New Book Idea - Thoughts and Suggestions Appreciated!
Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 10:52 am
I hope all are doing well, and that everyone is staying safe and healthy as much as possible these days; hopefully a corner is being turned, but only time will tell. I wanted to post something about an idea I’ve had bouncing about in my mind for a few years now; with some recent projects wrapped up and starting on a slew of others, as well as other recent events, I’ve decided to buckle down and start serious work on it. I would greatly value the group’s insights and suggestions.
I was thinking of an edited work on the history of anime fandom in America and possibly, specifically the “boom years” when it, and anime in general, was kind of at its peak in the United States (in my mind at least), circa 1995 to 2008 or so, although others may reasonably suggest differing dates. I understand that this wouldn’t cover the earliest years of fandom, and it may make more sense to start earlier, or at least discuss it on some level. I’ve talked to a few popular and academic publishers about this, all of which have shown interest; at the moment, I’m leaning towards one in particular, the first academic publisher I ever worked with, and with whom I garnered my first Eisner Award nomination. They have a dedicated department for popular culture; I think they produce quality works, both in content and aesthetically; and they have a significant presence at conventions and other major functions that would attract an audience possibly interested in such a title. And, honestly, just great people with whom to work.
What I have in my mind’s eye is an edited work; per the standard for such a book, I would write one or two entries myself, as well as the intro and other related information, but largely I would be the organizer of the whole venture, working with the publisher and attaining cover art, interior art, etc., as well as editor and curator of these articles, by experts who can speak to them the best, given their own knowledge and experiences. I’ve wrote out some rough outlines of specific sections (East, West, and Mid-West Conventions, Fanzines, Anipike and Growing Internet Fandom, etc.) which could be added to, augmented, or subtracted from, as time goes on.
I was inspired in this, partly due to my own personal interest and experiences as a member of that fandom, but also in the many science fiction fan histories by Sam Moskowitz, Damon Knight, Arthur C. Clarke, and others that have been published over the years. While there have been great (academic and popular) books about, or touching upon, the history of anime fandom in America, the number is somewhat limited; on the other hand, a substantial amount has been written online, some by several members of this group, and it would be my hope to carry that knowledge into print, to augment what is already available.
Several individuals largely responsible for getting this medium into the public consciousness have passed away recently, and I think having a guide to the “boom years” they made possible would be important to fan studies, a growing arena of academic studies, although I can’t say academia is my driving motivation – simply, this is important to me, it’s important to many others, and I think it’s a fascinating history that deserves recording. There was so much going on, from DVDs appearing, to the growth of the internet and other factors, that affected popular culture and fandom in really unforeseen ways. I think there was also a level of creativity in fandom at the time, that is really unmatched, be it in the fanzines, the dedication to cosplay, or just the enthusiasm that was there, that (again, only my opinion) seems to be kind of lacking at more recent conventions – there’s just so much there that makes it interesting, on several levels.
I would greatly value anyone’s thoughts on this – there are several here that I know, just off the top of my head, that I would (or actually already have) approached as either a potential valued resource or as a contributor themselves, but anyone’s views or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. As I said, this is in the beginning/prospective phases, and I’m working on a few other projects as well, so no time-crunch or anything, but I did at the very least want to get the ball rolling, and see if this is as feasible as a project as I, and the publishers, envision it to be. Comments here are certainly welcome, but if anyone would like to PM me about it as well, please feel free to do so.
Thank you for reading all this; take care, and stay safe!
I was thinking of an edited work on the history of anime fandom in America and possibly, specifically the “boom years” when it, and anime in general, was kind of at its peak in the United States (in my mind at least), circa 1995 to 2008 or so, although others may reasonably suggest differing dates. I understand that this wouldn’t cover the earliest years of fandom, and it may make more sense to start earlier, or at least discuss it on some level. I’ve talked to a few popular and academic publishers about this, all of which have shown interest; at the moment, I’m leaning towards one in particular, the first academic publisher I ever worked with, and with whom I garnered my first Eisner Award nomination. They have a dedicated department for popular culture; I think they produce quality works, both in content and aesthetically; and they have a significant presence at conventions and other major functions that would attract an audience possibly interested in such a title. And, honestly, just great people with whom to work.
What I have in my mind’s eye is an edited work; per the standard for such a book, I would write one or two entries myself, as well as the intro and other related information, but largely I would be the organizer of the whole venture, working with the publisher and attaining cover art, interior art, etc., as well as editor and curator of these articles, by experts who can speak to them the best, given their own knowledge and experiences. I’ve wrote out some rough outlines of specific sections (East, West, and Mid-West Conventions, Fanzines, Anipike and Growing Internet Fandom, etc.) which could be added to, augmented, or subtracted from, as time goes on.
I was inspired in this, partly due to my own personal interest and experiences as a member of that fandom, but also in the many science fiction fan histories by Sam Moskowitz, Damon Knight, Arthur C. Clarke, and others that have been published over the years. While there have been great (academic and popular) books about, or touching upon, the history of anime fandom in America, the number is somewhat limited; on the other hand, a substantial amount has been written online, some by several members of this group, and it would be my hope to carry that knowledge into print, to augment what is already available.
Several individuals largely responsible for getting this medium into the public consciousness have passed away recently, and I think having a guide to the “boom years” they made possible would be important to fan studies, a growing arena of academic studies, although I can’t say academia is my driving motivation – simply, this is important to me, it’s important to many others, and I think it’s a fascinating history that deserves recording. There was so much going on, from DVDs appearing, to the growth of the internet and other factors, that affected popular culture and fandom in really unforeseen ways. I think there was also a level of creativity in fandom at the time, that is really unmatched, be it in the fanzines, the dedication to cosplay, or just the enthusiasm that was there, that (again, only my opinion) seems to be kind of lacking at more recent conventions – there’s just so much there that makes it interesting, on several levels.
I would greatly value anyone’s thoughts on this – there are several here that I know, just off the top of my head, that I would (or actually already have) approached as either a potential valued resource or as a contributor themselves, but anyone’s views or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. As I said, this is in the beginning/prospective phases, and I’m working on a few other projects as well, so no time-crunch or anything, but I did at the very least want to get the ball rolling, and see if this is as feasible as a project as I, and the publishers, envision it to be. Comments here are certainly welcome, but if anyone would like to PM me about it as well, please feel free to do so.
Thank you for reading all this; take care, and stay safe!