==================== The Sailor Scribe #3 ==================== May 11, 1997 ================= Table of Contents ================= *** Part A *** Introduction From Head Office A Few Squeaks From The Stress Toy (Beruche) NA Sailor Moon Brad Lascelle General News Update Beyond Syndication: the Cable Deal? Production Woes? Mixxzine Takes Flight Buena Vista Video Banter Dub and Dubber Sailor News Briefs Part B NA Sailor Moon (cont'd) Devin de Gruyl TK'S IMPONDERABLES: MixxZine #1 Audra Bell Trading Post Fanfics Devin de Gruyl Best of the Best: Fanfic Reviews Part C Fanfics (cont'd) Janelle Jimenez Sailor Moon Z: Chapters One and Two ======================================================================= A FEW SQUEAKS FROM THE STRESS TOY - by Beruche (beruche@concentric.net) ======================================================================= As you may have noticed, there is no notice from the Publisher, Robin Kloster. There's a lot of reasons why: mail server dying, being under the weather, vacation, etc; so I was thrust into the roles of both of ours. Trial by fire, as it were. Well, I scraped through with only second-degree burns, and there's a final product, so all has worked out. Also, as I was left to relatively do whatever with this, there's a bit of experimentation on this issue. We've inserted a new fanfic section to the Scribe, for one; which I hope proves to be as popular as the rest of it. ^^ Also, you may note the lack of the discussion topics in this issue. The fact of the matter is, and I'm not gonna beat around the bush, is I lost them... they'll be back in an extended forum for next issue. Well, I've rambled long enough here, so enjoy this issue and look forward to the next one. (Robin'll be back! yay!)... now I understand why she needs a stress toy for this job.. ^^; - Ber ======================================================================= GENERAL NEWS UPDATE - This and on by Brad Lascelle (panda@huron.net) ======================================================================= The last six weeks have been both devoid of news and yet ripe with interest as far as developments on the NA front of Sailor Moon are concerned. Confused? :) Well, in terms of tangible happenings, it has been a fairly quiet period. For the better part of April, the most significant talk around the 'Net was surrounding the VIP launch of MixxZine... which trickled into subscriber homes as early as the 1st of the month and as late as a couple weeks ago. We'll have an exclusive interview with Editor-In-Chief Ron Scovil regarding the success of the VIP launch and Mixx's future plans... as well as a comprehensive review on the first installment of the OFFICIAL translated Sailor Moon manga courtesy of Devin de Gruyl... later on in this issue. Aside from MixxZine, the rest of the month was pretty much dry. No production schedules had been finalized with Optimum for the next run of 17 episodes. No licensing agreements had been hammered out with Toei to give the green light on the live-action or animated movie efforts. A box set for the 'Doom Tree' arc hit stores... a time change for the SM dub on YTV... an interview with Terri Hawkes... but nothing of significant importance. However, two stories of notable interest both emerged on the week of April 21st, which lead off this month's focus reports. ======================================================================= BEYOND SYNDICATION -- THE CABLE DEAL... FACT OR FICTION? ======================================================================= For those of you who've headed to the 'Save Our Sailors' website (http://looney.physics.sunysb.edu/~daffy/sos/) in the last 3 weeks, you may have noticed news regarding an expected mid-May announcement regarding a notable cable station picking up Sailor Moon and adding it to their weekday lineup to supplement the Program Exchange syndication run which gets underway on either June 2nd or 9th in select markets across the U.S. (Boy, how's that for a run-on sentence?) Now for those of you who've been burned out by the SOS poptart lingo and are reading this sugarfree information resource for some cold hard answers, let me pass along the following bit of news. The cable deal is indeed authentic, legitimate, and 100% legit in every way, shape, and form... which is naturally thrilling news for those of you looking for Sailor Moon to have a chance to actually get exposure in the United States market. It hasn't had that opportunity yet... but it WILL starting next month in a solid timeslot spanning the entire country. However, for those of you WITHOUT cable, this might not be such good news... the syndication broadcasts are being locked into set timeslots to supplement the cable airings. This will impose an added restriction on affiliates who may have considered carrying the show... and TPE doesn't land too many affiliates for its commodities in the first place, despite