Comix Inc. President Nobuhiko Horie Interview (February 2017, 2)-THEME28 | Comix Inc. Corporate Site

THEME3

The role played by the expanding North Stars Pictures.
"I think the wave of ebooks is rather a new opportunity."

What role and purpose does North Stars Pictures have for Coamix, which is engaged in manga production, including the training of editors?

Horie:: In the first place, manga has the property of wanting to become another medium.Games, animations, etc. are derived from movies and dramas, and that becomes the attraction of manga again.In order to make it a business, we have separated the functions.That is North Stars Pictures.

Nowadays, there are many dramas and movies based on manga, and there are situations where they tend to be ridiculed. What do you think?

Horie:: Originally, Professor Osamu Tezuka laid out the storyboard of the video on the manuscript paper and made it into a manga.Manga is established as a video content from the beginning.That's why I think it's a matter of course that manga tends to be the original in both dramas and movies.

In the times, paper media is no longer mainstream.In that sense, isn't North Stars Pictures playing a bigger role?

Horie:: It is true that paper media has been shrinking since the Internet came out, but e-books are growing and comics account for a large proportion.Some people who have been involved in manga for a long time seem to be reluctant to replace paper with e-books, but I don't think so at all.Rather, I think that a new opportunity has come.

Is it a chance?

Horie:: For example, e-books have the advantage that "old works do not give an old impression."Paper books look old 20 years ago, but ebooks are the same as old and new.Also, I think that the sensibilities of human beings today are not so different between the ages of 60 and 20.

Certainly it may be so compared to the past.

Horie:: I'm 62 years old now, but I like what my daughter likes, and my daughter likes what I like.For example, in music, I listen to rock, reggae and rap.I feel that the difference between generations is getting bigger and bigger.When I was young, I used to listen to rock music, but my dad listened to Rōkyoku instead of enka (laughs).If this happens, it will be difficult to communicate.But that's not the case now.Therefore, I think that manga will continue to become more and more familiar with electronic media, and opportunities will expand.

What kind of development are you thinking about in the future?

Horie:: I want to teach manga as a "technology".After all, being able to create a cartoon name is a very valuable skill and can be useful in many ways.If you can draw a manga story, you can draw a movie story, and you can also draw a commercial story.I think you can also draw the content of the presentation materials.We think we can help you in that way.

Manga technology can be applied to other genres as well.

Horie:: It is easy for people to understand, it can convey information, and the sense of layout is improved.It shouldn't be a technique that only MANGAKA will find useful.If you have a desire to spread such manga-related technology to young people, please let us know.

Certainly, it seems to be useful as a general business skill.

Horie:: After that, I would like to put more effort into other media.Movies, games, toys, food and drinks, daily necessities ... Good works can be transformed into anything.Other than that, I think it would be interesting to create a theater company and play our work in a small theater.

That's good!

Horie:: I would like to see what happens when it comes to theater.In that way, I would like to give back to the fans who love the work.And one more.After all it is to raise overseas manga artists.To that end, we must first improve the skills of the editors. It is important to strengthen the editorial department as a "manga research institute" and mature it as an editorial group.

The "Silent Manga Audition" for overseas writers has already reached its 7th time (as of March 2017).How is the response?

Horie:: It feels very good.Brazil, Indonesia ... There are really talented writers in the world.If they were in Japan and used Japanese, they might have already become manga artists with hits.Therefore, I would like them to play an active role as manga artists locally by exporting not only Japanese manga works but also the manga making system itself.By doing so, you will think that "manga is interesting" and you will be able to read more Japanese manga.I hope that the market for manga as a whole will continue to expand based on the philosophy of "Seriously for manga."

(Recorded on March 2017, 2)
* Information is as of the time of recording.