Mediation will be launching a new BL light novel label titled "Hug Novels" on March 10th. 3 novels will be released on the day of the launch:

• Domestic Love -Kateinai Renai-
• Otona no Jijou
• Saite Sakasete Koi no Hana

Source: LightNovel.org

The Mandana Tsushin (Manga Bookshelf Transmissions) Blog ponders who is the busiest mangaka, and has written a series of articles listing the achievements of some of the busiest mangaka in history.

I received a note to the effect that George Akiyama might have been even busier. Thank you, V Hayashida-sama and Sugaya-sensei.

Certainly, George Akiyama's 1970 was really something. I've put things in order using the George Akiyama's Hidden Room site for reference.

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Top 10 manga (2/27) according to Tohan:

1. Tenjo Tenge (18)
2. Skip Beat! (18)
3. Cross Game (11)
4. Major (66)
5. Moyashimon (6)
6. Sangatsu no Lion (1)
7. Mushishi (9)
8. Beck (32)
9. Life (17)
10. Ace of Diamond (9)

Additional Rankings:

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ANN is reporting that Shogakukan and Kodansha are collaborating on a new bi-weekly magazine titled Conan & Kindaichi to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Weekly Shonen Sunday and Weekly Shonen Magazine:

As the name implies, the new magazine will feature Gosho Aoyama's Detective Conan (Case Closed) manga from Weekly Shonen Sunday and Y??zabur?? Kanari and Fumiya Sato's Kindaichi Case Files from Weekly Shonen Magazine. The official announcement will be made on March 18.

Earlier this month, a lawyer named Masatoshi Uchida accused Hideo Iura's manga Bengoshi no Kuzu of plagiarizing a novel he once wrote.

Now Mainichi Shimbun reports that Hideo Iura and Shogakukan are denying the alleged copyright violation:

Iura admitted that he had referred to Uchida's novel but denied that he had violated any copyrights.

"Copyrights cover only concrete written expressions. What was published were actual crimes, and even if I used them as reference, it does not constitute a violation of copyright," a statement from Iura and the publisher said.

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Top 10 manga (2/21) according to Tohan:

1. Naruto (41)
2. Angel Heart (25)
3. Bleach (32)
4. Life (17)
5. Gintama (22)
6. Katekyo Hitman Reborn! (18)
7. Ace of Diamond (9)
8. Beck (32)
9. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (12)
10. Eyeshield 21 (28)

Additional Rankings:

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Kodansha's 3rd Morning International Manga Competition is now accepting submissions. The deadline for the third competition is September 30th, 2008:

Submissions for the 3rd Morning International Manga Competition are now being accepted.

The deadline is September 30th,2008.

Professional artists are also welcome to this competition.

Besides manga, we accept all types of comics, including superhero comics, cartoons, and bandes dessine'es and so on.

The grand prize winner will receive $5,000, as well as having their work featured in Morning or Morning 2.

Ichijinsha has announced that it will launch a new light novel label called "Ichijinsha Bunko" on May 20th, 2008. The lineup of light novels to be released under this label will be composed of "boy's" light novels and "girl's" light novels.

Source: LightNovel.org

Moon Phase is reporting that according to the current issue of MediaWorks' Dengeki Daioh, the magazine Dengeki Comic Gao will be suspended after this month's issue. Series currently serialized in Dengeki Comic Gao, such as Venus Versus Virus, ef - a fairy tale of the two and Gurren Lagann, will be moved to Dengeki Daioh.

Source: Heisei Democracy

The Mandana Tsushin (Manga Bookshelf Transmissions) Blog ponders who is the busiest mangaka, and has written a series of articles listing the achievements of some of the busiest mangaka in history.

In the previous entry's comment column, it was pointed out to me that I'd neglected to mention the 1970s mangaka Shinji Mizushima. Oops... I did, didn't I. So I did some investigating on him.

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