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Why do underworld organizations in comics always have the same name as publishing houses? Uncover the reasons behind it
In the creative process, cartoonists often face a problem – how to name characters or organizations in their works, especially when it comes to naming villainous organizations. This seemingly simple task may bring considerable trouble. For example, when the name of an anti social organization in the drama is similar to the name of an organization, company, or individual in real life, it may lead to legal disputes or negative impacts.
To avoid this problem, cartoonists often choose the safest naming method – naming the underworld organization after the publisher.
Why does the name of the publishing house frequently become synonymous with underworld organizations?
Recently, a Japanese netizen named “インクエイジ” posted on social media X discussing this phenomenon. He noticed that in many comic works, anti social organizations are often named after publishing houses similar to comic serialization. For example, in the serialized work “Pseudo Love” by Shueisha, the male protagonist’s family belongs to a gang called the “Shueisha Group”. Netizens are speculating whether this is a cartoonist “souring” the publishing house, implying that the behavior of the publishing house is no different from that of a mafia organization.
However, more netizens believe that this naming convention may not be intended to belittle the publishing house, but to avoid naming conflicts with other organizations in reality, which could lead to legal or moral troubles. A netizen once said, “Naming an anti social organization after your own publishing house is the least likely to cause trouble.” After all, naming a mafia organization after another real company or group may lead to unnecessary disputes.
The naming convention in the comic industry: a balance between avoiding suspicion and creativity
Similar phenomena are not limited to Shueisha. In the serialized comics of Kodansha and Shogakukan, it is also common to name underworld organizations after their own publishing houses.
For example, in some elementary school comics, virtual hotels and other places with the word “elementary school” appear, and some netizens even joke that these names are a “subtle satire” on the publishing house.
However, some netizens have pointed out that this is only to avoid legal issues arising from accidentally touching real-life names.
In some cases, cartoonists must be particularly cautious about naming. For example, in the work “Death Note“, all the names written in the Death Note have been carefully designed to ensure that they do not have the same name as real-life characters. The rigor of this naming method is precisely to avoid unnecessary trouble.
The intention behind the naming: is it satire or helplessness?
Although in most cases, naming a villain organization after a publishing house may only be for convenience, it cannot be denied that some comics do have a satirical connotation towards the publishing house. For example, the manga “POP TEAM EPIC” has been repeatedly pointed out for “mocking” its affiliated Bamboo Bookstore publishing house. Readers generally believe that this comic expresses dissatisfaction with the publishing house through exaggerated techniques.
At least I can confirm that ‘POP TEAM EPIC’ is indeed stealing the stinky bamboo study (laughs)
Manga artist Guangjiang Liwei also responded to this topic on social media. He stated that cartoonists naming the villainous organization after their own publishing house is more out of consideration for avoiding trouble. He believes that if one really wants to satirize publishing houses through their works, it is better to directly switch to other publishing houses, because cartoonists are not employees of publishing houses and have more freedom to choose their own work environment.
The risk of naming: real-life cases and consequences
In fact, the controversy caused by naming issues is not without precedent. For example, the manga “Private Jidao High School” was once forced to be cut in half due to the use of a real school name. This indicates that if the naming in the work collides with reality, it can indeed bring unexpected consequences. Therefore, cartoonists have to be more cautious when naming, especially when it comes to sensitive organizations or characters.
Japanese netizens have also engaged in heated discussions on this matter. Some people have pointed out that Shonen manga particularly likes to use the name of the publishing house as the name of the villain organization, which is a common phenomenon in the Japanese manga industry. Whether for the sake of avoiding suspicion or convenience, using the name of one’s own publishing house seems to have become a common choice for manga artists.
The Creation and Realistic Considerations Behind Naming
In comic creation, naming is not simply a word game, it requires balancing the freedom of creation with the risks of reality. By naming the villainous organization after the publishing house, cartoonists not only avoid the problem of duplicate names with other organizations in reality, but also cleverly bypass potential legal disputes.
Although sometimes this naming convention may be seen as a satire on publishers, more often than not, it is just a “safety net” in the creative process.
Anyway, this phenomenon has become a common naming strategy in the comic industry. In the future, with the diversification of creativity and the improvement of laws and regulations, cartoonists may explore more interesting and trouble free naming methods. For readers, understanding the stories behind these names also opens up a whole new world of creativity.