David Welsh peers into the future with a look at the manga offerings in the June Previews.
The latest ICv2 Insiders Guide is out, and it shows that graphic novel sales increased in 2008 despite the implosion of the economy in the last quarter. They also post a handy list of the top manga properties of the first quarter of 2009, which is interesting because it includes all channels, not just bookstores or comics stores.
The National Newspaper has a very interesting article on the Chinese comics industry. Artists say while the government wants to encourage artists, even giving them funding, it also restricts comics with any moral complexity, as they could be construed to be anti-government. The article seems to confuse animation and comics art but includes an interview with Benjamin, creator of Orange and the first Chinese artist to produce a cover for Marvel.
If that whetted your appetite, go take a look at Yen Press, which has recently added Chinese comics to their mix. Check out Wild Animals, The History of the West Wing, An Ideal World, and Step for a really interesting range of different types of manhua.
Same Hat shows off the first chapter of the latest Suehiro Maruo comic, Imomushi.
Cell phone manga is coming to Europe. And it’s Naruto, no less.
Fujoshi: Serious fans, not frilly maids. Interesting article, found via Japanator.
AnimeNEXT is this weekend, and Yuricon and ALC Publishing will be there.
News from Japan: Nodame Cantabile manga-ka Tomoko Ninomiya plans a series of Nodame side stories in Kodansha’s Kiss Plus magazine, starting in September. Canned Dogs reports that Negima is slipping in the reader surveys. ANN posts the weekly comic rankings from Oricon and Tohan.
Reviews: Melinda Beasi notes that Right Stuf has Yen books on special on right now and makes some recommendations. At Manga Life, Park Cooper looks over some recent Yen Press releases as well. Other reviews of note:
John Thomas on vol. 1 of Blood+ Adagio (Comics Village)
Julie on vol. 3 of Bride of the Water God (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Connie on vol. 28 of Detective Conan (Slightly Biased Manga)
Julie on vol. 7 of Dragon Eye (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Andrew Cunningham on Dulalala! (Eastern Standard)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 1 of Emma (Kuriousity)
Michelle Smith on vol. 6 of Fairy Tail (Soliloquy in Blue)
Connie on vol. 4 of Flower of Life (Slightly Biased Manga)
Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane on Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea (Manga Life)
Tangognat on vol. 1 of Gravitation Collection (Tangognat)
Deanna Gauthier on vol. 1 of Higurashi When They Cry: Cotton Drifting Arc (There it is, Plain as Daylight)
Danielle Leigh on vol. 1 of Jack Frost (Comics Should Be Good!)
Kris on Love Round!! (Manic About Manga)
Erica Friedman on vol. 5 of My-HIME (Okazu)
AstroNerdBoy on vol. 1 of Phantom Dream (AstroNerdBoy’s Anime and Manga Blog)
Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane on vol. 5 of Sand Chronicles (Manga Life)
Melinda Beasi on vols. 1-4 of Silver Diamond (There it is, Plain as Daylight)
Connie on vol. 2 of Silver Diamond (Slightly Biased Manga)
Lorena on vol. 4 of Skip Beat! (i ♥ manga)
Sophie Stevens on vol. 8 of Strawberry 100% (Animanga Nation)
Laura on vols. 1 and 2 of Sugar Princess (Heart of Manga)
Emily on Tsumi Koi (Emily’s Random Shoujo Manga Page)
Ken Haley on Utahime: The Songstress (Manga Recon)
Dale North on vol. 1 of Yokai Doctor (Japanator)
Lori Henderson on vol. 3 of Zombie Powder (Manga Xanadu)
thats pretty sad about the chinese comic industry. I thought they didnt want anti government things but it seems they just dont want individuality?
yet they let you export your things? I dont get it
LOVE that article about fujoshi. I had no idea people actually believed that fujoshi = girl geeks who become a part of the boy geekdom, boy fetishes and all. Take about epic fail courtesy of the Male Gaze. A girl geek dressing up like a maid for attention is the equivalent of a boy dressing up like the seme from a yaoi to get attention. It happens, sure. But no one would say boys dressed like Yuki from Gravitation are representative of the majority of male otaku, and although girls dressed as maids probably outnumber boys dressed as seme, they’re ALSO not reps of the majority of girl otakudom – especially in Japan, which actually recognizes geek women as a broad, viable, unique audience and thus caters to them and them alone all the time (something we severely lack in the West). Yikes x 100.