I first started reading Vertical back when they released Suzuku Koji's Ring series. Something about those books stayed with me since. It was as if the contents were now a part of my own DNA. The details are still vivid; as if I lived them or something. And for some reason, since I finished volume one I have wanted to propagate that which is Vertical... A different type of book... A sort of hybrid of sorts - part publisher and part disease!!

It's spreading! You cannot run from it!

In New York, Vertical had their way with me. First a wonderful night of J-Horror conversation lead by David Kalat. All those movies and those books from Hino, Ito and Hontou ni Kowaii all started to make sense that night.... Then on Sunday Vertical just toyed with this mangablogger's mind! Teases of signed copies of To Terra were whispered. Hints of potential expansion were dropped. And finally the group admitted they really are a disease and those present in that hall were ALL INFECTED!!

If you must listen to the podcast, I suggest buying their books immediately.... I assume you will die within a week if you don't! But then again maybe the disease has other plans for its hosts...

Sunday Feb 25

15:00~16:00
Vertical Panel Discussion On the Future of Manga at the New York Comic-Con

With six new manga properties slated for release throughout 2007, and potentially more in the coming years, Vertical is poised to be a serious player in the manga translating game. What does this mean for a company whose reputation has been built on releasing manga “classics”? As the manga market matures, will Vertical clear a place in the future of manga with more deluxe editions or redefine the mass market format?

Speaker(s):
*Anne Ishii: Director of Marketing and Publicity
*Ioannis Mentzas: Editorial Director/Executive Vice President

By the way, thanks to Vertical for the copy of Kirihito... I am enjoying it but... The disease thing is creeping me out! Were you trying to tell me something? Is this your way to say we have reached the Spiral part of our relationship!! I don't want to end up at the beach and...

I guess I better review it soon or Ioannis might crawl out of my computer screen or something!

Download the panel audio here: .

I didn't get to attend Del Rey's panel at NYCC because CMX was going on at the same time. However, I used clones and futuristic time-shifting technology to record this while my original body was listening to WildStorm/CMX discuss "Y the Last Man" and "The Person I Hate the Most in the World".

As such, I neglected to share new title information from DelR. They announced a couple intriguing titles including a rare fantasy adventure title - Aventura. I have to say, even though I am not big on three of these titles, I guess its good to see the publisher taking some risks.

I know GetBackers has had a following over here, but it hasn't been burning sales charts lately (that series did go a little long). I have had time to sample Pumpkin Scissors over the last year. Kodansha has been heavily pushing that title at conventions and in their advertising. I was not much of a fan of the manga but I will say the manga made me appreciate the anime more (which is rare for me). The anime connection and the type of action could work well for this series over here. Maybe it can get some FMA fans along the way. Shiki Tsukai... Well, add another Sirius Magazine book to DelR's list. Interesting how a magazine that is barely a year old has a more than healthly its titles licensed, no. Oh well, maybe Del Rey will also pick up Takanagi Yuuna's BL title Lovers Only... It's more likely DelR would pick up Takanagi's other Kodansha title the much more stylish and more seinen - Shikigami (based on the video game of the same name).

Del Rey

Ａｖｅｎｔｕｒa by： 翠川しん Aventura by: Midorigawa Shin Kodansha/Sirius KC shounen/2+ vols

Ｐｕｍｐｋｉｎ　Ｓｃｉｓｓｏｒｓ by: 岩永亮太郎 Pumpkin Scissors by: Iwanaga Ryoutarou Kodansha/KC Deluxe shounen/6+ vols

サイコバスターズ by： 青樹佑夜/奈央晃徳 PsychoBusters by: Aoki Yuya/Nao Akinari Kodansha/Shonen Mag KC shounen/2+ vols

四季使い by： 是空とおる/たかなぎ優名 Shiki Tsukai by: Zeku Tooru/Takanagi Yuuna Kodansha/Sirius KC shounen/3+ vols

Sunday Feb 24

I was really disappointed that I didn't go to this panel. Essentially, after some Avril Lavigne was played the panel turned into a lecture in how to make manga. I wonder if Dallas was testing out his lesson plan in preparation for the classes he will be leading at UC Irvine this Spring. You want to know how manga gets from Japan to your bookshelf at home... Then do not miss this panel!

12:00~13:00
The Making of a Del Rey Manga

How does a manga make its way to the USA? If you'd like to know, join Del Rey Manga as it discusses the making of a manga from acquisition, to translation, to production, to marketing. Also, be the first to hear some exciting Del Rey news!

