Con Survival Series: Money and Packing

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Now that all the plans have been laid you have to start thinking about the actual needs on the trip. I think one of the most common questions on forums for first time con-goers is, “how much money do I need?” I can understand that because the last thing you want to do is arrive and be broke by the end of day one. But alas it is rather a complicated question.

It is best to be a fat cat millionaire to whom money is an inconsequential matter for the poor people to worry about. For everyone else you have to prioritize on your general free cash vs. your desires. Single people with full-time jobs are going to have more than students and people with families. Also as far as I can tell, any serious cosplayer is going to have less free cash. If you mainly collect manga and phone charms you’re going to spend less than the person who buys art books and 1/8 sized figures. We are going to try to do our best to give a ball park minimum and some idea of additional costs you might incur. As always you want to tack on some extra because if you don’t old Murphy and his law will surely strike.

Establishing a budget leading up to the convention and then trying to stick to it while there is a good idea. Excluding your hotel and transportation expenses you need to figure in food money, spending money, and emergency money. So making the budget, first of all you should start the moment you make that commitment to go to the convention. If it is going to be the highlight of your year then you can bend your will and knuckle-down to save a bit. I think using cash is best at conventions only because it stops your spending from getting away from you.

My sample budget is as follows:

  • $80 ($20 a day for food/drink, this should include travel days, not just days at the convention);
  • $150 for the dealer’s room (total, not daily);
  • $40 emergency fund (or could have a credit card).
    total: $270

Divide that number by the number of weeks to the convention and you’ll know what you need. Put away a little from each paycheck/allowance/lunch money and voila you’ll have your total in no time!

If you are taking any pointers from our Room and Board post, then you know you can save a lot of pennies by not eating out in excess. You might also want to up your food and drink budget if you plan to go out to eat meals at a restaurant any time during the convention. Also if you are going to indulge in any amount of alcohol your drink budget is going to shoot up quite a bit. The place you are most likely to blow out all of your cash is the dealers room. The most important thing to remember is how much you have budgeted for spending in the dealer’s room and try to only buy what you can’t get anywhere else. We will be devoting a whole article in April to how to get the most bang for your buck in the dealers room so look forward to that. If you are super paranoid you can always throw an emergency 20 in your sock. It’s always good to have an extra bit of cash on you when you are away from home. I know that the area around Otakon is sort of less than upscale. I have never had any sort of incident but sometimes a little piece of mind is worth more than anything. Plus it prevents you from causally spending your last 20 dollars on anything frivolous.

So besides the suitcase full of money you’ll be bringing, you will probably also need a number of other amenities for your person. The key is to pack as little and compactly as possible because the last day of the convention you might just have to lug all your stuff around with you. For example, take a hoodie instead of long sleeve shirts. You can wear it over and over plus t-shirts take up less room. Anything that can be worn over and over, without it being gross, is a good choice. I usually wear one pair of jeans the whole time and take on extra just in case. Some of the easiest things to lose from your load are things the hotel provides like soap, shampoo, hairdryer, and towels. Sure they may not be your first choices but it is only for a couple days. Some things you might not think about bringing but can be helpful are a travel sewing kit and an extra bag for purchases from the dealer’s room.

My packing list:

  • 4 t-shirts (which is one more than I need)
  • 1 pair of jeans
  • 1 pair sweat pants (for sleeping)
  • 4 pair underwear/socks (which is one more than I need)
  • toothbrush/toothpaste/floss
  • medication (prescription, aspirin, cold, etc.)
  • deodorant
  • contact case/solution
  • hair brush
  • hoodie
  • sewing kit
  • extra bag (something you can fold up when not in use)
  • cellphone charger
  • book (for traveling)

I prefer packing in a bookbag because it is the easiest thing to lug around, plus it forces you to pack only what can fit. And since I don’t have a car, it makes it easier to get to and from the bus station. Also a friendly reminder to anyone taking a plane, don’t forget the liquids law for carry on baggage. Which is another good reason to just use the hotel provided toiletries.

