Comic Market, or Comiket, is the world's largest comic convention. Currently Comiket is held twice a year, first in mid-August then late December, at the Tokyo Big Sight.

Comiket 72 took place from August 17th - 19th. According to Mantan Web, over 170,000 fans attended Comiket 72 on day 1, 180,000 attended on day 2 and 200,000 on day 3, resulting in a total attendance of 550,000 - the highest attendance in Comiket history.

Below are some English Comiket 72 reports from around the web:

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Celsys, the company behind the manga creation software Comic Studio, has announced an English version (PDF) of the Comic Studio Enterprise. The new software is intended to aid foreign artists in the creation of mobile manga, e-books and comics, and also aims to increase Celsys' presence in the oversea market. According to the announcement, those who already own the Japanese version of the software can simply sign a new contract in order to gain access to the English version.

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Active Anime has announced the winners of its 3rd anniversary contests:

Manga Studio Software:
Lissa Pattillo of Nova Scotia, Canada

Galaxy Angel Rune:
Erin Hatcher of Avondale, Arizona
Kate Renner of Brookyn, NY

According to its latest blog post, Broccoli Book's yaoi imprint Boysenberry imprint will have a booth at this year's Yaoi-Con, with Delivery Cupid and Pet on Duty available at the booth.

Also mentioned was a possible cooperation with Aurora Publishing at Yaoi-Con:

Editor Samantha & I had a meeting w/ Aurora Publishing today. Mainly for information exchange & how we can work together at Yaoi Con.

Houbunsha has released a new magazine on 8/8 titled Kyuukyoku Renai Chocolat, an add-on magazine to Manga Time Special.

Also, Ohzora Shuppan has released a new "teens love" manga magazine magazine on 7/31 titled Koi Mato Dengon (RabuDen).

Hit Shuppansha has launched the official websites for two of its adult magazines:

• Comic Aun
  - http://www.hitpub.com/aun/
• Comic Shoujo Tengoku
  - http://www.hitpub.com/syojyotengoku/

From PingMag comes an interview with Simona Pini, an Italian/English manga translator who translated titles such as Air Gear, Bleach, Steel Ball Run, Host Club and Nana. In the interview Simona shares her experience as a manga translator:

Let's get a bit practical: What would be a typical day for a manga translator?

Well, usually I wake up at 4 in the afternoon, turn on my computer, read my mail - and get lost on the internet. I read the Panini forum because I like to read what our readers think, and I do Mixi. Eventually I start working until the morning...

Via: Icarus Blog

ADV Films has re-launched its official website. As a result, the ADV Manga section of the website also received a re-design after almost three years of inactivity.

Below is a round-up of all the manga-related adaptation news announcements for the first half of August:

- The Prince of Tennis will be adapted into a live-action drama in China.

- VIZ Pictures has announced plans to release a Lovely Complex live-action movie in the spring of 2008.

- Shigeshoshi by Mitsukazu Mihara (DOLL), known as The Embalmer in the U.S., will be adapted into a live-action television drama.

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Mainichi Daily News has published an article on Comiket 72, which is taking place from the 17th through the 19th at the Tokyo Big Sight:

About 36,000 organizations will put cartoons, novels, music and game software programs on sale at Comic Market. [...] The fair proved popular and soon expanded. It began being held at Tokyo Big Sight in the summer of 1996. It is now held every summer and winter and hopes to attract 500,000 visitors.