Monday roundup

I vote that the most talked-about article this week will be ICv2’s analysis of the Cartoon Network effect on Bleach sales. They lead with this statistic:

Comparing the first four weeks of Bookscan sales after the first appearance of the Cartoon Network effect, sales of Bleach Vol. 1 were 52.4% of the numbers attained by the first volume of Naruto in 2005.

Sales of Bleach are up, mind you, they just haven’t reached Naruto levels. And while it’s a little early, ICv2 is already speculating that Bleach won’t have the same staying power. David Welsh analyzes the article and brings in some points that ICv2 left out, such as the importance of time slots.

John Jakala got a bargain on manga—and you can too, but only if you act fast.

If you’ve been following the “Shoujo Manga: Girl Power” exhbit and it’s not coming to your town, take heart: The home page has lots of images and info, a link to order the catalog, and a link to organizer Masami Toku’s Visual Culture page, where you could get lost for hours… (Via When Fangirls Attack.)

Deutsche Mangaka lives up to its name and translates a profile of German manga-ka.

Reviews: Tom Spurgeon has a great review of Tezuka’s Ode to Kirihito that includes a peek at why it’s so good. Ed Chavez likes Close the Last Door, a salaryman yaoi title from June. At Comics Worth Reading, Johanna reviews volume 2 of Steady Beat.

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