First Submission Woes

[chromium]

Enjoying them? You should be destroying them!!!

 

It is neat that you've at least been here - I was in Belgium in 1984. Small world etc.

 

 

But together with the early Paul Hogan tv-show and Rose Tattoo, KBW makes up the holy trinity of real Australian Culture

[Duffman_Comics]

Sweet Jesus, I am going to grant you citizenship on your obvious knowledge and appreciation of our Kulture.

 

I am riven between being appalled or admiring.

 

Let's go with the admiring side.

[Mr. Zipper]

I'd think CGC was making enough money to hire enough staff to cover the influx of submissions. And how are they going to offer an even faster service when they can't even commit to their current demands?

I agree with Deamentia. I have never understood why it takes so long to grade a book in the first place. If they are swamped with books they should expand their staff.

 

It wouldn't be a very wise business move to hire and train a bunch of full time people, pay their salaries, benefits and payroll taxes for what is probably a seasonal fluctuation in submissions. It would be a lot less expensive for CGC to hand out some freebie submission certificates to the squeeky wheels than to hire additional staff.

[Sal]

Enjoying them? You should be destroying them!!!

 

It is neat that you've at least been here - I was in Belgium in 1984. Small world etc.

 

 

But together with the early Paul Hogan tv-show and Rose Tattoo, KBW makes up the holy trinity of real Australian Culture

 

you forgot the Box Jellyfish. understandable, but lamentable nonetheless

[dudeman5000]

since 1945 our kiddy literature has been derived almost exclusively from the U.S. of A.

 

And you gave the world Kevin "Bloody" Wilson back in return

 

I cannot believe a Belgian would recognise KBW. A very foul mouthed but very funny "entertainer". His "Father Christmas you forgot my effing bike" song is a scream.

 

How the hell did you discover him?

 

When I was about 14 years old, I had a friend that lived in Melbourne, he had a way of phoning me for free and we'd spend hours on the phone, he played me "Living next door to Alan" on the phone once and it cracked me up.

He then send me a box with a book on Melbourne ,a stuffed Koala (yes he was a walking cliché) and a homemade KBW tape.

 

Fast forwards 15 years and my wife and I are in Australia on our honeymoon, the busdriver who took us to Uluru played "Pulp Fiction" on the coach and for me he seemed the ideal person to ask

I remembered the "Alan" song and a song about "Mick the master-farter" for years, but had forgotten who the singer was. So I asked the bus driver and sang part of the song, it cracked him up and he told me about Kevin Bloody Wilson.

Just like you he was amazed I knew about him and told him in 20 years of driving tourists around nobody had ever mentioned him.

 

When I got to Alice Springs, I found a sort of mall and bought the three KBW cds they had and have been enjoying them ever since

 

 

You're so worldly.

 

Thanks

But there's no need to curious, a trailerpark is a trailerpark, where ever you go

 

 

Chris

[rza808]

I'd think CGC was making enough money to hire enough staff to cover the influx of submissions. And how are they going to offer an even faster service when they can't even commit to their current demands?

I agree with Deamentia. I have never understood why it takes so long to grade a book in the first place. If they are swamped with books they should expand their staff.

 

It wouldn't be a very wise business move to hire and train a bunch of full time people, pay their salaries, benefits and payroll taxes for what is probably a seasonal fluctuation in submissions. It would be a lot less expensive for CGC to hand out some freebie submission certificates to the squeeky wheels than to hire additional staff.

Yes I have thought of this as the only reason possible that they do not expand. I think that it is still possible to do but being a business they would need concrete data to show profit forth coming. O well I am somewhat happy with their so far. Havent had a late book yet tho mind you

[Ijiwaru Sensei]

That raises an interesting point. What is the story on Manga back issues in Japan? Anyone know anything?

 

Paging Ijiwaru Sensei!

 

Manga has a very short shelf life in Japan and as far as I can tell scores about a 0 on the collectability-o-meter.

 

Before coming to the US to visit me, a former Japanese student of mine asked me if I'd like anything from Japan. I asked for a variety of manga. He brought me much more than I had expected--I now use what he gave me as visual aides in a world lit class I teach.

 

When he stopped by my office, he saw that I had a number of manga from the late 70's early 80's on my shelf. He couldn't wrap his brain around the American interest in collecting something as ephemeral as comics. I was surprised that he claimed there was no interest in "back issues" of manga in Japan. He said you can find old manga in used book stores for a fraction of their cover prices, which is where he bought the ones he gave me. He said people read them and throw them away.

 

I actually have a couple boxes of 70 and 80's manga that belonged to my brother-in-law. They are extremely rare--but also extremely unwanted, so their value is next to nil. If interest in Japanese manga ever develops, I'll be able to retire early, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Anfield Fox]

That raises an interesting point. What is the story on Manga back issues in Japan? Anyone know anything?

 

Paging Ijiwaru Sensei!

 

Manga has a very short shelf life in Japan and as far as I can tell scores about a 0 on the collectability-o-meter.

 

Before coming to the US to visit me, a former Japanese student of mine asked me if I'd like anything from Japan. I asked for a variety of manga. He brought me much more than I had expected--I now use what he gave me as visual aides in a world lit class I teach.

