Manga, like most western graphic storytelling forms, must overcome a preponderance of prejudices and stereotypes among American readers. In spite of (some might say because of) manga’s success in American bookstores, the form is viewed as the exclusive territory of titles such as Naruto, Dragonball and OnePiece – male power fantasies with quirky (sometimes outright hallucinogenic) storytelling, frequent battles, and more speed lines than could ever be counted.

What a delight it is, then, when a manga publishing house as prominent as Viz Media decides to print something more than a little outside the norm, a title that seeks to educate more than titillate. That title is Oishinbo, and while it is new to America as of 2009, it has been published in Japan for over 25 years. There are literally hundreds of volumes and thousands upon thousands of pages in the Japanese Oishinbocatalogue, which no doubt created troubles for any company seeking to publish this work in America. Rather than meticulously translating, editing and reprinting each page from the very start of the Japanese series, Viz has opted for what they term the “A la Carte” approach – volumes compiled and heavily edited around a particular theme. Sometimes this approach works well, and other times it leaves a reader scratching his head. That is the price, I suppose, for attempting something ambitious and unique in the American manga market.

So, what is Oishinbo about? It’s about food – specifically, Japanese cuisine – and the obsessions and aesthetics that drive Japan’s culinary masters. But before you start thinking of this as nothing more than a heavily illustrated cookbook, you should also know that Oishinbo is about a young man and his relationship with his father, about the anger of youth and the cynicism of the aged, and about the quest for perfection. Don’t expect any “Good Guys vs. Bad Guys” simplistic motifs. As is the case in real life, none of the characters in Oishinbo fits a neatly-designed cubicle.

The protagonist of the story, Yamaoka Shiro, is grumpy, pretentious, off-putting and occasionally brilliant. His background in the culinary arts, and his refined palate, have earned him the quest for the “Ultimate Menu,” a lengthy newspaper assignment to assemble and create the most magnificent Japanese meal ever imagined. Shiro’s antagonist is his father, Kaibara Yuzan. Yuzan is explosive, verbally abusive, passionate, and, like his son, utterly brilliant. There is much to like and to dislike about each of these men, and while the culinary lessons are intriguing, the human story of a rift between father and son is what lifts this work above its genre.

If it sounds as though I am gushing about Oishinbo, it’s because I am. It’s original, it’s challenging, it’s sublime – but it is not without its flaws. The main problem with this first volume lies primarily with Viz’s decision to heavily edit this large work into discreet, bite-sized (no pun intended) chunks. While this first volume does a relatively good job of introducing some of the basics of Japanese cuisine (necessary knife skills, expected etiquette, and the tea ceremony, among others), it does so at the expense of character and conflict development. In culinary terms, Oishinbo: Japanese Cuisine is a pleasant and a somewhat unexpected appetizer, but if subsequent volumes follow the same pattern we will all be starving for a main course rather quickly.

Cross-Posted on GuysLitWire…

There are two types of collectibles that I just don’t get (and probably never will).  They are the bobblehead and the bust.  Both are “B” words and both are completely unnecessary.

Let’s look at the bobblehead first.  According to the aptly named Bobbleheads.com, this trinket of idiocy was first mentioned in print in 1842 and has seen its popularity ebb and flow over the years.  Most frequently remembered as dogs or baseball players standing in the rear windows of 1960’s-era Chevy’s and Buicks, these yes-men of doom have now spread out into virtually every facet of our pop culture driven society.  When I saw the Ozzy Osbourne bobblehead I finally knew for sure that the human race was winding down.

So what exactly do I hate about these big headed nodders?  Just that.  We already have the far superior Super-Deformed aesthetic thanks to those awesomely crazy Japanese so why must we also have bobbleheads?  Why do they need to nod?  Is anyone actually buying up all these SKUs of crap merchandise?  Who exactly looks at a bobblehead in the package and mutters, “I must have that” under their beer-soaked breath?  Why aren’t the cool SD figures good enough for Americans?  WHY MUST WE BOBBLE?!  I see absolutely no point to it.  The central load bearing structure of the bobbleheads’ bodies mean that design aesthetics must be sacrificed for the bobble function.  I say, NO MORE!

