Addressing your concerns
Starting a magazine from scratch is no easy task, that’s for sure. Now that we’ve finally gotten our first copies of Issue 1 in our hands, I took some time to sit back and marvel at what we’ve managed to put together. I think it’s going to be something that all sorts of folks can enjoy and find both informative and entertaining.
Of course, we’re not oblivious to what some of you are thinking and saying. Sure, you could say we’re not covering enough anime and instead aiming to be a Hollywood gossip rag or what have you. (The comparison to a TV guide was most amusing, no doubt.) You could say we’re wronging our readers by not giving them what they’re used to from that other magazine.
To that, we’d say that PiQ isn’t just an anime magazine. It’s not that we don’t love anime, because we do. We also know that people like other things besides anime. And we don’t mean stuff like American Idol or the red carpet coverage at the Oscars. Instead, we look for the obscure and the overlooked, the long-forgotten and up-and-coming from all forms of entertainment.
We’d also say that having a DVD in every issue might not be all that it’s cracked up to be. It’d be great to have some sort of disc insert from time to time, but the general idea is that we’ll only do it when the content would be directly relevant to the issue itself and worthwhile for our readers. The amount of planning and coordination involved with something like that would probably be far too complex to produce every single month, so not having a DVD was probably one of the easiest yet most controversial decisions we had to make in outlining our goals for PiQ.
For example, instead of having some episodes of anime thrown on a DVD willy-nilly, maybe we’d do a special issue around oh, let’s say, a live-action Akira movie. Let’s just pretend it was starring, oh I don’t know, Leonardo DiCaprio or something. Maybe we’d have a DVD that included content from the original film, from the soundtrack and maybe some interviews from the cast and crew of the new project. Starting to see the picture? We want to be sure that when we have a DVD included with the magazine that we do it right.
Also, on behalf of everyone on the PiQ team, I want to thank everyone that’s writing in with your words of support and praise for what we’re trying to do with PiQ. We believe that we’re making something special and while it’s been a bumpy road getting here, we appreciate you standing by us. Be sure to keep writing in or commenting here on the site to tell us how we’re doing and where we can make the magazine even better.
Oh, and as a reward for reading all of that, here’s another sneak peek at Issue 1! If you’re a subscriber, you’ll more than likely be getting your copy in the next few days, but until then…
WIll this be available in the UK? I used to spend the equivalnet of about $20 on NT USA so it would be nice if it was cheaper too!
WILL THERE STILL BE UP TO DATE JAPAN ANIME/MANGA COVERAGE AND I HOPE YOU GUYS WILL STILL HAVE THE DVD ANIME EPISODES
Well said, Robert. I think what we’ve been seeing here is the depression of losing our beloved “other magazine,” and while many of us our sincerely interested in this exciting new venture, the pain is still too new.
I’m sad that a lot of people aren’t giving it a chance because it’s not, as you said, “that other magazine.”
Too bad for them, I’m going to keep drilling my opinion in their heads that they should give it more of a chance — even more than one issue! We’re still allowed to miss the greatness that was NTUSA, but there is new greatness to be seen here.
What I really want to know, and sorry if this has already been answered, but what will happen to Kobato.? I really love this manga, and would be really disappointed if it doesn’t continue. Anyone who has already gotten there copy, does it have Kobato., or not. This would probably be a big influence in wether or not I subscribe. And, if it isn’t in this magazine, what will happen to it?!?! Oh well, any answers would be appreciated. : (
I have the same question as Paul. I got the first issue of this magazine, and there’s no Kobato. Is PIQ planning to pick up the series from where NewType USA stopped? Or is there a plan from ADV to publish it in graphic novel form. I’ll miss that “other anime magazine”, and many of the things that aren’t in this magazine. But I will give this magazine a chance to prove itself.
@Paul/Jeff - Regarding the fate of Kobato. and/or whether it’ll be published by ADV, that’s probably a question for ADV, not us.
Gee, Robert, that was so helpful. And what would have been even more hepful would be a name or link to the person ADV that might be able to answer any questions about the fate of Kobato. I’m just taking a wild stab in the dark here, and say, “you guys aren’t affiliated with ADV anymore, are you.” That’s a real shame. As I indicated, I’ll give this magazine a chance. But if I had to give a reaction based on the first issue, I’d say you guys have a long way to go. This magazine reminds me too much of Cinescape, a magazine that covered movies, TV, DVDs, books and comics. I don’t recall how long they stayed in business. But eventually they were bought out by Sci-fi, and ended publication a few years ago. I’d hate for that to happen to PIQ.
Jeff, I’m not sure how else I can answer your question. I can’t give you a name or e-mail address because I don’t know who that person would be. You’re welcome to believe what you like, but the fact remains that whatever goes on at ADV is their own business. Once something is announced, we’ll be sure to cover it, but until then we’re often just as much in the dark as everyone else.
One question, that Im sure everyones wondering, that still hasn’t been answered, is what the heck happened to Newtype USA? “…there were circumstances that were beyond our control that led to all of this…we can say that it had nothing to do with the magazine we produced, its pricing or its performance. Considering the number of hoops that were set before us each month, we made our way through each one and generated the best magazine we could.” If it was none of that stuff, then why the heck was the production of Newtype USA stopped. If it really was profitable, then what businessman in his write mind, would cancel it, and then replace it with what seems to be a second rate magazine, that in some ways has lefts its fans in the dust, and become a forgettable magazine among the many “entertainment” magazine that covers to many topics and doesn’t no what it is. Sorry to be harsh, but as far as business goes, this change really makes very little sense, and is very frustrating to the dedicated fans of Newtype USA.
I’ve heard about Newtype USA when I saw one its commercial in one of my anime DVD, got some money and thought I gave it a chance. When it finally arrived, it was the single greatest magazine I’ve ever read and from there on I continue to look forward to each monthly issue.
So when I’ve heard the news regarding the end of Newtype USA, it was quite devastating to me. However I thought that people are overreacting from all the negative comments. Since it was the same people who made Newtype USA great starting a new magazine, it would be the same quality or even better. Unfortunately to my disapointment, PiQ fails to deliver what Newtype USA manages to every time.
The only anime coverage that I’ve found interesting was Appleseed Ex machina, while the rest is inferior version of coverage that were featured before in Newtype USA. Not only that there are no centerfold, no poster, no DVD, and my favorite manga is replaced with something I seriously don’t care much for. I don’t mind the American comics and movies coverage but the main reason I come to like Newtype is it’s wonderful anime coverage.
As Paul commented this business move makes very little sense. Even though Newtype is a bit expensive, the quality of it is worth every penny. You guys were the best in the business and now…
I’ll still give it a chance until my subscription end hopefully you guys will impress me as much as Newtype once again, but for now no, bad business move period.
@Paul: I’m not in the know on this, but while NTUSA may have been profitable, it still costs a lot to produce something so high in quality (size, color, paper, etc.) with a DVD and all the other stuff that came with it. This is just an idea, though, that would make sense to me. Most likely there are other reasons behind it, too.
@Jeff and everyone else: We really welcome specific comments on what you want PiQ to be and what you want it to cover, but simply trashing it does not let us know what you’d like to see and not see. I don’t think I’ve read any comments from people who have actually seen the magazine that progress much beyond asking why we even exist.
Simply put, “the other magazine” doesn’t exist anymore. It’s just not in the cards. Let’s move forward.
As someone mentions above, the pain of losing the “other magazine” is too new. but I’ll, try to be more constructive in my criticism.
1. Needs organization, its disconcerting to keep jumping between games / anime / U.S. Comics / U.S. television and movies. Can we have at least a couple divisions?
