Above: book seller at Phnom Penh’s Psar O’Russey.

Some thoughts following on from Jason Dittmer and Katherine Brickell’s commentary on Cambodian comics copyright.

(You might want to read these links first.)

http://siewphewyeung.org.kh/newsprint-comics-at-psar-orussey/

http://mediageography.wordpress.com/2012/09/24/comic-books-and-copyright-cambodian-artistic-heritage-at-risk/

In Cambodia’s 1980s, the boom in narrative comics unfolded in an informal economy. That meant some artists printed and published themselves (perhaps one of the purest exemplars of the DIY ethos). Others made different choices. Some would draw and produce their comics with ad-hoc screenprinters. This gray area was accepted so long as the material was approved by the Ministry of Information.

• Some authors, such as Sin Yang Pirom and her original teacher, Uth Roeun, never authorized reprinting.  (Uth Roeun’s works currently on sale definitely qualify as ‘pirated’.)
• Some creators would (after several editions) sell their originals to a middleman.
• And some would produce directly for a middleman/publisher.

When speaking to Em Satya during the production of ‘Flower of Battambang’, he noted with a hint of chagrin that after 2 or 3 printings, he had sold his earlier work to middlemen. This was a handshake deal. Did this grant the middleman right to own and reproduce the comics in perpetuity?

As for the cartoonists who produced their works directly for middlemen/publication (Im Sokha, Or Yuthea, Hul Sophon), it resembles a work-for-hire situation – minus the contract. In a ‘socialist’ economy, articulation of intellectual property rights existed in law, but were not geared towards addressing the hothouse flower that was the 80’s comics market.

Once the bubble popped, authors found that their works were being reprinted – in volume and being sold to a new generation of young readers. Individual creators could not compete with printing of comics on an industrial scale. And so comics were reprinted again and again, with the strongest sellers slowly being winnowed out as readers gravitated towards more professionally printed materials such as color storybooks and translated color Thai comics.

I’ve interviewed comic artists, conferred with booksellers, and participated in numerous conversations with publishers, printers and librarians. But one voice missing from this evolving, intermittent conversation is that of the ‘middleman’.

It’s not been for lack of trying. Lim Santepheap, co-founder of Our Books, has tried several times to learn about the operations of comics printers. I’ve asked booksellers and politely been turned away.

What can we speculate? They are probably in it for their own enthusiasm, they’re surely not in it for the slim profits. They are likely continuing to operate simply because they’ve never had competing editions. The reprints provided by middlemen have been a boon for archivists, but a bane for the production of new independent work.

Are they ‘pirates’ as Dittmer and Brickell suggest? I doubt they consider themselves to be such.

Hopefully, the cartoonists of the 1980s bubble can reclaim copyright to their comics under Cambodia’s expanding definitions (and enforcement) of intellectual property. Until then, there’s a fascinating page of comics history that remains undrawn, waiting for a proper, nuanced delineation.

Today we were given a piece of autobiographical art from the man himself, for his profile on Our Books Cambodia. Life is sweet.

http://www.siewphewyeung.org.kh/artists/hul-sophon/

A brief response to the frequent assertion that there isn’t much choice in places to go, things to do or people to meet in Phnom Penh.

I began blogging about things Cambodian in 2002, initially from Siem Reap.

I wrote about nearly everything that took my interest because if I didn’t get it on the web, few else would at the time.* I noticed something after a while: my blog was getting clogged with art and event announcements.

In 2005 I started a simple ‘What’s On’ blog* where I could zap the info directly from email-to-blog. I add tidbits to it as I see fit to this day. As of 2012 there are heaps of gig guides competing for your eyeballs and advertising dollars.

So off the top of my head, here is a list of things you can do besides hanging out in dive bars with ‘crispy’ expats.

Arty Things:

Java Gallery
http://javaarts.org/

SaSaBassac Exhibitions
http://sasabassac.com/

Cambodian Living Arts (check out their ‘Children of the Bassac’ performances)
http://www.facebook.com/Cambodianlivingarts

Sovanna Phum
http://shadow-puppets.org/

Romeet Gallery
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Romeet-Gallery/234387659945905

Tiny Toones
http://www.tinytoones.org/

Bophana Center
http://bophana.org

Meta-House
http://www.meta-house.com/

French Cultural Centre
http://www.meta-house.com/

Smarty Things:

Human Sciences Happy Hours in Phnom Penh
http://hshhpp.pbworks.com/w/page/19665521/Home

TedxPhnomPenh
http://tedxphnompenh.com

BarCamp Phnom Penh
http://2011.barcampphnompenh.org

Nerd Night Phnom Penh
http://www.facebook.com/nerdnightphnompenh

Meetups:

Digital Drinks
http://www.facebook.com/DigitalDrinksPP

Drinks by Design
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Drinks-By-Design/256108197769622

Green Drinks
http://www.greendrinks.org/–/Phnom%20Penh

Phnom Penh Swings (Dance, not partner swapping.)
http://www.pppswings.com

Hash House Harriers
http://www.p2h3.com

Gig Guides

AsiaLife
http://www.asialifeguide.com/

Pocket Guide
http://www.cambodiapocketguide.com/

Expat-Advisory
http://Expat-Advisory.com

Lady Penh
http://ladypenh.com

Leng Pleng
http://www.lengpleng.com

What’s On
http://www.sangsalapak.org.kh/whatson

A very old list of Cambodia-centric sites
http://www.delicious.com/slugdog/forum

As said before, this is a very rough list, there’s a gajillion more. Please to explore and enjoy.

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*This ‘web up everything’ role has been largely taken by friend Andy Brouwer. http://blog.andybrouwer.co.uk/ It’s made me feel more free to be less of a generalist. (For example, last year made a commitment to draw one comic a day at QuickDraw.Me. I highly recommend checking out his blog for a much more accurate view of the cultural landscape.

*Quite possibly the first in-Cambodia ‘What’s On’ blog. Glad to see other folks taking on the challenge.

Today’s Cambodia Daily noted that municipality of Phnom Penh AND the Ministry of Information has ordered a spate of apocalyptic Christian billboards (put up by ‘Cambo Advertising’ company) in Phnom Penh to be removed. (They were originally to be taken down on Saturday, prior to rapture.)

The one featured here on the Tonle Bassac building says ‘Pray Strongly To God’ and notes ’21 May 2011′. Personally? I’m just waiting for the Monday morning interviews.

More pictures from Cambodia: http://staging.ebiblefellowship.com/gallery/v/cambodia_billboards/

News:
http://www.timeslive.co.za/world/article1073686.ece/Cambodian-government-orders-removal-of-Judgement-Day-adverts

http://inthearena.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/17/harold-camping-prepares-for-judgment-day-may-21-2011/

Bloggery: Some context from LTO Cambodia. http://ltocambodia.blogspot.com/2011/05/judgment-day.html

Yesterday’s was about “Victory Day On The Genocidal Regime“. Tune in for more about living in Cambodia – and whatever crosses my mind.