McGill University will be hosting an academic conference titled "TranscultureELLE: How Girls Cross Cultures" from from 1/25 - 1/26, which will look at "transculturalism associated with shōjo cultures." Go here for more information.

According to Del Rey's official blog, a 25-page preview of Miyuki Eto's manga Hell Girl is currently available on MySpace Comics.

Also, MangaBlog points out that Del Rey Manga's Dallas Middaugh has a blog post talking about his experience with comics.

According to ICv2, one of the newest play style for Green Ronin's Mutants and Masterminds RPG will be based on manga and anime:

Green Ronin has announced that it will initiate new styles of play for its Mutants and Masterminds RPG system in two new books, one based on manga and anime, and one on comic fantasy. Both will be released in the second half of 2008. The tentative titles are Mecha & Manga, and Warriors & Warlocks.

The Yaoi Press blog has announced that both Yaoi Press and Yaoi Jamboree will be exhibiting at the Phoenix Comicon that's taking place this weekend:

We're at booth #6. We're signing up 'Yaoi Boys' to take part in the skits, improv, and Bishounen Wheel at Yaoi Jamboree (more info here). There's a free raffle for a $40 computer game at our booth, and of course there will be hundreds of yaoi titles to browse including all the Yaoi Press titles currently in print.

Del Rey Manga is currently looking for proposals for "original, manga-style graphic novels" as well as artists who are"proficient at drawing in the manga style." Writers are also encouraged to find an artist partner to work on their ideas.

Source: MangaBlog

A round up of the new comic release list and views for the week of January 23rd 2008:

• ComicList: ComicList for 01/23/2008
• MangaCast: New Comic Release List ~ Jan 23, 2008
• theOtaku: New Manga Releases

ICv2 has released the December 2007 top 100 graphic novel sales estimates and the top 300 comics sales estimates based on Diamond Indexes and Publisher Title Data. Also from ICv2 is an analysis of the trends in December based on the graphic novel sales chart.

Also, MangaBlog provides its own look at the data, as well as a list of manga from the Top 100 Graphic Novels chart.

From Icarus Publishing's blog comes a preview (NSFW) of the adult manga that are shipping in April 2008 based on Diamond Previews.

From About.com:Manga comes an interview with Keiko Takemiya, mangaka of To Terra.... In the interview, Takemiya touches upon her beginnings as a manga artist, her feelings about the
evolution of boys love manga, her reaction to the new To Terra anime series and her take on the manga business today.

San Francisco, CA, January 22, 2008 - VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has provided details on an array of hot animated properties it plans to showcase at the 2008 National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) Conference and Exhibition, taking place January 28-31 in Las Vegas, NV. VIZ Media will operate from Suites 7904 and 7906 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, where the conference will be held.

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