2. Did Tin Man really need 2 pages for a DVD release? I also don’t think it said when the DVD is coming out.
3. Some of the graphic design (layout / typography) is a definate carry over (which is a good thing, since it was always such high quality) but it needs to be tweaked slightly. Something isn’t carrying over to the smaller format of the pages. It is almost like there is too much white space.
4. Page 78 and 79, either a better heading or different layout. It is hard to tell at first glance that it is its own section.
5. Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please no more Shinchan.
6. Thanks for keeping ‘ask Jack’.
7. If there is one section that I would like to be added it would be manga reviews. That always helpd focus the $$ available to the ones that interested me, without hanging out in the manga section of the bookstore like a grade schooler. (ok, i know that more than just grade schoolers hang out in the manga section, but you understand)
Good luck with the magazine. I have enough carry over issues that it will be a while before I have to decide to renew or not. Hopefully in that time PiQ will get a little more polish.
All i’m going to say is be more about the anime, because this will be a play magazine clone. I will buy the first issue out of respect so it better be a great magazine
Got the first issue the other day.
I’m sad to see Newtype go, really sad,
I just hope there is still a decent amount of anime coverage.
Newtype was my inside scoop on what is new. D’:
And then Center fold/Free anime episode DVD’s will be missed greatly, unless you decide to give them out too.
If we don’t end up wishing to stay with the mag for oh say…The four years I am said to get, what happens?
Are there refunds.
And I did understand this correctly, right?
2 Year NTUSA Sub=4 Year PIQ sub?
Okayy.. Maybe I was a little harsh. Sorry… I’ve read the first issue and am quite satisfied!
I like the casual way you all went about the articles while still making them very informative. I’ll be around for a while and can’t wait to see where you guys go from here. Keep it up.
P.S. I wont mind American Idol as long as it’s only an amusing refrence
I’ve seen the new magazine and it looks great. The hard work you’ve put into making something from nothing and bringing the spirit of what was lost is amazing. Thanks to all of the team for such a massive effort.
You deserve kind words and not the complaining I’ve read elsewhere. Everyone mentions their pain of loss, but who thinks about you, the staff, and what you went through when things had to change. I’m sure it sucked, big time.
Critique is great, listen to that to improve. Complaint is just wasted time and space.
Thanks for the more specific comments and praise, guys! Honestly, I can’t tell you how much it means to us around the office to know that our hard work is making (at least some of the) people happy! This is a massive undertaking, but we’re really proud of it, and we’re so happy people are enjoying it!
@ (the other) Scott: Points taken about the lack of divisions clearly pointing out that this is the games section, this is the anime section, etc, but we’re trying to make this a magazine without those clear distinctions, where TV, manga, music and whatever else all go together. It’s admittedly a very different approach than how “the other mag” organized things, but let it sink in over the next couple of issues. With Tin Man, we liked it and thought it deserved attention, but diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks. (I wrote that piece by the way, HA!) For the record, the DVD date is listed as “available now”, which it will be for the vast majority of people who read PiQ (it’s actually March 11 when the street date for the mag is March 14). We will continue running Ask Jack, and don’t worry about Shinchan as our manga insert will feature a different title each month. I bet everyone will love what we’ve got in store on this front in the next issue!
@Marcus and Hailey: Please keep in mind that while we want to cover anime and manga as much as possible we’re limited by the simple fact that there’s just not as much of it coming out these days as there was a year or two ago. I hope everyone seeing that issue 1 contains lots and lots of anime quiets rumors that we’re doing away with anime/manga coverage. That simply couldn’t be further from the truth. Please rest assured that issue 2, which we’re currently putting together, also has lots of anime.
@webbmaster080490 and Fitz: We’re so happy you like it! This really means a lot to us! But seriously, no American Idol HA!
lol I only put that American Idol comment in there because I could have sworn that Rob pulled that comment right out of my comment on the NEWTYPE blog. But in all honesty you guys don’t need to start off living in the shadow of the old. I think that it boiled down to, overspecialization breeds in weakness, and it seem that is where you guys are tying not to go with the new mag. On another note I like the no clear cut sections. Considering I’m from what is considered by some to be the ADD generation. lol
Ok fine, so maybe I was a little harsh. And, in all fairness, my general rule of thumb is to keep all criticism I give constructive. And if what I said felt a little demeaning, I really am sorry. I guess Im still getting over the loss of one of my favorite magazine. I also am sorry, because I really don’t have very much room to talk, and I pretended that I did, because I still haven’t seen the magazine. And, now that I’ve done a little more research, and realized that you are not a part of ADV anymore, and would probably be pretty hard to continue Kobato. So, I pretty much feel like a jerk, but Im still going to attempt once more to give constructive criticism. From what I’ve hear and read of reviews and such, PiQ still had a lot of what was great about NT USA. And, what you said is completely true, there really just isn’t that much Anime and Manga information to cover right now, sense the industry is currently in a decline. So now in hein site, I see why you guys are trying to cover more topics, you do have to fill a whole magazine. I guess my only suggestion is to try to keep in mind your audience, which it seems at this point is mainly anime and manga fans, and try to keep as Japan Pop Culture’ish as you possibly can.
Scott, I’d lovred to be able to give you a thorough critique of the first issue. But I feel it would be a disservice to those readers of these posts that have not seen the issue yet. I feel they should be given an opprtunity to judge for themselves. But there are a few things that I can outline:
1) Although there may be a lot of anime coverage, with no clear divisions between topics covered, it’s hard to say where the anime ends and something else begins.
2) I think your doing the wrong thing by trying to cover everything unde the sun, from anime to TV to games in general. As a reader of that “other mag”, the section on games was one of the ones that I typically skipped. I have no Wii, or PS2, or PS3, or XBox. And I only occasionally play World of Warcraft. As for TV, you could be biting off more than you can chew. With readers having varying tastes in shows (I HATE American Idol), it’s unlikely that you’ll properly cover TV the way it needs to be. So, do us a favor and either pick a specific genre of TV (and books and movies), or get better at covering everything.
3) I realize that you and the others in the company are trying to distance yourselves from that “other mag”. But being that many of you did work on that mag, and your magazine is getting all those readers of that “other mag”, a great deal of explaining needs to be done. And a great level of understanding on your part needs to be used. I just found out about the cancellation of NTUSA yesterday, when I read the “welcome” letter inside your magazine. I had one idea that NTUSA was cancelled, and still am having a tough time adjusting. NTUSA was one of my favorite magazines. It was my source for all things anime/manga. And by extention, I had high hopes that your magazine, with it’s staff of ex-NTUSA writers/editors/other workers, would follow in those footsteps. I also had hoped that someone could fill in all the “whys” and “hows” of what happened to NTUSA. But neither seem to be in the cards.
I realize that you guys want to carve out your own niche in the magazine market. But I don’t see this magazine as being anything new or different than other magazines that I’ve read. And what made NTUSA so special, so unique, was that it was a magazine that specificly targeted the anime/manga market. It covered anime/manga here in the U.S., in Japan, in other parts of the world. I don’t think that there was an aspect of this genre market that wasn’t covered. And it’s passing is hard to take. Especially when it’s predecessor seems to want to be everything to everybody, but nothing specific. If I want to know about movies or TV, I read Us Weekly, or People, or Entertainment Weekly, or Premiere. If I want info on upcoming stories in comics, I look at Wizard Magazine. But there aren’t any other magazines that cover the world of anime/manga the way NTUSA did. Any chance that your magazine could fill that void?
well being new to the other mag.(reading it only a year),but not too anime i must say that u did a great job doing what most have lacked doing for some time. i have no idea if u will do the same add ons like the other mag did, and like otaku mag does(ex. dvd insert, poster, contests ect.), but either way i enjoy your new magazine and new look, though i will have to get used to reading the mag front to back again..lol. well in life all things change some good and some bad, i will look forward to checking my mail every month now once again for my new favorite magizine. though my mailbox usually has a new figure, poster, or other animaniac item at least twice a month. well keep up the good work and i hope we readers are in for some good surprises in your mag, and maybe from it. maybe to kick off the new mag do a contest where we readers send in artwork to be the front cover of a next upcoming issue, and runner up is made into an insert in the mag. well thats all 4 now.