You might also want to bring the following if you have room for it: A portable game system is always nice for playing when you are traveling, waiting in line, or just to kill time in general; A camera and/or a digital recorder if you meet anyone interesting; A laptop and power cord if you are doing a panel, plus many hotels have free internet access. As we’ve mentioned before you might want to bring food from home. A nifty trick is to throw all your food in one bag. Since you are probably going to eat a majority of the food you brought by the last day you can now use that bag for anything you got at the convention. I also bring a messenger bag. You can use it to carry around anything you need at the convention and store any valuables. The best way to make sure you take everything you need is a check list. So what happens when you forget something at home (which is probably going to happen). People often forget their cellphone charger which is the most inconvenient thing to forget. Fortunately there is a simple fix to this situation. Almost any pharmacy or convenience store will have backup cellphone batteries that will get you through the weekend. If you forget any toiletries that are not automatically in your room, just ask for them at the concierge desk. Anything else can also usually be bought at a local pharmacy or convenience store in travel sizes.

Ongoing Investigations: Case #029

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I have stayed up to date with Toradora! and I think it has been worth it so far. It has been continuing to mix comedy and drama while keeping the story entertaining. I think all the characters have grown on me and continue to impress me. The most impressive thing about Toradora! is how I have warmed up to Ami. At first I felt that she was the loud, bitchy girl who you are supposed to feel sympathy for after one bit of drama ala Sheryl from Macross Frontier. They have avoided this trap by slowly letting us see her complexity. By not trying to change our perception of her like a light switch it makes her a richer and more sympathetic character. I do not love her with the passion that others do but I actually now enjoy seeing her in the story. Minori has also revealed herself to be beyond that of a silly airhead especially when at Ami’s villa and during the school festival.

Finally picked up a copy of All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, the first hardcover collection. It is great to see Jim Lee doing Batman again, he is just incredibly, insanely talented period. And he has only gotten better as time has gone on. There are some really intense pieces which Scott Williams really enhances in this series including one where Batman is holding up little Dick Grayson, here is a scan. I wasn’t aware this series was starting with a Robin origin story, not that I am complaining, on the contrary it was a pleasant surprise. True to Frank Miller form he writes Batman as a borderline psycho which always keeps you guessing. And it certainly does boast an all-star cast, as the title implies, with appearances from the Joker, Bat-girl, and Cat-woman in just these first few issues. Oh, and Batman and Robin making fun of the Green Lantern, hilarious. Looking forward to more!

I am not quite certain why I keep reading Ken Akamatsu stuff. For some reason his books entertain me even if I can’t really say they are good. I just read Negima 19 and 20. Since the school festival arc is over it means they need a training arc before they move on. Ah, the staples of shonen fighting mixed with the staples of shonen romance. And I enjoy this why? Oh and because we did not have enough tsundere girls in the series we had to add Anya, Negi’s childhood friend. I did like her crazy boobie conspiracy theories though. I am always a little scared about how well researched the magic and Latin is in Negima. It’s like finding out that porn you just watched had a team of historical consultants.

Continuing reading of Switch, just finished the second book. It keeps itself moving between intense cop drama and humor pretty well. We wrapped up the story involving the famous model with some serious business. Kai and Hal are a good pair. Then we have a short bust with the help of the department’s analyst, Kuzui, she has a most hilarious crush on Kai. We end on another longer story, which continues into the next volume, involving a high school gang. I have to admit to enjoying seeing Hal and Kai having to infiltrate a high school to get a drug bust. Oh so 21 Jump Street! Though Hal is only posing as a teacher.

I watched the first 4 episodes of Turn A Gundam again. I had started watching a long time ago but then some computer trouble wiped out what I had downloaded so I stopped there vowing to watch it after I finished the original Gundam. Since we are currently watching First Gundam for the blog I decided to restart Turn A. It’s an unusual Gundam series even though it is directed Yoshiyuki Tomino. The initial steam-punk technology of Earth is strange and there are no colonies, only men from the Moon. Loran’s role as a double agent is definitely unique because he has best wishes for both sides. Sochie Heim is a likable character but so far she is getting kicked pretty hard by life and I don’t expect that to change. I will also say it’s amusing to see quite a bit of nudity of both sexes so far. I guess they really wanted to sell you on this 20th anniversary Gundam series.

