Hey, East Coast readers: I’ll be at Anime Boston this afternoon and most of tomorrow, so if you want to get together, drop me an e-mail at the address on your right. Or just keep an eye out for someone who looks like this. I may or may not be accompanied by cosplaying teenagers. (Here’s some background from a local paper.)
OK, on to the day’s news.
For a tiny company with a small catalogue, Fanfare/Ponent Mon made an impressive showing in the Eisners, with two nominations, and yesterday they quietly added a new title to their “In the Making” page: The Summit of the Gods (Kamigami No Itadaki), by Jiro Taniguchi and Baku Yumemakura. According to editor Stephen Robson, “It is a beautiful recant in five massive volumes of what challenges man. The focus is Mount Everest and the book opens with Mallory’s quote ‘Because it’s there!'” The book won an Excellence Award at the 5th Japan Media Festival, and there are raves and a cover image on their site. It looks like it first appeared in Business JUMP. Oh, and it is available already in French under the title “Le Sommet des Dieux”; click on “Resumes” to see covers of all five volumes. Of course, F/PM may go with different designs.
In other news, ChunHyang72 rounds up all you need to know in her latest Manga Minute.
Same Hat! takes a sneak peek at Mirai Chounaikai, the newest manga by Cromartie High School creator Eiji Nonaka.
Shaenon Garrity has a new edition of the Overlooked Manga Festival up, and this week it’s about the manga equivalent of a big box of Pocky: Sugar Sugar Rune.
At the French blog du9, Xavier Guilbert takes a look at the alternative manga magazine Ax.
If you’re in Austin, not Boston, check out the Manga Melee at Austin Books, featuring creators Paul Benjamin, Lea Hernandez, Rivkah, and Tony Salvaggio. (Via Blog@Newsarama.)
Manganews translates a Japanese article on the funeral of Raoh, a character from Fists of the North Star.
PopCultureShock has a preview up of vol. 1 of Gunsmith Cats Burst, which is due out next week.
At the MangaCast, Ed has the PR on the latest series from DRMaster, Premature Priest,which, amazingly, is not yaoi.
ComiPress has more on those homeless people who live in manga cafes.
And via ComiPress: A wine-oriented manga is getting credit for spurring the popularity of wine in South Korea, which sounds a little fishy to me.
Wired magazine discovers 2-chan.
Reviews: At the MangaCast, Mangamaniac Julie checks out the latest issue of Shojo Beat. At Prospero’s Manga, Miranda checks out vol. 1 of King City and Ferdinand reviews vol. 1 of The Devil Does Exist. Erica Friedman of Okazu enjoys vol. 1 of Red Garden. At Active Anime, Scott Campbell reviews vol. 2 of Kamiyadori and Holly Ellingwood takes an advance look at vol. 14 of Hunter x Hunter. The Basugakuhatsu Anime Blog checks out vol. 1 of The Recipe for Gertrude, vol. 2 of Aoi House,and vol. 2 of E’S. At the Comic Book Bin, Leroy Duresseaux reviews vol. 1 of Tactics. Jessica Severs checks out vol. 1 of The Dark Goodbye and vol. 1 of Divalicious for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Comicsnob’s Matt Blind publishes a flurry of brief reviews in two posts.
Yay for Sugar Sugar Rune! I love that story, which I didn’t expect to like it that much. Even being a guy, I still got a kick out of the art.
7chan gives Anonymous people a big voice, and by big voice, I mean /b/tards own the internet.