#Animerica magazine

[nostalgiahime]

Sailor Moon R: The Movie Advertisement in Animerica Magazine (2000) [✩]

[2001hz]

Animerica Magazine Cover (1997) vol.5 issue 10

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

DON'T LOOK NOW -- BUT IT'S THE TERRIBLE TWO LOOKING FOR A LITTLE MAYHEM!

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on Kei and Yuri of "The Dirty Pair," the then recently published manga series for Western readers by Dark Horse Comics -- Cover art to "Animerica" Magazine Vol. 6 #5. May, 1998. Published by Viz Media. Artwork by Adam Warren.

Source: www.animenostalgiabomb.com/animerica-dirty-pair-otakon-ani-magine-chroma-anime-cel-art-may-1998.

[h0neytune-cherub]

Animerica, featuring art from Yasuomi Umetsu's Kite on the cover and contents page. (via)

[laboitediabolique]

Cover of Animerica, Volume 2, Number 5, May 1994

[blue-star-above-me]

[dirty-pair-archives]

Design your own Dirty Pair contest / Dirty pair makeover held by Animerica in December 1998

[animehouse-moe]

Animerica Extra Volume 1 Issue 1: A Closer Look

Finally, finally finally I managed to get the first two volumes uploaded to the Internet Archive, which you can find here, and I really do recommend because of Tumblr image compression being kinda gross. Anyways, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about the first issue of the magazine and what I really found interesting and cool!

First off is the advertisements that appear in the magazine. Considering the scope and popularity of the magazine, the "type" of companies that would advertise are somewhat different. I mean, AnimeVillage got the front cover ad. Not that they're a tiny company, but much like others in here, they're not a company that lasted incredibly long.

Still, what is incredibly interesting though is their website, which is still saved in the internet archive, though in a somewhat incomplete fashion, which you can find here. Anyways, getting to visit an old site like this is a lot of fun, mostly because of the personality that appears with it. Offensive and sharp color palettes, more than a few moving pieces, and a very blocky layout. Honestly, I think sites like this have a considerable amount more to offer in terms of heart and individuality than what modern web design has given us, but that's not the point. The point is that Animerica Extra provides people, specifically the community in this moment, with an experience from the past. I mean, AnimeVillage is from 1998, there's no way that the vast majority of anime or manga fans would even know about them as a company today.

Getting to the actual magazine itself though, there's just two things that I find interesting with the Table of Contents. Firstly, right at the bottom, just above the "Printed in Canada" statement, Viz offers a disclaimer (which you can't read here because of nasty Tumblr compression, so I'll transcribe it): "For the purposes of publication in English, the artwork in this publication is in reverse from the original Japanese Version".

Now, I don't have any OG manga volumes that were printed more like graphic novels, so I can't say for sure, but I find this disclaimer interesting. Either, a) this is a general disclaimer Viz gives about the difference between JP and English publication, or b) Viz is required to provide this disclaimer for the materials. Either way it's a very curious piece.

And then there's the "Vizit our World Wide Web Sites at www.viz.com...". Yes, Viz actually printed "Visit" as "Vizit" alongside "World Wide Web sites". Just such a blast from the past as to how the internet was viewed and interacted with.

And then there's the Yuu Watase feature from the first issue. I think it's something that doesn't immediately stick out to people in the modern day because hey, you just go to MAL or Manga-Updates and you can see everything that Watase's ever done like it's nothing.

But in the 80s that sort of accessibility was non-existent. I mean, like you'll see later on with the letters, people only found out about Animerica Extra through Animerica. It really highlights how valuable this sort of information was to the community during the era, because you simply just would not know anything about Yuu Watase without these pieces.

Similarly, you couldn't go and look up what a series was about on the internet, you only had word of mouth and direct interaction, so excerpts like these that give readers an idea of what is is they're about to read is incredibly important.

Just a quick aside here about advertisements. I know a lot of people will say, "but hey! There were TV ads during the 90s and 2000s that could be run for this stuff! Surely they could provide information and advertisement via that!", and I think the easiest answer is another question: can the modern day animanga industry manage that? Obviously not, no. The avenues that Viz could approach to advertise via were incredibly narrow, largely focused on anime specific storefronts or general comic stores, placing physical advertisement at the top of the pyramid, followed up by ads distributed via their tapes back in the day.

Anyways, back on track to the editorial for an interesting conversation! This one's very interesting to me for just one thing, really- the original sketch giveaway.