I was so happy to see the Tower of Druaga second season start up. While I didn’t think the first series was the most incredible story ever written, I really enjoyed it and it left you on quite a cliffhanger! So getting back into it was fun. A little time has passed since the end and we start out with some interesting new mysteries. Fatina remains my favorite character and her interactions with Jil are nicely thoughtout. As with the first season, the opening is unrelated but very well done and a joy to watch. I really appreciate when the staff thinks about the placement of the text in an opening, as opposed to just slapping it over their beautiful animation.

And now my pic of the week (or Hisui reveals herself to be a Turn A Gundam shipper):

Interview with Kurt Hassler of Yen Press

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Yen Press opened their doors just three years ago. Despite being the fairly new kid on the block in manga publishing, their connection to Hachette Book Group insured they weren’t going in blind to book publishing. They have recently stepped into the lime light with their connection to Square-Enix in Japan as well as their license of the Haruhi manga and co-license of the novels. Yen Press has taken on many titles and genres not widely known or represented in the U.S. market and they continue to make strides.

Kurt Hassler was a well-known name even before he became together with former DC VP Rich Johnson and the Hachette Book Group to form Yen Press. He really made a name for himself in the manga community while being the graphic novel buyer at Borders bookstores. He was good enough at his jobs that ICV2 named him The Most Powerful Person in Manga. He has also been a long time aficionado of both American and Japanese comics so he has a great perspective on the manga industry and publishing in general. So who better to ask about Yen Press than one of the most connected men in company and perhaps even the industry?

Reverse Thieves: You are the Publishing Director so what exactly does that mean? And what is your job like on a daily basis?

Kurt Hassler: As the Publishing Director of Yen Press, I’m basically responsible for the direction of our imprint. I make the decisions about what titles to publish and the best strategies to release them into the market. I also directly oversee Yen’s editorial staff, have a hand in the marketing and publicity related to our titles, and work directly in acquisitions and maintaining relationships with our various publishing partners. So I kind of get to have my hands in a bit of everything, which is fun!

RT: What manga that Yen Press is publishing is your personal favorite?

KH: Hmmmm, that’s a tough call. There are so many titles we’re working on now that I have trouble choosing! I would have to say that the one I most look forward to reading when it crosses my desk for an editorial pass is Soul Eater but then of course I feel guilty about all the other titles that I didn’t pick. . . . It’s like choosing your favorite child!

RT: You originally did a lot of work for American comics, do you still read them? If so, what are you reading now?

KH: I was very much involved with American comics during my stint at Borders and have been a fan ever since I was a kid. Obviously it was something I was introduced to much earlier than manga as so little was available when I first got into comics. I definitely still make my weekly trek to the comics shop. . .which I’m always so happy is right across the street from our offices (*shout out to Midtown Comics on Lex and 45th in Manhattan*). Walking Dead from Image has to be at the top of my list these days in terms of what I’m reading from American comics publishers. I’m also very fond of Kirkman’s Invincible.

RT: How is selling and marketing manga different from comics?

There are a lot of similarities in terms of fan mentality, but the key differences are mainly demographics and destination. American comics have been a fixture in the market for decades, and what is commonly referred to as the “direct market” (comic shops) really evolved to cater to the fans of American comics, which for the most part are directed toward a very specific male demographic. Manga, however, tends to be more broad reaching in terms of its demographic appeal because it is so widely accepted and a part of the mainstream in Japan. The bookstore market was really the first sort of mainstream adopter of manga—although there were obviously many, many independent comics shops who were there from the beginning and do a great job with manga (The Beguiling comes to mind)—and because mainstream bookstores tend to have a more diverse clientele than the average comic shop, it was easier to find consumers for the more shojo sort of properties.

