Questions for Gerard Jones? Upcoming Viz Manga Adapter Interview

[DerekPadula]

Do you have questions for Gerard Jones, the former adapter of the Dragon Ball manga at Viz Media? Gerard localized the English Dragon Ball, and was later arrested in 2016 for distribution of child porn. I've gained access to Gerard at his correctional facility. I can add your questions or comments to what I ask him.

My intent is to ask him questions about adaptation choices, such as name changes, censorship, and localization concerns for an American audience. I'm still deliberating if I want to write a separate list of questions about his experiences and feelings regarding the matter of his arrest.

So if you have questions about how Gerard adapted the manga for Americans and international English speakers, and why the manga is the way it is, now is your chance to ask them.

[Cure Dragon 255]

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

I feel really uncomfortable about this...

[gokaiblue]

What goes into localizing a name? For example, why is there no accent mark on Son Gokū but accent Mark's on other names

[Dbzfan94]

Why did they go with Lord of Worlds instead of Kaio?

[VegettoEX]

This is beyond weird, Derek. I question literally everything about this and you.

I do not want Kanzenshuu’s name associated with any aspect of this.

This isn’t journalism. There is no story here. Every single aspect of what you want to know about Dragon Ball and Viz history can be better and more authoritatively answered by other people.

All you’re doing is giving a voice to a self-confessed and convicted child pornographer. Fuck that noise.

[Fionordequester]

Certainly don't want to give him any more notoriety, that's for sure.

Heck, I didn't even know the guy's name till you told me. You publish the interview, and now he's got everyone's attention.

[MyVisionity]

Every single aspect of what you want to know about Dragon Ball and Viz history can be better and more authoritatively answered by other people.

Who would know better than Gerard Jones about the translation and localization process? Are you saying someone above him made all of those decisions?

[DerekPadula]

This is beyond weird, Derek. I question literally everything about this and you.

I do not want Kanzenshuu’s name associated with any aspect of this.

This isn’t journalism. There is no story here. Every single aspect of what you want to know about Dragon Ball and Viz history can be better and more authoritatively answered by other people.

All you’re doing is giving a voice to a self-confessed and convicted child pornographer. Fuck that noise.

You're right that it is weird. I understand your perspective. I don't condone what Gerard did. And I don't want to give voice to a child pornographer.

This is a complicated issue. If you'd prefer that people not discuss the matter on your site, I'm okay with that decision. I feel it's an important issue, and it was right to discuss it openly and to give the Dragon Ball community a chance to respond or suggest questions.

I'd prefer this to not be a moral question about Gerard, or about me. I don't want to make it personal. But I suppose that's naive.

Unfortunately it's not true that my questions can be answered by other people, as Gerard was the one leading the adaptation decisions at Viz. I've spoken with Jason Thompson, and there are many questions he's unable to answer. He says that Gerard is the one with the answers. The current employees at Viz don't have the answers because Dragon Ball was adapted so long ago. The company in general often stonewalls questions and my attempts to work with Shueisha. That leaves only one option to hear the truth, uncomfortable as it may be. Gerard Jones is a piece of Dragon Ball history whether we like it or not.

There's a closing window of opportunity to speak with Gerard. He may never be heard from again, and then we may never get answers to our questions. So is it better to shun the man for his crimes and never hear the answers we seek, or to try and separate the man's work from his crimes long enough in order to speak with him? As someone who looks for the truth about any given matter, I think it would be a sad situation if he died tomorrow and that was the end of it.

There are parallels here with other sexual offenders in Hollywood, or with serial killers, and the journalists who interview them while they are in prison. So I'll ask the forum. Is it better to condemn the men and pretend they don't exist, or to speak with them as human beings while still condemning the crimes they committed? It's easier to condemn a person outright, but then you'd be correct that there's no journalism and no story here, because Gerard would no longer exist. This truth is ugly, but isn't it worth seeking all the same?

Perhaps I should have added this response as a preamble in order to couch the idea in a more understandable light. But I didn't want to color any responses, including yours, Mike, because then it wouldn't be as genuine a reaction. I appreciate your response and all other responses.

[DBZfan29]

Every single aspect of what you want to know about Dragon Ball and Viz history can be better and more authoritatively answered by other people.

Who would know better than Gerard Jones about the translation and localization process? Are you saying someone above him made all of those decisions?

One of Viz’s translators on the first half of Dragon Ball has regularly visited my school to speak with students in our manga and anime class. Maybe she is someone who could better answer your questions.

[johnboy1]

There's a closing window of opportunity to speak with Gerard. He may never be heard from again, and then we may never get answers to our questions. So is it better to shun the man for his crimes and never hear the answers we seek, or to try and separate the man's work from his crimes long enough in order to speak with him? As someone who looks for the truth about any given matter, I think it would be a sad situation if he died tomorrow and that was the end of it.

