Bigger Con? San Diego Convention Center Expansion Approved
The San Diego Comic-Con International fills the San Diego Convention Center to capacity every year. Organizers have long been asking local government officials to expand the building to accomodate convention growth. Now a commission appointed by the Mayor of San Diego to investigate the feasiblity of such an expansion has approved a $750 million plan that would enlarge the building by over 400,000 square feet. The question of how the city will fund this project, however, remains unanswered.
Kodansha Ends Deal With Tokyopop
Kodansha, the biggest publishing company in Japan, has ended its licensing agreements with American manga publisher Tokyopop. Tokyopop published the English translations of a number of Kodansha books, including Love Hina, Chobits and Samurai Deeper Kyo, and now all of them will cease publication immediately. Kodansha did not announce a reason for its decision, but industry speculation is that the company will start its own American publishing department. An unofficial listing of titles facing the axe is availlable at Precocious Curmudgeon.
Shueisa, Shogakukan Buy European Anime Companies
The Japanese publishing companies Shueisha, Shogakukan and Shogakukan-Shueisa Productions have announced their shared purchase of Kaze and Anime Virtual, two leading European distributors of anime and manga. Although independent companies, Shueisha, Shogakukan and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions are all owned by the Hitotsubashi Group, and together with Hakusensha own American manga publisher Viz Media. Anime Virtual operates primarily in the German-speaking world, and Kaze among French-speakers. Both companies will now become part of Viz Europe.
AKB48 To Play at New York Anime Fest
Members of the Japanese music group AKB48 will appear at the upcoming New York Anime Festival as special musical guests. AKB48, an entirely female musical group, has its own theater in Tokyo's Akhibara district and has 68 members divided into four troupes. The New York Anime Festival runs at New York City's Jacob Javits Convention Center from September 25-27.
Small Press Expo is Coming
The Small Press Expo, a comics and cartooning festival for independant publishers and creators, is coming to Bethesda, Maryland on September 25-27. This will be the event's fifteenth year. Guest include Kate Beaton, Josh Neufeld, Gahan Wilson, Paul Karasik and Carol Tyler. Profits from SPX go to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
Gerard Way on G4’s Fresh Ink
Gerard Way, writer and creator of the Eisner-winning comics series The Umbrella Academy and frontman of rock band My Chemical Romance is interviewed on the comics-centric streaming video show Fresh Ink with Blair Butler.
‘Nana’ Uncut Box Set
The popular manga series Nana, about two young women named Nana—one a hardcore punk rocker, the other a girly romantic—who move to the big city and become friends, will now be available in anime form in English. Viz Media will now bring a 12-episode box set of the series to America, complete and uncut for content. The anime, like the manga, is known for being a bestselling touching series for young women that also contains explicit sexual content.
Best Comics of the 2000's
The Comics Reporter has collected a list of the best comics of the decade. Contributors to this list include such luminaries as Tom Spurgeon and PWCW's own Douglas Wolk.
This Week @ Good Comics for Kids
This week School Library Journal’s blog Good Comics for Kids has a review of Psyche and Eros: The Lady and the Monster, a review of Wonderland, a review of Fashion Kitty, a review of History of the West Wingan August listing of good manga for kids, a twopart interview with Viz Kids editor Traci Todd and the 8/26 listing of comics suitable for all ages.