Panelists:
Dallas Middaugh, Associate Publisher
Mutsumi Miyazaki, Director of Licensing and Acquistions
Erich Schoeneweiss, Production Manager
Ali T. Kokmen, Manga Marketing Manager
Tricia Narwani, Del Rey Editorial Associate
Elina Ishikawa, Translator

Download the panel audio here: .

Three more to go!

Go!Comi's panel at NYCC was a pleasant surprise. I have never been to one of their events before so I realy wanted to see David and Audry in action. I have to say they were very good behind the mic. The handled questions well and they seemed to have a good feel for what they were announcing.

But their guest really stole the show. In case you don't know the manga creep captured Wendy Pini's pen long ago before there was a TP or even a Viz. According to David Wise there is a picture of her in Tezuka Osamu's office. (Pini was a big fan of Tezuka and I guess it was mutual.) Pini's latest project Masque has a little more manga influence than Elfquest, but old fans of the artist can still see this is a Pini project through and through. The new title conjured up a good mix of responses but I felt most of it was positive for the publisher. Expect Masque to launch on-line this Spring and expect the licenses to start trickling out by Winter 07.

Check out samples of Pini's Masque here

Saturday Feb 23

14:00~15:00
Go! Comi Conquers the Universe

Manga publisher Go!Comi strives to release America's most authentic, accurate manga. How are they doing? The Go!Comi team comes to New York Comic-Con to talk about their translation philosophy, explain how they pick and choose their titles, show off their upcoming books, introduce a few special guests, and -- oh, yeah -- reveal their plan for world domination.

Panelists:

David Wise - CEO
Audry Taylor - Creative Director
Wendy Pini - Creator, ElfQuest & Masque of the Red Death

Download the panel audio here: .

Outside of Comiket, I do not often have many opportunities to talk to manga artists. Yeah, they might show up at large anime cons like AX or Otakon and SDCC gets its share, but I wasn't expecting to see them at NYCC.

TP had a ton of their artists around. But I thought NETCOMICS' guest Marley was a real special treat. The creator of Dokebi Bride got to sit down with a small crowd in NY to discuss her charming and thrilling modern day fantasy.

Those in attendance also got to take a look at NETCOMICS outlook for 2007. Expect more manhwa on the web, but also expect to see comics from outside of Korea pop up on their site in the next year or so.

Friday Feb 23

16:00~17:00
Heart and Seoul: The Unique World of Korea's NETCOMICS

Manhwa, Korean comics, may look like manga, but they have a unique history, style, and tradition. Join NETCOMICS President Heewoon Chung and author Marley for an introduction to the spectacular world of Korean sequential art.

Speaker:
Heewoon Chung - President, NETCOMICS
Marley - comic aritst, Dokebi Bride</b>

Download the panel audio here: .

I am being completely honest when I say... We tried to do more shoujo! We really tried! We have/had a shoujo reviewer for a while but she has other obligations to handle. And honestly even if I do read my share of SB and Go!Comi titles, unless its Crimson Hero or LIFE I'd rather talk up another volume of Crying Freeman. m(_ _)m ゴメンナサイ

To make it up to you I recorded the Capturing Female Readers panel from NYCC and I have a pile of shoujo from CMX to review for you. This panel with reps from TP, Shojo Beat and Go!Comi makes a good argument as to why female readers are a market that is growing fast and is demanding attention.

I kinda wished they could have discussed josei since that was brought up at ICv2 repeatedly but shoujo sells. Why give up on a good thing, right!

Friday Feb 23

14:30-15:30
Capturing Female Readers: The Fastest Growing Audience for Comics

For the last five years, teenage girls have been spiking bookstore sales and library circulations of graphic novels, and are increasingly impacting comic stores as well. What are the sources of this growth, and can it continue? Editors, retailers, and librarians bring their perspectives to bear on this exciting trend.

Speaker(s):
Karen Berger -- Sr Vice President and Executive Editor, DC's Vertigo
Audry Taylor -- Creative Director, Go Comi
Julie Taylor -- Sr Editor, TOKYOPOP
Megan Bates -- Dr. Editor, SHOJO Beat Magazine, VIZ Media</b>

Download the panel audio here: .

The MangaCast would love to think that MM4MM is what is hot in manga. Truth is that we as a whole... Well maybe not Jack... Are way, way off the mark with our picks every week. While we continue to wave the flag for sports manga, cooking manga and whatever category Detroit Metal City falls in, the rest of the mangasphere is demanding titles like Mamotte LoliPop, Pearl Pink and anything Yoshinaga Fumi. Hey, we like Antique Bakery; maybe we are not as far off the mark as we thought!?