Just finished reading February’s issue of “that other magazine” and was both saddened and shocked to read the news. I’ve been a subscriber for a little over two years now and in that time have read each and every issue from cover to cover.
That said, concerning PiQ: I’ll be giving a try. I believe I have around eight or so issues left on my NTUSA subscription, so I feel obligated to sample the first few issues of this new endeavor of yours. However, the only other thing you’ll be covering that interests me aside from anime is comics, and I usually can find whatever I need on that medium online. Nevertheless, we’ll see.
I will be missing Newtype a lot, though, regardless. I loved the “Newtype Press” section most, namely Satsuki Igarashi’s “Chipmunk Cheeks.” I’ll miss the posters and the manga inserts. The sample DVD that prompted me to buy more than a few anime series I otherwise might not have even given another look (_Welcome to the NHK_ being the most recent). The giveaways, which, while I admittedly never won, were still fun to participate in and hope for. The “Get” section, the “How To” section, the “Official Art of,” and another very high point of interest for me, Megumi Hayashibara’s “Speaking in Character.” And be sure to send my regards to Ms. Jan Kurotaki, who was always just simply beautiful to look at in every issue which she appeared.
So that’s my love letter to Newtype USA, as well as an idea of what I hope to see transition over to PiQ in some form or another. Good luck with new gig, guys. Here’s hoping it delivers… because if it doesn’t… *Shakes fist menacingly*
@Jeff: 1) That’s what we’re going for. We hope you’re confused as to what category it fits in so you’ll read the piece and find out about it.
2) I’m not a big gamer either, but our game pieces are really well written and fun to read even if you’re just a novice. You might want to give ‘em a chance. I think we have carved out a pretty good niche as to what TV, movies, books, etc. we’ll cover: stuff that would be of interest to those who gravitate towards sci-fi, fantasy, action, etc. We’re not covering Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy, we’re covering The Terminator and Battlestar Galactica.
3) I respect that people want to know more about the demise of “the other magazine,” but nobody on PiQ’s staff was involved with the business side of “TOM” so we can’t answer questions about that. I’m sorry, but for those of you who want to know more, nobody can tell you more.
I would hope that you and everyone else who wants lots of anime coverage from PiQ would take notice of the fact that the majority of reviews and features were very much anime-centric. And please keep in mind what I said above, that while we want to cover anime and manga as much as possible we’re limited by the simple fact that there’s just not as much of it coming out these days as there was a year or two ago.
@mangarabbit: We may revisit extras in the future but right now our focus is on making the best magazine we possibly can, so I’m really glad you enjoyed what you’ve seen so far! We will definitely be doing some contests, in fact we already did (on the podcast). Keep your eyes and ears open for more!
@Manny: Thanks for keeping an open mind, that’s all we can ask for. We have made comics coverage a big part of PiQ, and issue 2 will probably have quite a few things of interest to you that will keep that fist of yours still!
I must say, I don’t like this step. This is a step into the mainstream. You try to promise that this magazine will always cater to the less noticed. But this magazine itself is a step away from that. Simply covering anime wasn’t good enough, you had to get more readers. But if you follow the path of getting more readers, you eventually end up to the popular things. I can see it now, a decade in the future, “Survivor Idol” the newest craze on TV. It’s got so many fans, you just can’t pass up that chance to tap into those numbers.
I subscribed to Newtype to fulfill my cravings of Japanese culture. You’ve taken a step away from it, how can I trust you not to take further steps? I should not be reading about Terminator in here. I should not be reading about the latest made-for-tv movie that Sci-Fi has popped out. I shouldn’t even be reading about DC and Marvel comics in here. I realize the comic fans are nerds. But Newtype has always catered to a specific class of nerds. Like you mention in the LARPer Image article, there is a definite set of categories for nerds. And it may just be me, but I do believe many nerds tend to stick with only a few categories. I’m an anime fan and a computer geek. I subscribed to Newtype for anime, and PC Magazine for computers. I wouldn’t subscribe to a magazine that did both anime and computer articles. Because being divided like that, the anime articles can’t possibly be as big or informed as a magazine focusing entirely on anime would be. And the same goes for the computer articles. I’m sorry to say, you’ve split yourself, and I won’t renew my subscription.
I’ll sum it up with how I got this issue. My mom’s always thought it was interesting that the magazine I read was “backwards”. She went and got the mail today and handed me my magazine. “Here’s your backwards magazine.”
But no, it wasn’t backwards.
I for one loved the DVD in each issue. I always watched the DVD before I read the mag. Perhaps you could have an online colection of new and/or upcoming anime or links to promotional videos.
I wanted to say that I liked PIQ better than I thought I would, I was (*sniffle*) a Newtype subscriber, but I honestly didn’t actually read much of it. I liked the DVD and the news of anime in production or on its way to the US, but the rest was just pretty pictures. However, I wanted to read all of the articles in PIQ. Your content seems to be more concise and relevant. One suggestion: I do hope you keep the lists of newly released anime DVDs and Manga. Many times I would read that and go “oh! that’s coming out in a box set now? I have to get that.” Plus all of us nerds love our superhero-type gadgets. You have to have a section for that. For example, did you hear about the LCD tattoo?! Keep up the great wok and I may just renew my subscription
Now to be a total raving, ranting nerd:
I LOVED you huge feature on the “death” of anime. It has had my inner child curled up in the corner crying hysterically for months now, and yet the industry seems to be unconvincingly treating it like the elephant in the room, like so much Jack from “Three’s Company.” I have been saying for years that the anime market has become oversaturated and overpriced. I even joked about bringing a soap box to a convention and become a crazy ranting person. “The end is near!” and all that. Yes, Yes… I know the economics of it all and why it “needs” to be so pricey to make a profit, but finally at least the American side of it admits that they were just being stubborn. If the Japanese are too stubborn to shift everything to “on Demand” style channels and online stores, what are the odds of a big American company, say Netflix or Amazon, coming to the rescue. I mean, Itunes saved the record companies, they did not save themselves. They would still be sueing little girls for downloading Brittany Spears songs if not for Itunes. Almost everyone would rather pay 99 cents and download a guaranteed-quality copy than search for an hour and download for several more. Fansubs that can take days to download would virtually disappear if you had something at the speed of Itunes or the online video players the TV networks have. If the Japanese companies won’t do it themselves (and they won’t), who do you think, if anyone, has the resources and desire to step up and create the system and entice the Japanese companies to come onboard?
