Webzines Again

I decided on the following criteria: In order for a site to be considered a magazine, it must undergo a major update on a periodical basis. If every two weeks, you add a new review, you're not really running a magazine, just a frequently updated archive. However, if every two months, you change the cover image, replace the main feature, and add new opinion columns, reviews, and news, then that's a magazine. Another way to look at it is that magazines have issues, while content archives are just the same site with updated content. Not that there's anything wrong with being a content archive; I've selected some for this column. The difference will become more apparent after you visit some of these sites.

One thing that made me sad was how many good-looking dead magazines I came across. I made a decision not to make mention of any site that hadn't yet been updated this year. I saw some really gorgeously designed webzines that had passed away last year or even earlier. In some cases, the site still promised a next issue. Several magazines from the past are gone from the 'Pike. Animecca, the popular webzine that got me nasty flames when I dissed it in '97, has vanished. Chibi-Pop is gone as well, the folks behind it now creating the printed manga anthology of the same name.

Let's begin by looking at true webzines. Curiously, just as I had my "Big Six" 'zines in 1997, I have six to show you this time. But three members of the list have changed, and this time, I only found six true webzines worth including.

I'll begin with EX: The Online World of Anime & Manga, essentially to get it out of the way. What is there to say about this site? It's the best online anime magazine going, and everyone knows it. Heck, it may be the best anime site, period. It's well-designed, fast-loading, and informative, with content that rivals printed magazines. I'm always kicking myself for not reading EX more often than I do. If you've never heard of this site, move out of your cave and click on the link now.

A newcomer to the list is , a 'zine that immediately grabbed me with its attractive graphic design. The lead feature as I write this is a comparison of the classic Bubblegum Crisis with the new, updated version, Bubblegum Crisis 2040. It's an interesting read, if a bit crudely written. The "Dub Files" section is an interesting idea: a section that reviews dubbed anime, with attention given to the voice acting. The navigation could use some work. For example, an arrow icon to allow you to flip through the pages would be nice. Despite its flaws, though, I think this is a 'zine to keep an eye on.

is another great-looking magazine. This one takes pains to look like a magazine, allowing flip-through navigation and even placing a UPC code on the "cover". This month's feature is on import gaming, and features an interview with a retailer of the equipment needed to hack game consoles in order to play imported games. Check out the "fan service" section for word searches! Yes, it's an anime version of the game we all played as children. Thankfully, they have printable versions so you don't have to write on your screen.

is a magazine that bills itself as being for Filipinos, but really, it's worth a look no matter what your nationality. The current issue is from February, meaning it's full of Valentine's Day content, including a brief article on romance, Japanese-style. Another feature examines anime couples in a satirical style. The "Beginner's Guide to Anime Music CDs" is also interesting, though it centers on the Phillipine market.

J-Pop.Com, Viz's online companion to Animerica magazine, is barely a magazine itself. I was tempted to qualify it as a content archive, but decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Last time around, I had it as one of the "Big Six". This time I was nowhere near as impressed. Having Viz behind it, the writing is good, but there's just not that much there to be seen. You get one feature, and a mess of review sections. No editorials, and the link section is gone. There is an interesting article on Working Designs, the popular-but-controversial distributor of translated Japanese video games. I found this article in the "games" section while looking for the gaming content listed on the homepage, which isn't actually there. Sigh. With Viz having other sites to play with, I fear J-Pop has become the odd site out.

Last, but by no means least, I was glad to see that hasn't lost a step. They're still every bit as cheerfully crass as they were in '97, from the feature Valentine's Day editorial, entitled "F*** Love! Gimme SEX!!!!", to the article "9 things I hate about an Anime Con...", complete with a picture of someone projectile vomiting. A negative opinion of the DVD format is put forth in an article entitled "F*** THAT FORMAT" which predicts that "you're not gonna see BLOCKBUSTER renting DVD's anytime soon". He wrote this in March? He must not get out much. And yes, they still review beer. A site not to be missed by anyone who's not afraid to be offended.

As I promised, here are what I considered to be the best of the content archive sites, sites that aren't updated like magazines or presented in that format, but are worth reading nonetheless. I'll start with , a site with a simplistic design, but one I enjoyed, due mostly to the good writing. The column "What the hell is going on here?!" details the site author's discovery in Japan of a cel that appeared to be the precise image used on the box for a classic American crap-dub. There are reviews and convention write-ups, but by far and away the best part of this site, as far as I'm concerned, is the "Hilarious Bootleg Toy Showcase". Each installment explores a laughably bad bootleg toy, for example, mispainted bootleg Pokémon figures.

The is one of the most-quoted sources of anime-related information on the net. The site appears to be having problems as I write this, as I'm getting the message "disabled index" as I attempt to re-visit the site, so I guess I'll have to write from my notes. The site's most important feature is its long list of anime news, release announcements, and rumors. Reviews are available as well, including a well-written negative review of Brain Powered (an anime that's impressed very few so far). The section "Stuff You Won't See Here" profiles anime that is unlikely ever to make it to the States.

is another decent content archive. They offer a selection of well-written reviews, including the same review of Brain Powered that appears on the previous site. They also offer a news digest, mostly culled from other on-line sources. The opinion column "Jusuchinu's Jabberings" gives a pessimistic view of Manga's plans to release the Evangelion movies in the theaters.

The content at is pretty much standard fare: news, web picks, reviews, and the occasional essay. What I like about this site is its attitude. True to their name, the site has a "casual" feel to it, and seems to concentrate on having fun. Check out their article on the Netscape 6 built-in language translator before it ages off the site. They ran Japanese web sites through it, with hilarious results. The essay section has a feature on anime "Lego-like" toys, including an Evangelion set.

Some more content archives of note:

is another site offering English-translated manga, supposedly updated weekly, though where this week's updates were is unclear. This is the home of the odd manga "Cat Shit One", which features rabbits and cats fighting the Vietnam War. Beware: the home page for this site gave both my browsers trouble. Netscape couldn't decode the text descriptions for the manga. Internet Explorer handled that, but wouldn't load the whole page, complaining it was "unsafe". Still, there's some interesting manga to be read once you get past the home page.

is a neat idea. The site is home to several open manga projects, where any artist with talent can sign up to contribute a few pages. The "Doji Tree" features manga with multiple branching plotlines. You read the pages there and submit your own continuation, either of an existing plotline or an alternative you suggest.

Two more quickie site picks before I end this:

Mail time!