Lots of goodies out on the internets tonight!
This week’s new comics list presents David Welsh with a dilemma. No such problems at MangaCast, where Ed runs with the Fright Night theme and introduces the newest member: David “Love Manga” Taylor!
SF Weekly has a lengthy examination of yaoi that starts with a great definition:
Japanese comics that tell stories of beautiful young men falling desperately, passionately in love, and often having enthusiastic butt sex.
… and quickly brings up the backlash issue:
While one should never underestimate the anger of a cultural conservative forced to confront gay sex, yaoi can also push the buttons of people who consider themselves open-minded. The broad genre encompasses a number of titles that go no further than light romance, but others deal with unsettling themes like rape, incest, and bestiality. Add in the fact that many of the boys drawn in the manga style look like they’re about 12 or are identified as being under 18, and it begins to seem like yaoi is inviting lawsuits.
Writer Eliza Strickland has really done her homework on this one, and it shows. It’s long but a fascinating read.
Here’s another one: Manganews asks whether dividing manga by genre has any meaning, and of course the readers answer.
Simon Jones adds his two cents on PWCW’s CPM rebound story.
ComiPress has some gossip from Japan: Bleach artbook, Claymore anime (saw that one coming!) and three series being dropped from Weekly Jump.
Infinity Studios is doing sort of a reverse Tokyopop: They sent out press releases announcing their cool new blog, but when you go to their site, it’s not so easy to find. Front and center is… a list of their new titles. How novel! (Go over to the upper right and click on “Forums & more” to get to the blog.)
At Blogfonte, Mitch checks out the latest from Go!Comi, After School Nightmare and Night of the Beasts. Over at AoD, Jarred reviews Mitsukazu Mihara’s Haunted House and Julie Rosato enjoys Audition.
A word from Down Under: Mini (yes, the car) is sponsoring an exhibit of Osamu Tezuka’s work at the National Gallery of Victoria. Here’s the Mini spokesperson, Alexander Corne, explaining why:
“The NGV is quite a funky, forward-looking gallery, so it fits with the Mini feel,” says Corne. “We had an exhibition [sponsorship] with them last year, and a large number who attended were in the core Mini demographic of 18-39 years old. “
“Astro Boy and manga comics is another area where we think there are a lot of people in the Mini demographic. They’d be switched on to what Tezuka Osamu is all about; he’s an icon in Japan.”
Click the link to see their photos of Minis dressed in manga.
Shhh… keep it down. We don’t want all the tricks to be revealed before they are ready ^_^
Being Down Under myself at the moment, I’m planning to visit the Tezuka exhibition next week. I’ve already seen reproductions of some of the exhibits in the NGV’s members’ magazine, and it looks terrific! I only hope there’s a catalogue to match what’s on the walls.
PS: the show travels to San Francisco in 2007, but no other US locales.
One thing bugging me about the SF Weekly article – she’s using up to about 4 scans from RUSH, not crediting it, and then talking to a Gay fan about how BL doesn’t appeal to him because [1 of the aspects being] the men aren’t realistic looking…whereas RUSH does have stories that relfect more western looking men and their sensibilities.
Otherwise, it’s a very well written piece.