Don't know what the moral of this story is. Either you should avoid the MangaCast or you should listen to Kai-ming Cha host a panel about what is really hot at NYCC? I know you all will make the right decision...

Friday Feb 23

11:30~12:30
Manga: What’s Hot

What's hot in Manga

Speaker(s):
*Kai-Ming Cha -- Publishers Weekly
*Frances Wall -- Editorial Director, VIZ Media
*Michael Gombos -- Director of Asian Licensing, Dark Horse Entertainment
*Mutsumi Miyazaki -- Director of Licensing, Del Rey Manga
*Lilian Diaz-Przybyl -- Editor, TOYKOPOP
*Asako Suzuki -- Director of Manga, CMX</b>

Just a warning to everyone who cares... This panel actually turned out to be more of a licensing panel. The editors basically share their secrets to finding the best manga available. Think stacks of phonebooks, catfights and disappointment when the higher ups ax potential pick-ups. A must listen if you want to know the details behind recent up-swings in Hakusensha and Kadokawa Shoten pick ups.

Download the panel audio here: .

For the second year NYCC opened with what could be essentially called the State of the Comic Union event - Comics Publishing: Review and Outlook. This panel, moderated by Publishers Weekly, included members of the comic elite. Manga powers Del Rey, Viz and TP sat down with superhero Goliaths DC and Marvel to set things straight as to what is selling and how these most powerful will bring in new readers in 2007.

I don't know if its just me but I thought it was cool to see more manga pubs than ame-comi publishers on the panel.

Friday Feb 23

10:00~11:00
Comics Publishing: Review & Outlook 2007

Industry leading publishing executives with bottom line responsibility will share their perspectives on the year ahead; trends and how their forthcoming properties will capture and (hopefully) help re-shape marketplace behavior.

Speaker(s):
*Douglas Wolk -- Contributing Editor, PW Comics Week
*Paul Levitz -- President & Publisher, DC Comics
*Stuart Levy -- CEO, TOKYOPOP
*Dallas Middaugh -- Associate Publisher, Del Rey Manga
*Alvin Lu -- Vice President of Publishing, VIZ Media
*Dan Buckley -- President and Publisher, Marvel Entertainment

Download the panel audio here: .

All about the GN, baby!

MangaBlog took a break last week, but the crew was not in the Bahamas or the Mexican Riviera. Brigid was out in the NYC getting the scoop on the latest developments in the manga business from ground-zero. When Brigid was not hitting the various panels with lappy and pen, she was interviewing editors and artists on the floor.

Strangely enough much of the news in this week's MBC actually did not come from NYCC at all. While there is some insight about the ICv2 panel and a few highlights from the industry panels that took place at the Javits Center, the real scoop came from the internets. Magazines shutting down in Japan, new magazines announced in the States and a blog's anniversary seem to be on the minds of most manga fans this week.

The MBC is back and that means more Jack, more in-coming and more of that MangaBlog goodness packed into your earbuds!

Download the latest edition of the MangaBlogCast here: .

This program was written by Brigid Alverson and read/recorded by Jack Tse for the MangaBlog.
Subscribe to the MangaBlog at

Email the MangaBlogCast at mangablogcast(at)gmail(dot)com

TP got lots of love at NYCC. If you listened to the audio from the ICv2 panel, the company was basically praised as the reason why graphic novels have turned into the only growing sector of the publishing market. What TP did back when the revolution launched changed publishing and literally made NYCC what it is today. You want to argue with me over that... bring it

I have to say TP is getting some love from me now also. I thought 2006 was pretty low-key for the Revolution. Some experiments have kicked; others have been so-so at best. However, now that I had a chance to hear how the company works post Harper-Collins deal and after seeing the LDP cosplay on Sunday, I am filled with nothing but enthusiasm over TP... Okay maybe I was a little confused by the digital media clip you will hear at the end of this podcast but everything else was good.

Heck the LDP even busted out with some Carl Horn love over the weekend... TP is CGH Approved!! I am buying!!

Friday Feb 23

18:00~19:00
Charge! TOKYOPOP and the Manga

Manga is evolving everyday, and TOKYOPOP is leading this revolution. Find out what's hot today and what's going to be at the top tomorrow straight from TOKYOPOP. Learn about new releases, projects, and acquisitions before anyone else.

Speaker(s):
*Lillian Diaz-Przybyl - Editor

Download the panel audio here: .

Finally we move on to the industry panels. Easy to start with Viz because well the Big V is king of la manga. Naruto alone makes up for high single digit market share in 2006. You cannot say that about any other GN property out there.

