From: fafhrd@clubzen.fidonet.org (David Medinnus)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime
Subject: Re: Oh, for God's sake!!  (was Anime Expo '93)  [Warning: mild flame
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 92 15:10:52 PST
Organization: Club Zen BBS - Fidonet/UseNet - +1 415 968 8140

eaiu146@orion.oac.uci.edu (Larry Mann) writes:

> 
> I've had enough of this, and I need to say my peace.  I apologize in
> advance to anyone who is easily offended.
> 
> [Flame on >]
> 
> To everyone who has been part of the '93 Project:
> 
> 	You have all blown it, big time.  None of you really ever gave
> a damn about the fans; everything I heard was all talk and no honesty.
> You know, you remind me of the candidates in this election.  They hype
> about certain things but don't provide workable solutions to deal with
> a real problem.  You say you have the best interests of the fans at
> heart.  If so, why do you continue to backstab each other and treat us
> like shit?
> 
> 	When I go to an anime convention, I want to have an experience
> that's not overshadowed by corporate hotheads glaring at each other and
> trying to figure the best way to weasel out a profit, even if that
> means the fans, the people who are here because they want to have fun,
> are given a totally unfair deal.
> 
> 	In the process of doing what you have done, you have ruined
> everything that's been worked for up to now, and probably done
> irreparable damage to our image in Japan.  You have sought a profit
> at our expense, and you would rather fight each other instead of
> trying to promote a more positive image of our genre in the mainstream.
> So long as you continue this bickering, both Japan and America will
> consider us a bunch of losers.  I ask you this: how can I hope to
> sell my artwork if it is recognized as coming from a group that is "a
> bunch of losers?"
> 
> 	To the anime community in general: I propose that we take a
> step that has happened on the national and [California] state levels:
> CLEAN THE HOUSE.  Perhaps it's time for new leaders to take command,
> perhaps it's time to bring in fresh talent which is worthy of respect
> both in Japan and here.  Or at the very least, see to it that our
> existing leadership cleans up its act in a big way.  We cannot trust
> anyone who insists on putting their own interests ahead of the fans,
> and that includes the business people who market our genre at
> substandard quality.  I've heard the argument that the American
> public expects something of lesser quality in animated media, and
> to that I say: that argument is a crock of shit.  This material is
> high quality storytelling and filmmaking, and should be portrayed
> as such, not shrugged off like media for non-intelligent humans.
> 
> 	Mr. Medinnus, and everyone who has "resigned in disgust":
> your actions are reminding me of all the voters nationwide who said
> they would not vote.  This will accomplish absolutely nothing.  If
> anything you will leave the situation in the hands of those who
> will support the exact same people you do not wish to deal with.
> You may have made public your feelings on the situation, but what
> do you intend to DO about it?  By resigning you gave up a lot of
> your power to do anything.
> 
> 	I've said it time and again to various parties: DO NOT LOSE
> SIGHT OF THE FANS!  Why do you insist on treating us like trash and
> working towards your own self-serving goals without real regard to
> anime fandom!?  I can understand the desire to gain power and
> recognition; I would like very much to have some of that myself.
> But this is getting way out of hand.  You've dropped nukes on each
> other and left us to die in the fallout.  It's WRONG!!
> 
> 	I hope for all our sakes I never see the day when I am
> ashamed to call myself an anime fan.  But with the way things are
> going, that day is liable to arrive sooner than I think.
> 
> 	Please, everyone, work this shit out and get us back in
> a good situation.  I'm tired of all this bullshit.
> 
> [Flame off.]
> 
> 
> Guys, it has to be dealt with.  Comments and *honest* followups would
> be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> - Larry Mann  [.sig missing; replacement ordered]

Since you did me the courtesy to invoke me by name, I will respond.

When I announced AnimeCon '93, I was lambasted for not caring about the 
fans. When I went into negotiations with Mike Tatsugawa, in an effort to 
come to an accord, with the only agenda item of having one good 
convention, I was told that I didn't care about the fans. When Greg 
Scanlan announced that MT and I had agreed to have neither of us chair 
the convention, and that a neutral, third-party chairman had been chosen 
from MT's Board of Directors, I was accused by several people of having 
sold out; that I didn't care about the fans. When MT harrassed and 
hamstrung his new Chairman after pledging non-interferance, and the new 
Chairman and his staff resigned, we have all been accused of not caring 
about the fans.

Wake up, all you stupid b*stards. The time and effort already spent, we 
spent because we want an anime convention of quality, so that the otaku
don't complain endlessly about how they were "ripped off" by a con which 
promises the world, and delivers almost nothing. We have seen, and have 
suffered workingf for MT; we KNOW that a con run by him will be a 
disaster. So we refuse to be a part, and to perpetuate the problem. 

We (all of us, including MT) have been accused of making money on the 
backs of the Otaku. Wake up and smell the coffee, guys. There is NO MONEY 
TO BE MADE AS INDIVIDUALS BY RUNNING CONVENTIONS IN ANIME FANDOM. We 
don't make a f*cking dime. We do spend many hours a week at it, though; 
why? Since we "don't care about the fans", I'm at a loss to explain it 
(Smell the sarcasm burning yet?). 

If I wanted to make $$$, I could tak a part-time job at McDonalds. I'd 
make FAR more $$$, with much less aggrivation. 

So, whatever happens here in the Bay Area, kindly stop crying "They don't 
care about the fans" and "They are all making money off of the otaku". 
All your whining does is show how little you know about the situation, 
and about conventions.

While I'm on a role, and almost certainly p*ssing off everyone on line, I 
think I'll take this time to point out that if we didn't make disclosures 
on-line about what is going on, y'all would scream "Cover-up!" and start 
spinning conspiracy theories. The way I see it, no matter what we do, 
y'all are going to whine and complain.

A shame. You could try helping, instead.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Medinnus -> (fafhrd@clubzen.fidonet.org)