Andrew Farago interviews Jason Thompson, author of Manga: The Complete Guide, for The Comics Journal (via Journalista).
At Blog@Newsarama, critics’ critic Chris Mautner calls on bloggers to review something that’s not just hot off the presses. David Welsh likes the idea and offers to host reviews by those without blogs. Nonetheless, he devotes this month’s Flipped column to the first Yen Press offering, With the Light; Raising an Autistic Child.
Are you otaku? Do your shelves overflow with fansubs, figurines, and obscure manga? Put that collection to good use by entering the Seven Seas “Are You an Otaku” contest and win… more stuff to cram on your shelves, including a unique illustration by Jiro Suzuki, creator of I, Otaku: Struggle in Akibahara.
A new site called Manganovel puts manga online and invites readers to translate them, either for free or for a small royalty. ANN and ICv2 have more. (Memo to ICv2: When I read the headline “DC Has New S&M SVP,” sales and marketing is not the first thing that leaps to mind. You might want to watch the acronyms.)
Some of Tezuka’s rough sketches for Black Jack have turned up in Japan.
Otaku scientists develop a memory chip inspired by Detective Conan’s glasses.
At Completely Futile, Adam Stephanides has been critiquing the translation of Fruits Basket, which led to some discussion at the LJ of official Furuba translators Althea and Athena Nibley. If you’re interested, follow the links in Adam’s latest post to read both sides.
Could the technology in Doraemon become reality? Someone in Japan has written a book that says yes, although I’m pretty skeptical, myself. Also, a new serialization of Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga is beginning in Japan.
Manga Recon files a report card, including links to all the reviews and articles of the past two months.
Reviews: At Active Anime, Katie Gallant reviews vol. 4 of Baby and Me, Christopher Seaman checks out vol. 1 of Stand By Youth, Scott Campbell looks at vol. 1 of Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives and vol. 1 of Demon Flowers, and Holly Ellingwood reads vol. 8 of Buso Renkin, vol. 1 of Cherry Juice, vol. 2 of Tactics, vol. 9 of Girls Bravo, and vol. 3 of Vampire Knight. The Manga Junkie reads Honey and Clover (in Japanese). At Manga Life, Michael Aronson reviews vols. 3 and 4 of Adolf and vol. 2 of The Art of Fullmetal Alchemist, while Lori Henderson reviews vol. 1 of Pick of the Litter, Matthew Brady looks at Apollo’s Song, and Penny Kenny checks out vol. 1 of Andromeda’s Song. At the MangaCast, Hahapages reads Naruto: Innocent Heart, Demonic Blood, a novel, and Mangamaniac Julie reviews Lover’s Flat. At the Manga Maniac Cafe, she checks out vol. 1 of Shinshoku Kiss, vol. 8 of Tenshi Ja Nai, vol. 1 of me2, vol. 20 of Boys Over Flowers, and Naruto—Protect the Waterfall Village, another novel. Connie reviews vol. 15 of Fullmetal Alchemist at Slightly Biased Manga. Dan Grendell posts some brief reviews at Comic Pants and EvilOmar has more manga at About Heroes.
Technology in Doraemon? One will not be reality for sure – take-copter. Anyone trying to fly while being elevated by a twisting propeller attacked to the top of your head will suffer a broken neck and a painful death. And I doubt the transporter (dokodemo) door will be in BIC Camera any time soon, unless localized black-hole used for transportation becomes a commercialized technology.
SARUMAN 2.0!! That is really great news. I wonder exactly what the topic/target of the parody will be? I’m gonna put a copy of IKKI on hold at Kinokuniya for December :)
Thanks for the link.