having consistent strong backing by General Mills for all of their shows. So, if no affiliate that serves your area pops up on the entire list which DiC will release later this month, you might want to look into a full-fledged cable setup or asking a friend or neighbor to tape the broadcasts for you. We're already aware of the exact identity of the cable station... and to be perfectly honest, if you're familiar with DiC's prior dealings with cable partners who carry animated programming, it's not really too hard to guess... but we'll be letting the folks at SOS bring you all of the details direct and comprehensively to you first-hand through their website when the official announcement is released in a short while. (It'll be made available on the Scribe website shortly thereafter and... if you don't mind waiting... will be included in detail in the next issue of the Scribe due to head out sometime in early June.) As to how the folks at 'Save Our Sailors' received the news regarding the cable developments before even Toei and the main core of SM co-licensors, well it seems they've made a couple friends within the cable organization that SM will be headed to next month. They took a chance about releasing the news about the impending agreement while the negotiations were still underway and before the ink was on the dotted line. Needless to say, it was a bold gesture on their part, but we're glad and the American fans of Sailor Moon should be pleased that everything did in fact work out. With regards to the 17 new episodes, there may well be a light at the end of the tunnel for U.S. fans on that issue as well. But I'm not going to spoil the news right now... the folks at SOS have earned this one, so I'm not going to spoil their fun. :) ======================================================================= PRODUCTION WOES? ======================================================================= With regards to ongoing progress on the 17 episodes which will be headed out later this fall to complete Sailor Moon R (73-88 and one additional ep), the raw footage has been received by DiC and is presently being hacked to shreds by their editing department. Errr... well, not really being 'hacked to shreds' but, well, you get the idea. As Optimum has yet to receive the edited tapes from DiC, they have yet to finalize any of the recording schedules for the voicework, which certainly brings into question just who will be able to reprise their roles this summer. Of course, a few answers became clear when Steve Mittler brought to light the news that Roland Parliament had been fired as ADR Director of the series on April 25th, by Nicole Thuault of Optimum Productions. And that some other notable VAs would not be returning, either. The specifics regarding this situation are delved into in the following interview which was recently conducted with Steve a few days ago. For those of you not aware of Steve's prior contributions to the 'Net fan community and his ties to the voice cast, he is the co-founder of the 'Voice Stars' organization and is principally responsible for getting the voice cast out to public appearances through last year. He also pitched a substantial offer to Toei with regards to bringing over the SMR Movie, prior to DiC's interest in tackling such a project first surfaced. The VS website can be accessed at www.voicestars.com. * * * BL> When did the latest conflicts involving Optimum begin to materialize? SM> In late March there was an outcry from Optimum. It was on March 21st that I got the call to remove all references to Sailor Moon from the Voice Stars website. BL> This was right around the time the news regarding the new episodes had finally been made public... which, of course, you knew about back in December due to your interest in the SMR Movie. SM> Yes. But back then they were still talking about doing 26, not 17. But, as we both know, 17 is much better for DiC. It finishes off the R series and they don't have to worry about S. BL> Of course, it's not as good news for the folks at Irwin and the other merchandisers... not as many new characters to make toys and products off of. BL> And what brought about this situation? SM> Apparently Louis visited the Voice Stars website and was incensed that the actors were letting people know that they were the voices behind Sailor Moon. * Louis Hurtubise is the head of Optimum Productions BL> Any specific reason why Louis would get upset about that? They are legitimate acting credits, after all. SM> I really don't know. Perhaps Optimum didn't want anyone to know who the voices were so that they could more easily replace them. BL> Was overhauling the cast in the back of their minds even then? SM> Replacing voices is never a big deal to producers. They don't think anyone can tell the difference or that anyone cares. Optimum was also concerned that the website and personal appearances were