What good are awards if we can't feed, house, and clothe our kids? Why must we work full-time jobs for years to earn the "right" for a livable wage? It's beyond maddening. I love the work, but I hate the job. Translators, editors, and letterers need better working conditions NOW.
I'm at ANYC right now with groups of professionals, and the overwhelming mood is one of exhaustion. One person who spoke to me won a prestigious manga award but is struggling to feed his family. Another can only afford to work a full-time job because she lives with her parents.
LRT: I try to avoid professional stuff on this account, but I want to draw awareness to the increasingly unlivable conditions for people in the manga, anime, and video game loc industry. Wages are stagnant or DECREASING. Something's got to give, and that something is the workers.