Ask John: Please Provide a Chronology of the Anime Invasion
|Question:
Can you make a condensed chronology of anime history in North America?
Answer:
As per request, my chronology is brief. And it concentrates almost exclusively on the growth and positive events in the history of anime reaching America.
1961:
Magic Boy (Shonen Sarutobi Sasuke) is the first anime movie released in America
1963:
Astro Boy premiers on American television
1967:
Speed Racer premiers on American television
1972:
Cleopatra is the first “adults only” Japanese animation released in America
1977:
Cartoon/Fantasy Organization established as America’s first major anime fan club
1978:
Toei Animation opens an American distribution office (closed in 1982)
Battle of the Planets premiers on American television
1983:
Harmony Gold established
1984:
Voltron premiers on American television
1985:
Robotech premiers on American television and becomes the first commercially distributed anime in America promoted as Japanese animation
1986:
The first known English language “fansub” appears
Japanese publisher Lead Publishing releases the Golgo 13: Into the Wolf’s Lair graphic novel, America’s first major English translated manga release
Viz, LLC established
Excalibur Films releases the first English dubbed, uncensored erotic anime on commercial American home video as “Brothers Grime X-Rated Cartoons”
1987:
US Renditions & Right Stuf established
Viz releases its first English translated manga titles in America
First Comics releases its English translation of the Lone Wolf & Cub manga
1988:
Streamline Pictures established
Epic Comics begins publishing Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira manga
Eclipse Comics publishes Adam Warren & Toren Smith’s Dirty Pair comic, the first commercial American comic based on an original Japanese anime property (as opposed to American comic adaptations of “Americanized” anime including Gold Key’s 1979 Battle of the Planets comic series and Comico’s 1984 Robotech comics)
1989:
Akira movie premiers in America
AnimEigo releases the first subtitled commercial anime videotape in America, Metalskin Panic Madox-01
Gainax opens its American specialty store “General Products USA” in San Francisco. The store closes in 1991
1990:
Project A-kon, held in Dallas, Texas, is America’s first significant anime fan convention
Central Park Media founded
1991:
AnimeCon ’91 held in San Jose, California. The following year AnimeCon evolved into Anime Expo
1992:
A.D. Vision founded
1993:
Pioneer LDCA established
Urotsukidoji officially premiers in America
The Sci-Fi Channel broadcasts Robot Carnival, Lensman, and Vampire Hunter D
1994:
Manga Entertainment USA, FUNimation Productions (later “FUNimation Entertainment”), and Star Anime Enterprises established
1995:
Eros Comics begins publishing uncensored erotic manga in English
Sailor Moon & Dragon Ball premier on American television
The Sci-Fi Channel launches its “Anime Saturday” broadcasts
1996:
Disney acquires distribution rights to 11 Studio Ghibli films
Urban Vision & Digital Manga, Inc. established
1997:
Media Blasters & Mixx Entertainment (later known as TOKYOPOP) established
The Cartoon Network begins broadcasting Dragon Ball Z & Sailor Moon
CPM releases America’s first anime DVD, Battle Arena Toshinden
Urban Vision releases the Shihaisha no Tasogare ~ Twilight of the Dark Master OVA on American home video on November 11, two months ahead of the January 21, 1998 Japanese release
1998:
Bandai Entertainment launches “Anime Village” as its first forray into direct American anime distribution
Pokemon premiers on American television
1999:
Sputnik7.com begins to offer anime from Manga Entertainment for online viewing
The International Channel begins broadcasting the Dragon Ball Z television series uncut and untranslated
ComicsOne established
The first Pokemon movie earns $85.7 million in US theatrical release, making it the highest grossing Japanese film ever released theatrically in America
2000:
The first English language digital fansubs appear online
Hirameki International Group, Inc. established
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing becomes the first anime series broadcast “uncut” on nationwide American television while the US network broadcast of Escaflowne is canceled due to poor ratings
