet not too long after, which lead to a very deep spiral of a rabbit hole. In some ways, I can hardly imagine myself in Dave or Steve's shoes, trying to find this info having to go zine to zine, club to club. Hashtag blessed.
Likewise! The animation styles of many kids shows to me had traits that implied they were animated in a studio from abroad. The credits would show Asian names and that would help me define what was and was not anime.

The UK didn't get Robotech or Samurai Troopers. Our specific boom was Manga Video, which launched it's label in 1992ish - at the same time Super Nintendo magazines were reproducing brilliant video game cartridge artwork (as many games still had westernised game art made for western releases), and AnimeUK magazine launched.

Before that we had Star Fleet, Battle of the Planets and Samurai Pizza Cats, and many 80's co-productions like Mysterious Cities of Gold, Dogtanian, belle and Sebastian etc. We never got Kimba/Speed Racer on terrestrial either at the time. Our first UK anime was not Astro Boy, it was Marine Boy in the 60's (maybe very early 70's? Dad remembers this).

No oldskool anime in the UK (like all anime the West got in the 80's) was labelled Japan-specific. So our Oldskool title is given usually when "this is from Japan specifically" Manga Video was a thing and it was collected/traded among viewers.

To me Pokemon is still a bit Newskool, but can be classed as Middleskool now due to it's age 8D

It makes me a bit sad when people assume the UK got anime at the same time as France/Spain/Germany/Italy. These countries got DBZ/Sailormoon at the time. The UK was always 5-8 years behind in the 90's/2Ks. The UK aired 12 episodes of Sailor Moon around 2002 at 7am. That was it! More stuff was aired on cable/satellite TV but you had to be able to have access to these more expensive ways of viewing TV.

Now, streaming has calibrated everything. I am thankful for this for new anime fans :)
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Re: What's between Old School and New School?

Post by Akage »

PinkAppleJam wrote:It makes me a bit sad when people assume the UK got anime at the same time as France/Spain/Germany/Italy.
I've always been envious of the manga market in France, Germany and Italy. So many more titles are released there than in the US. In the US, if your manga is not released in Shounen Jump, Lala, Nakayoshi, HanaYume, your manga will not be released here. I've worked with scanlation groups for years to get "Woodstock" translated into English. It's been available in Italy and France for years.

...Convention scenes in France, though, are a totally different matter. If Japan Expo is anything like their two year US offshoot, Japan Expo USA, was, I'd never go to a French convention. I'd never seen such an annoying autograph ticket distribution system. You had your badge QR code into the computer, and the computer randomly decides whether you can attend or not. You receive one try per day, unless you pay for a Gold or Platinum tier badge, and in that case, you get anywhere from 2-5 more attempts for the entire day. They imported this system to the US thinking that they'd have the mega 100K+ attendance that their Paris event receives when only 500 showed up. Probably explains why they gave up after two attempts.
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