inflating the actor's egos. BL> Was this just paranoia on their part? Why would they be concerned about the VAs taking pride in their work? SM> Because the actors might ask for a wee bit more money. But since the agents are the ones who do the negotiating; Optimum should've been more worried that the actor's agent's egos would've been inflated. BL> Who directly asked you to remove the names? Surely, Optimum couldn't legally impose their removal, could they? SM> Legally, no. I was asked to remove them by Roland. (He's the boss, after all.) BL> So... what followed in the weeks leading up to Roland Parliament's dismissal on April 25th? SM> The big falling out between Roland and Nicole was over the live appearances. Nicole didn't want Roland getting that close to the fans. Especially if Nicole wasn't the one in charge of these meetings. It comes down to power and control. Any information concerning Sailor Moon *must* come from Nicole. Not from the fans. The actors must realize that they are dirt and easily replaceable. And the fans know nothing and mean nothing. That's her mindset. BL> Why would Nicole dismiss Roland from his position of ADR Director after not having attended any kind of appearance in four months and after distancing himself from steady E-Mail contact through the 'Net? And why just make an issue with him? All of the other VAs were just as eager and open to fan input at the various Voice Stars outings. SM> Because Roland was in more of a position of authority than the 'just plain actors'. Roland was seen as the ringleader. Make an example of him to keep the actors in line. Why after all this time? Perhaps because production of the new episodes was finally being to solidify in Optimum's eyes. BL> Nevertheless, it's not like he has much of a sway in how much fan input or original content makes it into the final prints. Nicole should have realized that. DiC does all of the blocking, editing, and creative adaptations before the episodes ever get to Roland. The scripting is done by outside sources... really, he can just direct the voicework. SM> Yes, but he can give his direction with regard to character motivation from the original episodes. As opposed to going into them blind or relying solely on what the writers tell him. BL> When did Katie and Toby... or their agents, I should say... give notice that they would not be returning? And why? * Roland Parliament voiced Melvin... as well as being ADR Director. * Katie Griffin voiced Sailor Mars / Raye. * Toby Proctor voiced Tuxedo Mask / Darien. SM> About the same time Roland was let go. They wanted a smidge more money to come back. Optimum immediately thought that it was due to the public appearances that they wanted more money. Not taking into account things like "Flash Gordon" and other works in progress. Optimum has to realize that they aren't the only game in town. And if they want the performers, they'd better pay them what they are worth now: not what they were worth in the summer of '95. BL> Okay... let's put things into perspective. It's early May... naturally, both Irwin and YTV want these 17 new episodes by late August. Optimum has to fill 6 prominent roles... Sailor Mars, Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Pluto, Dimando, Safir, and Esmeraude... (and probably 7, as Roland isn't likely to reprise Melvin for Episodes 77 and 80). SM> Yes BL> Now, when you first made this news public, you stated that there will be "more 'no shows' announced in the weeks to come". Who else do you think may bow out? And for what reasons? More cases of Optimum not meeting their price? SM> Money is merely one part of the equation. And given the Dubbing Agreement; a very small part. Loyalty to Roland is another part. But this is business, and work is work. Scheduling and availability is a major factor. BL> Yep... Optimum has yet to receive the footage they need from DiC. Nothing's been scheduled as yet. Naturally, a number of the VAs may already have extensive work lined up for the summer. SM> If Terri is scheduled to shoot a movie in Spain or something; she can't very well be in Toronto voicing Sailor Moon. BL> So, there will more than likely be others? SM> It wouldn't surprise me at all. BL> And how would this disrupt or effect the production process? Optimum has roughly 3 months to work with. SM> The recasting should be interesting. Optimum needs actors who are ACTRA members. Fit the parts. And are skilled at using the Rythmo-Band. * ACTRA stands for the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists. It is essentially the actors' union for Canada. BL> That's a significant number of criteria. SM> The really funny thing is that the major source for Rythmo-Band talent is....Roland! Roland teaches classes in the use of Rythmo-Band. BL> Still, what's stopping Optimum from throwing together a motley crew of replacements? They and others tend to view VAs as a dime a