Is Go! Comi dead? Their website has expired, and former editor Audry Taylor is selling off her manga collection at a charity auction. Gia did a bit of digging; I sent out an e-mail myself but I’m not sure if it’s even a working address any more. I guess we’ll all have to wait, but it doesn’t look good.
A seven-member committee in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has voted unanimously not to remove Death Note from the Volcano Vista High School library, but the associate superintendent gets to decide whether the series stays or goes. Peggie Salazar, the parent of a VV student, expressed concern about the theme of the series, saying, “The book talks about killing the bad guys, even though the death note is toward bad people, it is still killing and who the bad guy is could be different in everyone’s eyes. You never know what were the thoughts of the killer for the Columbine killings.”
Jason Thompson pops up for the third time in a week, this time with a column at ComiXology about Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of Shaman King and Ultimo.
Kate Dacey and David Welsh pick the best manga from this week’s new releases.
Couldn’t make it to TCAF? Fortunately, Deb Aoki was there, and she transcribed the entire panel on indie manga.
It’s the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test all over again, only with manga instead of drugs: Tokyopop CEO Stu Levy is taking a busload of otaku on tour this summer to promote Tokyopop, although the whole thing seems rather vague; when reporter Kai-Ming Cha asked how the tour would boost sales, Levy responded:
It may not directly affect merchandise sales but we hope for an overall halo effect as fans reconnect with the brand and learn about the way we’re evolving with them and for them.
Vagabond
Just as a experiment, Evan Krell brought a copy of Yotsuba&! to his mother’s fourth-grade class. The kids loved it, so he did a little survey of their reactions.
Melinda Beasi rounds up some recent reviews in her latest Manhwa Monday post at Manga Bookshelf.
David Welsh posts his readers’ licensing wish lists, sent in as entries for his Japan as Viewed by 17 Creators giveaway.
Reviews: The Manga Recon team posts another set of Manga Minis to start off the week.
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 2 of Biomega (The Comic Book Bin)
Rob McMonigal on vol. 6 of Emma (Panel Patter)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 11 of Excel Saga (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Connie on vol. 4 of Future Diary (Slightly Biased Manga)
Kristin on Happy Boys (Comic Attack)
Julie Opipari on vol. 4 of Honey Hunt (Manga Maniac Cafe)
Erica Friedman on vol. 2 of Ichiroh! (Okazu)
Connie on vol. 1 of Kingyo Used Books (Slightly Biased Manga)
Ed Sizemore on vol. 1 of Natsume’s Book of Friends (Comics Worth Reading)
Lissa Pattillo on vol. 3 of Sarasah (Kuriousity)
Zack Davisson on vol. 1 of Saturn Apartments (Japan Reviewed)
Carlo Santos on vol. 9 of Slam Dunk (ANN)
Susan S. on vol. 2 of Train Train (Manga Jouhou)
Dave Ferraro on vol. 1 of Twin Spica (Comics-and-More)
A busload of otaku? Oh God, imagine the smell…
That Cantarella picture is rather on the huge side, which makes it a little more obvious that it isn’t of GoComi‘s Cantarella at all ;) (Here is a screen of GoComi’s cover though, if it helps. It’s a bit on the small side though).
They did warn at one stage that they’d be taking down the forum though. It doesn’t look too good though, and that’s a real shame. I enjoyed a number of their titles and was hoping to be able to read more in future :(
Oh for heaven’s sake. I saw that number 1 in the diamond and assumed that was Go! Comi’s design. I usually try to grab covers off the publisher’s website, but of course that wasn’t possible. Thanks for the suggestion—I’ll sub it in now.
And of course this happens the one time I think I’ll go for the large, dramatic visual. Yeesh!
Haha, if you want the large dramatic visual, I’ve grabbed a larger version for you. Had to upload it to imageshack instead though, as photobucket kept shrinking it – link.
The Emma review link is also pointing to the wrong review. ^_^;