THE RIGHT STUF INT.
THE
BIRTH OF A CATALOGUE GIANT
The
how and why of the catalogue every fan knows and loves.
DVJ:
When and why did Right Stuf decide to do a catalogue?
Shawne
Kleckner:
The company began producing a catalog (well, a flyer really) in 1989 (note
for amusement: this "catalog" had 4 products). This was
due to limited market penetration of anime titles (there were less than
10, including "Astro Boy" at the time)
DVJ:
How far in advance do you start work on the catalogue?
SK:
Catalog
production really runs year round. Large scale production is done in
Jan/Feb for the Spring book and July-Sept for the fall book.
DVJ:
How are the themes decided?
SK:
These are decided
well in advance; we select a theme for the current book and look for
content to support it.
DVJ:
When was the decision made to start including information at the beginning
of the catalogue and why?
SK:
Although anyone
could provide a book which gives lists of products, we wanted to have
something people could enjoy, and get more out of, rather than just shop
from.
DVJ:
How many people work on the catalogue?
SK:
There is a
department which works on this, as well as the website, year round,
constantly updating data and combing the vendors for information.
DJV:
Is the catalogue done in-house or do you out-source?
SK:
The catalog is done all in-house.
DVJ:
How much editorial input does the CEO or executive staff have?
SK:
The CEO writes the intro letter and reviews content, but otherwise remains
fairly hands-off. :)
DVJ:
What is the main editorial rule in writing a summary?
Provide
information that is useful.
DVJ:
What equipment and programs do you use to make the catalogue?
SK:
The current catalog is produced on PCs, utilizing Adobe In design,
Photoshop, Illustrator, and several other programs. We provide a
downloadable version using Adobe Acrobat.
DVJ:
What skills would someone need to work on the catalogue.
SK:
Writing skills,
proofreading (!!) skills. Incredible attention to detail, and
the ability to gather information from many discrete sources and assemble
it into something coherent. :)
DVJ:
Why continue a print catalogue when the Internet or the download version
is readily available?
SK:
A print catalog can be taken anywhere. People don't in general like
to stare at a screen reviewing thick books and pages of books. Plus,
a printed book can be passed to your friend, read on the school bus,
marked in, etc. I don't really think printed catalogs will ever go
away. To provide a large amount of information is possible on your
PC, but at the same time, it is not always as convenient.
DVJ:
Why do you only send copies to people who buy from you on a regular
basis?
SK:
It is not cost-effective to do otherwise. The catalog is incredibly
expensive to print.
DVJ:
Why are the coupons only good for mail orders?
SK:
This has been changed for the current catalog.
DVJ:
Why don't you have a separate one for the adult videos?
SK:
Mainly because
there is always the possibility that someone could be put on the wrong
list. Also, many people wish to receive both, which would double the
mailing costs. The adult section is sealed and perforated for
removal. Hentai is part of the anime world; many people are
interested, and many are not. Those who are not can discard this
section easily.
DVJ:
Will there ever be a DVD or CD ROM catalogue? Why or why not?
SK:
It's possible. The issue is again, you can't take a DVD or CD-ROM
and show it all around or hand it to your friend who has no computer, or
read it in the bathroom, or whatever. It has been seriously
considered, especially as the number of titles continues to grow.
DVJ:
Why do you think the catalogue is so popular?
SK:
People enjoy the
book because it is informative, it's not just a list of titles.
There are titles in there to look at, but at the same time there are
articles on Japanese culture and other anime-related topics, lots of great
pictures and more.
