Los Angeles Times to Add Manga to Sunday Issue.

According to ICV2, the Los Angeles Times (among many papers) will be adding Manga features to their Sunday Cartoon section. As noted in the article, the average newspaper reader is "currently 53 and getting older all the time" and newspapers need to find ways to bring younger readers into their subscription base. For years papers have tried releasing youth oriented, or student versions, of newspapers to attract audiences, but these efforts have largely failed.

This time it looks as if newspapers are selecting entertainment content geared toward a younger audience in their flagship publications. The titles, which will be added this January, are Van Von Hunter and Peach Fuzz by Lindsay Cibos (you can also see a preview for Peach Fuzz here). Aiming for teenage boys and girls may be a gambit that pays off for the newspapers. Both Manga strips are Original English Language strips which means that the comics will either bring in young readers or fail on their own merit and won't bring creepy otaku into the picture.

Here is an example of Peach Fuzz character design.

Let's hope they redraw the first episode of Van Von Hunter.

Because it looks pretty good in its current state.

Big News If You Don't Have a DVR or VCR, But Do Have Cable (Preferably Digital)!

According to the Los Angeles Times, Comcast has entered into a deal with CBS and Disk Network has brokered a deal with NBC that will allow pay television customers to access "on demand" versions of highly rated broadcast television shows.

The Times does mention that such an "innovation" may not seem like much to "viewers who own personal video recorders such as TiVos or VCRs [who] can record their favorite shows now, the two deals are unique in that they make TV-on-demand available to a broader audience. They also let customers pay for shows on an a-la-carte basis." It is the second statement that bodes wierd for the television entertainment industry. By this I mean that traditionally television has been a "programming" oriented business where producers sell shows to networks who "schedule" shows they believe will attract audience. Even niche cable networks work on this same programming model. Television viewers have traditionally had some choice as to what hey can watch (there are 120+ channels) and when to watch it if they have a recording device, but the "on demand" market may add another variable to the equation.

While I admit that offering on demand for shows you can already record (though the on demand versions are commercial free) is not very revolutionary, or even enticing. What is enticing is the potential for networks to have greater ability to tailor to their audiences desires. The television market may move into a direction similar to the motion picture industry where all viewing is technically "on demand" and demand is prompted by advertising.

I can actually see, after the technology has become normalized, the major networks offering on demand show for free (with commercials) to all comers. In doing so the networks would also purchase more shows than they currently do. That's right, I said more. The reason for this is that the major networks could purchase shows currently offered primarily by niche cable channels or who have a limited fan base. The "per show" cost will be fairly low for shows that would draw a small market share, but such shows might have longer runs as well. Every television viewer has a show he or she wish continued on the air, the recent movie Serenity shows the power of small but loyal audience can have in the marketplace. Imagine if all Firefly fans could have spoken with their dollars in a direct fashion early in the process. It could have meant the show would still be on today. I can also see changes in the revenue model where the front end payments for shows are lower, but that residuals and revenue for screenings are higher. Naturally, the self programming model would rely heavily on advertising to "get out the word," but that could be a boon for both the growing internet ad market and the shrinking newspaper ad market. It is a good thing TV guide has changed to a larger format, they might need it for ad space and articles in the future.

In this potential future model of television one could imagine the networks gaining greater marketshare than they currently have, but it would be because they have become more like show "brokers" or superstores than "programmers" of entertainment.

NBC executive David Zaslav made an interesting comment in the article. He said, "If you don't play, you'll get left behind." He made the statement in response to how NBC/Universal was reacting to ABC's deal with Apple Computer Inc. which allows for the purchase of ABC programming for iPod. He meant that if you didn't offer similar products to your competitor you would get left behind. What is interesting is that he summed up what will become the market model if the individual programmer market takes over. If shows don't play, in other words if they aren't requested (and, for now, purchased) by viewers the shows will be dropped. This is very different from the current model where shows are played and are only dropped if no one watches them afterword.

On an ironic side note, the NBC deal with Dish Network does require that the customer already own a DVR. Begging the case that in the early stages of the new television model what benefits Dish really offers.