The Burger King resturant chain offers its first Dragon Ball Z Big Kids’ Meal promotion
2001:
Synch-Point & Super Techno Arts established
First Yaoi-con held in San Francisco, California
NuTech Digital begins distribution of its own adult anime licenses
Yu-Gi-Oh! premiers on American television
2002:
AN Entertainment established
Icarus Publishing established
AD Vision launches The Anime Network
Newtype USA Magazine premiers
Raijin Comics debuts as America’s first weekly manga magazine. Publication ends in 2004
2003:
Shonen Jump USA magazine launches
Del Rey establishes its manga publishing division
The Animatrix & Kill Bill vol. 1 (which includes animation from Production IG) premier
Spirited Away wins the MPAA Academy Award for Best Animated Film. Koji Yamamura’s short film Atama Yama is nominated for a Best Animated Short Film Oscar
Annual American anime sales reach an all time high of $550 million (estimated)
2004:
RJP-Pro & Adult Source Media established
DC Comics launches its CMX brand of translated manga
CPM launches its “Be Beautiful” line of yaoi manga
Seven Seas Entertainment & Infinity Studios established
The ImaginAsian TV cable network launches and begins to broadcast subtitled anime
The Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi cartoon series starring J-pop duo PUFFY premiers on the Cartoon Network
2005:
The FUNimation Channel launches as America’s second anime exclusive television network
JapanAnime established
Bandai Visual USA established. Absorbed by Bandai Entertainment in 2008
Go! Comi, Blu, & DramaQueen established
Harlequin begins to release English translated manga adaptations of its romance novels
Toei begins direct distribution of American DVDs. Distribution ends in 2006
Howl’s Moving Castle nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Animated Film category
The Cowboy Bebop TV series passes one million home video copies sold in America since its American debut in 1999
Bandai Entertainment USA co-produces XEBEC’s “D.I.C.E.” anime television series which premiers on American TV on January 22, 2005 and on Japan’s Animax network as “Dinobreaker” nearly 12 months later on December 6, 2005
2006:
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children sells over one million copies in North America within its first year of release
Japanese publisher Ohzora Publishing launches American subsidiary Aurora Publishing, Inc.
Digital Manga launches its 801 Media & Juné yaoi publishing labels
2007:
BostTV and Vuze premier English translated anime in America exclusively through digital distribution
Manganovel.com launched
Yen Press established
ImaginAsian releases America’s first “made on demand” commercial anime DVDs
The National Football League promotes the Eyeshield 21 anime series
Geneon USA ceases American anime distribution
2008:
Crunchyroll, YouTube, BostTV offer near simultaneous worldwide online distribution of Tower of Druaga & Blassreiter TV series
Kodansha USA established
MangaGamer.com launched
Article revised on October 22, 2008 with assistance from John C. Watson
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Now that’s what I call condensed. Nice.
Ditto.
It’s been pointed out that my chronology overlooks the Sci-Fi Channel’s anime broadcasts in the 1990s. I regrettably had to leave that significant event off the list because I’ve been unable to determine exactly what year the Sci-Fi Channel’s “Sci-Fi Saturday” anime broadcasts began.
1993?
I pondered it for a while and then thought to source Patten’s phenomenal essay collection Watching Anime, Reading Manga (2004)… where he specifically mentions the 80s IRON MAN NO. 28 remake as “The New Adventures of Gigantor” (started airing Sept. 9, 1993); and in another article, mentions VAMPIRE HUNTER D, as “on the fine art theatrical circuit and home video in 1992, and on The Sci Fi Channel in 1993”; with no date specified.
There would be other anime that premiered that year other than those above, probably (such as Streamline Pictures’ AKIRA), assuming that ’93 is the correct year…
Although I was only into the industry from 1997 on, the growth the anime industry has experienced is phenominal. It seems like only yesterday I was paying $20 or more a tape, and there were fewboxsets, so a series could run over $160! These punk kids these days and their reasonably-priced box sets!