November, 2007

According to ComicBitsOnline, a new book titled One Thousand Years of Manga by Brigitte Koyama-Richard, a comparative literature and art history professor at the University of Tokyo, will be released in February 2008:

One Thousand Years of Manga is both an informative account of the genesis of the form and a visual delight. Through its captivating illustrations and enlightening text, the book situates Manga in its proper context, appreciating it for what it truly is: an integral part of Japanese art and culture that is as rich and revealing as it is popular.

Anime Expo® Attendees to Save Money, Save Time, Register Online

Anaheim, California (November 14, 2007) ‹ The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), has signed on ExperientTM as the official company overseeing the development and implementation of a brand new pre-registration and on-site registration system for the highly acclaimed Anime Expo® convention. More information can be found on the website www.spja.org.

Read More »

San Jose, CA, October 2007. Manga publisher DrMaster Publications has announced the release of Stray Little Devil, volume 5, the final volume of the critically-acclaimed manga adventure series centered on Pam, a young devil-in-training trapped in a fantasy world where humans are mere myth. Hilarious, compelling, fast-paced with eye-popping artistic production, Stray Little Devil is sure to hit on all cylinders with manga fans. Prepare to enter a world where all the boys and girls are either sassy and angelic, or sassy and demonic.

Read More »

Most Elaborate Manga Box Set Ever Published In North America Bundles Host Of Extras With 27 Volumes Of Smash Hit Ninja Series

San Francisco, CA, November 13, 2007 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the ultimate NARUTO manga collection - a special NARUTO Shadow Box Limited Collector Set which bundles all 27 volumes of the hit series' first story arc. With the 2007 holiday season fast approaching, this set, which is the most extensive and elaborate manga box set the company has published to date, will be a highly desired item among many fans. The NARUTO Shadow Box Limited Collector Set is expected *to be released today* and has a limited production run of 5,000.

Read More »

The new portal will illustrate reality from a new perspective, giving a new text-free look to the world of internet journalism through comics and caricature.

Hod Hasharon. Israel, Nov. 7 2007. BuzziNews, a new and unique online comics community portal will illustrate world, business, sports and entertainment current events text-free through comics and caricatures. The online portal is launching its activity with an international illustration competition awarding prizes valued at $23,000.

Read More »

A manga adaptation of the light novel Kimi no Iru Basho by Yuu Hizuki (author) and Keiko Yamamoto (illustrator) will begin serialization in Margaret No.24 (11/20). Kimi no Iru Basho was the winner of Cobalt Bunko's 2007 romance grand prize.

Also, the popular gothic/mystery light novel series GOSICK by Kazuki Sakuraba (author) and Hinata Takeda (illustrator) will be adapted into a manga. The manga will be drawn by Sakuya Amano and it will begin in the January 2008 issue of Dragon Age.

Source: LightNovel.org

topOne Piece by Eiichiro Oda is one of the most popular shonen manga today. Serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump, the manga has a circulation of over 100 million.

Tsuredure Thoughts has written an article on the science found in One Piece, below is a translation of the article, so un-suspend your suspended disbelief as we tease out the make-believe science that is shown in One Piece.

Science Fiction One Piece
- I knew Luffy's comrades were something special~

Am I right in assuming you've heard of the manga One Piece?

As I write this, it's a popular manga being serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. There's also an anime which airs every week on Sunday.

Read More »

ANN reports that computer drawing tablets maker Wacom has announced a new tablet/software package called Bamboo Comic:

Read More »

topA new cat manga magazine titled Neko Jikan was be launched on 10/26. Neko Jikan is the successor magazine of Neko Dama (Nekodama), which was suspended due to Aoba Shuppan's bankruptcy.

Also, other magazines formerly published by Aoba Shuppan have also been succeeded by magazines from other publishers. Green Arrow Shuppan's MYSTERY Sara (ミステリーサラ) (10/13) is the successor to Sakura Mystery, while MYSTERY Sara's extra issue, Mystery Blanc (ミステリーブラン), was launched on 10/22. Last but not least, Sakura Mystery DX has been transfered to Mediax and resumed publication on 10/6.

Chuosha reports that France Shoin's adult manga magazine Comic PAPIPO, originally launched in 1991, will cease publication after the 10/29 release of its December issue.

A new magazine titled Visualstyle was launched on 10/26. The magazine is centered around games, music and other entertainments. The first issue also featured a special feature on Clannad, as well as an interview with LIA. preview of the first issue can be found on the magazine's official website.

Read More »

The Okazu blog reports that Rica Takashima, creator of the yuri manga Rica 'tte Kanji!?, has given permission to a Spanish scanlation group to scanlate her manga.

Also mentioned is a new Yuricon toolbar, as well a Polish interview with Eriko Tadeno.

topShueisha has announced that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki will be adapted into a light novel series called The Book ~ JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 4th Another Day, with Otsuichi in charge of the story. The light novel will be released on 11/26.

According to the Comic Flapper Blog, Hideyuki Kikuchi's Vampire Hunter D will be adapted into a manga. According to the blog, volume 1 of the manga will be released on 11/14 in the U.S., Germany, Italy, Spain and other countries simultaneously.

According to Moon Phase, Kiminori Wagasugi's manga Detroit Metal City will be adapted into an anime and live-action film.

Biohazard (known as Resident Evil in the U.S.) will be adapted into a manga and serialize in Akita Shoten's Weekly Shounen Champion. The manga is written by Masaru Miyazaki and drawn by Naotsugu Matsueda. The first chapter will begin in Shounen Champion No.50.

