The post-SDCC edition of the MangaBlogCast is up, recapping all the manga-related news of the con. I’m heading out for a full day (and then some) of work but will post the liner notes tonight.
ICv2 talks to Del Rey associate publisher Dallas Middaugh about trends in the manga market. Meanwhile, Del Rey gets its own blog—on Anime on DVD. Giapet wonders what’s up with that.
The Toronto Chronicle Herald interviews Dramacon creator Svetlana Chmakova. (Via Giapet.)
John Jakala goes shopping and discovers it’s hard to find those in-between volumes.
Comicsnob has this week’s new manga and last week’s online sales rankings.
The Weekly Recon takes another look at this week’s list, with brief reviews of recent titles. And The Yaoi Review takes a quick look at some August releases.
Yaoi911 is offering a free comic to registered users. Click the link for details (over 18 only).
For a company that hasn’t actually published anything yet, Yen Press is doing pretty well: They just signed with Little, Brown to distribute their books in the UK. (Via ComiPress.)
Reviews: The BasuGasuBakuhatsu Anime Blog checks out vol. 6 of Nodame Cantabile, vol. 1 of Pita-Ten, vol. 1 of Gon, and vol. 2 of Disgaea 2. Connie reviews vol. 8 of Hellsing at Slightly Biased Manga. At PopCultureShock, Erin F. looks at three “goth-loli must-haves,” Kamikaze Girls (the novel), Kamikaze Girls (the movie), and Japanese Schoolgirl Inferno. Emily’s Random Shoujo Manga page checks out two titles in Japanese by Maki Usami, Sekai wa Happy de Dekiteru and Kanon. At the Manga Maniac Cafe, Julie reviews vol. 1 of Walkin’ Butterfly. Nick at Hobotaku gives vol. 1 of Princess Resurrection a B+. Christopher Seama reviews vol. 1 of ME2 for Active Anime. Greg Hackmann reviews vol. 1 of Translucent for Anime on DVD. At Comics-and-More, Dave Ferraro devotes Manga Monday to vol. 1 of Gon and vol. 19 of Hana-Kimi. At Manga Life, Dan Polley reviews vol. 1 of Mushishi.
That’s actually the Halifax Chronicle Herald- the interview took place in Toronto :)
Dallas’s interview was interesting. I stand pat that the Avril Lavigne manga is dreadful but I suppose the reality is that it funds less profitable manga? My problems stems from the fact I see Del Rey as high-end publisher and the fact such a blemish exists in their catalog makes me feel uneasy. I’d like to take a peek at Dean Koontz’s upcoming Del Rey work but I’m afraid it’ll be poorly ghost-written and disrespectful to the manga-verse like Make 5 Wishes was. The only 5 wishes you should be making are for each volume of Love Roma and/or Basilisk.
Anyway, perhaps if we support the hands-down great books Del Rey has they won’t go after Pauly Shore to pen the next big manga? Mushishi, Nodame Cantibile, ES, Air Gear, Kitchen Princess are the best DR series out there now.
Jack, you’ve made one of my five wishes come true by standing firm on your appraisal for the Avril Lavigne manga. I was beginning to think I was the only one who disliked its wooden dialogue and heavy-handed moralizing. The Queenie Chan/Dean Koontz project, on the other hand, has potential. Based on what I’ve seen in the first two volumes of The Dreaming, I think Chan could produce something that’s more interesting than Dean Koontz’s original source material.
Pauly Shore, eh? Hmm…
Jack, don’t give him any more ideas!!
And I agree with CH72: I think the Queenie Chan-Dean Koontz pairing will be a winner.