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fantomcomics · 9 months

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What's Out This Week? 8/16

too hot to write witty sentence

The Approach TP - Jeremy Haun, Jason A. Hurley & Jesus Hervas

When airport employees Mac and Abigail find themselves snowed in after a blizzard, they witness a terrible plane crash-one that's been missing for 27 years! But it's not the sky that deserves dread, but what lies beyond it.

Mac, Abi, and the remaining airport crew feel helpless to stop the rampage of a supernatural predatory stowaway. But with the blizzard continuing to rage and the creature nesting in the airport, how will the stranded people survive?

Billie Blaster & The Robot Army From Outer Space HC - Laini Taylor & Jim Di Bartolo

Don't you hate it when your archenemy launches your latest invention into space, accidentally creating a robot army that falls into the clutches of an evil alien emperor? Well, that's how Billie Blaster's day is going! The genius child of two famous scientists, Billie is an inventor extraordinaire and the star of the annual science fair, much to the disgust of her nemesis, Tiny Hector Glum. But now their rivalry has gone too far, and the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance. Can Billie prevent an intergalactic war that's kind of totally her fault? With her pet goat, Lucy, a giant robot head, and a toilet weasel from a distant planet, she might just stand a chance. Join them on their perilous adventure, in a spaceship without a bathroom.

Blessed Curse SC - Mario Cesar

Ever since he was a boy growing up in Brazil, all Acacio wanted was to please his parents: get good grades in school, meet a nice girl, stop being so... gay. Mário César's multi-award-winning graphic novel explores the horrific application of Conversion Therapy and what it's like to grow up gay in Brazil. This is not an easy read. But to prevent Conversion Therapy from continuing to be applied, it's a necessary one.

Born Sexy Tomorrow GN Vol 1 - VVBG

Join Blaze Galaxy and J-450n as they pew-pew their way through the galaxy, dancing in cantinas, warring with stars, battling galacticas, and fleeing from Blaze's crippling emotional problems at the speed of light. Blaze Galaxy, a reckless renegade spaceman rogue, lives by his own rules. Fighting, feasting, fostering human-alien relationships from planet to planet, he fears nothing... except commitment. His current mission: to save the human race from certain extinction (again). Just another Wednesday, really. Until he accidentally awakens J-450n, an (adorable) assassin cyborg created by a race of perverted aliens, whose prime objective is to eliminate human life. Only J-450n's been programmed to imprint upon the first living being that he sees...

Buzzing GN - Samuel Sattin & Rye Hickman

Isaac Itkin can't get away from his thoughts. As a lonely twelve-year-old kid with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), everything from studying to looking in the mirror becomes a battle between him and a swarm of unhelpful thoughts. The strict therapy his mother insists on doesn't seem to be working, but when a group of friends invites him to join their after-school role-playing game, the thoughts feel a little less loud, and the world feels a little brighter. But Isaac's therapist says that exposure to games can have negative effects on kids with OCD, and when his grades slip, his helicopter mother won't let him play anymore. Now Isaac needs to find a way to prove to himself, to his mother, and to the world that the way to quiet the noise in his head may have been inside him all along.

Chilling Adventures Presents: Strang Science One-Shot - Magdalene Visaggio & Butch K. Mapa

Danni Malloy is Jinx Holliday's best friend, and where one goes, the other is sure to follow... even if that means through hell and back and forth through the depths of space and time. When Danni receives a mysterious message from former friend Dilton Doiley, Danni is horrified to learn that he's built a time machine and it's gone terribly wrong-and now the three of them have been transported to warped version of Riverdale, where nothing seems quite right. It's up to Danni to set things right and bring them back to the present day, and the hometown they know and love... and she might have to explain a thing or two to Jinx about what's going on, too! Strange Science explores Danni's personal history, time travel, and the importance of being to be true to yourself and what matters most to you.

Disney Villains: Hades #1 - Elliott Kalan, Alessandro Ranaldi & Karen Darboe

FROM THE CLASSIC DISNEY FILM HERCULES - THE LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD FINALLY TAKES CENTER STAGE!

Hades - the lord of darkness! The most deceitful and scheming of the Greek gods!

The one god not invited to the weekly brunch at Mount Olympus!

Obviously, a slight like this calls for the total destruction of the gods of Olympus. To make that happen, the hot-tempered ruler of the underworld needs to acquire the magical Golden Fleece of Colchis. Unfortunately, the Fleece is guarded by a sleepless dragon and soldiers made out of teeth, so Hades assembles a ragtag group of morally questionable adventurers to help him steal the Fleece before some dude named Jason and his Argonaut bros swoop in and ruin his perfectly logical plan.

Dwellings #1 (of 3) - Jay Stephens

SHOCK! TERROR! FUN! SATURDAY MORNING MEETS THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT IN AN ALL-NEW, BI-MONTHLY LIMITED SERIES PRESENTED IN PRESTIGE FORMAT, 72-PAGE CHAPTERS WITH TWO COMPLETE TALES IN EACH ISSUE!