OK…. I admit to a bit of dissapointment, but also a good deal of releif, now tnat I’ve read the first issue. I DO wish there was more anime coverage though, and I’ll direly miss teh DVDs… one thing I haven’t seen addressed is folks like me… the area I live in is pretty anime deprived, to be blunt. :-/ One of the things I loved abotu the DVDs was, it gave me a chance to SEE episodes… so I can go out looking for more of them. I wonder if there are other readers who fall into this catagory: News is good, but honestly, maybe a little something on “olds” might be enjoyable: Not every fan has access to older titles, most of which end up as a line in a catalog… would I like to go back and pick up Full Metal Alchemist? From the coverage in “the Other Mag” and this one, I’d say yes… but without that coverage… there’s countless hundreds of titles that NEW fans of Anime have NO CLUE about, and would like to. Obviously, most fans willing to shell out for a subscription aren’t goign to want a huge amount of this, but it’s an idea for a column… even the hardest core otaku might have titles they missed hearing about, after all… a “dust off the shelves” column could give new life, and new awareness, to old classics and forgotten gems and such. As to balance… well… I still think more anime would be goood… teh art column is missed… teh Voice Acting articles as well…. video games and mainstream movies have COUNTLESSS magazines covering them… focusing on anime/manga as a central issue and covering other media that relate to it might do better for you in the long run than just the somewhat vague “Entertainment for the rest of us” credo. Just a few thoughts. I’m MORE than happy to see how things work out.
I will miss my ntusa, and some of the freebies,
I would hope that those of you that liked the free dvds realize they were basicly an ADV marketing tool. I liked them to but you only got to see what ADV was trying to sell to us.
To the folks at PIQ, I wonder if you tried approching the anime studios and production companies if you might be able to incorporate that freebie an get them to flip the bill even on a less frequent basis.
Good luck to all at PIQ I lock forward to my next few issues to make an informed opinion of the mag.
Hi I just got my first issue today and reading through and I’m really disappointed with it. I am really sad to see NewType go. And only for this lacking substitute. I just renewed my NewType subscription, and now I’m only going to be saddened every time I open my mail box for up to four years. But all is not bad in your magazine, it has potential If it just gives me some more anime coverage and some Japanese music reviews. So please work on your magazine so I don’t cancel my subscription.
*smiles and nods* Of course, but as I said… I’m woefully underexposed to Anime regardless of the distributer… if ADV wants to give me stuff to see if I like what they have, I’m all for it, as I am if someone else wants to give me things so I can make a wise choise with my painfully limited budget. I don’t mind ads when I’m genuinely interested in buying something. Heh. when my semester bills ease up, I WILL be looking for Venus vs Virus to buy, based ON the DVD I got with NTUSA. Hopefully, it will be easier for PiQ once they get their feet under them enough that Advertisers are more confident.
I just got the 1st copy and there is just one thing that i would like to see that you didn’t have and that is a list of all the upcoming releases for the month. For me that was the more useful parts of that mag so if you can find the space for it that would be nice
Well, got the first issue of the magazine. If anime is on the decline in the US and Japan, there’s not much one can do about it. However, there still are a lot of anime out there to cover. I mean, if you can have Gundam Seed and it’s clones continue in magazines for over a year, then other anime could get a decent amount of coverage, also.
Anyways, on to the magazine, itself:
The cover is nice, and is made of thicker paper than NewType was. The magazine itself is a lot smaller, though, which gives some concern. Also, I paid $89.99 for the NewType subscription, and this subscription is $39.99. For the reamining issues, it says we’ll get 2 issues for every one that we have left. I don’t know about you, but $39.99 x 2 does not equal close to $89.99. It only equals $79.98.
Not having the anime poster in the middle and the magazine being read the way the manga in it reads is not good, either. There’s no contest like there used to be. The loss of the DVD is a bit disconcerting, of course that might account for the lower price cost.
I’m glad you kept game and manga info in there. The comic book information, and info about movies and syndicated TV shows coming out or already out could be removed, though. There’s already plenty of magazines for those. I got NewTupe since it covered things most other magazines do not.
Also, for the anime coverage, even though you can find out in the articles, it doesn’t say the name of the anime for someone to easily know what they are reading about. This is not a concern if you already know the anime, but I read this to find out about what I don’t know about.
As far as the content, I do like Avatar, also, and think the anime community does need to know about that show, if they don’t already own the first 2 seasons. The Sara Coner Chronicles is a show I can read about pretty much anywhere else. So, that wasn’t worth 4 pages. Live Action Honey and Clover is anime-related, so is worth being in there. In fact, I don’t think you ever reviewed the Live Action Sailor moon series. That one was actually pretty good. I’d end up buying that if it came stateside. Tin Man was a great miniseries, but I’m certaint hat was reviewed elsewhere. Either way, I watched it when it was on SciFi. I’m pretty certain I’ll be buying that one. Frisky Dingo, and any of those third rate, or lower, shows really should not be in any magazine, in my opinion. Admittedly, some anime is like that, too. So, I can’t complain too much.
Now, I’m not certain why you reviewed Independence Day, since that’s been out for a LONG time, and has been reviewed by many people many times, already. Also, did there have to be so many pages on LARP? Who really cares about LARP? I don’t really even care about cosplay that much, since I don’t do it. Either way, there is a big difference between LARP and cosplay. First, LARPers act out their fantasies with characters they made up, which seem to all be similar, anyways. Cosplayers usually just dress up as characters they like, which can be quite varied. Not many actually act like the characters, or do so horribly. now, this may make it seem as if LARP is better, but it depends I guess. Either way, I don’t like either, unless the persone does a good job at it. Neither usually do, unless they are professional cosplayers. There’s no such thing as a professional LARPer.
I’m glad that the events for anime conventions remained. I wish the information about what anime were being shown on TV channels was still there, and that it showed the top ten anime/characters, still.
Unfortunately, with all of the losses, I might have to go elsewhere for anime coverage. After all, there are many other anime magazines out there, and that is what I got NewType for, and NewType was the best at the coverage, since some of the other magazines can’t even spell the anime titles.
will you continue chipmonk cheeks or not that was veary important to me and alot of peaple i know
As an amateur artist myself may I suggest the “NewType style” of “Official Art of ____” (or some fascimilie) section be included in the new magazine. One of the reasons I purchased NewType (both the Japanese and USA subscriptions) was to see the artwork of my favorite anime series.
I’ve got NewTypes (Japanese) from the late 80s and early 90s. None of those had DVDs but they did come with a small manga booklet called “Genki.” Perhaps, assuming your budget would allow this, PiQ could offer small 10-30 page manga short stories (from American, or if you can swing it Japanese, artists/publishers) like the old “Genki” in place of a DVD. I do not know which would be more cost effective. It’s just a suggestion.
Another marketing plan would be to offer “Best Hit 100 Series” type books.
The “Best Hit 100 Series” were/are NewType Japan collections of the artwork that appeared in their magazines of popular anime over a period of years. The books are made available only through the magazine and may thus become coveted and collectable lending possibly leading to increased sales of PiQ to order the artwork collections.
Perhaps a title like “PiQ’s picks” would be appropriate for such a collection of artwork.
As I’m writing these suggestions I’m lookin through a copy of NewType Japan (January 1st of 1989, the Five Star Stories issue) and trying to garner from this mag what gave NewType its mass appeal.
The size (meaning the dimensions and length) of the magazine are more pleasing than the issue of PiQ I received. NewType has had this size since it began in order to make the magazine “Stand out” on the shelves of bookstores and places where periodicals are sold. PiQ reminds me more of Starlog or Fangoria than say Animerica or Animag (both 100% anime magazines during their day). This is because it is covering a wide range of topics without sectionalizing them. NewType Japan covers normal movies too, the issue I’m looking at has articles on American movies (Coming to America, Scrooged, Betelgeuse, etc.) in a section called “HOT HOT MOVIES.”
If PiQ divides the mag up into dedicated sections this may appease die-hard Otaku who want to skip over non-anime.