Wallace and Gromit Creators to Create Animated Television Shows for US

Aardman animations has plans for new animated series to be distributed in the United States and the United Kingdom. According to ICV2, one of these ideas is a computer animated show called Chop Socky Chooks and features kung fu using chickens. I don't know about you, but this sounds like a winner to me. I have enjoyed the various comedic martial arts cartoons that have appeared on the television. Everything from Hong Kong Phooey to Xiaolin Showdown, with a number of shows in between (TMNT anyone?), has at one time or another played a role in my regular cartoon viewing schedule.

Kung Fu chickens and W/G? "Gromiiiiit?! It's the wrong Gi Gromit!"

You decide who's cooler...HKPh or Kung Fu Chicken.

Who wants to be friends with Madonna?

I don't know about that whole Kaballah thing...but I found her MySpace page terribly exciting. I don't even know why...but I owe so much of my fashion style to late 80's Madonna (right down to the dark roots/blonde hair thing), that I feel like she's the big sister I never had.

Go sign up to be her friend! Or just be confused by her red hair. I know I was.

Will New Superman Movie Suck?

Comic book fans have been reeling the past year, or so, over the "sweeping changes" taking place in the DC Universe and its "Infinite Crisis." Some fans have been happy, some have been dismayed. Readers will know that i have been a little disappointed with the number of "comic relief" characters being killed in the name of "complex narrative," but overall I am excited about what will happen (even if I am disappointed about what has).

This leads me to the new Superman film. Earlier this year, Jim Treacher made a couple of offhand comments criticizing what he fears the film will become. I largely ignored his comments because they seemed to confuse the director's sexuality with his ability to tell a good tale. I think that the first two "X" movies show that Singer understand what it takes to make a compelling superhero narrative.

What I AM worried about is the delays and rewrites (let alone the run away budget) taking place on the Superman production. According to ICV2 and the Hollywood Reporter, " Principal photography for the film, which began shooting in Australia last spring, was supposed to be over by now, but the production took a five-week hiatus in September for script revisions. Director Bryan Singer (X-Men) returned to Australia in mid-October and began a final four weeks of shooting."

A five week hiatus?! Ah, production money must grow on trees. Rewrites this late in the process? Dear G-d! Smallville writes 20+ scripts a year, DC writes 40+ comics a year about Superman. Sure, some of the stories suck, but imagine how much they would suck if they had to be continually rewritten.

So...I'm worried.

Adam Carolla Says, "F&*^ You If You're Poor!"

According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Rock and Roll stations have had a 16 percent decline in listenership since 1996, and a number of Rock stations have been changing formats of late. Key among these stations is the famous New York Radio Station K-Rock (WXRK-FM), which with the departure of Howard Stern will shift to a talk radio format and only play music on weekends.

Adam Carolla (Loveline, The Adam Carolla Project)has, along with David Lee Roth, been hired to replace Stern for the Radio Network's morning show. When asked about the format change of K-Rock Carolla said the following, "I don't know what year folks are living in," he says. "If you want to hear music, get an iPod. If you want to hear talk, get a radio. That's my feeling."

Personally, I don't know what tax bracket Carolla is living in, but an initial investment of an iPod compatible computer, an iPod, a high-speed internet connection, and $.99 a song sounds like something that is out of the affordability of a large number of people. Nevermind the fact that the iPod investment (including all the above) is a minimum of $1000 buck the first year, and that's for a crappy computer (where's the monitor? Guess I won't be buying the cheapest one at Apple.com. Don't forget to buy a mouse and keyboard.)(Better off buying an iBook, but that takes us over budget), a crappy iPod, a cheap service ($24 a month), and about $100 songs. I guess you could go the PC route, but that would undermine the "branding" that Carolla was able to forward. Did he get paid for the advertisement?

I guess, if you are poor you get to listen to Adam Carolla, but if you want to Rock "live in the now."

News on the March Says "Don't Forget Gordon Parks!" Daaaaamn Riiiight!

KaneCitizen, over at News on the March, wants to make sure that in celebrating one important Parks in American history that we don't forget another. He has a very good profile of Gordon Parks, the man who brought you SHAFT, here.

Now if only he could do a profile of Barry Gordie...we all know "The Last Dragon" is one of the best Kung Fu/Blaxploitation films ever made. Sho' Nuff!

Or as Cyrus would say...CAAAAN YOU DIIIIG IIIIIT?!

BTW, you can read a middle english version of the Shaft theme song here.

Wha be þa blake prevy lawe
Þat bene wantoun too alle þa feres?
SHAFT!
Ya damne riȝte!