The following manga appeared on the USA Today Booklist Top 150 (PDF) for the week ending December 9th:

• #55 - Naruto, Volume 27 - Viz - (Last week: #341)
• #67 - Naruto, Volume 26 - Viz - (Last week: #-)
• #79 - Naruto, Volume 25 - Viz - (Last week: #-)

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In the latest issue of his Flipped column, David Welsh interviews Eijiro Shimada, Editor-in-Chief of Kodansha's Morning and Morning 2, as well as chief judge of Kodansha's Morning International Manga Competition.

A round up of the new comic release list and views for the week of December 12th 2007:

• ComicList: ComicList for 12/12/2007
• MangaCast: New Manga Release List ~ Dec 12, 2007
• theOtaku: New Manga Releases
• Precocious Curmudgeon: Upcoming 12/12/2007

Top 10 manga (12/12) according to Tohan:

1. One Piece (48)
2. Bleach (31)
3. D.Gray-man (13)
4. Gintama (21)
5. Pluto (5)
6. The Prince of Tennis (40)
7. Vagabond (27)
8. REAL (7)
9. Steel Ball Run (14)
10. Kaichou wa Maid-sama! (4)

Anime UK News is reporting that publisher Urania has teamed up with artist Viviane to create a set of manga-style tarot cards called "Magic Manga Tarot." Samples of the cards can be found here.

ANN reports that Detective Conan creator Gosho Aoyama and voice actress Minami Takayama have divorced:

Various newspapers in Japan have reported on Monday morning that voice actress Minami Takayama (Detective Conan's Conan, Kiki's Delivery Service's Kiki and Ursula) and manga creator Gosho Aoyama (Detective Conan/Case Closed) have divorced. [...] Takayama's agency released a statement that said, "Due to the private nature [of this matter], we have no comment."

The deadline for the second round of Kodansha's International Manga Competition is December 31st. The official site and the rules can be found at http://e-morning.jp/mimc/

Visitors can read the two second prize winning works in English at the following link:
http://e-morning.jp/mimc/story/nigiri_e.html
http://e-morning.jp/mimc/story/vefurrin_e.html

Also, reviews of winning works can be found here:
http://e-morning.jp/mimc/result/english.html

The New York Magazine has announced the results of its 2007 Culture Awards. This year, two manga appeared in the "Best Comics of 2007" category, they are:

• Apollo's Song by Osamu Tezuka
• Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms by Fumiyo Kono

Via: ANN

According to Digima, Comic Gumbo, Japan's first free weekly manga publication, will cease publication on 12/11 with the release of issue 48.

Source: Anime! Anime!

Tokyopop has announced several new manga licenses at this year's NYAF:

• Kyo Kara Maoh! by Temari Matsumoto
• Fate/stay night by Nishiwaki Datto
• Genei Muso by Natsuki Takaya

Also, Bandai Entertainment announced that it has acquired the rights to the Code Geass manga and light novel series.

Source: theOtaku