William Chow's vodcast series, History of Fan Anime in North America

The roughly mid-90's and earlier (generally pre-Toonami, pre-anime boom) era of anime & manga fandom: early cons, clubs, tape trading, Nth Generation VHS fansubs, old magazines & fanzines, fandubs, ancient merchandise, rec.arts.anime, and more!
SteveH
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Re: William Chow's vodcast series, History of Fan Anime in North America

Post by SteveH »

DKop wrote:
SteveH wrote:
Argh. I'm old and cranky. :)
Oh, your definetely that alright :lol: :lol:

I got an email back from Doug, hes doing well just been busy with scanning stuff. He say's he checks the forums so he's still around.
Good to hear that Doug is OK. :)

OK, why I'm ragging on you about Tear Sheets. There's a LOT of stuff about the anime world that the current generation doesn't really know about. Consider Ardith's whole epic journey into the 'Anison' (anime song) subculture. I had no idea whatsoever that at small bars and event locations my favorite Japanese singers were earning extra bread by doing what are in effect, private concerts mixed with a kind of group Karaoke night. Who could imagine such a thing? Of course I'd be terrified to belt out my inept and mangled Japanese in front of a native audience but I'd gladly join in on a group sing. I wish she was keeping up her blog about anison events but I guess she's likely moved that to Facebook or Snapchat or whatever.

Anyway, the current generation is learning about Tear Sheets. It's always good to present information in an understandable way. Think of all the ways a weeaboo might mis-spell Chirashi. Tear Sheet (Japanese loan word) Flyer (common American use) Handbill (outtdated classic) make a 'mind picture' instantly. "Wow! Only $50 for this super rare Chirashi! That's so cool, buy it now!" "I paid $50 for a damn flyer?!"

See how educating the masses can help? :)
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Re: William Chow's vodcast series, History of Fan Anime in North America

Post by PinkAppleJam »

Also cultural! I was like, "hand bill?" :D

I appreciate a little extra time writing out chirashi (flyer) for example, it can be alienating even if you've been into Jculture for ages but haven't come across that word for years *points at self*

Also let's not be like those weeb subtitle gangs that write out subs, peppered with loads of "you should know this" language, "Onee-SAN you're such a BAKA you know", bad generation, bad!! :lol: :twisted:
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Re: William Chow's vodcast series, History of Fan Anime in North America

Post by SteveH »

PinkAppleJam wrote:Also cultural! I was like, "hand bill?" :D

I appreciate a little extra time writing out chirashi (flyer) for example, it can be alienating even if you've been into Jculture for ages but haven't come across that word for years *points at self*

Also let's not be like those weeb subtitle gangs that write out subs, peppered with loads of "you should know this" language, "Onee-SAN you're such a BAKA you know", bad generation, bad!! :lol: :twisted:
See, the thing is, to my mind it's not a 'cultural' thing the way Dojinshi or Dojin is. One could use 'fanzine' and be quite correct from a technical aspect but just as 'manga' has come to specifically mean 'Japanese Comics' (except for that time when it was the term for 'anime video' in the U.K. :) ), Dojinshi is plenty specific in terms of Japanese popular culture context.

Chirashi is nothing but a 'loan word', a romanization of Katakana spelling out an English word (term). It would be like insisting that Japanese computers be called Pasucon. "OH BOY! The new Dell Pasucons have been announced!" Isn't that silly? Pasucon is of course the romanized version of 'personal computer' or the common abbreviation PC. Now, I am not as 'in touch' with the Japanese Magazine world as I used to be but I think Pasucon may have finally fallen out of style referring to modern computer stuff but still shows up in discussing old computer game culture.

And I haven't seen 'Masukomi' (mass communications aka mass media) in quite some time.

It's probably a silly thing to advocate but I just feel we're all way past the point where walking around in a Happi coat carrying a wooden practice sword to show how 'Japanese' we are is acceptable or even encouraged. Your point about fansubbers is spot on!
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Re: William Chow's vodcast series, History of Fan Anime in North America

Post by DKop »

Man look, this was how Doug told me they were called so I just went with it, I didn't think anything about it.