If it comes down to a decision between giving voice/attention to a child pornography peddler or not getting answers related to Dragon Ball's manga localization, how can you possibly justify choosing the former? if this is seriously the choice we're left with, I strongly suggest you stop pursuing this interview and accept that we're better off just not knowing about the adaptation process.

[DerekPadula]

"One of Viz’s translators on the first half of Dragon Ball has regularly visited my school to speak with students in our manga and anime class. Maybe she is someone who could better answer your questions."

Yes, I'd like to speak with them. What is their name? Do you already have a way to reach them? If not, I'll look online.

"... How can you possibly justify choosing the former?"

You raise a good point and question. I think it's good to seek the truth, even if it's ugly. Journalists interview murderers in prison and many people don't think it's morally wrong to do so, but then in contrast, a child pornographer is seen as untouchable.

I don't condone what he did. So you may be right that it's best to not publish the interview. I don't want to give people the idea that this crime is acceptable. That's something I'll have to consider.

[DBZfan29]

"One of Viz’s translators on the first half of Dragon Ball has regularly visited my school to speak with students in our manga and anime class. Maybe she is someone who could better answer your questions."

Yes, I'd like to speak with them. What is their name? Do you already have a way to reach them? If not, I'll look online.

"... How can you possibly justify choosing the former?"

You raise a good point and question. I think it's good to seek the truth, even if it's ugly. Journalists interview murderers in prison and many people don't think it's morally wrong to do so, but then in contrast, a child pornographer is seen as untouchable.

I don't condone what he did. So you may be right that it's best to not publish the interview. I don't want to give people the idea that this crime is acceptable. That's something I'll have to consider.

I don’t want to post her information online, but I will email her and let her know someone has some questions. DM me if you’d like so I can let her know what you’re looking to ask!

She has some great stories, like when she asked Toriyama to draw Karin at the Shonen Jump event in the US but he forgot who that was.

[DerekPadula]

That's funny! Sounds just like Toriyama! I'd love to hear that story from her. Thanks for your help.

[Fionordequester]

You raise a good point and question. I think it's good to seek the truth, even if it's ugly. Journalists interview murderers in prison and many people don't think it's morally wrong to do so, but then in contrast, a child pornographer is seen as untouchable.

Yeah, well... Many of today's reporters aren't exactly what we'd call paragons of virtue, are they? Just because a large number of other people do something, it doesn't make it ok.

Anyway, I wouldn't want there to be any chance of distracting the man from turning over a new leaf. If anything, I'd ask him once his sentence is over.

[Gyt Kaliba]

For me, personally, I can see how and why this is such a tricky subject. And for that reason, if you do actually go through with the interview, I'd say it's probably best to nix any questions about or even approaching his incarceration or his crimes. That's not to say that I think you should pretend they didn't happen though - you should definitely preface the published interview with this information as well, as I'm sure a ton of people probably have no idea (I certainly didn't until now), and should be informed as such right from the get go, so they can decide whether or not to read any further. That's probably the best way to go about it at this point.

Now, with that all out of the way, there's really only one question I can think of that I'd like to see answered in regards to the manga's translation, and that one is possibly one we already know the answer to from a different source and I've just never come across it. If it is unanswered though, I've always wondered what lead them to decide to give Piccolo the weird almost Shakespearian or Yoda-esque dialogue at the beginning of the 'Z' portion of the manga, and at what exact point in time did they decide not to keep that going?

[The Tori-bot]

Was literally coming into this thread to ask “Isn’t he a paedophile?”

I've gained access to Gerard at his correctional facility.

Dude...

Is he still credited in newer re-releases of the manga? (not a question for Jones specifically)

But if this interview does go ahead I’d like to know - was it the kid Goku fishing scene that initially drew him to the series?

[DerekPadula]

Is he still credited in newer re-releases of the manga?

Yes, Gerard is still credited in re-releases, such as the Full Color edition. His name is at the top of the credits. It was actually this exact page that reminded me of him a couple months ago when I picked up Volume 1 of DBZ from the library.

I'm not sure what you mean about "the fishing scene that drew him to the series." Can you please rephrase the question?

To Gyt Kaliba, I will ask Gerard about Piccolo's way of talking. From a cursory search on this forum, this may have been a decision made by someone else. But I'll find out.

And thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to let people know ahead of time, just as I'm doing now.

[Cure Dragon 255]

OH. MY. GOD

They meant the scene where Goku's naked and he fishes that fish and whatever but THAT QUESTION WAS BY FAR THE WORST MOST GROSS THING I'VE SEEN IN KANZENSHUU.

[Fionordequester]

To Gyt Kaliba, I will ask Gerard about Piccolo's way of talking. From a cursory search on this forum, this may have been a decision made by someone else. But I'll find out.

And thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to let people know ahead of time, just as I'm doing now.

So you've decided on it, have you? Thought the positives outweighed the good?

[Tian]

But if this interview does go ahead I’d like to know - was it the kid Goku fishing scene that initially drew him to the series?

I don't think it is appropiate to ask that in a serious context like this.