In the NTJ I’m going through there is about 50% anime coverage, 15% music/interviews, 5% artwork (”The Official Art of Venus Wars” is in this issue), 5% original manga series episode (in the middle of the mag), 5% games (mind you this is before the PS1, hell the Nintendo was all the rage at this point), 3% live action movies, 2% models/merchandise (almost all anime related), and 25% advertisements (again nearly all anime related).
PiQ may very well replace NewType USA successfully if it uses this kind of content distribution (assuming money allows).
I for one will continue to get PiQ for now. If it goes along a Starlog/Fangoria path (God forbid) then I most certainly will not renew. I dislike all of the Sci-Fi channel’s series (I realize many people do like it). What can I say I’m Otaku to the core. =^_^=
However, I do look forward to the next issue.
I just skimmed thought this new mag and my favorite section, Japan Express, is missing. I was shocked to find absolutely nothing new at all. I may be American, but I could care less for American entertainment. And even less for our crap anime. Did anyone see JLA ? yuck. I bought the other mag because it was the only Anime mag that had new upcoming and current in Japan Manga and anime’s. Now what I guess it’s just internet sites for me. I didn’t mind the pricey-ness of NTUSA, but maybe now I’ll be able to afford that new gaming console.
I just wanted to say that I find the magazine ok compared to my beloved NewType. But hey it’s new, so I’m not surprised that it’s so different. My favorite part about NewType was knowing what was hot in Japan (New Anime and Games). I’m giving this magazine a shot at winning me over, so keep working on it! Personally the free DVD was cool until I had already seen the full Japanese version, then it didn’t have much more appeal to me.
I believe that one of the main problem that subscribers of Newtype USA have with PiQ is that we were not told anything. Anything. There were press releases that Newtype USA was going to end in February, but why couldn’t there have been an announcement in that issue, or maybe a simple letter mailed to subscribers about Newtype USA changing to PiQ? People get upset after shelling out money for a subscription of one magazine, and then simply start getting a different magazine all of the sudden.
The magazine looks good, but the content is is way all over the place. The media/vendor kits for PiQ say it will be only 20% anime and 20% manga. Too little for my taste, and that was why I subscribed to Newtype USA.
Why does “The List” claim to be about “new” stuff, but features “Independence Day,” a movie made in 1996 (not exactly “new” in my book). That’s pretty lame.
I’ll give it another month, largely because it is basically free with the 2-1 deal on the rest of my Newtype subscription. Good luck on the magazine, but I don’t expect it to be around too long - too many other magazines just like this are out there, and PiQ isn’t that good.
Well even with NTusa out the window I do look forward to what you will bring to the market with the new mag. Issue one was a good read (helped pass the time at work.) The only thing I wish was the mag came in a bag like NT did because mine got a bit wet getting put into the mailbox.
It is cool that your reaching out to more then just otaku of the manga/anime flavor. I enjoyed seeing your take on the Terminator series. The state of the anime industry section was interesting because we got to read views from some great people.
Hey look at it this was NTusa mags are now collectables.
Well keep up the good work & I look forward to future issues. Oh and put them in bags so they don’t get ruined by dumb postal people who forget to close the mailbox. Thanks!
Only thing I going to miss that Newtype USA is the free DVD’s and the amazing artwork of comming up animes. I was in the magazine in almost one in a half year. I going to miss it a lot. I know y’all deduce much of the anime/manga in this magazine but I still look foward to the new magazine.
P.S. Since y’all now covering U.S. comics, are you discuss not just comics but the “others” like U.S. manga and graphic novels? Also, are you going to keep the manga insert in the anime/manga section? I really enjoy reading Kobato by CLAMP.
Well… the PiQ magazine arrival took me by surprise as well as the news about Newtype USA. I don’t know what to make of it yet, but part of the magazine I didn’t need. Like coverage of some of the shows on Fox and the Sci-Fi channel. I get that stuff elsewhere and certainly wouldn’t be buying this magazine for that.
I got Newtype USA to get a concise list of Anime DVD releases, news about anime shows that were airing in the US so I didn’t miss them. This was very important to me and I’m disappointed that these are not present in PiQ. Please, please bring them back. And If they were in the issue, then you really need to do some interaction design so people can find them.
I’ll miss the DVD, but more and more many premeire episodes are available online from the distributors so you can get a feel for a series before dropping $25/DVD or $50-150 for the complete series.
The “Death of Anime” feature in the first issue was interesting. I don’t mind alternate distribution models (to physical DVDs), but I’m not a big fan of the iTunes model. Online delivery is fine as a general concept, but I have two specific problems with how it is carried out presently.
First, resolution. A video with sufficient resolution for an iPod’s microscopic screen is unwatchable on a laptop in fullscreen mode. Full DVD resolution is too big to download quickly, and HD is many times larger yet.
Second, DRM. While I can understand the need for oppressive DRM (otherwise it goes straight from a legit download to BitTorrent), I won’t patronize products infused with DRM that prevents them from being used in with freedom similar to physical media. I don’t want a forced window of 48 hours to watch my download (Apple TV). I don’t want to be unable to take the physical media over to a friend’s house and watch it there (old DiVX DVDs). I don’t want to be unable to watch it on an airplane when traveling. I don’t want to be unable to play my existing collection on a newly purchased player (iTunes with any non-iPod player). Of course, companies who own the content are free to ignore my wishes — and in return I am free to not spend my money on their offerings.
I have about $20,000 worth of anime DVDs in my home. I’ve certainly done my part to keep the industry afloat, even though the quality and/or pricing of several releases is marginal. That collection will keep me though the dark times to come, until some more sensible distribution and pricing model rises from the ashes.
As someone who subscribed to and loved Newtype USA for several years, I admit that I’m rather disappointed in PiQ so far. The main reason for this is probably the most obvious: it isn’t Newtype. I bought Newtype for what it was, an anime and Japanese pop culture magazine, and PiQ simply does not fill that same niche. I miss the anime and manga reviews greatly. I miss the schedules for what is coming out this month(this is something that should be ressurected and possibly expanded upon, in my opinion), and I miss the fun, quirky columns and editorials, like Megumi Hayashibara’s ‘Speaking in Character’ and Satsuki Igarashi’s ‘Chipmunk Cheeks’. And I understand that those things are probably not going to come back in full, particularly said columns. But… I would like to see something of that sort in their place. I would also like to see the return of the music section.
I also dislike that most of the articles are short and shallow in comparison to those of Newtype. Newtype often had 2-3 pages on a series, and covered more series and media than does PiQ. With PiQ, I’ll find myself interested in something, only to be left disappointed by the brevity of the article.
The magazine not only is too brief in its mentions of series, it is badly organized. It skips from anime to game to manga with only a small indication of what is what. I would like to see proper categories for the various types of media.
I also would have liked to see a more mature approach to the switchover. I understand that you weren’t involved in the change. However, I would have liked to see an article openly explaining why we were going to get a subscription to a completely different magazine instead of small, cryptic hints that a change was coming. We as faithful readers deserve more than that, I think.
In a somewhat related concern, I also very much dislike the way that letters are answered in this new magazine. Newtype always had very concise replies that, well, answered the question at hand. In this magazine, on at least two of the letters, there is a good paragraph of unnecessary and somewhat sarcastic commentary. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth and detracts from the reliability of the column, even if the actual answer is valid.
Probably my favorite feature of this new issue of this new magazine is the article about the ‘death of anime’. Unlike the articles I mentioned previously, this is a fully-fleshed-out article that addresses an important point in fandom. I hope to see more of this kind of article as I continue to sample PiQ, and I honestly hope I will like what I see in the future more than I do this issue.
