Previous Next

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.

Read More
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.

Read More
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!

Read More
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

Read More
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.

Read More
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.

Read More
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.

Read More
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.

Read More

Most Recent Articles

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

Posted by Deb Aoki on Aug 5, 2015 in Events, Featured, News | 0 comments

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

SDCC + AX 2015 Manga News Roundup on Publishers Weekly

Posted by Deb Aoki on Jul 30, 2015 in Events, Featured, News | 0 comments

My overview of manga trends and news at Anime Expo 2015 and San Diego Comic-Con International for Publishers Weekly.

TCAF 2015 – Gengoroh Tagame Talks Gay Manga, “Bara,” BL and Scanlation

Posted by Deb Aoki on Jul 22, 2015 in Events, Featured, Interviews | 1 comment

Gay manga artist Gengoroh Tagame, Graham Kolbeins and Anne Ishii from MASSIVE and Leyla Aker from SuBLime Manga talk about gay comics in japan at TCAF 2015.

SDCC 2015 – Best (and Worst) Manga of 2015!

Posted by Deb Aoki on Jul 12, 2015 in Events, Featured, Manga Lists | 5 comments

See which titles got cheers and jeers at the annual Best and Worst Manga panel, as presented at San Diego Comic-Con 2015!

Twitter Dos and Don’ts: Social Media Tips for Comics Creators

Posted by Deb Aoki on May 20, 2015 in Featured, News | 0 comments

An online conversation about the dos and don’ts of promoting comics on Twitter, featuring comics pros, fans, and press chiming in on what works and what doesn’t.

TCAF 2015: “Creating a Girl-Friendly Manga Collection for Libraries”

Posted by Deb Aoki on May 9, 2015 in Events, Featured, Manga Lists | 0 comments

On Friday afternoon at the Toronto Reference Library, we presented a talk about “Creating a girl-friendly manga collection” for libraries at the TCAF Librarians and Educators Day session. Robin Brenner (Youth Librarian at Brookline Public Library in Massachusetts and editor of No Flying No Tights blog, and contributor to the School Library Journal Good Comics for Kids blog), Leyla Aker (Sr. VP, Publishing for VIZ Media), and myself gave an overview of the different kinds of manga and what...