Dōjinshi printer

A dōjinshi printer (同人誌印刷所, dōjinshi insatsujo, also 同人誌印刷会社, dōjinshi insatsugaisha) is a printer that specializes in dōjinshi, self-published works. They are mostly active in Japan.

Summary

Dōjinshi printers are companies that specialize in professional printing and binding of the self-published magazines called dōjinshi. Dōjinshi are a popular medium of self-publishing in Japan, mostly for fan-made manga. Dōjinshi printers print not only dōjinshi, but also fan-made merchandise such as stationary, stickers, posters and mugs. The companies are also involved in the organization of dōjinshi conventions, and play a role in establishing and enforcing content regulations for dōjinshi.[1] Over a hundred dōjinshi printers are active in Japan today.[2]

History

Specialized dōjinshi printers emerged in the later half of the 1970s, and they went on to play an important role in the growth of dōjinshi culture by making printing services more available and affordable for amateur creators.[3] Their activities also included organizing dōjinshi conventions where their customers could sell their works. Throughout the boom in dōjinshi culture in the mid-1980s and the expansion of distribution channels such as dōjin shops and dōjinshi conventions, the number of dōjinshi printers rose as well, and the kinds of services they offered diversified. In 1992, around 52 dōjinshi printers were operating in Japan.[4] By 2014, this number had at least doubled.

1994 saw the founding of an industry association, the Japan Doujin-shi Printing Group (日本同人誌印刷業組合, Nihon dōjinshi insatsugyō kumiai). The association has 24 members.[5]

How it works

A dōjinshi creator compares the manuals of different dōjinshi printers, which detail the company's prices and submission procedures, and selects a plan that fits with their budget and publication schedule. They agree on a delivery date with the printer, send in their manuscript in analog format via postal mail or in digital format through the printer's FTP server, and make the required payment. The dōjinshi are then printed and delivered. In the likely event that the creator wants to sell a dōjinshi at an upcoming dōjinshi convention, it is often possible to have the printer deliver the finished dōjinshi directly to the convention location. In that case, the dōjinshi creator has to submit their manuscript by a strict deadline that cannot usually be extended except by paying more. Some dōjinshi printers also deliver to dōjin shops that have agreed to distribute a creator's dōjinshi.

Dōjinshi printers advertise by distributing flyers and sometimes full manuals at dōjinshi conventions and dōjin shops, and sponsoring banners on websites that attract many fans. Some dōjinshi printers still organize dōjinshi conventions,[6] and many take part in conventions with booths.

Examples

Some examples of dōjinshi printers include:

  • Neko no Shippo (ねこのしっぽ, neko no shippo), founded in 1997.[7]
  • Ohtomo Print Shop (大友出版印刷, ōtomo shuppan insatsu), founded in 1972.[8]
  • Taiyou Shuppan (大陽出版, taiyō shuppan), founded in 1981.[9]
  • The manga and anime Genshiken has several scenes of characters discussing or interacting with dōjinshi printers.

Further reading
gollark: What I *would* be interested in is some sort of low-power long-battery-life pocket computer with LoRa radios, an e-paper-ish visible-in-sunlight screen, and the ability to read text and type a bit.
gollark: Maybe when small-scale manufacturing improves.
gollark: Not currently.
gollark: Modems run weird proprietary code.
gollark: Raspberry Pis aren't open hardware.

See also

References
  1. The Japan Doujin-shi Printing Group (日本同人誌印刷業組合, Nihon dōjinshi insatsugyō kumiai), for instance, has warned dōjinshi creators that they must practice self-censorship of some sexually explicit content that may run afoul of Japanese laws on the subject, because printers who are members of the association cannot print potentially illegal content. Nihon dōjinshi insatsugyō kumiai 日本同人誌印刷業組合. 2014. "Sākuru, Dōjinshi Sakka No Minasama He サークル・同人誌作家の皆さまへ." Nihon Dōjinshi Insatsugyō Kumiai 日本同人誌印刷業組合. Accessed May 8. http://www.doujin.gr.jp/foradult.html.
  2. 103 companies are on a list which was compiled on January 2014. "Dōjinshi Insatsu Gaisha Fuseji Hyōgen Ichiran 同人誌印刷会社伏字表現一覧." 2014. CLUBPEPPER. Accessed May 8. http://club.pep.ne.jp/~onmitu/fuseji.html.
  3. Kinsella, Sharon. 1998. "Japanese Subculture in the 1990s: Otaku and the Amateur Manga Movement." Journal of Japanese Studies, 289–316. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/133236. P294.
  4. Ajima, Shun 阿島俊. Manga & Anime Dōjinshi Handobukku マンガ&アニメ同人誌ハンドブック. Kubo Shoten 久保書店. Pp203-223.
  5. Nihon dōjinshi insatsugyō kumiai 日本同人誌印刷業組合. 2014. "Kumiai Kamei Kakusha Ichiran 組合加盟各社一覧." Nihon Dōjinshi Insatsugyō Kumiai 日本同人誌印刷業組合. Accessed May 8. http://www.doujin.gr.jp/list.html.
  6. Neko no Shippo, for instance, lists event organization and support as a company activity. Neko no shippo ねこのしっぽ. 2014. "Kaisha Annai 会社案内." Neko No Shippo ねこのしっぽ. Accessed May 8. http://www.shippo.co.jp/neko/corporation/index.shtml.
  7. Neko no shippo ねこのしっぽ. 2014. "Kaisha Annai 会社案内." Neko No Shippo ねこのしっぽ. Accessed May 8. http://www.shippo.co.jp/neko/corporation/index.shtml.
  8. Ohtomo shuppan insatsu 大友出版印刷. 2014. "Kaisha Gaiyō 会社概要." Ohtomo Shuppan Insatsu 大友出版印刷. Accessed May 8. http://www.ohtomops.jp/prof_.html.
  9. Taiyō Shuppan kabushiki gaisha　大陽出版株式会社. 2014. "Kaisha Gaiyō 会社概要." Taiyō Shuppan 大陽出版. Accessed May 8. http://www.taiyoushuppan.co.jp/doujin/new/profile/outline.html.
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