In terms of these posters, I got a couple in Japan when the live action All You Need Is Kill, Transformers (or the last one), and another one that was airing that I picked up at a movie theater at the top of a shopping center building.
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Re: William Chow's vodcast series, History of Fan Anime in North America

Post by SteveH »

DKop wrote:Man look, this was how Doug told me they were called so I just went with it, I didn't think anything about it.

In terms of these posters, I got a couple in Japan when the live action All You Need Is Kill, Transformers (or the last one), and another one that was airing that I picked up at a movie theater at the top of a shopping center building.
I dig. I'm not the ANIME PURITY POLICE here to force you to do anything, I'm just informing, and since it's a little bit of a hot button (not this in specific but the overall underlying mindset and blah blah) I probably came across of being out to bust your...bubble.

Tear Sheets are kind of cool in terms of image use and handy for handy quick reference but can never replace a decent mook. But then again, there are just times when all there IS are flyers and pamphlets.

In the end they're disposable advertising. 20 years from now Tear Sheets may be the only record of some productions existing.
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Re: William Chow's vodcast series, History of Fan Anime in North America

Post by SteveH »

Dang it, hit post before the important part. DKop, I apologize if I harshed your action.
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Re: William Chow's vodcast series, History of Fan Anime in North America

Post by DKop »

No harm no foul Steve, your good.
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Re: William Chow's vodcast series, History of Fan Anime in North America

Post by PinkAppleJam »

All cool here! I was jumping in on the "Japanese names for Japanese things" (I agree Doujin is different to the western Fanzine), flyers are flyers (or mini-posters are many Japanese pop culture flyers/chirashi are so lovingly designed), happi coats are definitely a Japanese thing so Japanese name is useful, etc etc :) <3
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Re: William Chow's vodcast series, History of Fan Anime in North America

Post by _D_ »

Never enough time in the day. I still want to do some more scans for people as well as my own family history stuff. Then there are other fandoms i'm still part and parcel of. Still too much stuff and too little time (it's 2am as i write this). Yeah, a podcast was something I toyed with for awhile a few months back when Canadian Tire dumped a bunch of microphones but i figured it would be another device for something I'm unlikely to get around to. I better live to 99 like my grandmother. Just dug out a bunch of Anime Janai issues looking for old stuff in those. I remember going to see Marg back in the late 80s/early 90s a couple times. Then they packed up and left that area so that made it impossible to get out to see them. Best I get around to writing something down before my memory fades out completely. As it is, it's getting hazy.

Chirashi are handbills. Okay. I'm using the word i picked up from eBay rather than calling them 'flyers' which is what I thought they were. Got hundreds of them and i keep finding more. Some of the ones on eBay are quite expensive. I'd like to frame some nice ones but they would cover a big wall in my house. Ditto with posters and other art, much less the cels. I'm trying hard to NOT add to the pile.

I don't remember who I was trading or sending tapes to in the mid 1980s as much of my correspondence was destroyed in my last move almost 7 years ago. I do keep finding letters from people in old boxes that I carefully read to see what I was doing back then.

The fansubs thing could be done with the names removed. I'll never say who was involved anyway. I did retain all the tapes and I should make copies of each just so there is a visual record.

I was doing stuff with people on the west coast back in the middle to late 1980s. It might have been earlier. I'll have to figure out the dates of my trip out that way when I drove out to one of the anime cons in California but that had to be 1993 or 94. Any idea when the Worldvision My Youth In Arcadia movie aired in Vancouver? That should give me a lead. Hang on, I'll see if I can find the vid...Yes. It says the recording was done July 1983, so I was dealing with people on the west coast BEFORE that period. Now, just have to figure out whom.

That's it for tonight. Taxing my brain as it is....
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Re: William Chow's vodcast series, History of Fan Anime in North America

Post by _D_ »

Nick Condor! That's where I got tge tape from Worldvision from! That William Chow podcast is good for helping jog some memories. I need to watch them all though. His experience was a lot different from mine. I also don't recall ever hearing about him. Oh well, Vancouver is far distant from Thunder Bay...
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