A new direction for CMX? Newsarama has the DC solicitations for September; scroll down for the CMX titles, which include two horror series: Presents and Variante. Both are rated Mature and priced at $12.99, compared to $9.99 for most of their other titles.
Shaenon Garrity devotes this week’s Overlooked Manga Festival to a celebration of her former co-worker, Dark Horse editor and the original American Otaku, Carl Horn.
Robin Brenner’s book is out! Understanding Manga and Anime is a manga guide for librarians, which means the rest of us will probably reap the benefits of it indirectly.
At the Manga Maniac Cafe, Julie is gearing up for con season with advice for first-timers, a peek at DrMaster’s Anime Expo schedule, and a call to get together at AX.
There is much awesomeness at Same Hat. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to this radio interview with Frederick Schodt and Carl Horn, read the comments at SH2 and you won’t be able to resist. Also: Kazuo Umezu explains how to make a giant hand (note: it ends badly) and what if… Junji Ito drew Spongebob Squarepants?
News from Japan: Mainchi writes about Comic Yell, the first shoujo manga for boys, which eschews maids and spectacles but allows the occasional panty shot. ANN reports that the publisher Asahi Sonorama is folding, and Slam Dunk topped the list of favorite manga published by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Kethylia reviews Dolis. At Prospero’s Manga, Ferdinand finds vol. 1 of Oh My Goddess is showing its age a bit, while Miranda has a brief review of vols. 4 and 5 of Kuro Gane. Okazu’s Erica Friedman reviews Battle Binder Plus. At Anime on DVD, Ben Leary checks out vol. 1 of Haibane Renmei, and Patricia Beard reviews the one-shot Little Crybaby and vol. 4 of Yotsuba&! Holly Ellingwood reviews vol. 7 of Kamui and Katie Gallant checks out vol. 7 of Ghost Hunt at Active Anime. Shaenon Garrity takes a fond look at vols. 1 and 2 of Black Jack at the Tezuka: Marvel of Manga blog. Manga Life’s Dan Polley gives good marks to vol. 1 of Zatch Bell. Mangaijin really likes vol. 1 of King of Thorn. At PopCultureShock, Katherine Dacey-Tsuei finds Tezuka’s Apollo’s Song too heavy-handed. Xavier Guilbert reviews Tokyo Eden at du9. At Slightly Biased Manga, Connie reads vol. 19 of Bleach, vol. 2 of Click, and vol. 3 of Stray Little Devil. David Welsh sums up vol. 12 of Death Note in a single, elegantly worded sentence:
I loved the series, but darn it, that was the head-talkingest tankoubon I’ve ever seen IN MY LIFE.