First book devoted to anime in English
“… quantities of useful information”
Rob Ketcherside, Animation Bibliography
“… covers the history of the art form as well as introducing many of the main genres and famous series and films – including those not released in English. It also explores anime culture.”
State Library of Queensland, Game On!
When this book appeared in 1993, Anime UK magazine had been running for two years and Britain had three local anime labels. British fans also had Manga Mania magazine to enjoy, and in the USA Animerica had just commenced regular publication after a preview issue in November 1992. The Internet was in its infancy and few British fans had access. Most communication was via newsletters, fanzines, local group meetings and conventions.
The book set out to provide basic information about the history of anime, give some idea of the breadth and scope of the medium, and help fans get in touch with others around the world. That was quite ambitious for a 64-page paperback on a hitherto unexplored topic, but since this was the first book of its kind, I wanted to make it as useful as time and budget would allow.
Where the Beginner’s Guide scored most highly, though, was in design and pictorial content. Even though half the pages were in black and white, to keep printing costs down, it was packed with pictures on every page.
For a book about a visual medium, that still makes sense. It’s expensive, and both Japanese and Western companies are not always communicative on picture rights, but the history of anime can’t be fully conveyed in words alone.
You can read an extract and see some pages by clicking here.
Helen McCarthy: A Face Made for Radio 
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