So a lot of the selling of manga is directed at the bookstore market. A lot of the marketing of manga is done through the bookstore channel and outreach tends to be directed to the “manga” community and where they congregate. Currently, there still tends to be very little overlap between the American comics and manga readers. . . which is really a shame because both have so many great properties to offer.

RT: The U.S. manga industry has really grown in the past few years, what does Yen Press bring to the manga market? What makes you guys unique?

KH: Yen Press brings to the table both expertise in the category and passion for the material. We consider ourselves “fan advocates” in a lot of ways because we know what fans are looking for, and we’ve always been committed to living up to fan expectations of how the material is presented. And because everyone at Yen is a fan, we really strive to put forward material of the highest quality when it comes to translation, reproduction and respect for the original material.

Add to that our association with Hachette Book Group, one of the largest and most respected publishers—not just in the country but the world—and we’re very well positioned to be a major force in this market. I think that our track record with respect to some of the properties we’ve already acquired speaks to that.

RT: Was Yen Press always planning to enter the light novel market or was it only after the acquisition of the Haruhi novels became a possibility?

KH: Light novels are always something we’ve been keenly aware of, and we did have plans to test the waters before the acquisition of Haruhi. Actually, Haruhi wasn’t the first light novel we acquired. The first was the source material for the manga property that we published last year, KIELI. The first Kieli novel will publish this June, and it is absolutely a great, great read. It isn’t something you have to be a Japanophile to enjoy, and we really hope that it finds its audience.

RT: How does licensing manhwa differ from licensing manga?

KH: For the most part, the process is quite similar. You’re really just dealing with different markets, but the actual licensing process is much the same.

RT: What is a title that isn’t getting a lot of notice but you feel is particularly strong?

KH: Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro has gotten a lot of nods critically, but that’s one I would love to see reach a wider audience. It is a unique and utterly endearing title, and I can not recommend it more highly.

RT: How has licensing mature titles worked out so far? What, if any, are the major concerns when deciding on these titles?

KH: We really don’t set out with the intention of “okay, we’re going to license mature titles today. . .” Every title is acquired based on its own merits. Now certainly our book Sundome has found a voracious fan-base, and that’s very gratifying. But the book wasn’t licensed because of the “edgy” material. The story of the relationship between the key characters there is the compelling part of the book, and I think that’s what makes it so appealing.

Speaking more generally, there’s always some degree of concern when you license mature titles, but just to reiterate what I said earlier, we strongly felt there were audiences for the few mature titles we’ve released under our imprint so far, and we felt that the material justified having an advocate in this market.

RT: Do you feel there are any untapped manga markets in the U.S.? Are there any niches you feel are gaining momentum?

KH: I think the biggest issue facing manga publishers now is not in finding the untapped niches within the Japanese market that can find a small fan base in the U.S. but rather building a wider reading audience for manga in general in this market. While the growth of the category has been unprecedented, there are still a host of new readers who have yet to be introduced to the great material that is currently available, not just from Yen but from other publishers out there as well.

One area where the market is seeing significant growth is in adaptations of known licenses in the market here into comics or manga form. I am personally of the opinion that this is going to ultimately serve as one of the best possible bridges for opening readers to manga in general.

RT: What determined the way Yen Press translated sound effects since it varies from company to company.

KH: This was something that was discussed at great length before we began publishing our first titles. The idea of completely eliminating sound effects simply wasn’t an option for us. Too often, sound effects represent an integral portion of the art on a page, and that wasn’t something we were comfortable offering. At the same time, sound effects in Japan and Korea tend to be far more diverse that what you find in American comics, and we really felt that all too often the translations of sound effects were lacking. Too much of the original “tone” of the sound effects was lost in translation. Simply leaving the “untranslated” sound effects didn’t seem like an idea solution either, though, as often it would be confusing as to what sound was actually trying to be evoked and what that represented on the page. Ultimately, we made the decision to both transcribe and translate the sound effects to help give readers the richest experience with the material.

