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-Z- (z@gundam.com)
Sun, 26 Nov 2000 19:39:59 -0800
> Wait, so an english version will be published in the Print version of
> Newtype? I guess there is a new reason to buy Newtype other than the
> pretty pictures now. Still it seems odd to remake a novel as a novel.
> I was hoping it would be a manga.
Not exactly. As I understand it, they plan a book version that will be produced
in three languages. The Newtype Magazine serialization is being done in
Japanese, although there's a possibility that the English edition on the Web may
include an English translation. On the other hand, the English edition Web site
didn't translate the articles that appeared in the print edition; it only has
these reports that synopsize the Japanese version.
Quoting from the 23 November update:
"Regarding our plans for the book form of FTB, currently we are not able to make
any progress on it, because we are tied up with the massive workload for the
Newtype Happy New Year issue, and also with preparation for later installments
of the novel in Newtype. In the New Year's issue of Newtype, in addition to the
usual chapter of FTB, there will be special feature pages, and a specially-drawn
FTB cover illustration. The workload is closer to Hell than Heaven right now
... there's a very tense atmosphere among the FTB creative team, as we wonder if
we really can make any of these deadlines.
When it comes to the plans for the trilingual edition of the novel in book form,
there are some technical problems on printing, which we still have to overcome.
We are still trying to figure out the correct publishing system at the moment.
Our problem is that we normally use a Japan-version Mac desktop publishing
system, so we cannot type in the Korean "Hangul" script. English, however,
isn't a problem. There are several ways to go about doing a trilingual
printing, but the fine line on costings is very fine indeed. However, if we can
do it, it would be a revolutionary book even in Japan, so we would really like
to try.
Over the year to come, I somehow feel that 'For The Barrel' is expanding in a
big way, in various areas. Even though sometimes we are proceeding by a process
of trial and error, we are doing our best to turn it into a truly multi-national
work of science fiction, which hasn't been properly tried before in Japan. For
this, Ake Sasaki and Jonathan Clements, who are taking care of translations for
FTB related items, are vital to the project. I feel that their ideas and input
are very valuable, making 'For The Barrel' different from past Japanese manga or
anime, which were so often created solely from a Japanese way of thinking. I'm
very grateful to them. Through them, I am also getting to know of actual
overseas fans, and their reactions. These things will probably affect the
actual content of FTB in a major way. I'd like to think that our creative
efforts will be interesting to everyone. That's what I hope."
Further than this, the deponent sayeth not.
Oh, yeah, it's not just Java, but *Java2* that's required to browse this site,
along with the Macromedia Shockwave plug-in. Here's the notice from the top
level page:
"Because this website is using Java2, we recommend viewing the site with
Internet Explorer 4.0 or later. (Mac users with Netscape Navigator and Netscape
Communicator may not be able to view this site. Please wait for "MAC OS10".)
Shockwave flash plugin will be needed to enjoy this site."
I'm wondering if this notice can be read by browsers without Java2 or Shockwave.
If not, it's a bit like that old joke, "If you can't read this sign, ask the
blacksmith!"
-Z-
-
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