The other item that bugs the hell out of me is the bust and it’s angry cousin the mini bust.  Want to know why these exist?  Licensing agreements, my friends.  When Lucasfilm sells Hasbro the rights to make action figures, they do so in an explicit contract.  Then some yahoo over at Gentle Giant thinks he could make a better Ponda Baba (AKA Butt Face) sculpt so he decides that GG must make action figures too.  Oh no, says LFL.  You may not.  Hasbro owns that right.  So the minions at GG think and think and think and then probably drink a lot and eventually come up with the idea that they could get a different license if their figures had no legs!  BRILLIANT, says LFL.  Fork over the dough.  Thus opens another portal to hell as figures end up buried to the waist in Geonosian rock and Star Wars fans by the thousands pay their hard-earned cash for the upper halves of characters they cherish.

Is there a case when a bust would be cool?  Only if it’s in marble and on display in a rotunda of some sort.  So far I’ve yet to see a film character worthy of that sort of adulation but I haven’t given up hope for Ah-nold just yet.  We may eventually see the Austrian Republican immortalized in stone.

Look, just please stop buying these.  It’s the only way we can discourage their manufacture.  Sure, a few old Chinese women will have to move over to the Triumph dog toy production line, but it’s a small price to pay for the sanity of our great nation.

BIG HUGE TREMENDOUS props to a LEGO builder supreme who completed this Battle Cruiser Yamato replica. If you think this image is impressive, wait until you see the other views.

Head over to Hasbro.com in the next few days and place a vote for the five obscure Marvel Comics characters you’d like to see turned into action figures. Sadly, there’s still no love for Paste Pot Pete (*sigh* is there ever??), but there are some other interesting options. My current favorites are:

1. Lady Bullseye

2. Nighthawk

3. Brother Voodoo

4. Captain Marvel (aka Marvel Boy)

5. Paper Bag Spidey (if we can’t have P.P. Pete, at least give us this lame-o)

At least you’re not these guys.

Am I missing something? I just read Brian Michael Bendis’/Alex Maleev’s Dark Reign #1, and this is what Namor looks like. Now, honestly, I haven’t been keeping tabs on ol’ wingfoot probably like I should, but when did he turn into this. At best, he looks like an extra from Office Space. At worst, he looks like a chemo victim. In spite of John Byrne’s ridiculous take on Namor years ago, I’ve never thought of the character as a joke. When did he become one?

I’m amazed at the number of people I’ve come across who are excited about the upcoming Watchmen movie, who have read the esteemed graphic novel, but who are completely unaware of the origins of Alan Moore’s seminal work. Not trying to sound snobby – it’s just surprising.

For those unaware, the initial idea Moore pitched to DC was the same Watchmen concept, only using their then-recently-acquired stable of Charlton Comics characters. DC eventually balked at the Charlton idea once they realized Moore intended to take the characters in an irreversible direction that would render most of the characters unusable after the series concluded. Thus, DC editors urged Moore to create variations on the Charlton characters..

Captain Atom

became

Peacemaker

became ​

Blue Beetle

became ​

Nightshade

became ​

Peter Cannon-Thunderbolt

became ​

And finally, the best of the bunch: The Question

became ​

There’s your quick lesson on the origin of the Watchmen boys and girls. If you want a more in-depth analysis, navigate your browser o’ the web to this interview with Alan Moore. Good stuff.

Everyone knows it’s because there’s a Jamba Juice on every corner:

Congrats to game maker/publisher Valve for their many, many million-plus sellers.  Even bigger props go to whoever created this promotional ad.  Gordon Freeman never looked so cool!