 

When he stopped by my office, he saw that I had a number of manga from the late 70's early 80's on my shelf. He couldn't wrap his brain around the American interest in collecting something as ephemeral as comics. I was surprised that he claimed there was no interest in "back issues" of manga in Japan. He said you can find old manga in used book stores for a fraction of their cover prices, which is where he bought the ones he gave me. He said people read them and throw them away.

 

I actually have a couple boxes of 70 and 80's manga that belonged to my brother-in-law. They are extremely rare--but also extremely unwanted, so their value is next to nil. If interest in Japanese manga ever develops, I'll be able to retire early, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Thanks for that, i've always been fascinated by the Japanese comics culture. I'm told that comics there are held with great respect like we do with literature. My cousin was in Japan this summer and she told me that on the subway you would see 6 year old kids with their ice cream and 60 year old suits with their briefcases both reading copies of the same comicbook on their way to work and school. Different culture and all. It's funny that video games are blamed for the decline of comics in the west yet the Japanese are more mad about electronics than anyone and yet still love comics.

[Comicdey]

That raises an interesting point. What is the story on Manga back issues in Japan? Anyone know anything?

 

Paging Ijiwaru Sensei!

 

Manga has a very short shelf life in Japan and as far as I can tell scores about a 0 on the collectability-o-meter.

 

Before coming to the US to visit me, a former Japanese student of mine asked me if I'd like anything from Japan. I asked for a variety of manga. He brought me much more than I had expected--I now use what he gave me as visual aides in a world lit class I teach.

 

When he stopped by my office, he saw that I had a number of manga from the late 70's early 80's on my shelf. He couldn't wrap his brain around the American interest in collecting something as ephemeral as comics. I was surprised that he claimed there was no interest in "back issues" of manga in Japan. He said you can find old manga in used book stores for a fraction of their cover prices, which is where he bought the ones he gave me. He said people read them and throw them away.

 

I actually have a couple boxes of 70 and 80's manga that belonged to my brother-in-law. They are extremely rare--but also extremely unwanted, so their value is next to nil. If interest in Japanese manga ever develops, I'll be able to retire early, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Not only that...they have curbside pick up in some areas for recycling and you'll see stacks of manga outside of many houses ready to go to the shredder.....

[Duffman_Comics]

That raises an interesting point. What is the story on Manga back issues in Japan? Anyone know anything?

 

Paging Ijiwaru Sensei!

 

Manga has a very short shelf life in Japan and as far as I can tell scores about a 0 on the collectability-o-meter.

 

Before coming to the US to visit me, a former Japanese student of mine asked me if I'd like anything from Japan. I asked for a variety of manga. He brought me much more than I had expected--I now use what he gave me as visual aides in a world lit class I teach.

 

When he stopped by my office, he saw that I had a number of manga from the late 70's early 80's on my shelf. He couldn't wrap his brain around the American interest in collecting something as ephemeral as comics. I was surprised that he claimed there was no interest in "back issues" of manga in Japan. He said you can find old manga in used book stores for a fraction of their cover prices, which is where he bought the ones he gave me. He said people read them and throw them away.

 

I actually have a couple boxes of 70 and 80's manga that belonged to my brother-in-law. They are extremely rare--but also extremely unwanted, so their value is next to nil. If interest in Japanese manga ever develops, I'll be able to retire early, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Thanks for the somewhat depressing info, collectability-wise anyway. Which then begs the question, is anything collectible in Japan? Coins, stamps, toys, motor vehicles, Faberge eggs?

[shiverbones]

Vintage American pop culture items are collected in Japan, as are Jazz records, Fender Guitars, old nike's etc.

[sterlingcomics]

Yep, I want something unique. What no one else around me has.

 

BTW, I have a feeling that when some of these folks mature, they might want some of these Manga books...so don't forget them as a possible market for this stuff in the future (although it sounds like they don't do this..but who knows).

[Ijiwaru Sensei]

Thanks for the somewhat depressing info, collectability-wise anyway. Which then begs the question, is anything collectible in Japan? Coins, stamps, toys, motor vehicles, Faberge eggs?

 

Japan is an exceptionally fad-following nation. Something can be really hot today and anathema tomorrow. Cute is always in fashion. But a collector's mentality, I think, would be quite foreign to the typical Japanese.

 

Space is almost always a consideration. Collecting manga would be rather impractical. Most Japanese homes/apartments simply don't have a lot of storage space.

 

Also, the Western idea of preservation runs counter to the traditional Japanese aesthetic that embraces impermanence. Traditionally the Japanese find great value and beauty in the destruction of a thing. For example, the cherry blossom is valued because of its short life. Japanese tend to find the American attempt to value permanence rather odd. What value does something have if it will always be there? It is the things that will deteriorate and fade over time that have value--the beauty of youth, passion, a rain drop, a snow flake’s melting, a cloud that passes in front of the moon. All these things have both beauty and sadness, which the Japanese seem to want to experience in abundance.

 

These are all sweeping generalizations, but traditionally, I think, Japanese would find the American collector’s attitude a little odd.