dozen... naturally, Rhythmo-Band is Optimum's technology. They can find another means of introducing it to their talent. SM> Time is money. Studio time is big money. They don't really have time for that. Training instudio means time and money lost. BL> Is it something Optimum is capable of dealing with in the time allotted? SM> It is possible. It depends on how much money Optimum is willing to throw behind casting and possible training. BL> Everything was down to the wire back in '95, as well. They had 2 episodes complete back near the end of July... were able to get 30 completed by the time the show went to air... and finished the remainder of the production in a breakneck pace through the first weeks of October. SM> Yep. They were about 2 weeks ahead, episode wise. Between producing it and getting it to air. BL> So in all likelihood, Optimum should be able to delve through the 17 episodes on time... albeit with extra costs due to recasting and a partially-overhauled cast? SM> Yes. They should be able to do it. But the costs incurred due to the recasting outweigh just bringing people back, even at a slightly higher pay rate. BL> And you'll be keeping us up-to-date on any other VAs who bow out, correct? SM> Yes, when I hear something I will be sure to pass it along. BL> Care to offer any speculation as to who might join the 'no show' list? SM> Right now that's really hard to say. I'd need to check with some of the performers to find out what their schedules are like. Or with their agents to see if they've even been contacted yet. BL> Sounds like Optimum's still got a lot of work to do. SM> Yep, tons of it. * * * That pretty much covers the specifics regarding the situation as they stand right now. Steve Mittler can be reached via E-Mail at smittler@msi.net. Roland Parliament can be reached via E-Mail at rolwiz@astral.magic.ca. Don't expect much in terms of answers from either of them, but Steve does readily contribute to the Taronga ML, so if you're interested in discussing any of the latest developments with him, that would be the place to go. If any additional VAs take a premature exit from the SM project, you'll be sure to hear about it on the Sailor Scribe website before anywhere else. Information regarding just who will be recast in some of the newer roles will also be passed along as soon as it's known, so keep your eyes glued to the website and to the 'Net in general. :) ======================================================================= MIXXZINE TAKES FLIGHT ======================================================================= As stated earlier on, the majority of the focus over the last six weeks was given to the MixxZine VIP launch... and deservedly so. In order to cover all of the specific questions raised with the VIP Campaign and get a handle on just what Mixx has in store for us in the remainder of 1997, we conducted an interview with Editor-In-Chief Ronald Scovil Jr. to get his take on things. * * * BL> With the MixxZine VIP launch now over a month old, how have you and Stuart Levy gauged the success of your initial foray into the North American comic... or should I say 'motionless entertainment'... market? Was the VIP campaign a success? Did it go better than expected? RS> We are happy with the level of response we received for the VIP subscriptions. Now we need those people to tell their friends to buy MixxZine on the retail level so we can increase the number of stores we can get carried in. The more people who buy MixxZine at retail the bigger and better we can make the magazine itself. We will not be able to judge any success until we go out retail. BL> Through the VIP release, a number of minor concerns have arisen from subscribers regarding a variety of issues. The first being a staggered mail delivery across the continent which resulted in an almost three-week arrival period for some VIP subscribers. While Mixx certainly can't be expected to sidestep the problems of the postal system, a three-week clearance is somewhat larger than most other publications. Will Mixx be taking on any endeavours to try and tighten down this time discrepancy... particularly for those subscribers on the East Coast and up in Canada? RS> Yes we have been monitoring the delivery points. And we had to file a formal complaint with the US Postal Service. BL> The second issue being raised is packaging. While affordability is a trait that Mixx is porting over from the prospering Japanese manga industry, most avid readers in Japan don't subscribe to their favorite titles... they pick them up at newsstands. As such, they don't have to deal with the rigors of the postal system and a number of VIPs have found their issues damaged, bent, or warped on delivery. How does Mixx plan on approaching this dilemma? Will packaging be added to the equation? Will subscription costs be increased to compensate for any added overhead expenses? RS> We