I certainly respect a difference of opinion; I’ve liked books that other reviewers have panned and vice versa. If you’d bothered to read the comment thread, you’d see in my response to Ron that I did read the book and I didn’t like it. If you’re looking for “the best American Magna [sic] to date,” there are plenty of better candidates, from June Kim’s 12 Days to Svetlana Chmakova’s Dramacon.

Avril Lavigne may be a talented young artist, but I simply don’t think she would make good manga material. I just think that it’s a little conceited that she stars in the manga (no offense to avril lavigne fans)

The art is quite beautiful, Camilla. If the manga had someone else other than Avril in it, I would probably pick it up. I’ll probably browse through it at my local bookstore and see how it fares (the occult factor is certainly interesting–it kind of reminds me of Jigoku Shoujo, but the wishes don’t involve sending someone to hell by promising your own soul to hell as well…)

Unfortunately, I don’t think I could find myself reading it.

I wish Camilla and Joshua the best of luck with their manga launch, but I doubtI’ll be able to pitch my dollars to their royalties.

Thanks for your comments. I doubt I’ll be reading this book, as I have a strong aversion to Avril Lavigne and her music. But I’m impressed by the enthusiasm and obvious passion that you and Camilla have demonstrated, as well as your willingness to address fan criticism with candor. If I don’t check out Make 5 Wishes, I’ll certainly look for your other work.

Kate

The book itself is a young adult fantasy/tragedy aimed at the 15 to 17 year old market.

The original title was MAKE5WISHES.COM and a sample site which captures the mood of the peace can be found at http://www.make5wishes.com (there’s no interface, just graphics and a tag line).

I think when people read it they will be very, very surprised by it. Particularly by the second volume. All my standard themes and elements are in place. Herein you will find humanist-based horror, a pathological obsession with loneliness, and a parade of flawed human beings struggling against the very way of things.

While it is seeing publication in North America, it was written specifically for the Japanese and Korean markets (where Avril commands a massive army of fans) and will be part of a considerable push to produce comics for a downloadable market in that region. The current plan to digitally distribute this narrative is the most exciting aspect of the project to me and is the brainchild of Nettwerk Entertainment, which is run by Terry McBride (who helped start “Save the Music Fan”, an organization which takes a stand against the RIAA).

http://www.savethemusicfan.com/press.html.

I think the digital aspect of this project will go a long way in helping to keep comics relevant as modes of distribution shift.

So there’s a lot more vision behind this than you think. Thanks for reading. Peace.

- Joshua Dysart

Its all good! We all have our opinions, I’m just hoping that people can get past the initial reaction that is typical for a project involving a celebrity.
That write up is misleading, its not a hero situation at all, Avril doesn’t save the day. I won’t say anymore, but rest assured Joshua and I have taken care of keeping this story as non-typical as possible!

Make sure to pick up the April issue of Nightmares and Fairy Tales by Slave Labour Graphics. Its my latest project and if you like Debbie harry you’ll love this series, twisted fairytales…very cool. And for your enjoyment..sans Avril ^_

I’m more of a Debbie Harry kinda gal than an Avril Lavigne fan–hence my reaction. But I will try to keep an open mind about Make 5 Wishes, especially since the creative team behind the project has such obvious talent. I hope to see more of your beautiful character designs in the near future, whether or not the story involves Miss Lavigne.

Thanks for a classy response to my gripes!

Kate

I just wanted to send out a little note to people about Make5Wishes.com.
I totally know where everyone is coming from, another singer wants their own comic…ugh.

Well, I just want to let people know that its nothing like what you expect. The story is really heartfelt and its not the typical storyline or the bubblegum comics you see out there.
So I hope that you all give it a chance and don’t jump to conclusions too soon. I love my characters and working with Joshua was a great experience, he and I made sure to give people a story that was above the norm.
There’s a saying…”don’t knock it until you try it” so just give us a chance, I can’t guarantee you’ll love it but I can promise you that you won’t regret it.

And thank you so much for you’re nice comments about my art ^_^

Thanks
Camilla

Incidentally, I’d take a Gene Simmons manga over one by Avril Lavigne any day of the week. It would certainly be more entertaining!

why didn’t Del Rey aim a little higher when venturing into OEL?

Because they’ve proven with this project that they’re not in this sport for the hunt [creative story telling with unique art and diverse subject matter], they’re just in it for the sport [trend kings looking for that ultimate OEL/manga-with-popstar-endorsement trophy].

*sigh*

Well, even Western Comics has… K.I.S.S. books. 0_o