U R TMZ!!!! =0 lol j/k Can’t wait to get my hands on the 1st issue.
I just got my first issue, look at it, taste it, And well it seem I’ll stick around for a bit longer. Plus the cover is good. (Exept the taste) Anyways I not a hard core fan, but just enjoy watching an episode once every other day or week. I was looking through the articles and the one that caught my eye was the one about “Is Anime Dead?” I didn’t know it was such a big problem, its not the competition, its not the lack of work, But us! and ironically because its growing popularity is also contributing to its down fall. But can you blame the fans? But not much on who to blame but what is the solution before this turns from bad to worst.
Now that we got that out of the way. Back to the Magazine. Like I said I like the new features, but Im wondering If you are still doing fan art? or are you going to do other promotions? (posters, tickets, raffles, discounts, etc.)
Great mag guys! I’ve been a NT subscriber since its first issue and felt a fair amount of trepidation when I found out that PiQ was a replacement, So:
1.) Thanks to the Money Guys who decided to give you a shot to start a new mag out of the flames of the old. I hope that they end up realizing that they think that they did the right thing.
2.) Holy crap, I haven’t laughed so hard reading a magazine EVER. I take the train to work and have a hell of a time keeping from TOTALLY annoying the other commuters. Good content but some seriously funny writing and editing. Thank you.
3.) Do be careful with the American side of the graphic culture. I can find that stuff elsewhere however I agree the really good stuff is worth pointing out. So pretty good balance right now, but maybe lean closer to great stuff from Korea and China before you choose Avatar. (Which was freaking amazing and SHOULD be pointed out.) Just please be careful with American mainstream items. For every Naruto, there are WAY too many Dragon Ball Zs.
4.) I like more than anime as well. I like games, manga, anime, music, cosplay (my wife would shoot me if I started building a costume. She might agree to a blue wig for herself however.) Just don’t over-structure the mag. The fact that it seems to bounce around from topic to topic is a good thing. The old mag was turning into a new release book; I’m looking for your opinions. Fortunately (unfortunately for my wallet), I bought a whole bunch of new anime and manga because of your suggestions.
5.) Anime culture is more than books, video, games, and other purchasable items. It’s become part of our culture and ours is a part of Japan’s. More of your insight on what going on and how things are changing would be OK. Something like Wired’s Japanese Schoolgirl Watch is a good example. (Oh and I actually used “Moe” in a conversation today. Of course, no one understood what I meant and then I had to explain the “nubile young girls thing” which wasn’t really comfortable. Oh well.)
OK different topic but this isn’t a flame bait:
I’m (unfortunately?) Otaku. I buy anime as soon as I can get it. I like to be first to see a new hit series. (I can honestly claim that I noticed how cool Avatar was years ago.) So if my hobby is new great anime and manga, why do I have to wait potentially YEARS to find out if a hot new series will make it to my language? I don’t even mean waiting FOR that series but waiting years IF that series will come out. So, since it might not come out at all, what should I do? I go first to the local anime store (http://www.animeniacs.com/) and see if they have a Hong Kong version. Although the English sub is completely horrible (how hard can it be to spellcheck “teh” or the?), it costs $8 and I get to see if I want to buy it in the future. The OK ones go into the Netflix queue. The GOOD or better ones wait YEARS (thanks Geneon for my lack of Black Lagoon fix) and get bought at Amazon or an anime competitor. Overall I spend much less and I actually pay for all my anime.
So what would happen if there was a world wide release (sub in English is unnecessary) all at once at (say) $15? I’m pretty sure that would keep me out of the fan sub sites (which by the way have better subs than the Hong Kong pubs because … well … they CARE ABOUT THEIR PRODUCT!). I’m happy to order it on a website and wait a few weeks. No inventory is needed here but advance warning is appreciated. If the producers are confident that their movies won’t suck, ask ADV to dub it. Man those guys have gotten SO GOOD since their first days since Devil Hunter Yohko (et al). Good anime, bad voice overs. I spend more, get more product sooner, enjoy a quality release, don’t have to deal with the ambiguous Hong Kong financial relationships, and don’t have to buy the perfect collection of Gantz. (Sorry had to throw that one in there. Good anime that dragged out individual 5 minute battle scenes for two 20 minute episodes. That is SO stealing my money.) In general, Anime is a worldwide phenomena and trying to release it by region is killing the profitability of the industry and pissing off the consumers. That’s a bad combination. Please tell “them” to cut it out so they can make money and we can enjoy our hobbies.
So please keep up the good work and don’t get depressed by some of the over-focused-on-the-past comments so far and stick to bringing us the best possible Anime, Manga, Game, Music magazine (like that you have done so far).
:Off subject for one moment (but relevent):
In all fairness to the anime fans (most of us here I assume), the problem with the US anime industry is also the greed of certain companies holding onto titles they do not rightfully/honorably own that has broken the “Harmony” of the industry and made fansubs of anime not available in the US (due to trademark and copyright fiascos) as good as “Gold.”
That is like the proverbial “Pandora’s box.” Once an Otaku starts looking for their favorite Japanese anime online, that is not available in the US, and finds a fansub of it somewhere, he/she might also encounter titles that are available in the US but downloadable for free.
Illegal or not, the temptation has got to be there. If all Japanese titles were legally available online (or what is in demand) for a reasonable fee, then it stands to reason that the number of fansub/dub using Otaku would diminish considerably.
The titles we’d like to see but simply cannot due to issues beyond our control are why many fansubs exist. If fansubs of these titles are available online what are we supposed to do? Just say NO to our desires to watch anime like say “Macross Frontier” because some American company tells us we cannot because they want to protect a product they have held onto for twenty years that many Otaku wouldn’t touch with a fifty-foot pole if the Japanese titles were available?
The problems with this whole mess could be solved if the anime industry (US and Japan) came to terms with each other for their own financial benefit and the benefit of all of us and provided a “Gametap” like online service and a reasonably priced DVD market.
US anime houses could provide the subs, and dubs, while the Japanese could distribute their product to whole darn planet.
The technology exists, so the problem does not appear to be technical. I suspect its a corporate issue on both sides of the Pacific.
:Back on subject:
Let me first start by saying; I want you guys to succeed at this! You did a great job with NTUSA and I for one appreciate what all of you accomplished during the printing of NTUSA, my thanks to all of you for your years of hard work.
Now about PiQ;
I took a look at the new PiQ magazine I got on Friday for the umpteenth time. I must say that the product’s quality is outstanding from a paper, print, and binding viewpoint. It’s the content that bugs me. There’s too much non-anime, its that simple. Remember many of us who got PiQ were former customers of NTUSA, we bought that magazine (I did anyway) for its anime content not anything else.
If ADV has given you the stiff fingered “You’d better NOT OR ELSE!!” about making a NewType like magazine than perhaps a magazine based on the Japanese Animage format would be better (when I say this I don’t mean actually copying their format I mean using their format as a general idea template for what kinds of sections and material to put in your magazine).
With its fan-art section, editor’s choices, and general overview of what’s hot and what’s not in the lastest anime, Animage is second only to NewType-Japan (AFAIK). PiQ already seems alot like Animage, minus the comic books and (uhg) Adult Swim garbage (Otaku and CN have a love hate relationship as most of you may know. We love the anime and hate everything else on Adult Swim). If you don’t believe me just go over to the ANN(Anime News Network) forums and ask what they think about “Frisky Dingo” or most of the other non-anime AS stuff.
Animage does offer a fold out poster (most Japanese anime mags do) so you may want to consider that.