It happens today, rather frequently, but with caveats. It's not, "Hey we're running a giveaway so make sure to participate", it's "Hey we've got X mangaka appearing at a con so come for a chance to win their sketch!". The difference in the approach to the giveaway is entirely different. I don't know if I can really say that it's more accessible, but I think that it gives fans a greater opportunity to participate purely because it's cheaper, running on a far longer schedule (as the editorial mentions), and doesn't require in person attendance for the opportunity.

But to be fair, even those giveaways are only a recent thing as the animanga market's boomed. There was quite a long period of dead air in terms of this sort of activity, so I find it really interesting how the landscape has changed in how these now corporations approach these aspects of interaction with their communities.

Also, here's a link to the archived version of the website in the advertisement on this page.

And this magazine really just keeps giving more and more crazy information. This News Notes panel really surprised me. Yes, it's got a lot of plain information like upcoming or finishing anime, but most interesting is the information that the left column provides.

They talk about the mangaka of Steam Detectives appearing at San Diego Comic Con, and not only that, but bringing some early footage of the anime. I mean, that sort of thing has only just begun happening again in the last few years.

It's crazy to see how advanced and engaged Viz was back in the day with the industry overseas. Not that they aren't today, but that the curtain's been pulled across so we no longer get stuff like this in English.

Speaking of things like that, because of the disappearance of things like this, we don't get to see interaction between individuals and the companies. The letters section in this first volume is so interesting because of the era it comes from. The accessibility of information is immediately addressed with the first letter that talks about them finding out about Animerica Extra via the mainline Animerica. Then there's the very talented letter sending that sewed a decorative pillow for their friend. But I think my personal favorite is the nonsensical letter penned by Jonkani.

These magazines are just a gold mine of history and culture pertaining to the North American animanga industry and community, that I really think is important to be able to experience and understand as it contextualizes where this slice of entertainment lies in the modern day.

And this just the first issue of the first volume, there's still 73 more to go that provide all sorts of wonderful and curious information and interactions. Incredibly happy to be able to provide this to the community, but also very hopeful that being vocal with this will both make people more aware of a history that is "ours", and inspire those that have pieces of history like this to archive them.

[fma03anniversary]

Happy 20th anniversary FMA. Let's put some forgotten feathers back in your cap.

Melissa was the #1 anime theme song to wrap 2003, and peaked at #2 on the Oricon Singles Chart - Japan's music industry standard for charting CD singles. Melissa became the #34th top selling single for 2003 and was only on sale for two months of the year (Melissa went on sale Sept 26th and Oricon is tracked Dec 1 - Nov 30). Melissa ranked #66 in top Japanese singles for 2004 too. The song would be on the Oricon charts for 38 weeks! Melissa won Animage Magazine's 2004 Anime Grand Prix for Best Anime Song.

Ready Steady Go! was the 18th best selling single of 2004 and peaked at #1 on the Oricon Singles Chart, and would do so charting less than half the time of Melissa, 16 weeks.

FMA sweeps Animage Magazine's 26th Annual Anime Grand Prix held in June 2004 - winning best series, best male character (Ed), best female character (Riza), best voice performance (Romi Park), best song (Melissa @ #1, Kesenai Tsumi @ #2), and best episode (7).

FMA is on the cover of all 3 major Japanese animation magazines for July 2004 - Newtype, Animage, and Animedia.

July 31, 2004 L'arc~en~Ciel make their North American debut at Otakon. Prior to their concert held at the 1st Mariner Place (now CFG Bank Arena) in Baltimore, to a crowd of 12,000 the first episode of the upcoming FMA English dub is premiered.

Rewrite peaks at #4 on the Oricon charts and becomes the 63rd best selling single of 2004. Rewrite won Best Anime Theme Song at the American Anime Awards at New York City Comicon in 2007.

FMA gets the rare honour of going to reruns in Japan.

FMA debuts on Adult Swim and is on the cover of all 3 major North American anime magazines for November 2004 - Newtype USA, Anime Insider, and Animerica.

FMA pulls in a ton of new viewers to Adult Swim for December 2004.

TV Asahi ranks FMA the most popular animated TV series in Japan in fall 2005, a year after it finished airing.

FMA is the best selling anime series on DVD for 2005 in North America. Individual DVD volume sales are so strong they rank alongside anime movies.

Anime News Network crowns FMA the best series of 2005.

Link is the #4 anime song for 2005 and peaks at #2 on the Oricon chart.

Conqueror of Shamballa is the #7 anime movie and #47 movie overall in Japan for 2005.