are investigating ways to protect the issues without raising our costs and those to our readers. We need to exploit everything we can here first before we consider anything else. BL> The third issue... which can be somewhat tied into the previous one... is with regards to the MixxZine mindset. Mangas in Japan are done cheaply and affordably and are considered disposable after a quick skim through. Collectors invest in higher-quality compilations for their favorite titles if they want to read them over and over again. Now, Mixx will be pursuing a compilation release as well for their popular titles beginning early next year, however, MixxZine itself is being touted as a collectible in itself... which was one of the selling points for the VIP campaign. Naturally, a number of subscribers with the 'collectible' mindset were miffed when they received damaged issues or when they saw MixxMoney stuck onto the back of their introductory SM story. That being said, how should the public view MixxZine? Is it a collectible? Or will you make a point of emphasizing the compilation volumes as collectibles in order to dispel some of the subscriber concerns? RS> We have never said that individual issues of MixxZine were collectible. The VIP issue was an advance preview issue. Though there was something mentioned about a collector's edition cover as we were examining the reaction to it as a whole. We do plan on doing tankoubans(Graphic novels) at an equally affordable price relative to the Mixx philosophy. We have always said that people could photocopy the survey and get those Mixxmoney bonus points. BL> The fourth issue being raised is with regards to mailing consistency and the concept of VIPs. Quite a number of regular subscribers who paid the extra 5 bucks and have signed on to Mixx after the original February 6th deadline have reported to have received VIP issues. Some even BEFORE VIP subscribers who DID sign up for the campaign. Now, for the record, these regular subscribers weren't supposed to receive their first issues until mid-June, to the best of my knowledge. Some of the VIPs have openly wondered what the significance of being VIPs really is... aside from five bucks off an already exceptional deal. After all, all subscribers (VIP or otherwise) will have to wait until mid-August to get Issue 2... three long months from now. So, what does Mixx have in store for the VIP subscribers who took a chance and jumped aboard the bandwagon early? What do they have to look forward to in the next three months? What separates them from the regular subscribers in terms of distinction? After all, back when the original promotion drive for the VIP campaign was running around New Year's, there was a lot of talk about autographed pencilboards, shirts, and other freebies which have yet to materialize. RS> Some of the people who have complained openly on the Net about not getting Mixx also didn't tell you that their credit cards were declined. Their checks bounced etc. So I, Ron, used a little of my own discretion. We will announce the contests and such in an upcoming issue of MixxZine. And we will post pictures of the signboards on our website this summer. We want to implement some things but our time is not that free to handle some of it right now. And with the monitoring of the mailout. I am glad that we didn't do anything relative to the signboards because of the administrative headaches. First we need to make sure that all of the VIP subscribers have that status before we announce or conduct any contest. BL> Finally, the last issue of minor significance being raised is with regards to marketing. A lot of people have raised outward concerns about the parity of MixxZine and of the four titles which have been chosen for inclusion. They naturally span a broad range of issues and incorporate traits from all walks of shojo and shonen fare. Why have you gone with these four titles? RS> Simply because these are four very good titles that we would read. And combined, they offer the best value for the buck. Any other comic publisher doing manga would have run these titles. Well, at least three of them. BL> How will you be marketing MixxZine to the mainstream public? RS> The marketing of MixxZine will be unveiled in a bit. Just look out. If you do not see it, then you aren't reading the magazines and target groups we are going after. BL> Naturally, despite the strong stories at the core of these titles, they're not all going to appeal to everyone. Each title will appeal to a certain demographic and a certain individual. Will you be emphasizing each title individually through your promotion? Or MixxZine as a collective entity? RS> It will be a combination of both. We will emphasize the shojo titles in female publications and still not hide the existence of shonen (boys) stories in the same book. I find the question and thought insulting that girls wouldn't want to