RT: We aren’t aware of any editing of titles, would Yen Press license a title that required editing?

KH: If you’re referring to censoring material, this is something that Yen has never done to date, and so long as it is a decision that is within our control, we have no plans to. We completely understand readers’ desire to experience the material as it was originally presented, and it is a sentiment we share. We are far more comfortable rating material appropriately than censoring the creators’ vision and voice.

RT: What strategies have worked best marketing/advertising wise?

KH: Honestly, that’s always a debatable topic. It’s very difficult to directly tie any marketing or advertising strategy to actual sales. However, in terms of feedback, Yen’s anthology magazine has unquestionably garnered the most attention, and we’re of the opinion that it has significantly raised the profile of the titles that have appeared there.

RT: Is there any reason Yen Press seems to be tapping the 4-panel comic market more than other companies?

KH: Tapping the yon koma market wasn’t a particular initiative or strategy for us. We simply fell in love with a lot of that material and felt that it was something readers here would appreciate as well.

RT: Have there been any decisions that were ill received by fans?

KH: There’s always something you do that someone doesn’t like. It’s absolutely unavoidable. It’s impossible to make everyone happy all the time. Ultimately, though, you make what you feel are the best decisions for your business—some of them may be decisions that the publisher doesn’t even WANT to make but are necessary for the health of the business, and you move on. The hope is that whatever decisions you make are informed by the desires of the fans, the necessities of the market, and the needs of your business. Sometimes the act of balancing those factors can be incredibly tricky. . . but at the end of the day we always hope that the fans know we are working in what we feel are in both their and our long-term best interests.

RT: In the earlier days of the industry, people would hire translators and then give their translation over to re-writers. Do you hire translators that are also re-writers now or do you still use two separate people?

KH: This is really a case-by-case decision. For the most part, we use translators who are re-writers, and our editorial staff tweaks where it is deemed appropriate and necessary. However, we do use some re-writers for certain projects.

RT: It has been about 6 months since the first issue of Yen Plus, has it lived up to the companies expectations?

KH: Yen Plus is always going to be an evolving concept where we strive not only exceed our expectations but to increase those expectations. As we’ve said often before, this is really a marketing tool—the goal of which is to raise the awareness of our licenses in a very crowded market. Has the magazine accomplished that? Absolutely! It has also raised our profile as a publisher far more than we ever anticipated. We’re never going to be content, though, to just say, “Oh, this is working great. Now lets bury our heads in the sand and not give it any more thought.” The goal is to constantly ask ourselves how can we make this better? How can we do more to expand our reach? How can we do more to raise awareness of the great titles in our catalog? We’re always looking for newer, better, more innovative strategies in everything we do, and Yen Plus is definitely at the forefront of those initiatives.

RT: What is the most popular title/least popular title in Yen Plus as far as you can tell?

KH: It would be difficult to generalize too much, but certainly Maximum Ride and Soul Eater seem to consistently top the charts. We’re constantly shocked by the feedback we receive when people are selecting their favorite titles. “Ah, they like Jack Frost and. . . One Fine Day. . . . Those two are quite different, actually. . .” Of course, that was the premise of the magazine in the first place. We didn’t want to assume that just because someone enjoys one shonen title that that’s ALL that interests them. The intent was to provide diversity and the opportunity to explore new things. Given that broad range of responses we get when people are checking off their favorites, I think it speaks a lot to just how well that strategy is working.

RT: What determines the release schedule for graphic novel versions of titles in Yen Plus? Some of the dates are very far off making it hard to catch up to a series in Yen Plus if you haven’t been reading from the beginning.

KH: Very good question. A number of factors go into the release schedules for the books. How long are the chapters? How long can we serialize while maintaining a consistent release schedule for the tankobon before the two begin to collide? (That one’s a major concern…)

For anyone who hasn’t been reading from the beginning, there are always short summaries of the story that’s come before to bring you up to speed quickly. If you’re absolutely DYING to read the previous chapters, I highly recommend going to your local comic shop which should very easily be able to order back issues through Diamond Comic Distribution for as long as stock is available. And of course the tankobon is the final, best solution to add the material permanently to your library!

