I’m buried in paying work at the moment, but here’s a quick wrapup of the latest links:
PWCW has a thorough wrapup of MangaNEXT. As writer Kai-Ming Cha mentions, for a small, first-time con they brought in some good guests and got some decent coverage. Also up on the front page (no permalink) is a brief review of Ode to Kirihito, one of the books the Vertical people were highlighting in their panel. (Hear it at MangaCast.)
I don’t know what they put into the vitamin-fortified bottled water over at MangaCast, but Jarred seems to have run off and Ed is hinting darkly at conspiracy theories. However the crew still manages to comment on this week’s comics releases. If you prefer your list straight up, David Taylor’s your man.
ChunHyang72 has some excellent advice for would-be writers: get it down on paper, let it “marinate” for a while, then give it a good edit. And once the piece is done, check out Yaoi 911’s advice for freelancers. Alex links to ten rules for not getting screwed that ought to be etched onto every writer’s computer screen. Don’t give it away! (Says the writer who’s blogging for free when there’s a paying deadline hanging over her head. Do as I say, not as I do.)
ComiPress has the latest on the Japanese anthologies. As usual, Simon Jones adds value on the 18+ titles, explaining the importance of extras (DVDs, underpants). Meanwhile, Manganews (no permalink) reports that the Japanese magazine Shounen Blood is on hiatus this month and shifting to web-only in December.
June Manga has a Halloween contest going, and they’re making it interesting by throwing in some tricks along with the treats.
Jarred Pine (oh, there he is!) reads Innocent W so you don’t have to. Seriously, it’s not often that I find a book with no redeeming features whatsoever, but this was it, and Jarred seems to feel pretty much the same way.
On a cheerier note, new-to-the-blogroll mangamaniaccafe.com gives volume 2 of Challengers a solid B. Comics-and-more gives high marks to Emma and volume 2 of Hikaru no Go.
Look out for the Paint by Suduko book by Vertical! Suduko fans will be psyched!
Jarred’s review of “Innocent W” was right on the mark. I seldom have such a negative, visceral reaction to manga, but this one made me want to purify myself with holy water after reading it! I don’t know whether to admire or excoriate the author for the panty shot-dismemberment two-fer that graces the opening page.