read Parasyte and Ice Blade. Girls READ Goosebumps. Females watch X-Files. Females don't need guys protecting them from what guys feel is THEIR hobby. This is why anime and manga haven't done too well here. Go to any anime con and look around. I want to talk more about this but I can't. I would be far too candid. The people that I respect are Kyri Ho, Rika Takahashi, Maria Munoz, Audra, Michelle, and all of the other women of anime. These ladies know what they like, are intelligent, and don't need to be pandered to by any guys. I like that. I respect that. We shouldn't have any fears or prejudice as to who can be anime or manga fans. As I am ranting, you do not want to know how much I love women who are into anime and manga. If you see me at any anime con, UCLA or USC anime clubs and bookstore come up and say hi. We can chat. BL> And, which forums will you look to promote MixxZine in? Magazines? Television? Trade publications? RS> A mix of them all. But no TV. We have a Mixx radio show on anime and manga in Japan right now. I will add audio files of it to our website later this summmer. BL> With the VIP campaign done and over with, the next step for Mixx is to build up publicity for the July 15th retail launch, and to focus on your other commodities. You were in attendance at the NATPE Animation & Special Effects Expo earlier this weekend. You will be at AnimeExpo. You will be at E3 this June in Atlanta. What specifics can you divulge regarding the other lines and products that Mixx will be tackling in the weeks and months ahead? RS> I can only announce our U-Print and Graduation game software. MixxZine will announce all of the Mixx line of goods more effectively than I can. BL> We know you'll be tackling the field of electronic entertainment. You've got the Graduation sim title for Windows 95 slated for release on the SAME day as the MixxZine retail launch. What can the public expect from this title? RS> Grad is great fun and an addictive game. BL> What other titles and ports lay over the horizon? Will you be tackling the console market as well? RS> If our games do well we will consider ports to the Playstation. I can't discuss other titles. BL> What about videos? What about screensavers? What about T-Shirts and other merchandise? What can we expect from Mixx in the next six months? RS> Read MixxZine. The website should vastly improve over the summer. Sorry but we have some other priorities at the moment and understand that you all value MixxZine more than our website. BL> And are there any other 'notable' manga titles waiting in the wings to fill the void as the 5th MixxZine title... or replace one of the existing titles if they fail to gain a significant fan following? RS> If MixxZine does good at the retail level. We will do our part in getting the best titles we can for the magazine. Readers will just have to do their part and tell friends and buy MixxZine. BL> Finally, I'd like to address the official Mixx website. MixxOnline has been up and running for roughly two months now, and there remains some uncertainty about what you plan on doing with the site. At the moment, there's some general information with regards to each of the prominent MixxZine titles, a brief (and somewhat dated) editorial from your partner, Stuart Levy, and some basic subscription information and instructions. In the months to come, what do you plan on tackling with MixxOnline? Naturally, without outside advertising, it is not a forum which can bring in much cash on its own, and therefore shouldn't rank highly on your priority list. But do you plan on expanding MixxOnline down the road into something much more than a Mixx info hub? Will it become more of a frequently updated information vehicle? Or is that in the works at all? RS> Mixxonline will improve. I will see to that. But after the summer. We have too many projects to take care of at the moment. And a company in the US and another in Japan. I want to thank you all for supporting MixxZine. This week after Tuesday we will refocus on clearing up some of your problems. Call us Wednesday and onward at (310) 914-0165. Best regards. ======================================================================= BUENA VISTA VIDEO BANTER ======================================================================= Buena Vista officially released their 4-tape box set edition for the 'Doom Tree' series, which includes dubbed episodes 41-53, on April 22nd. It should be available at assorted Toys R Us and Suncoast outlets across the United States, and at assorted retailers in Canada. (Some Suncoast outlets did release some box sets to the public prematurely.) It retails for $49.99... and can also be ordered directly over the telephone by calling 1-800-582-7600. Existing tapes can also be ordered through this toll-free line. The Scribe talked with the head of the SM video line at Buena Vista, Clint Markham, regarding the sales