RT: Has Yen Plus shown any signs of making manhwa more viable?

KH: Absolutely. I can’t think of a better vehicle we could have used to raise the awareness of our manhwa properties than to include them as peers alongside the manga. I know we’ve received a TON of feedback from fans who’ve said they never knew that there was so much high quality manhwa out there in the market—and there is!

RT: Yen Plus will be rotating series as it continues on, any upcoming titles you can talk about?

KH: Well, of course, we’ve already announced the newest title—Hero Tales—the first chapter of which debuts in the February issue which should be hitting newsstands in a couple of weeks. Any fans of Fullmetal Alchemist should be thrilled to get a peek at that one. Can’t say that I can talk about any new properties at just this moment. . . but we are discussing some licenses that will make a lot of people very happy, I think. . . .

RT: Would you considering putting some of your other already being released titles in Yen Plus? What about adding light novel chapters to the magazine?

KH: We’ve already done a couple of previews of existing series like Black God, and starting last month we decided we’d begin to feature chapters from Goong in the magazine for a bit just to shine a spotlight on that license because it is attention well deserved. Light novel chapters certainly have not been ruled out as a possibility at this point.

RT: How much does Square Enix suggest/have pull over the titles appearing in Yen Plus?

KH: Obviously we work very closely with Square Enix, and we take their suggestions very seriously as to what they would like to see featured in the anthology. We share a very productive dialogue. They’re always very candid about any concerns they have or issues they may face with respect to properties we may be interested in. They are a great company to work with, and we really value their input and support.

RT: One Fine Day is a rather unique work, how did you come to know about it?

KH: One Fine Day is funny and cute and ADOWABLE! It’s a title that Daiwon was kind enough to bring to our attention, and we felt that it would make for a great addition to Yen Plus in terms of diversity. One Fine Day is exactly the kind of book that we love to bring to people’s attention.

RT: Between Yen Press and Little Brown who was the head decision making body for the Haruhi novels? What was each of your roles in it’s production?

KH: Haruhi has very much been a joint venture between Yen and Little Brown every step of the way. I think that trying to differentiate the roles of each would be something like trying to separate conjoined twins, so I won’t even make the attempt!

RT: Nightschool is 100% original for the magazine, what are the challenges you’ve faced with this?

KH: Challenges? Try delights! (Are you reading this, Svet?) Seriously, though, Nightschool has been a pleasure from day one. It’s one of the first projects that Yen ever signed and was certainly the first original book that we acquired. Watching it make its debut in the anthology was a pleasure and an accomplishment on so many levels. . . *getting teary here*

You’d be far better asking Svet or her editor about the challenges on this one. They’re the ones pouring blood, sweat and tears into the project. I just get the pleasure of reading it before anybody else!

RT: Has publishing Maximum Ride produced the crossover appeal you were hoping for?

KH: Maximum Ride is an AMAZING property on so many levels, and we’ve been really gratified to see how many Max fans who were not previously manga readers have really embraced this vision of the work. We only just received our first look at the finished tankobon, and everyone has been absolutely stunned at how beautifully it came out. (Even our printer commented that of all the manga they have worked on that this one really raised the bar.) I think that in terms of crossover appeal, Maximum Ride is setting a new standard.

RT: Due to the recent economic crisis and its subsequent impact on the publishing industry, how has Yen Press adapted? And how has it affected future plans for the company?

KH: Obviously the overall economic situation is of great concern to everyone. In terms of how Yen Press is adapting, we’re definitely being more selective in terms of what titles we are adding to our list going forward, trying to make sure we are publishing the absolute best of the best and those titles that we feel of are particular interest to fans. We’re also taking a very hard look at what we feel should be our “ideal” number of releases per month so as not to put an undue burden on consumers in terms of their spending dollar.

*Interview conducted through e-mail