https://www.drotaku.in/post/t%C3%AAte-%C3%A0-t%C3%AAte-with-sean-michael-wilson-graphic-artist-extraordinaire-from-scotland?fbclid=IwAR0lCDha4ANvVmZeYBSULQMCaLuWQ_U_0nctkodwt-1mbGS5mWwupSBezN0
My latest interview, this time with a lovely professor in India:
https://www.drotaku.in/post/t%C3%AAte-%C3%A0-t%C3%AAte-with-sean-michael-wilson-graphic-artist-extraordinaire-from-scotland?fbclid=IwAR0lCDha4ANvVmZeYBSULQMCaLuWQ_U_0nctkodwt-1mbGS5mWwupSBezN0
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New book from Hand Readers Press (my new self publishing arm):
"SYSTEMS: Reflections on capitalism, communism, anarchism and what a better economic and social system may look like The book delves into various debates, cliches, conversations and arguments encountered over a number of years. Following George Orwell’s advice to write in a way that is plain, direct but engaging, Wilson avoids academic jargon and getting bogged down in complicated political or economic theory. All the issues are laid out alphabetically, covering a wide range of aspects of what system we can use to govern and organise ourselves. Throughout the book Wilson uses his own abbreviation of BESS as a shorthand for a better economic and social system. " March 2023, 224 pages. Click image to go to main page Our George Orwell biographical graphic novel - included in the new sale event by the publisher, saying:
"We’re all sick of hearing about Prince Harry. Let’s focus instead on the lives of comrades throughout history – those people who risked everything to force progressive and revolutionary change in the interests of the oppressed. All books here 50% off until 19th January." https://www.plutobooks.com/biographies-you-want-to-read/?utm_source=Pluto+Press+Newsletters&utm_campaign=4f1bc1a8ad-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_01_11_05_26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-4f1bc1a8ad-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=4f1bc1a8ad&mc_eid=3d568fa65a I just saw the latest report on comic books/graphic novel/manga sales and its VERY surprising. 2021 sales in North America were 60% up overall from 2020.
That is indeed a surprising and pleasing increase from last year. And should bring some positive effects for comic book creators. However, this is a very unusual increase, not at all normal for the last 20 years or so. and unlikely to happen next year (though I hope it does go up a lot in next year's report too). By comparison the increase level in the 2020 report, by the same group, was only 6% (though thats pretty good for most industries). So what has happened that it suddenly increased to 10 times that? Very surprising. I dont know. Does anyone have an explanation? Also, a key point often overlooked in all the talk of sales increases: the key thing is that these sales have to translate to actual increase in the money us comic book creators get to help us pay our bills and feed our kids. And it often comes out to a very small real world increase. Just a matter of a few hundred dollars more per year. So such figures of strong growth rates hide the fact that creators are often still in rather poor situations. And we need to face that and help improve it. https://www.comichron.com/yearlycomicssales/industrywide/2021-industrywide.html There’s a nice article about me and my books in The National this weekend, Scotland’s pro-independence newspaper.
Although Kumamoto isn’t all that much like Edinburgh actually. It’s about the same size and also has a castle right in the middle, plus lots of narrow old roads in the centre… but apart from that there’s big differences between the two. And, i am not specifically a manga creator, I am a comic book creator in the wider sense. As to me being the only Scot (or Brit) doing professional level work in manga in Japan.... i always point out this is not much to show off about, its basically a bad thing. It shows the lack of internationalisation of Japan, cultural differences and language problems that make it very tough for any foreign creators to make headway in Japan. I wish it were not the case and welcome more folk trying...i am happy to give advice, and often do already. https://www.thenational.scot/culture/20898183.sean-michael-wilson-scot-work-manga-professionally-japan/ Out today in ebook.
A collection of my newspaper, website and magazine articles and essays, 2012-2022, on aspects of Japan, ecology, comic books, music, politics and more. Published by Hand Readers Press, which is my new self publishing press. Nice low price for the 180 page book. Check it out please folks. Indie self publishing needs you. seanmichaelwilson.weebly.com/articles-and-essays-ebook.html Glad to say that our book is included in an impressive new HUMBLE BUNDLE that just started, of book on JAPANESE ART AND CULTURE from the respected publisher Stonebridge Press.
"...Humble Bundles, collections of games and books sold at a price determined by the purchaser and with a portion of the price going towards charity and the rest split between the creators" So you get these ebooks at very low prices, help us out and help out a charity. Our book is THE MINAMATA STORY, plus there are lots of other good books in the bundle, including JAPAN FROM ANIME TO ZEN from David Watts Barton and THE ART OF SETTING STONES from Marc Peter Keane Nice. https://www.humblebundle.com/books/japanese-art-and-culture-stone-bridge-press-books Kenan Malik continues to be the most interesting regular writer for the Guardian/Observer, and today makes this very important point, which I often say myself. Something which is often neglected or avoided in a way that is making the improvement of society harder, not easier:
"It is good that national institutions reflect the diversity of the nation. Yet the focus on ethnic and gender diversity often obscures the fact that there is little diversity when it comes to class. Our understanding of “diversity” is itself not very diverse. And while a black or Asian prime minister would be a historic first, and symbolic of a more relaxed, liberal society, I would rather have a pale, male prime minister who I knew would jettison austerity policies, create a fairer tax system, defend abortion rights, restore trade union power, abandon the Rwanda deportation scheme, take a robust stance on free speech and have a decent plan for social care than someone who might enlarge the diversity spectrum but would rehash the same policies that have helped create the Britain we have today – stalked by stagnation and inequality. It is the policies that matter, whoever delivers them." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/17/give-me-a-pale-male-prime-minister-with-great-policies-over-diverse-one-reinforcing-inequality Glad to announce that our book has got another award. This time from international magazine SKIPPING STONES:
“We are pleased to recommend the following outstanding multicultural and nature books and teaching resources as the winners of our 2022 book awards. These picture books, chapter books, novels and nonfiction works promote an understanding of cultures, cultivate cooperation and/or encourage a deeper awareness of nature, ecology, and diversity...” Our book, The Minamata Story: an ecotragedy, got an award in their ‘Nature and Ecology’ section. Nice! Looks like there are a lot of other interesting books there too. https://www.skippingstones.org/wp/book-awards/ Interview with my wee self in the publisher's blog, talking about our new book, just out in the world (THIS world, the one we are standing in now ): the Japanese classic, Tale of Genji, sometimes considered the first novel ever - with very lovely art by Inko Ai Takita
I also mention books that ive been reading, including those by Noah Van Sciver Paul Buhle and Luke Healy https://www.tuttlepublishing.com/blog/classics-comics-and-manga-an-interview-with-sean-michael-wilson/ |
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April 2023
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