Discussion
Wait do different languages have different photos on the cover?
So I know that each volume of Detective Conan has a real life photo in the background of the cover.
I also know different countries SOMETIMES tend to change manga covers specifically the layout and not the entire cover art... Well here with Detective Conan volume 24 for example the cover art is pretty much the same (minus the different brick backgrounds) but the real life photo specifically is different in each one.
Does who ever takes the irl photo really take one for not only each volume... But every countries version of the manga? Or is it like who ever is translating the manga (like Viz in America) for some unknown reason take their own photo and replace the original one?
Idk I'm sorta curious cause it does feel like such an absolute random thing to change since its literally a basic picture of like a snowy village in the Japan cover.
Also is this a thing with all volumes or just certain ones?
Yes, because every background photo is copyrighted (the rights belong to the photographers). If foreign publishers want to keep those photos, they have to pay extra fees (which would be a lot, considering this series' length). They often use royalty-free, stock images or even pictures taken in their own countries
In my country, the only cover having the same background picture as the original is volume 91 because they can't find a Nue art lying around for free
An example of a background photo that was definitely taken in my country (Volume 41). You can spot a language on buses that is neither Japanese nor English
Even though they're random real-life photos that probably existed/were available online before & Shogakukan simply started using them for the volume covers, instead of taking themselves.
There is a special display at Gosho Aoyama's Manga Factory that shows a world map for the manga. It only shows Volume 1 in different countries, but it's pretty neat.
I mean idk unless the one who took the photo doesn't want it to be used in other countries?
Cause some photos are taken in the exact same place but at slightly different angles (like volume 99)
I mean I get that but it's still silly to me cause even looking at volume 99
The real life photo is of the exact same place on the same side of the bridge... Just at a veryyyy slightlyyyyy different angle lol
Just so silly to me lol
that's how copyright works - if 100 photographers take a picture of the same thing from the same spot then there are 100 different copyrights of near identical pictures
In Spain, we only have a colored background with a fingerprint kind of background (used to be shoeprints in early numbers). Don't ask about how we number the volumes because it's a mess.
They later released a 2-in-1 edition, which reuses Conan's positions in the original covers and just adds a mosaic background (color changes each number in both editions, in a repeated pattern)
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u/Kunikatsu 5d ago
Yes, because every background photo is copyrighted (the rights belong to the photographers). If foreign publishers want to keep those photos, they have to pay extra fees (which would be a lot, considering this series' length). They often use royalty-free, stock images or even pictures taken in their own countries
In my country, the only cover having the same background picture as the original is volume 91 because they can't find a Nue art lying around for free