Manga News and Information
September, 2007According to this LiveJournal entry, Tokyopop manga editor Lillian Diaz-Przybyl has been promoted to a senior editor. Also, Tokyopop is looking for new marketing coordinator, copy editor, and junior editor, while Go! Comi is looking for a new art director. Riyoko Ikeda, creator of The Rose of Versailles (also known as Lady Oscar), will be making a manga adaptation of the Korean drama series Story of the First King's Four Gods, the new manga will start serialization in Kodansha's magazine Tokyo Isshoukan and Kansai Isshoukan on September 25th. Source: ANN Aspiring manga artist Takeshi Miyazawa writes on Factory 9ine about his experience meeting with the Kodansha editors in "The Wall 2". Part 1 can be found here. Via: MangaBlog Sepetmber 24th, 2007 - New York, NY --John Nee has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Business Development, DC Comics. It was announced today by Paul Levitz, DC Comics President & Publisher. Nee will continue to report directly to Levitz. Nee, who joined DC Comics in 1998 as VP, General Manager WildStorm, oversees Business Development, the WildStorm studio, and the CMX manga imprint. In his new role, Nee will continue to provide leadership for DC Comics in potential opportunities for expanding the company's core businesses areas, including in international publishing, videogame production and new media initiatives with sister divisions Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment and Warner Bros Digital Distribution. A new manga titled Hatsukoi Limited (初恋限定) by Mizuki Kawashita, creator of Ichigo 100%, will begin serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump No.44 (10/1). A new series titled GTR -GREAT TARO REVOLUTION-, drawn by Toda Takanobu, will start in Big Comic Spirits No.44 (10/1). The official site for Futabasha's seinen manga magazine Manga Action Pizazz has been opened at http://www.action-pizazz.com/. Source: Ultimatum Tidbits Ohzora Shuppan will be launching a new BL novel (light novel) label in September called Citrus Novels (シトラスノベルズ). BL novels to be published under this label include: Both novels are authored by Ioka Noeru and illustrated by Enoki, and will be released on September 27th. (Note that the obi strip around both novels also mentions the start of the new BL label) Also, according to Ultimatum Tidbits, Ohzora Shuppans josei manga magazine Bessatsu Harlequin will be relaunched under the title marie. Variety's Asian film blog, Kaiju Shakedown, has published an interview with Manami Iiboshi, VIZ Pictures's Director of Marketing:
Via: Giapet.net Yoshida Sensha, mangaka of Utsurun Desu. and Young Bandit, has married Risa Itou, mangaka of Hey Pitan! and Oruchuban Ebichu. According to Yoshida, the two have known each other since their debut as mangaka. The relationship grew between the two after they met again in 2004. Also, both were previously divorced, and this marks the second marriage for both manga artist. In the article "U.S. anime expert: Girls drive market," Daily Yomiuri reports that Trulee Karahashi, the new chief executive officer of the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), is suggesting that girls are the driving force behind the U.S.'s manga and anime market:
Earlier in July, Kanon Akamatsu, the cosplaying wife of Love Hina and Negima creator Ken Akamatsu, launched a new "Official Kanon Website" at kanon00.com. Various photos (including cosplay) are posted on the site. The site also links to Kanon Akamatsu's blog, where she talks about her experience with otaku, manga and Ken Akamatsu (The blog was opened in 2006, and managed to attract over 30,000 visitors a few months after its launch). From MangaCast comes the Diamond Previews for October 2007, which provides information on new U.S. releases for December 2007/January 2008. Comics2Film has posted an article criticizing Global Manga titled "Everything is manga? Manga style? Bullcrap!" In response, Tintin Pantoja began working on a Global Manga Manifesto. Via: MangaBlog Publishers Weekly is reporting that Borders is expanding its relationship with Sony by offering Sony's e-book reader in over 500 of its physical store locations:
Source: ANN From Animation Insider comes an interview with Writer, translator and interpreter Frederik L. Schodt, who talks about the works of Osamu Tezuka:
Via: MangaBlog On 9/14, JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) published its March 2007 report on the state of the content market in Hong Kong. Compared to past reports, this report is more concise, contains more information, and makes many references to the Japanese market. According to the report, around 60 to 70 percent of comics published in Hong Kong are Japanese manga, and Japanese manga makes up almost 100% of trade paperback sales. The report goes on to mention how various other Japanese medias, such as anime and films, have also made great progress in Hong Kong's content market. Source: Anime! Anime! From MangaBlog's Brigid comes an interview with Japanime CEO Glenn Kardy:
The following manga appeared on the USA Today Booklist Top 150 (PDF) for the week ending September 16th:
Also, Comicsnob posts the online manga sales rankings: A round up of the new comic release list and views for the week of September 19th 2007: According to Okazu, the manga Yuri Monogatari was nominated for this year's Lambda Book Award:
Source: MangaBlog Newark, NJ - Yuricon, a celebration of yuri in anime and manga, is pleased to announce the US Premiere of the "Simoun" anime at their 2007 "Yurisai" event! "Simoun," licensed by Media Blasters, media publisher of products targeted to fan-oriented specialty markets, tells the story of a wolrd torn by war, and the trials of a squadron of warrior-priestesses, the Sibylla of Chor Tempest. "Simoun" was voted "Best Yuri Series" of 2006 by Okazu Reviews. Welcome to the 2007 Talk Like A Pirate Day! Yarr, t' wondrous day where gramma be thrown out t' window, and a good ole yarr be thrown into every sin'le sentence. Koukoku no Shugosha (Imperial Guards) by Daisuke Sato (author) and Yu Ito (artist) will end in the October issue of Ultra Jump (9/19). Koukoku no Shugosha, based on a novel of the same name, began serialization in July 2004 and was one of the finalists in the 11th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Award.
Comic Yoshimoto has updated its website with an official letter regarding the magazine's suspension. Japan's first free cosplay magazine, CosPick, was launched on August 17th. Kill Time Communication is launching a new manga magazine on October 29 called Comic Valkyrie Hard, which will be a special issue of Comic Valkyrie. From Icarus Publishing's blog comes a preview (NSFW) of the adult manga coming out in December 2007, based on Diamond Previews for October (Shipping in December 07). Also, Yaoi Press blog announces that the Yaoi Hentai series will end with the release of volume 4 next month. Top 10 manga (9/19) according to Tohan:
Additional Rankings: |
Manga Zombie
Finale: Panelosophy
An ongoing conversation about the philosophy behind manga both in the U.S. and abroad. Manga Ranking
Monthly charts of comparative manga rankings based on aggregate online sales listings from Matt Blind. |
The 
ComiPress teams up with writer Udagawa Takeo and translator John Gallagher to publish an online version of the English-language translation of Manga Zombie.
