There is an absolutely hellacious amount of manga coming to comics shops this week. Seriously, it’s just an avalanche. I like a lot of it, but nothing… nothing, I say… can match my anticipation for Japan as Viewed by 17 Creators from Fanfare/Ponent Mon. It feels like I’ve been waiting for this one forever. With work by the likes of Joann Sfar, Jiro Taniguchi, Kan Takahama, and Frédéric Boilet, it should be astonishing. *
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There’s an interesting piece in the latest PW Comics Week on the impact of manga sales on the fortunes of Japanese bookstore chain Kinokuniya:
“This month, Kinokuniya’s Rockefeller Center store will undergo renovations directly tied to manga sales. ‘We need to make more space for comics,’ says Ishikawa, who points out that manga has resuscitated the store, as well as the rest of the book retail market. ‘The economy was really bad. Book sales were down. The manga boom saved bookstores. Now Barnes & Noble and Borders carry it. Now they’re our competitors.’”
I’ve been to the Rockefeller Center branch, though I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t buy as-yet-unpublished volumes of Fruits Basket and a Japanese-English dictionary. It didn’t even occur to me. And I call myself a manga addict.
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Kevin Melrose has added another blog to his already impressive roster (Dark, But Shining and Supernaturally). This one’s called Comics, Covered, and it’s “dedicated to comic-book cover art and design.” It’s full of wonderful stuff, though I think Kevin’s look at the cover of Mouse Guard 2 is my favorite so far.
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Viz has announced the impending release of a Naruto DVD. According to the blurb at the Naruto online store, these are the edited episodes that have appeared on Cartoon Network. Maybe they’ll release an unedited version down the line to wring even more money out of ninja-philes. Will this be before or after the stage musical, Naruto café, and string of ninja sportswear boutiques/tattoo parlors?
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Greg McElhatton has a lovely review of Eden (Dark Horse) up at iComics. Dark Horse seems to do awfully well in the Direct Market, but isn’t quite as successful in bookstores. I think Eden would definitely resonate with an audience looking for smart, layered science fiction. As Greg puts it:
“Two volumes of Eden are currently out, and it’s a really thoughtful, exciting book. Hopefully with time it will gain the recognition it deserves; Eden‘s the sort of book that has a hook for just about everyone to be interested in. In a sea of manga currently being translated, this is one that shouldn’t get lost in the shuffle.”
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You still have plenty of time to enter my Gray Horses give-away. Thanks to everyone who’s entered so far and to Comics Worth Reading and Crocodile Caucus for the links.