Anime Expo 2006 celebrates FMA. AX teams up with FUNimation to premiere Conqueror of Shamballa at the convention, hosted by guests of honour: Seiji Mizushima (Series Director), Mike McFarland (EN Director), Masahiko Minami (President of Studio Bones), Romi Park (who unfortunately had to cancel last minute), and Vic Mignogna.

Conqueror of Shamballa set to screen in 40 North American theatres. In !!2006!!

In the first ever event to honour voice acting, direction, production, etc of English anime in North America, the American Anime Awards were held at New York City Comic Con in 2007, handing out awards for the Best Of 2006. Online fan voting selected the finalists and FMA led the nominations with 5. The series would lose Best Feature (CoS) to FFVII Advent Children, but win Best Long Series, Best DVD Packaging, Best Cast, and Best Theme Song (Rewrite). Source (1), (2), (3)

Over five years after its Japanese debut and four years after it's North American start, as Brotherhood begins airing in Japan FMA still ranks #7 for best selling anime series on DVD in North America for spring 2009!

[animenostalgia]

Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi on Leiji Matsumoto’s influence on her manga: 

Interview excerpt from Animerica Magazine, vol. 4, #8 (1996)

[katiajewelbox]

Vintage trailer for Escaflowne's USA DVD release! I'm guessing this was from the early 2000's since it refers to bilingual DVD releases at the conclusion. Was this your first exposure to Escaflowne? Although I was an anime fan starting in the early 2000's in the English speaking world, I barely heard of Escaflowne except in reference to other projects the show's creators worked on or as characters seen in the monthly fan art showcases in Animerica magazine.

[toeydbootzandcatz]

Went a little rogue once I discovered that Tamayo Akiyama had works published in English. A former CLAMP member who left the group in I believe 1992, these works plus I think two others that didn’t get English releases were created by her.

I do feel like the artstyle of these really matches the RG Veda/Tokyo Babylon/Clamp School Detectives art specifically? Either way, I’m excited to check all of these out even though admittedly the reviews online were not super positive haha.

I only found about these as I randomly picked up an old Animerica magazine I had to feel nostalgic and saw a review for Mouryou Kiden and the art caught my eye as being very CLAMP-like lol.

[lunarlegend]

i'm packing up my stuff that's been tucked away in the back of my shelves for years, and

random bits of Sailor Moon furoku (i have a lot more in various places)

every game manual from every DS game i ever bought 😂

this gen Cowboy Bebop doujinshi i forgot i had!

original Sailor Moon & Pokemon comics!

a tonnnnn of old Japanese manga anthologies (these are just a few) that i imported from Japan in the early 2000s (i used to use them to practice reading hiragana!)

VERY OLD video game guidebooks!

soooo many magazines (i have a whole stack of Newtype; these are just a few. also a stack of Animerica & Anime Invasion/Insider)

not pictured: 2 years' worth of Shonen Jump which were already packed because i had no more room, lol

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

FROM DARK HORSE TO "ANIMERICA" -- THE TERRIBLE TWO KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on a mini-panel of Kei and Yuri from “The Dirty Pair,” artwork by Adam Warren for his Dark Horse manga series of the same name, from the pages of “Animerica” Magazine Vol. 6 #5. May, 1998. Published by Viz Media.

Source: www.animenostalgiabomb.com/animerica-dirty-pair-otakon-ani-magine-chroma-anime-cel-art-may-1998.

[keithanime]

My Favorite Hayao Miyazaki Quote (so far?)

I'm not an agnostic or anything, but I don't like a society that parades its righteousness. The righteousness of the U.S., the righteousness of Islam, the righteousness of China, the righteousness of this or that ethnic group, the righteousness of Greenpeace… They all claim to be righteous, but they all try to coerce others into complying with their own standards. They restrain others through huge military power, economic power, political power or public opinions. I myself have a number of things that I believe are right. And some things make me angry. I'm a person who gets angry a lot more easily than most people. But I always start from the assumption that human beings are foolish. I'm disgusted by the notion that man is the ultimate being, chosen by God. But I believe there are things in this world that are beautiful, that are important, that are worth striving for.

In an interview, back in 1993, with the now defunct magazine Animerica.

Click here for video source, and click here for an image scan of article. NOTE: both aren't mine. That being said, credit goes to the owners of each source. I just searched for them and found them on the web.

[laboitediabolique]

Animerica magazine, Volume 2, Number 7, July 1994 Published by Viz Comics