Buddha goes to India

From New Delhi, here is an interesting article about the popularity of graphic novels in India, both manga and American-style. Apparently they have already figured out that comics aren’t just for kids:

Already, in a relatively short time, we’ve come a long way from the days when intricate (and often very adult) works by Moore and Gaiman were carelessly tossed into the children’s section of a bookstore, next to the Archies and the Amar Chitra Kathas.

Still, the article notes, Indian bookstores are still fairly reluctant to display books with lots of sex or violence. The list of recommended titles at the end makes interesting reading. Apparently Tezuka’s Buddha is a big seller over there, both because of the subject matter and because it’s one of the more affordable titles—not what you’d hear in the U.S.

Asahi.com looks at the Nodame Cantabile phenomenon.

Scryptic Studios has an interview with Felipe Smith, creator of MBQ.

OK, it’s a tad arcane, but Ed is having a lot of fun posting the latest doujinshi ratings from Japan. And here is the list of top ten manga in Kuala Lumpur, for good measure.

Health news: D.Gray-man manga-ka Katsura Hoshino has fallen victim to a recent outbreak of gastrointestinal virus in Japan, causing him to miss a week of his comic in Shonen Jump.

More from ComiPress: CLAMP has a new one-shot appearing in a Japanese anthology later this month.

Same Hat! reads Bone in German at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

At Active Anime, Holly Ellingwood reviews vol. 4 of Yuri Monogatari. Mangamaniaccafe checks out vol. 2 of Cantarella and vol. 3 of Dokebi Bride. Julie Gray at Comic Book Bin gives high marks to vol. 2 of Basilisk. Daphne Lee has a lump of coal for Manga Klaus: The Blade of Kringle. David Welsh shares the love for La Esperanca.