I love doing panels at cons. If you’ve ever stopped by a Del Rey Manga panel, I hope that’s self evident. I ham it up something fierce, and I tell a lot of stories about some of the funny things that happen when you’re an American manga publisher.

Example: Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei. When we announced this one last month at the NYCC there was an audible gasp from the crowd and even a few cheers. We knew it was on people’s radar, but this was gratifying nonetheless. So here’s the story I told about the title. American manga publishers always come up against this problem eventually - do you translate the Japanese title into English or not? There are valid arguments on both sides. The Wallflower is known in Japan as Yamatanadeshiko Shichihenge, for example. Now, my personal feeling was that Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei was fine as is. Most Americans know the Japanese word sayonaraand most manga readers know the word sensei. That just left “Zetsubou”, the main character’s name (which also means “despair”), and I was confident readers would be able to work this one out.

Our sales department voiced a concern, and we were able to convince them it would be fine. But then our Japanese licensors voiced the same concern and asked us to change the title. We threw a few around. “Goodbye Teacher Despair” came up along with a few others, but nothing really stuck.

In the end we compromised; we would keep the original Japanese title but we would add an English subtitle. I was quote proud of what we came up with. It was a title that captured the story and the humor of the book. When the book hits stores early next year, you’ll be able to buy Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei: The Power of Negative Thinking. I hope you enjoy it.

But speaking of panels, I did another panel last month just before the Comic-Con. I was invited by Gina Gagliano (who I’m convinced is the most connected person in comics) to speak to a group of teens at the New York Public LIbrary about comics and manga. I was joined by Laura Hudson of Comics Foundry. Now, I’m more used to giving talks at cons, where the audience is friendly and well-versed in not just manga, but the business of manga. And I know the business of manga, and that’s why it’s so easy to do panels at cons.

This wasn’t like that. I mean, it was still easy, and the kids were great, and Laura was great, and it was loads of fun. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. But there I am trying to talk about how manga gets published when one kids yells out: “Is Superman an illegal alien?” And Laura and I get into a heated debate about whether this is the pre- or post-crisis Superman, and the kids are eating it up. Next question, “Who would win in a fight, Hulk or Juggernaut?” was easily handled. And so on through the evening. My inner comics nerd was allowed to blossom in a way it hasn’t for many year, and it was good. Damn good.

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