JuYoun Lee: So there was a lot of stuff that didn't make sense when it came to the decision whether or not to keep it all up there; the more content we add, then reasonably the more we would have to charge. In order to offer an archive, we'd have to offer each issue as a download, instead of having the two issues' content available for only two months for a monthly fee, so the pricing structure would have to totally change.
Q: Still, several fans have mentioned that they would love to have access to back issues, even if they had to pay for it. Are you considering ways to offer back issue content to readers?
JuYoun Lee: We’re having conversations along those lines, but nothing has been decided yet. Again, if you like what's in Yen Plus, we'd like to direct you back to the stores to buy the books.
Q: Well, speaking as a fan, one reason why I've held on to my copies of Yen Plus is mostly for the content that is only available in the magazine that isn't included in the graphic novels, like the interviews and articles. Will that content be archived and available beyond the two months?
JuYoun Lee: Well, we are looking at various digital distribution outlets other than the web-version of the magazine, so we're keeping our options open. You may hear more as we firm things up on our end.
Q: Okay, sounds good. I know this is still a very new thing, so I'm sure there's a lot in the works.
That said, a librarian in the audience at your Comic-Con panel on Friday brought up a good point: Is there a way for Yen Plus to be included in library collections and available to library patrons even though a given issue can only be read online for two months at a time?
JuYoun Lee: That was a very good question. For now, we don't have any print alternatives to provide to libraries, but as long as they have computers, they shouldn't have any problems accessing Yen Plus online with one ID on multiple computers. There will be a limit to how many computers can access the magazine at the same time on any given day – but if librarians are finding that they're dealing with a high demand for access to Yen Plus online, then they can always purchase more than one subscription or user ID.
Q: Are there any plans to make more of these series in Yen Plus available as e-book or digital downloads? I know Maximum Ride is already available for the Kindle.
JuYoun Lee: We're looking into several options right now, but I can't really share more than that at this point. The online magazine is just the first of many steps we're taking in this direction, and we'll have more announcements soon.
Q: Will you be featuring more series in Yen Plus?
JuYoun Lee: Starting from next month, we'll start adding the Japanese side of the magazine back into the mix.
Q: Oh, great! So which titles? Will it be any of the Japanese manga titles that were previously featured in the print edition of Yen Plus, or will it be new titles?
JuYoun Lee: Well... we'll be announcing the line-up soon, but we already mentioned one title at our panel at Comic-Con... the one with the green-haired girl… (laughs)
Q: Ah yes, right. That'll be great! One thing that many readers have noticed with the first sample issue of Yen Plus: that it only features the Korean manhwa stories like Jack Frost, and the original comics stories like Gossip Girl and Nightschool, but the Japanese titles from Square Enix like Black Butler and Pandora Hearts are not included. Will they be added at a later date?
JuYoun Lee: I can't really comment on this at this time. We're working on it.
Q: Okay, fair enough! In any case, another title that several fans have requested to have added to the Yen Plus line-up is Bunny Drop.
JuYoun Lee: I'll write that one down! It's one of the editorial team's favorites.
Q: Would you care to share your thoughts about some of the other new titles that made their debut in the August issue of Yen Plus? There's Daniel X and Aron's Absurd Armada...?
JuYoun Lee: Daniel X is one of James Patterson’s titles, like Maximum Ride, which has been hugely successful for us. His stories, in my opinion, work perfectly with the manga medium. The characters are very attractive, and even the settings and the events are so visual that they are naturals for manga. Daniel X is about a boy with superpowers! It doesn’t get more visual than that! We found a really great artist whose style really complements the story. I hope everyone likes it. The fan reaction so far has been very positive.
Q: I recall you mentioning at the panel that Aron's Absurd Armada to be somewhat similar to Hetalia: Axis Powers?
JuYoun Lee: (laughs) Well, Aron's Absurd Armada was originally serialized online in Korea as a webcomic. The publishers of that series gave it to me as a present, not thinking that it would be licensed or anything (laughs) because it's a very light, funny book. But I read it and I thought it was hilarious. When we were considering this online transition of the magazine, it just seemed like a perfect addition to the mix. It's all in color, and since it was online originally, so its format works well in an online magazine.
Every manga fan is just going to love it. I can't really give you a good summary of the plot, because there really isn't one! (laughs) There's lots of twists on the usual manga clichés that manga fans will especially appreciate, but even if you don't know these jokes, it's a very warm and funny type of humor.
Q: Your description of Aron's also brings up another advantage of moving to being an online magazine: It's very easy to feature full-color comics!
JuYoun Lee: Yes, exactly.
Q: The August issue also features Haunted House Call, a short story by Madeleine Rosca, the creator of Hollow Fields.
JuYoun Lee: Yes, that one's really fun, isn't it?
Q: When did you start working with her on this?
JuYoun Lee: Well, you might recall that we've already featured a few short stories in the pages of Yen Plus from several creators. We want to explore these creators' potential to work with us on other projects. We like to try short stories to feel out how the working relationship goes, so it was a nice way to use the magazine. With her, we got in touch through Twitter! (laughs) The story was her idea, and it’s super cute!