Viz is more than just the source of all SJ and SB, but they have a few other titles in their catalog you ought to take note of. That said, Viz looked back at their classics and repackaged them in their newest imprint for some reason. Yet during the Q&A segment of the show, they were very open to suggestions from the audience. Future of UY... Shonen Sunday magazine... Omnibus releases... Their own versions of Fanbooks... Practically everything seemed to be on the table now.

Funny what you can do when you are on top, no?

Friday Feb 23

17:00~18:00
VIZ Media Manga Extravaganza

VIZ, the men and women behind "Shonen Jump" and "Shojo Beat," spill the beans on their manga plans for 2007 and even 2008. They'll fill you in, answer your questions, and give you a chance to win some otaku swag.

Speaker(s):
*Cammie Allen -- Production Manager, VIZ Media
*Frances Wall -- Managing Editor, Shonen Jump Manga
*Urian Brown -- Manga Editor
*Marc Weidenbaum - VP Magazines and Editor in Chief of Shonen Jump and Shojo Beat

Download the panel audio here: .

If there were $360,000,000 worth of GNs sold in 2006 then there must have been a ton... no a TONNE of buyers out there. Match the names with the voices as ICv2 sits down with buyers from Diamond, Scholastic, B&N and Baker & Taylor to discuss what they are buying.

Psst... Its BOYS LOVE! Yes all of them... Well not Scholastic but the rest are.

Thursday Feb 22

ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference
***Industry Only***

16:00~16:50
Buyers Panel -- Graphic Novels, the Next Three Years

A panel of key graphic novel buyers from multiple channels will discuss what's selling and why, how the market's changing, and what kinds of products will grow the market in the next three years.

**Moderator: Milton Griepp -- President, ICv2
*Christopher Butcher -- Manager, The Beguiling
*Regina Kanicki -- Graphic Novel Buyer, Baker & Taylor
*James Killen -- Graphic Novel Buyer, Barnes and Noble
*Ed Masessa -- Category Manager, Scholastic Book Fairs
*Chris Powell -- General Manager Lone Star Comics
*Bill Schanes -- Vice President of Purchasing, Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc.

Download the panel audio here: .

2006 had a little bit of manga related controversy. Much of it was related to the differences between US and Japanese markets. Yes, there were a few cases of mature content causing a stink in libraries but most of the noise came from the fans.

Edits and the lack of a comprehensive industry wide rating system has sent ripples through the mangasphere now and then. And even though most publishers have not admitted in public that edits have hurt sales... They do in this podcast.

So what is the industry going to do about manga ratings? Apparently its going to be status quo outside of a few cosmetic changes from TP and others. This going to help much? Maybe, but until the next Negima comes along or someone makes a serious stink about nipples in I"S I don't think pubs will do a thing. They admit they cannot come together to agree on a system. They possibly know that ratings could restrict them in a way (which is why I am on the fence about the subject to begin with). And well why should a librarian or a mom say what you or your kid should read!

Listen, discuss and don't kill me if the typing annoys you.

Thursday Feb 22

ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference
***Industry Only***

Manga Ratings, Redactions, and Freedom of Speech

Japanese culture is very different than American when it comes to controlling access to adult content, and publishers have taken a wide range of approaches when deciding how to deal with those cultural differences in their American editions. Retailers, libraries, and publishers all have their concerns.

**Moderator: Milton Griepp -- President, ICv2
*Liza Coppola -- Sr. Vice President, VIZ Media
*Michele Gorman -- Young Adult Librarian, Author, Consultant
*Kurt Hassler -- Co-Publisher, Yen Press, former buyer Borders Group
*Mike Kiley -- Publisher, TOKYOPOP
*Dallas Middaugh -- Associate Publisher, Del Rey Manga
*Tomoko Suga -- Senior Manager, Foreign Rights Department, Kodansha</b>

Download the panel audio here: .

AnimeWorks had a panel... but once again flaked!! Two years in a row!! Will they go for the three year sweep next year?? WTF!

Any whozzle... The word on the floor was that they have formally dropped Pilgrim Jager but I was told they couldn't say who is going after it. Yeah I didn't know whether I had to punch someone or jump for joy. Eiken is coming back for sure but they have not announced a date yet.

And they have one new title. Or at least I think it's new.

Kitty Press

王様のレッスン by: 葵二葉/紅三葉 A King's Lesson by: Aoi Futaba / Kurenai Mitsuba Frontier Works/Daria Comics BL/1 vol