TEZUKA The Marvel of Manga

Ed. Philip Brophy

This little book is published in association with Tezuka Productions and probably in conjunction with a similar titled exhibition held at the National Gallery of Victoria 3 Nov'06-28Jan'07. Odd that I was still a member then but hardly remembered this exhibition. Must have been the time I felt so cheated by the NGV for its overhyped and under-represented exhibits generally. I shall not go into a spiel about the post-impressionist exhibition of the same era.

Anyway, Philip Brophy is a wind-bag. His introductions make the book hard to read. But Brophy is not representative of the essayists represented in the book. Some are pretty thought provoking, the others offer just glimpses. Generally these are good essays which explains why Brophy's introductions sound empty like the wind.

I am taking notes here for future consideration.

One particularly interesting insight is the question of "framing" in Manga and in which the sense of action, and time is redefined by Tezuka's framing of illustrations. The essay :Where has Tezuka Gone? by Fusanosuke Natsume. (p 31 -)

"In manga time can be flexibly manipulated by events broken up into frames; although the practice had not been consciously employed from manga's inception; rather, it took decades to develop. ... The lineal space between each frame of modern manga is not just a margin. "

Over decades, the reader had to be taught how to read the symbols, the signs, the juxtapositions, and as they internalised more and more of the meaning, manga artists could then create new 'dimensions" of illustrations using frames, speech bubbles, and multilayered events. (p33)

"There are three separate temporal elements in reading manga. The first is defined by how the narrative is organised; the second by how long it takes to read the story; and the third by how events are graphically framed. These three distinct yet simultaneous elements interact with and affect each other, creating narrative constructs of synchronisation and syncopation. Consequently, frames that are conscious of time define the speed by which they are read; a densely drawn frame takes more time to read; a sparsely rendered frame less. The resulting multilayered events of time-manipulating frames are not strictly Tezuka's invention, but he was the dominant driving force of this mode of manga expression."

This idea of time is also explored by Ichiro Takeuchi in Tezuka and the Origin of Story Manga.

"Modern manga actively engages the reader emotionally with the narrative rhythm created by a sequence of illustrations. in contrast, American and French comics generate less rhythm. American comics contain more text and require a longer time to read, while French comics with their fine-art approach distract our attention and also slow the reading process. Crucially, both strains of comics lack pacing. " (p88)

Anyway, food for thought, good book, worth a more paced, detailed reading.

A Cook's Tour

Anthony Bourdain

I did look forward to this but it kinda fell flat after the first couple of chapters. Somehow reading a printed travel adventure knowing that there is a video version available kind of stunts my interest in further reading.

His chapter on the pig in portugal is graphic and the chapter on France is sad. He went back to France with his brother, supposedly to find the magic of his childhood visit, the magic of the oysters and the cafe and the bakery, but what he was really looking for was his father. He never found him. Sad. The man has issues.

Don't think I will read on.

Dream Angus

Alexander McCall Smith

Angus is an Irish, also scottish god of love and dreams. Smith makes it very clear that this small novel (or a long short story) is a 21st century interpretation of the myth. In no way is it supposed to replace the real myth; I like this line whereby he wrote: Myth is a cloud based upon a shadow based upon the movement of the breeze.

Compared to No.1 Ladies Detective agency and the Philosophy Club series, this one is really a meh! Nice to know there is a mythic dude who inspires dreams and love and himself falls in love and flies off with a swan.

The intersections between myth and modern story is kinda predictable.

Since it's such a simple, short story, I can't complain. A good way to spend one hour if you have nothing else better to do.

Kitchen Confidential

Anthony Bourdain

I now know where my neighbour got her source about not eating fish on Monday. This book is filled with tidbits, and hints at the characters that inspired Bobby Gold stories. The pizza twirling, saute bitch is one of the people he met when he was an apprentice in the kitchen. The gangsters came from the time when he worked in the kitchen belonging to the mob.

He certainly has a chequered career, and it seems to be filled with aimless drifting until he comes to the part about the really good chef, Scott Bryan. It's a bit hard not to imagine Bourdain having no envy of the guy's talents: obviously the good cook had pursued the craft whereas Bourdain as he said so himself pursued money.

So now moderately successful as a cook at Les Halles, he takes on his journeys, starting with the Les Halles sanctioned Tokyo trip. I can see how that trip opened his eyes and made him want to learn about the food in the world.

As for him returning to become a finer chef or cook, I doubt it.

This book is good for the first 10 or so chapters and then it kinda drifts off aimlessly with the same plot, the same dialogue as he surely must have had in his moderately successful "pirate kitchens" during all his cooking career.

Worth reading, but not again, unless you want to pick up the kitchen slang.