It also has many pages that are black-and-white which could cut your costs a bit, but these are reserved for TV listings and editorials and are only about 10% of the magazine. There is a model section that is devoted to fanart and a section of “Official Art of….” The rest of Animage is anime adds and reviews (about 70% of it).
Let me put what I’m trying to say another way.
If you remove the “comics, movies, and TV.” from PiQ, or at least tone it way back (like down to 5% of the magazine), PiQ has a better chance of replacing NTUSA. If not I fear many of us will gravitate over to OtakuUSA, Anime-Insider, Protoculture Addicts, or even NewType Japan (I know its $206.00/year).
Whatever happens, even if you people like myself decide to leave, I wish you all the best of luck and success.
@JayC.M - Yes, we will still be doing fan art in future issues. It was less of a priority for Issue 1, but I can tell you now that we do have more in the works for Issue 2. If you’d like to send in something, you can always shoot us an e-mail at feedback@piqmag.com.
@Old School - You make some good points, but I think you’re missing some of the objective of PiQ as a whole. In terms of subscribers, PiQ is the replacement magazine that they’ll receive since Newtype USA is no more, but that doesn’t mean it’s our goal to make PiQ any sort of replica of that magazine.
We’re making PiQ in our own vision, and we’re open-minded to everything. That means if there’s something out there we think is particularly good (I mean, c’mon, how can you not enjoy Frisky Dingo), we’ll definitely talk about it. On the other hand, if something is particularly bad…well, we won’t waste paper trashing it.
so let me get this straight. I have 10 issues left newstype. so now i get 20 issues of PiQ and since i got aprils that means i have 19 issues left. is that correct.
@Robert-I’ve got a suggestion for you. You say the mantra of this magazine is “Entertainment for the rest of us.” Well here’s an idea. Palladium books and Harmony Gold USA have struck a deal to re-release the Robotech RPG. I wonder if Kevin Siembieda would be willing to give you an interview on anime RPG over the last 25 years. He’s been a part of the anime scene(at least from the RPG standpoint, they even helped with the production of the failed “Sentinels series”) since Robotech hit the airwaves back in the 1980s.
Just a thought for a future issue.
I am going to be as unbiased as i can and give decent pointers ^__^
1) One thing that I REALLY missed was the intro to upcoming anime/manga in Japan (in NTUSA it was known as Express). That was the section that I always look forward to. It made me more aware of what is currently happening in the mainland of anime/manga. It gives people some idea on what to look forward for in the future. The point is there isn’t much happening here in the U.S., but there is a butt load more in Japan.
2) I understand that you guys want to make it clear that this is a new mag and not the old one, but the way everything is spread out confused me a lot. When finished reading an article and go on to another I automatically forget what happened 2-7 pages before the article that I am reading. Sure being unique is good, but by putting random category in between one another just throws off the reader. For some reason when I reading I got a feeling that i was reading PSM and EGM at the same time, maybe it’s because I’m not reading from the backside anymore or that the way each article is set up (like the words and pictures) is somewhat similar to those game mags.
3) Hopefully with all the comments about cutting down on the TV and game portion gave you some ideas on what to improve on the next issue.
4) I suggest adding more technology based stuff like the zaku cell phone on page104. It introduces people that are not currently aware of what kind of stuff is happening in Japan. Maybe adding a section for those technology lovers (like myself)
5) I simply LOVE the Model Citizen section, since I’m a big model builder. Maybe expanding that part would be good,and also you can introduce the readers to PVC models like Shunya’s Mirei-san for example.
yup that’s pretty much what i think of the first issue, I hope it drastically improves the next time i see it.
For so long the only magazine I have read on a regular basis was Newtype USA. With this new magazine the left to right format is hard to get used to. I was hoping that the right to left format would have been preserved. I am glad however that the manga insert at the back is presented in that format. Now if I could figure out when my subscription runs out I will know how many issues I have to figure out if I will like this new publication. So far I am undecided.
I really love the new issue of piqmagazine it is so AWESOME DUDE but i was wondering and chance that the next one will come with a dvd to show upcoming promotional shows like newtype-usa did.
@Robert:
You said “PiQ is the replacement magazine that they’ll receive since Newtype USA is no more, but that doesn’t mean it’s our goal to make PiQ any sort of replica of that magazine.”
Don’t you think that’s just a little disingenuous considering the lengths that your publisher has gone to with your distributors and subscribers, telling them that this is the replacement for Newtype? Retailers weren’t even given the option of reducing their orders and subscribers couldn’t cancel their subscriptions, they were just told “this is what is replacing Newtype, accept it.”
I appreciate that editorial is a little ways away from publishing, but all that means is that PiQ is putting out some very mixed messages, and I don’t think it’s fair to castigate your readers for being confused.
Hello! I was a subscriber for Newtype-USA and I hate to see it go. Also I hate to call it “that other magazine” because I loved it dearly. It was my favorite. I have not yet received this new magazine PiQ, so I can’t honestly say if I like it or not. Bur from reading the reviews, I can see that some people like it ans others don’t, so I guess I will just have to see and judge for myself. Also, I realize that this magazine will cover games. I am not a big gamer myself and have no playstations or anything like that, but I enjoy playing games on my PC. I would really apreciate if you covered some of those, like MappleStory or etc. Anyway, I hope to receive my PiQ soon, so I can judge it for myself.
I hope it will meet my expectations!
I just got my first issue of PiQ in the mail a few days ago and overall the magazine looks ok. The few things I really miss is having the new manga section that Newtype had, and the fan art. I’m an avid reader and having that section has saved me money from wasting it on bad manga series. I’m also like to see the fan art and have been published myself in the past! Otherwise good start and I look forward to what you will do with the mag in the future.
… but seriously. The Sarah Connor Chronicles? Avatar? Tin Man? ID4?! The Terminator series just seems like the biggest waste of air time (granted I’ve not watched it, but I got the gist when I saw the movie), Avatar, is decent, I’ll give you that. But it’s as if all Nick does is show reruns! Tin Man aired a while ago (and if I’m not mistaken, I think ID4 did as well) and.. while it was interesting, did it really merit a spot? I dunno. I’m just hoping next months issue will be a little more up to date?
@nikki - That’s correct.
@Old School - That sounds interesting. Maybe one of our editors can comment on that? Paul? Kev?
@Chris - I don’t think there’s anything necessarily disingenuous there, although I see how someone could misinterpret it. As we’ve already stated in the podcast, things were very much in the air back when those notices were sent out. The resulting “mixed messages” were most likely a result of people sharing information that wasn’t meant for public consumption. I’m no PR person, but I’m sure we would have most likely issued a clarification to retailers, etc. once we knew more details, had someone not made it public knowledge. There’s really no taking it back at that point.
From what I understand, some refunds have already been issued, but that’s all handled by ADV, as they’re handling all previous NTUSA business. I don’t know how long it takes or what’s involved, but that’s the word I heard.
@Kim - Yes. The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Seriously. Don’t knock it ’til you tried it. And for the struggling Blu-ray format, that Will Smith trifecta is kind of a big deal.
I hate paper magazines these days. Many Mags are going to Digital Download. I currently get my Electronic Gaming Monthing from the Zinio service. Any Chance your going to come into the light and be Tech current and offer this mag via Digital Download??
I know this isn’t a true replacement to NTUSA in that it’s not picking up the same content right where it left off. However, I get the feeling though that it’s what readers want. You took a product off the market that really doesn’t have a lot of competition anymore: a monthly anime-oriented magazine. Otaku USA and Protoculture Addicts are every other month, and Anime Insider is sometimes a bit too Wizard for my tastes.
