ICv2 has Bookscan’s top 20 graphic novels chart for April and it’s very manga-heavy this month, with 11 volumes of Naruto and single volumes of Fruits Basket, Vampire Night, Negima!, Chibi Vampire, Bleach, and Rosario+Vampire taking up most of the slots.
Good news from Brandon Graham: His King City will be published by Tokyopop and Image. The first volume, which was originally published as a manga-size tankoubon by Tokyopop, will be republished in a new format, 32-page issues with a larger page size, with the remainder of the story to follow. This raises the interesting question of whether other orphaned Tokyopop global manga will get the same treatment.
It’s been a while, but Gottsu-Iiyan posts part 4 of his translation of an interview with Naoki Urasawa.
History lesson: Jake Forbes clears up a misconception about the term OEL manga and has an interesting take on the standard manga format as well.
Jamie Lano, who is an assistant on The Prince of Tennis, has a blog! She writes about life in Japan (sweets seem to be a favorite topic) and shares some inside stories about working on the manga.
Andy Raskin writes about some of his favorite food manga (alas, all still in Japanese) at The Rumpus.
At Manga Life, translators Alethea and Athena Nibley discuss keeping Japanese terms in manga.
Manga Mom Lori Henderson discusses complexity in manga plots. Also: How will the Kindle DX stack up for digital manga?
Snow Wildsmith, a.k.a. Fujoshi Librarian, is looking for suggestions for yuri titles to review on her LJ.
The Udon folks have a preview up of Street Fighter II Turbo #6.
New to the blogroll: Asperger’s Anime Blogger, run by Jacob Martin, an Australian anime fan with Aperger’s Syndrome. Check out his reviews of Tekkonkinkreet and Dramacon.
Deb Aoki looks forward to the highlights of the Toronto Comic Arts Festival at About.com, and Jason Thompson updates his TCAF schedule at his LJ.
Scott VonSchilling blogs about the Sakura Matsuri fesitival at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden at The Anime Almanac. Nice pictures!
At Same Hat! Same Hat!, Ryan gets word that issue 8 of the German comics anthology Orang will feature a comic by Shintaro Kago.
News from Japan: ANN reports that feminist manga-ka Murasaki Yamada has died and Zipang creator Kaiji Kawaguchi is taking some time off due to a broken arm. Also: Japanese comics rankings from last week.
Reviews
Carlo Santos on vol. 27 of Berserk (ANN)
Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane on vol. 5 of B.O.D.Y. (Manga Life)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 8 of Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden (Kuriousity)
Julie on His Arrogance (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Di on How Not to Draw Manga (Otaku Public Library)
Casey Brienza on vols. 4-6 of The Key to the Kingdom (ANN)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 12 of Love*Com (Comics Worth Reading)
Anna on Nana (2 Screenshot Limit)
Courtney Kraft on vol. 1 of NG Life (Graphic Novel Reporter)
Joy Kim on vol. 1 of Nightschool (Manga Life)
Snow Wildsmith on vol. 1 of Pure Heart (Fujoshi Librarian)
Tangognat on vol. 1 of Queen of Ragtonia (Tangognat)
Diana Dang on Samurai 7 (Stop, Drop, and Read!)
Alex Hoffman on vol. 1 of Sundome (Comics Village)
Danielle Leigh on vols. 1 and 2 of ZE (Comics Should Be Good)
Michelle Smith on vols. 1 and 2 of ZE (Manga Recon)
As always, a good crop of info was delivered by mangablog.net. Thanks for highlighting the Toronto Comic Arts Festival!!
Great news about King City!
Brandon Graham’s “Multiple Warheads” is also quite good. He’ll be releasing a new color run of it soon.
Happy mother’s day, Brigid.
Thanks, Scotty! ^_^