Posted by Deb Aoki on Jul 11, 2017

Why Do Comics Shops Struggle to Sell Manga?

After the discussion about how American comics are losing readers to anime and manga, the next discussion that bubbled up was about one of the main players in the comics business ecosystem in N. America: the comics shops.

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Posted by Deb Aoki on Jul 5, 2017

Dear American Comics: Here’s Why You’re Losing Readers to Anime and Manga

What is it about anime and manga from Japan that appeals to American fans? What does anime & manga offer that American comics and movies don’t give to them? See what an array of authors, comics creators, bloggers and fans had to say about why they love to read manga and watch anime.

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Posted by Deb Aoki on Sep 9, 2016

Video + Interview: Tsutomu Nihei at San Diego Comic-Con

Read an interview with Tsutomu Nihei, the manga creator of sci-fi epics including Knights of Sidonia, Biomega, and BLAME!. Joined by Hiroyuki Seshita from Polygon Pictures, Nihei talks about how his art and storytelling has evolved over the years. Also, see a video of Nihei doing a quick sketch of a scene from BLAME!

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Posted by Deb Aoki on Aug 8, 2016

Food Manga Featured on NPR’s Hidden Kitchens

Food manga and comics about cooking are the focus of the latest episode of The Kitchen Sisters Hidden Kitchens podcast on NPR. Find out why food is hot in comics in Japan

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Posted by Deb Aoki on Jul 23, 2016

SDCC 2016: Best and Worst Manga of 2016

What were the best new and continuing manga series of the past year? See what an opinionated group of bloggers, librarians, retailers and comics insiders had to say about the best and the worst manga released over the past year.

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Posted by Deb Aoki on Aug 17, 2015

Jojo’s Bizarre Manga Translation: “MudaMuda” or “NoUse”?

Translating Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is as challenging and unique as the manga. See what fans and manga translation pros had to say about some unusual series.

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Posted by Deb Aoki on Aug 9, 2015

How to Interview Japanese Manga Artists: Tips for Western Journalists

See a list list of cross-cultural tips and how-to’s for interviewing manga artists and editors from Japan for Western journalists and bloggers.

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Posted by Deb Aoki on Aug 5, 2015

Virtual Reality Manga + Kodansha Open House at J-Pop Summit 2015

A preview of the art, music, and Japanese pop-culture fun at J-Pop Summit 2015 in San Francisco.

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Most Recent Articles

Helen McCarthy Takes Brits on a Whirlwind Tour Through Manga History

Posted by Deb Aoki on Aug 6, 2013 in News | 2 comments

Author and manga/anime expert Helen McCarthy takes viewers on a whirlwind tour through 150 years of manga history, and reveals manga’s British roots.

Hiromu Arakawa Talks: Fullmetal Alchemist vs. Silver Spoon

Posted by Deb Aoki on Aug 5, 2013 in Featured, Interviews, News | 2 comments

Manga creator Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist, Silver Spoon) talks about the differences between male and female shonen manga creators, her artistic influences, and more.

Junko Mizuno Q&A and Signing at Kinokuniya SF

Posted by Deb Aoki on Aug 5, 2013 in Events, Featured, News | 0 comments

Be there on Saturday, August 10 at Junko Mizuno’s book signing and Q&A session at Books Kinokuniya in San Francisco!

Webcomic Heroine Delilah Dirk Redrawn as a Cat

Posted by Deb Aoki on Aug 5, 2013 in News | 1 comment

Swashbuckling thief/heroine/adventure-seeker Delilah Dirk is re-imagined as a felonious feline in this one-shot webcomic freebie by Tony Cliff on Tor.com

Faith Erin Hicks Draws Comic-Con Diary Comix

Posted by Deb Aoki on Aug 5, 2013 in News | 0 comments

Comics creator Faith Erin Hicks was one of the featured guests at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con (and was one of the panelists at Thursday’s Making a Living in Manga discussion). She had a pretty busy and fun-filled weekend, and to commemorate the highlights, she drew a special 6-page comic that was featured on Tor.com. In it, she describes the last time she came to Comic-Con five years prior, and how it set her on the road to where...

New Manga and More Magazine Sparkler Monthly Debuts

Posted by Deb Aoki on Jul 29, 2013 in News | 1 comment

New original manga/prose/audio drama anthology magazine Sparkler Monthly debuted its first issue this week. See what’s included in issue 001.

This Weekend in SF: J-Pop Summit Fest

Posted by Deb Aoki on Jul 27, 2013 in Events | 0 comments

This weekend, San Francisco gets a dose of Japanese pop culture, art, music, movies, and fashion at the J-Pop Summit Festival in Japantown (Post Street between Laguna and Webster) and on Sunday, with a Jpop concert in Union Square on Sunday, with kawaii (cute) & colorful pop star Krary Pyamu Pyamu headlining. The events kick off on at 11 am on Saturday in Japantown, with the SF premiere of Evangelion 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo at New People Cinema....