Erica Friedman explains why she is stepping down as Yuricon events chair and giving up on yuri publishing: “I can’t afford print, you don’t want digital, the JP companies won’t talk to me and all the many differences between JP publishers and US fans are so huge and insurmountable. I don’t have the energy or clout or money to bridge the gap.” While this is a loss for readers, Erica will continue promoting yuri manga and blogging at Okazu.
Vertical, which has resisted digital up till now, will make three of its manga series available on several digital platforms: Twin Spica, Drops of God, and 7 Billion Needles, will be available for Kindle, Nook, and iBooks later this year.
The Manga Bookshelf team devotes their Pick of the Week to JManga, with recommendations for those of you who still have some points you want to use before the shopping stops on March 26.
Melinda Beasi and Michelle Smith chat about Tokyo Babylon, Durarara!! Saika Arc, and Hiroaki Samura’s Emerald in their On the Shelf column at Manga Bookshelf.
Lori Henderson and Alex Hoffman discuss the digital Shonen Jump in their He Said, She Said column at Manga Village.
Lori Henderson rounds up some manga about earthquakes at Manga Xanadu.
How do you organize your manga? Melinda Beasi explains her system, then throws the thread open for others to share how they do it.
News from Japan: Banana Fish creator Akimi Yoshida has received this year’s Manga Taisho award for Umimachi Diary; Kaoru Mori’s A Bride’s Story came in second in the voting. Chitose Get You manga-ka Etsuya Mashima has launched a new series, Zombie-chan, in Shogakukan’s Sunday GX. And ANN has the latest Japanese comics rankings.
Reviews: Ash Brown wraps up a week’s worth of manga reading in one easy-to-digest post at Experiments in Manga. The Manga Bookshelf team keeps it short and sweet with a new Bookshelf Briefs column.
Kate O’Neil on vol. 7 of Afterschool Charisma (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 13 of Arata: The Legend (The Comic Book Bin)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 1 of Battle Angel Alita: Last Order (omnibus edition) (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Kate O’Neil on vol. 5 of The Betrayal Knows My Name (The Fandom Post)
Matthew Werner on vol. 52 of Bleach (The Fandom Post)
Chris Kirby on vol. 1 of Btooom! (The Fandom Post)
Chris Kirby on vol. 7 of Bunny Drop (The Fandom Post)
Chris Kirby on vol. 4 of Durarara!! (The Fandom Post)
Lori Henderson on vol. 4 of Flowers of Evil (Manga Village)
Daniela Orihuela-Gruber on Hot Steamy Glasses (All About Manga)
Erica Friedman on Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san (Okazu)
Ken H on vol. 1 of Kamen Rider (Comics Should Be Good)
Daniela Orihuela-Gruber on vol. 2 of Kizuna (All About Manga)
Anna N on vol. 9 of Library Wars (Manga Report)
Daniela Orihuela-Gruber on The Man I Picked Up (All About Manga)
Johanna Draper Carlson on vol. 2 of Message to Adolf (Comics Worth Reading)
Sean Gaffney on vol. 2 of Neon Genesis Evangelion (omnibus edition) (A Case Suitable for Treatment)
Chris Beveridge on vol. 3 of Paradise Kiss (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 11 of Rin-ne (The Comic Book Bin)
Lori Henderson on vols. 1 and 2 of Soul Eater Not (Manga Xanadu)
Lori Henderson on Start with a Happy Ending (Manga Village)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 1 of Strobe Edge (Blogcritics)
Drew McCabe on vols. 13 and 14 of Toriko (Comic Attack)
Sean Gaffney on Trigun: Multiple Bullets (A Case Suitable for Treatment)