success of the videos thus far. Clint handles the brand marketing for an extended number of the studio's video releases (mainly TV compilation collections from shows such as Gargoyles) and he's generally pleased with the results the line has attained thus far. Buena Vista plans on taking a 'wait-and-see' attitude regarding tackling future projects pending the sales success of the box set as well as the existing video library and to weigh any additional demand which surfaces from the cable release of the series next month. When asked about the status of their advertised website, www.sailormoon-video.com, it has reportedly been indefinitely delayed due to reasons which can't be divulged at this time. ======================================================================= DUB AND DUBBER ======================================================================= Mary Jo Winchester, the VP of Cloverway (Toei's North American entity), has firmly stated on behalf of Naoko Takeuchi that her only gripes about the NA product were with regards to the Buena Vista box art and the rather ugly doll molds that Bandai/Irwin used for their original merchandise run. DiC's dub is just fine and dandy. Some comments Naoko passed along regarding the dub in a Nakayoshi column a few months back and in her original Dateline NBC interview from December '95, seem to indicate that her only real problem with the dub is the lack of sexuality in her characters that has survived the transition from Japan. A number of hardcore anime enthusiasts across the newsgroups and MLs have made a point of deeming the dub an artistic massacre that should be wiped off the face of the Earth. Then again, it sure would help their case if the original artists shared their concern. As it is, Toei barely puts much effort into the quality of their script translations they send off to DiC. That's the principle reason why such a sizable chunk of the dialogue had to be rewritten in the first place. As for Buena Vista's box art, when questioned about it Clint Markham stated that the redesigned artwork was the best approach to market the videos to a North American marketplace. This isn't so much a dub versus sub debate (I think we're all well aware of the superiority of the original product), as it is an issue over the positive or negative impact that the mainstream exposure of a dubbed product has on an anime franchise. (Or a translated manga for that matter.) It's also a matter of whether or not fans of a dubbed commodity are LESS superior than those who've had exposure to the original. And there are strong backers on either side of these issues. If you'd like to have your say and express your viewpoint on these topics (and many of you on the Indiana ML of late already have), you're encouraged to send in your comments to the Scribe for inclusion in the next issue. ======================================================================= DUB AND DUBBER ======================================================================= Mary Jo Winchester, the VP of Cloverway (Toei's North American entity), has firmly stated on behalf of Naoko Takeuchi that her only gripes about the NA product were with regards to the Buena Vista box art and the rather ugly doll molds that Bandai/Irwin used for their original merchandise run. DiC's dub is just fine and dandy. Some comments Naoko passed along regarding the dub in a Nakayoshi column a few months back and in her original Dateline NBC interview from December '95, seem to indicate that her only real problem with the dub is the lack of sexuality in her characters that has survived the transition from Japan. A number of hardcore anime enthusiasts across the newsgroups and MLs have made a point of deeming the dub an artistic massacre that should be wiped off the face of the Earth. Then again, it sure would help their case if the original artists shared their concern. As it is, Toei barely puts much effort into the quality of their script translations they send off to DiC. That's the principle reason why such a sizable chunk of the dialogue had to be rewritten in the first place. As for Buena Vista's box art, when questioned about it Clint Markham stated that the redesigned artwork was the best approach to market the videos to a North American marketplace. This isn't so much a dub versus sub debate (I think we're all well aware of the superiority of the original product), as it is an issue over the positive or negative impact that the mainstream exposure of a dubbed product has on an anime franchise. (Or a translated manga for that matter.) It's also a matter of whether or not fans of a dubbed commodity are LESS superior than those who've had exposure to the original. And there are strong backers on either side of these issues. If you'd like to have your say and express your viewpoint on these topics (and many of you on the Indiana ML of late already have), you're