Publisher Mike Kiley sent out this letter to Tokyopop creators yesterday:
Hey, everybody (all TOKYOPOP Manga Creators) –
As many of you have no doubt heard by now, we have announced some changes at TOKYOPOP this week.
We understand that this announcement may have created some uncertainty for you and we wanted to reach out as soon as possible to reassure you. While there will be some changes in our publishing program, we can tell you that if you are working on a project for us, keep making great manga, stick to your schedules, and turn in your work so we can get you paid!
We are in the midst of transitioning your manga projects to new editors. If you have a project in some current stage of development with us, then your editor will be in touch with you to discuss the specifics of your project by the end of next week.
Thanks for your understanding as we morph into the next evolution of TOKYOPOP!
Wow. Were I a TP creator, that memo would have me totally mollified. Nothing like a little sunshine suppository after a bloodletting.
Well, it’s a good thing they reached out to all the creators before all of this went down -
OH WAIT.
But what about translators and English adaptors working on Japanese manga like myself? They still haven’t contacted us about our assignments.
“As many of you have no doubt heard by now, we have announced some changes at TOKYOPOP this week.”
-Really? We thought it’s just one of the usual Stu Levy creative concoctions.
“We understand that this announcement may have created some uncertainty for you and we wanted to reach out as soon as possible to reassure you. ”
-So very nice of you to let us, the creators, know last. We are the same people you depend on to produce books for you.
“While there will be some changes in our publishing program, we can tell you that if you are working on a project for us, keep making great manga, stick to your schedules, and turn in your work so we can get you paid!”
-That’s funny, another company said the same thing right before they screwed over the creators with non-payments. I think the company was called Dreamwave Productions.
“We are in the midst of transitioning your manga projects to new editors. If you have a project in some current stage of development with us, then your editor will be in touch with you to discuss the specifics of your project by the end of next week.”
-So basically, we have to RE-EDUCATE someone else of the dynamics, history, story, concept, and everything about our projects all over again. So do you want us to re-pitch the manga proposal to you as well?
“Thanks for your understanding as we morph into the next evolution of TOKYOPOP!”
-You’re welcome. Hopefully we can all morph together like power rangers and think that we all can come out of this mess as superheroes.
Really stupid closure. Yet another attempt to be “hip.” Yay, it’s morphin time!
“Thanks for your understanding as we morph into the next evolution of TOKYOPOP!”
As we and our tiger Hobbes get under this cardboard box with TRANSMOGRIFIER written on the side.