Preacher-teacher

This week’s Flipped is up, and, eh, it’s not exactly one for the time capsule. You’d think I could squeeze more juice out of Scripture and a sex manual.

Flipping out

Because it’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s “Best of…” list, I devote this week’s Flipped to two serious contenders from Viz’s Shojo Beat imprint: Hinaka Ashihara’s Sand Chronicles and Chica Umino’s Honey and Clover.

Yes, I’ve written about them before in serialization. And yes, I’ll probably write about them again.

(And yes, it probably is too early to be thinking about the best of 2008.)

Seasonal affective disorder

I just can’t shake the holiday spirit, so this week’s Flipped is devoted to the lost, the lonely and the grieving. Fun!
(Okay, all the books under consideration are fun, but never put it past me to manufacture a theme.)

More recommended reading

Part two of the Flipped round-up of underrated comics is up. Thanks to everyone who helped out.

Here are the books that got a mention:

Part one:

  • Duck Prince (ADV)
  • ES: Eternal Sabbath (Del Rey)
  • E’S (Broccoli)
  • Forest of Gray City (ICE Kunion/Yen Press)
  • Gunslinger Girl (ADV)
  • High School Girls (DrMaster)
  • The Last Call (Oni)
  • PX! A Girl and Her Panda (Image)
  • Super Spy (Top Shelf)
  • Zombies Calling (SLG Publishing)
  • Part two:

  • Cromartie High School (ADV)
  • The Demon Ororon (Tokyopop)
  • Kekkaishi (Viz)
  • Loveholic (Juné)
  • Mail (Dark Horse)
  • Sidescrollers (Oni)
  • Sugar Sugar Rune (Del Rey)
  • Train + Train (Go! Comi)
  • Vagabond (Viz)
  • Monday links

    This week’s Flipped is up, with lots of special guest stars making pitches for books they don’t think get the love they deserve. It’s the first of two parts.

    Elsewhere, Tom Spurgeon has an excellent interview with Jason (Manga: The Complete Guide) Thompson over at The Comics Reporter.

    And John Jakala isn’t crazy about the new BN.com. I shop at Barnes & Noble a lot, because the local store has a pretty great graphic novel selection, but my online shopping dollars tend to go to Amazon. I generally buy stuff that’s priced under Amazon’s discount cut-off at a brick-and-mortar Barnes & Noble, and I can generally find everything I need in that category.

    One thing that does bug me about Amazon is when I request items to be grouped into a single shipping and they end up broken up into a few different deliveries. I know that it’s probably because different stuff is at different warehouses, but… cardboard! Packing materials! Fuel spent during shipping! I’m paranoid that my carbon footprint looks fat.

    Routine self-promotion

    This week’s Flipped is up. It’s an interview with the chief Kodansha’s Morning International Manga Competition. The deadline for the second round of entries is just about here.

    Eye candy

    In spite of my shortcomings in terms of artistic vocabulary, I devote this week’s Flipped to really attractive comics.

    'til you drop

    I didn’t partake in any Black Friday insanity, but I’m not immune to the lure of holiday shopping. Hence, this week’s Flipped.

    "Something a child could live with…"

    This week’s Flipped is up, and while I know there are probably many manga out there with worse titles than Pumpkin Scissors (Del Rey), I still can’t think of any to top it. (And yes, I’m including Banana Fish.) Nifty book, though.

    And burdened with a title as bland as plain microwave oatmeal is the otherwise charming Venus in Love (CMX).

    Food stuff

    This week’s Flipped is up with a look at cooking manga (and some manga with cooking in it). I wish there were more books like these.