encouraged to send in your comments to the Scribe for inclusion in the next issue. ======================================================================= SAILOR NEWS BRIEFS ======================================================================= * Sailor Moon Sailor Stars is now available on laserdisc. Volume 1, featuring Episodes 167-170 was released to the public on April 21st. Volume 2 will hit the import market on May 21st. * On April 6th, Valirianus Lam added two new tapes to his library of top-notch Sailor Moon fansubs... SMR Episodes 82-84 and SuperS Episodes 138-141 are now available. For ordering details, head to his official website at... http://members.tripod.com/~vcchaos/vkllmain.html * YTV conducted an extensive interview with Terri Hawkes... also known as the voice of Sailor Moon... which hit their website on April 9th. Just to cut down on space, you can access it direct from YTV at... http://www.ytv.ca/shows/sailor/interview.htm We'd include the transcript in this issue, but we're already stretching things as it is. If you don't have web access, E-Mail me directly, and I'll be happy to send a copy your way. * YTV rotated their weekday lineup yet again... Sailor Moon is back in the Zone at 4:30pm from Monday-Thursday for your viewing pleasure. It made the switch on May 8th, so if you want to catch the series from scratch yet again, you haven't missed all that much. * For those of you who chose to be lazy and skim through the Mixx interview, here's a quick reminder. Regular subscribers will receive their first issues in mid-June. The retail launch of MixxZine will get underway on July 15th. Their Graduation simulation title for Win95 will also be released on that day. ALL subscribers will receive their 2nd issues around the middle of August, so you VIPs out there still have quite a while to wait before getting your next taste of 'motionless entertainment'. (Yeah, I'm not crazy about that buzzword slogan either.) ;) * One other Mixx note... they've added some rather colorful banners featuring Naoko Takeuchi artwork on their MixxOnline website (www.mixxonline.com), which are worth checking out. You'll want to include a link to MixxOnline from your own sites just to have an excuse to put up the gorgeous graphics. * Surprise... the fandub still hasn't been released yet. Oh, wait a second, I guess that's not much of a surprise is it. Oh well... :) * Some rumors have been making the rounds regarding a casting call for potential actors for the Disney/Forge live-action Sailor Moon movie at a high school in Edmonton. Considering that the licensing arrangements for the project have yet to be finalized, I doubt very much that there is any truth to them. (Besides, how many movie studios do you know of that look for prospective actors in Alberta?) * On that note, it's important to emphasize that this is by no means a full-steam ahead project just yet... in fact, the very simple point that it's been bantered about for a number of months without any kind of licensing deal finalized with Toei leads one to believe that this is not a project that is being warmly embraced by all parties. Furthermore, Hollywood screenwriters do not make a public policy of accepting outside public suggestions on the casting and storyline of their motion picture projects. While SOS is certainly going out of their way... like any political organization would... to give the fans the impression that all of their ideas will be given the once-over, I think it's important to realize that these ideas are more or less simply being tossed out into thin air. * One other note regarding SOS... the concept of them 'investigating the VA dispute' is rather humorous. One letter to Roland Parliament hardly qualifies as an investigation. But it should be quite clear from Steve Mittler's interview that there is absolutely nothing that fans can do about the circumstances. Of course, that's more or less always been the case as far as Sailor Moon in North America is concerned. It's always been a corporate issue and not a fan issue. * For those of you in the Dallas area, there's a major anime convention I'd like to remind you about which gets underway on May 30th and continues through June 1st. Project A-Kon 8 will be located at the Harvey Addison, and if you're interested in pre-registering for attendance, you'll need to get that taken care of prior to this coming Thursday (May 15th). All of the details you'll need can be found right here... http://www.cyberramp.net/~phoenix/akon.html Well, that's a wrap for another month... but there will be plenty of news in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes glued to the website if you want to stay on top of things. If you have any questions relating to any of the above topics or just want to chat, don't hesitate to write me at panda@huron.net or track me down on EFNet in IRC under the handle, 'Panda'. == Brad Lascelle ==