One Potato Two reports that Yen Press is currently looking for an intern:

Internship opportunity to work in the Yen Editorial Department at Hachette Book Group USA in our New York office.

Candidate will provide support to members of the Yen Editorial Department.

Del Rey Manga has announced the official launch of its blog on Active Anime. Del Rey Manga Blog, which has been completely redesigned, was originally hosted on Active Anime has a temporary SDCC blog:

Active Anime is please to announce the launch of the official blog of Del Rey Manga at Active Anime. Please visit the official blog at http://www.activeanime.com/delreyblog. Associate Publisher of Del Rey Manga, Dallas Middaugh, has made his first post at the blog, and other associates of Del Rey Manga soon make their own posting.

ANN reports that Frenchy Lunning, a professor from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) who organizes the Schoolgirls and Mobilesuits academic conference on anime and manga, has been awarded a fellowship from the Fulbright Program sponsored by the U.S. government, and will be traveling to Japan to conduct manga-related research:

In the spring of 2008, she will be working in Tokyo and Kyoto, studying the origins and development of manga. She plans to use her research as a basis for a book on the relationship between manga and traditional Japanese art.

The following manga appeared on the USA Today Booklist Top 150 (PDF) for the week ending November 4th:

  • #112 - Naruto, Volume 24 - Viz - (Last week: #0)
  • #119 - Naruto, Volume 21 - Viz - (Last week: #66)
  • #126 - Naruto, Volume 22 - Viz - (Last week: #0)
  • #147 - Naruto, Volume 23 - Viz - (Last week: #0)

Read More »

November comics top 10 in the U.S. according to PWCW.

  1. Naruto, Volume 21
  2. Naruto, Volume 20
  3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid
  4. Naruto, Volume 19
  5. Bleach, Volume 21
  6. Naruto, Volume 18
  7. Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness
  8. Naruto, Volume 17
  9. Naruto, Volume 16
  10. I'm Ready For My Movie Contract: A Get Fuzzy Collection

From YaoiSuki comes an interview with Yen Press' Kurt Hassler.

Newsarama's Benjamin Ong Pang Kean interviews Emma Hayley, director of Self Made Hero, the graphic novel and manga division of Metro Media UK.

The Star Online talks with Captain Tsubasa creator Youichi Takahashi.

The UK Times talks to Hataraki Man mangaka Moyoco Anno.

Via: MangaBlog

Japan's Hottest Shojo Manga Series Since Fruits Basket Hits U.S. Stores December 2007

Los Angeles, CA (November 2007)―TOKYOPOP, the leader of the global manga revolution, is thrilled to announce the release of Japan's hugely popular shojo manga series, Gakuen Alice. From the same Japanese publisher that originally released TOKYOPOP’s best-selling manga juggernaut Fruits Basket, Gakuen Alice, created by Tachibana Higuchi, has sold more than three million units in Japan alone. Now, for the first time ever, TOKYOPOP brings U.S. audiences the irresistible and adorable story of the magical adventures of Mikan and her "Alice" at the Alice Academy.

Read More »

Canned Dogs is reporting that the first issue of Jump Square, released on 11/2, has sold out in numerous stores in Akihabara and Nipponbashi:

Akibablog and Otaroad blog reports that the newly launched monthly manga magazine Jump Square is sold out in most shops across Akihabara and Nipponbashi.

Japanese mobile communications and media group Index Holdings has announced a new partnership with Chinese telephone carrier, China Mobile, to provide content such as manga, games, and animation to the mobile market in China:

Read More »

Tags:
Miyaya Kazuhiko: A Magnificent Course to Self-Destruction

Miyaya Kazuhiko. Fanatic? Extremist? Narcissist? He answered to all these descriptions and more. His work takes us far beyond the narrow confines of his chosen genre. In his Nikudan Gekiga series, he explored the worlds of combat sports like boxing and wrestling, in true Fleshbomb fashion. But there were other forces at play. The series is also a homage to his hero Mishima Yukio, the ultra-controversial, ultra-aesthetic and ultra-rightist author who shocked the world with his gory suicide in 1970.

Miyaya was especially drawn to the image of the downtrodden loser, desperately trying to make a comeback. His fictional heroes and his real-life hero were losers in the end. Just like the Japanese Empire was the loser, in the end. For Miyaya, this was an integral part of the fascination. Like Mishima, he was spellbound by the titanic violence and energy of pre-war and wartime Japan. Like his hero, he searched for some way of focusing that energy and violence on the present day, and reviving it some form - if only on the page. In different ways, both of them paid the price for their delusions. The gekiga in the title of the series Nikudan Gekiga (Fleshbomb Gekiga) is a play on words meaning 'starving to death'. This may be a pointer to Miyaya's state of mind - he believed in illusions, but he knew at the same time that they could never be real. Just like pre-war Japan.

Read More »

According to YaoiSuki, BL manga artist Tohjoh Asami (creator of Denkou Sekka Boys) has passed away:

We've received word via the yaoi_daily_cafe LiveJournal community that Tohjoh Asami, the mangaka behind the very popular Denkou Sekka Boys (a.k.a. Thunderbolt Boys), has passed away. The details behind her death aren't clear yet; we'll get back to you as soon as we know more.

Expansive December 2007 Issue Features Conclusion of YU-GI-OH!
And Full Color Preview of Long Awaited SLAM DUNK Series
And the True Origin of NARUTO!

San Francisco, CA, November 2, 2007 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the most expansive issue to-date of its hit monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP™. The December 2007 issue will run a hefty 416 pages and is expected to hit retails shelves nationally on November 6.

Read More »