I understand that PiQ is the magazine you all want to publish, but perhaps you tied it too close to Newtype for its own good. Perhaps you should have just went with refunds instead of offering PiQ as a replacement, which is a move that basically says that PiQ is a replacement magazine. Perhaps you should have let the two run along side for a couple of months so people would see that PiQ is different magazine than Newtype instead of its intended successor. Or perhaps just some space between the distribution of maybe a couple to a few months between Newtype’s end so that PiQ doesn’t come out the month right after Newtype and appear on face to just be picking up where it left off, as it did kind of appear.
I just think something more should have been done to really spell out the fact that the whole crew behind Newtype is leaving to make an all new magazine in no way connected with Newtype. Instead, it somewhat looks like no real structure change happened and you all felt like radically changing Newtype while disregarding some of the content that made people like Newtype and thus alienating readers. I’m not saying that’s your intent.I’m sure it wasn’t. It does somewhat look like that though.
I for one will dearly miss Newtype - even at its $30 price in Oz. Now that the Australian Cartoon Network has decided to “go in another direction” and cancel all its anime, Newtype was my only link. You Americans don’t know how lucky you are! We’re dying out here in the colonies!!!
Firstly, I’d like to say thanks for keeping Amos Wong. (Or thanks to Amos Wong for signing on?) Even if I didn’t read NTUSA cover to cover, I ALWAYS read what he had to say, and was so happy I still can. I hope he got a pay raise.
And although we were thoroughly depressed about losing the DVD, we are hopeful you guys will throw in a cool freebie once in a while. The top 3 reasons why we subscribed to the old mag, besides the DVD, were for the anime, manga and games. But we are also interested in business and tech news, Asian movies, Japanese culture/travel and things we can’t easily get here, (I don’t know what else to call it, but your article on the Kewpies would fall into that category). If you centered around those things we would definitely keep renewing. And more articles on game designers, manga writers and animators are good, too.
Some things we don’t want to see:
Fan Art - I know how much the kids like to see their stuff get published, but could you maybe create a webpage for them instead? That way, a lot more can be seen and I wouldn’t have to look at it.
Voice Actor fluff articles - I’m not talking about the old Monica Rial articles, what she had to say was intelligent and relevant. It’s the ‘day-in-the-life’ articles the old mag had that I couldn’t stand. I really, really don’t care what so-and-so has for lunch or what their favorite cell-phone charm is.
Family Guy/Adult Swim cartoons - If I want to see that crap, I’ll go to adultswim.com. I want to see up and coming ANIME in PiQ. Why should we embrace them when they only barely tolerate us?
BTW, the ‘Is Anime Dead?’ article was awesome. You guys forgot to blame George Bush for killing our economy, therefore making regular folks like us unable to buy DVD’s like we used to. It’s hard enough just keeping a roof over our heads these days. As far as fan subs go, I admit I’ve watched a fair few lately. Yes, it makes me feel guilty but I did it for 2 reasons. I’m poorer than I used to be and the amount of time waiting for official dubbed versions of my favorite shows is unacceptibly long. On the plus side I’ve discovered some anime I probably never would have otherwise. What to do about the subbers? HIRE THEM! Set up an iTunes style website and let the kids go nuts with it! I would happily pay per episode if it were more reasonable than what I shell out at Best Buy! Hell, and I wouldn’t even have to leave the house to do it.
when is the next issue gonna come out? Please, somebody answer me!!!!!
The May issue of PiQ should be sent out to subscribers in a couple of weeks, and should be available in stores by April 15th or so.
I congratulate you on your new venture. I will miss New Type. It covered all of the topics i like.
I have been holding back my comments on the new mag for a while now. I decided that i would give the new mag a chance and see what it has to offer. While it is true that this mag is lacking alot of what many readers are asking for, its also a new mag and is trying new things to catch the readers attention. One think i would like to point out. Out of respect for New Type USA, a Mag that many people enjoyed and loved and for the many years of hard work that was put into that it, i ask with respect if it can be called by its name and not “that other Mag.”
We as the readers morn our loss. Something that may never truly be understood. That is why i shall call this The death and Rebirth of new type USA. We lost something grand and in its place we now have something that can be grand someday. It will take work, but you know that already. So i also ask this from you all. Let us the fans help you in what ways we can, and in return all i ask is for you to listen and be truthful with us. And if our ideas help you in the long run or in the short run, then all the better for us all.
As for fixing or adding to your mag. all i can say is that maybe you can add a list of upcoming anime, and maybe a small describtion about them. if you can do that. i think it will help your mag. But who knows. i am just a shadow after all.
ja ne
Either way PIQ should be given a chance, its only fair that we do. I gave it a chance, and i shall continue to give it a chance. I look forward to seeing how you continue to work on this new Mag.
Two issues.
Newtype USA gone forever. Two issues of Piq so far in it’s place. I don’t know what to say. It’s not a horrible magazine. There’s a couple of things that have caught my interest in both issues………….
But therein lies the problem…………….
Only a couple of things have caught my interest, and it’s been the anime. It has always been the anime. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh how I love the anime. I live for it as much as I live for the dance music of BPM on XM Radio. To give an indication of how serious I am, I pay money for the subscription to listen to just that one channel! But I digress……
Ok. So in my understanding, circumstances out of your control forced you to stop production of Newtype USA. I hate it. I’m pissed about it. But, I have to deal with it. I can deal with Piq. I can deal with the video game coverage; I always gave that a glance because I am also a gamer and I have a Wii, two PS3’s, 3 XBOX 360’s, 2 DS’s, 2 PSP’s and also the older consoles too. I have the technology and the passion for the games. The manga, ehhhh. You guys have always seemed to give snippets of established stories instead of giving the beginning story lines. How can you get into it if you’re missing the beginning of the story? That really irks me, and makes me toss your magazine over my shoulder with irritated reckless abandon. What I really care the least about is the western content as we can get that anywhere, but I also understand that you have to try to distinguish yourself to make yourself as different from Newtype as possible so please don’t waste our time with Tim and Eric Awesome Show. Ninety percent of the crap Adult Swim is showing right now is trying my patience. Robot Chicken, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Boondocks, Bleach, Death Note, and Adult Swim finally showing the final episode of Inuyasha is all I care about, and Boondocks isn’t all that important either. You know what…….you better not get me started on Adult Swim either. It would be in your best to avoid them if you can. You might want to check their message boards. There are hoards of people who agree………
You have potential. You are still a medium to help me get the knowledge about upcoming anime releases. I definitely like the Top 10 so far……..
What could make it better is there seems to be no rhyme or reason. This coming from the girl who is rambling, right? But it does seem like everything is thrown together. You know how the previous publication had anime first, then DVD’s, then books, then video games, then music? Maybe if you guys categorized Piq bit more it wouldn’t drive me so NUTS!
So there are my two cents. Right now maybe I kinda like Piq. I could love Piq under the right circumstances. I hope it works out that way. Keep on working hard.
-Becky-
I’m sure somebody pointed this out already, but i saved about 13 dollars a month especially for my newtype usa magazine ( I wasn’t allowed to subscribe so i just bought it at the mall) And it’s the only magazine i’ve ever been commited to. I realize that the makers of the magazine i trying something that doesn’t involve so much anime but the point of the magazine was to give more spotlight to anime wasn’t it? If that’s the case then why make a magazine that takes so much focus off of the original purpose? Most of the people who bought this magazine probably bought it because of there deep love for anime and as corny or bogus as this may sound, isn’t it a bit cruel to take it away so suddenly and then replace it with something that doesn’t even qualify for second best? I cried when i read on the newtype usa homepage that they discontinued what fed my passion for anime and japanese animation in