The MEST (Japanese Ministry of Education, Science and Technology) has accepted the establishment of the Department of Manga at the Tokyo Polytechnic University and the Image Arts Faculty at the Ritsumeikan University this coming spring. Both universities will begin working on the installation of the new courses in their media contents field.

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New licenses announced at Otakon:

Tokyopop:
- "Heaven!!" By Shizumi Seino

DMP:
- "Flower Of Life" by Yoshinaga Fumi

June Manga:
- "Kurashina Sensei's Passion" by Natsuho Shino
- "La Vie En Rose" by Sadahiro Mika
- "Waru" by Hashida Yukari
- "Wagamama Kitchen" by Kaori Monchi
- "Fake Fur" by Yamagata Satomi
- "Paradise On The Hill" by Tenzen Momoko

DMP announced that 801 Media Inc., a new yaoi manga publisher, which will be managed by people from DMP, will make its debut at this year's Yaoi Con.

World Cosplay Summit - or simply WCS - brings together the best cosplayers from around the world in a competition for the title of "world’s best cosplayer". WCS is organized yearly by Aichi TV. The main ceremony of WCS 2006 takes place today and tomorrow in Nagoya (JP).

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Asuka Shinsha's manga illustration magazine, SS, is now accepting illustrations for its Vol.7 issue, which will be released in October. The deadline is August 25th.

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Should there be a stylebook for manga? Irresponsible Pictures takes an in-depth look at this issue.

On this week's USA Todays top 150 chart, Viz's Naruto vol.10 placed #133, Tokyopop's Kingdom Hearts vol.4 ends up at #148, and Del Rey’s Tsubasa vol.10 hits #95.

According to Rumic World, Rumiko Takahashi's One-Pound Gospel will resume serialization in Young Sunday No. 52 (11/22), and will end after a 5-part storyline.

Mexican publisher Editorial Vid, through it's popup "monthly releases" window, has announced the following new titles:

- Monster (August 1)
- Slam Dunk (August 10)
- Saikano (August 14)
- Beyblade (August 18)

The Hong Kong Ani-Com/ 3rd Hong Kong Game Fair is finally over, and this year's attendance figure is the highest ever. 80,000 showed up on the opening first day, the average attendance number over the weekend is 112,000, and the final night of the convention saw 78,000 fans attend. An estimated 490,000 people attended this year's Hong Kong Comic Fest over the course of 5 days, which is 16% higher than last year's numbers.