Welcome to Elwich - an oasis of American perfection, where the schools overflow with cheery-eyed children, lovingly adorned homes line the historic boulevards ... and only the crows can see the deep, festering rot that lurks beneath the pristine surface. Murder. Demonology. Possession. Obsession. Elwich has them all on offer-and behind every DWELLING awaits a horrifying new story to be told!

Dying Light GN - Fred Van Lente & Adam Markiewicz

With a lengthy original graphic novel tale serving as a prequel to Dying Light 2 and bonus behind the scenes content from the smash hit video game, Dying Light: Night Generation is an essential companion for fans of the franchise.

Set right before the start of the new game, and 15 years following the events of Dying Light, the story stars orphans Daud and Aisha. They were just children when the Harran Virus outbreak struck the world, and have known nothing other than the plague for their entire lives. Evacuated and found by Berg, they were trained to become Night Runners, to work together and steal for him as his influence grows among the Survivors. Reaching young adulthood, Daud and Aisha are finally sick of living under his thumb, hatching plans to run away together. When the secrets are discovered, Berg sells off Aisha to a rival. Forcing Daud on a harrowing journey to rescue his love, through the deadly Volatiles and utilizing the game's signature parkour.

Eiji and Shiro: From Zeroes to Heroes GN Vol 1 - Kaya Azuma

A collection of fantasy and supernatural shorts with a heavy comedic tone from one of the Boys Love world's most infamous comedic writers. Mobuyama "Eiji" A-Ji and Mobuyama "Shiro" C-ro have lived their entire lives as nothing more than "extras" to other people's stories. It can't end like this, right? There must be a way out! Both sharing a common goal will try anything that allows them to change their destiny. Anything.

The First Adventure Of Sherlock Holmes: A Study In Scarlet HC - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle & Vincent Mallie

London, 1878. Poor Dr Watson returns from India completely penniless and on the verge of despair when he meets Sherlock Holmes, a whimsical guy who also happens to be looking for a roommate. The pair move into 221 Baker Street when one of Scotland Yard's top sleuths enlists the talented Detective Holmes to help solve a dark murder case. Together, Watson and Holmes will lead the investigation and cement a partnership that will last for years to come.

Flung Out Of Space: Inspired By The Indecent Adventures Of Patricia Highsmith GN - Grace Ellis, Hannah Templer, & Joan Schenkar

Flung Out of Space is both a love letter to the essential lesbian novel, The Price of Salt, and an examination of its notorious author, Patricia Highsmith. Veteran comics creators Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer have teamed up to tell this story through Highsmith's eyes, reimagining the events that inspired her to write the story that would become a foundational piece of queer literature. Flung Out of Space opens with Pat begrudgingly writing low-brow comics. A drinker, a smoker, and a hater of life, Pat knows she can do better. Her brain churns with images of the great novel she could and should be writing - what will eventually be Strangers on a Train.

The Girl Who Became A Fish GN - Osamu Dazai & Nekosuke

Another spectacular collaboration from the Maiden's Bookshelf series, this dark and intense fable by the great giant of postward literature is brought to vivid life by contemporary master Nekosuke. Suwa, a charcoal burner's daughter, lives together with her father in a small village at a foot of a mountain so remote it doesn't even appear on maps. Slowly she comes to realize the dark futility of her life, leading to a strange and elliptical transformation... Dazai depicts the adolescent awakening to death and the desire to escape through this quiet and ominous tale.

Heart Gear GN Vol 1 - Tsuyoshi Takak

After Roue accidentally activates Chrome without a base program, what's essentially his soul, she and Uncle Zett invite him into their makeshift family and encourage him to choose his own purpose. But when an insane machine attacks their home, will Chrome survive, much less find his purpose?

Land Of The Living Gods TP - Isaac Mogajane & Santtos

It is said that when the world dies, the spirits of the first people will return to witness the last days of humanity. Well, the spirits have arrived, and the end is here. But not everyone has given up hope.

Naledi, a teenage girl living in the deserted city once called Johannesburg, has always believed that there is a land hidden away in time where the gods still live. And where there are gods, there are miracles. Perhaps even miracles that are big enough to save our dying planet. And so, after a lifetime of isolation, Naledi will head out into the unknown with little to hold onto but her faith - and her magical pet plant, Buyo.

Pen & Ink: The Many Deaths Of Laila Starr #1 - V. Ram & Filipe Andrade

BOOM! Studios is proud to present the next installment of PEN & INK: a deluxe art-focused format featuring stunning black and white interior artwork with artist commentary.

Experience the first issue of the Eisner, Harvey, and Ringo Award-nominated The Many Deaths of Laila Starr in a whole new light, with exclusive notes and annotations from artist Filipe Andrade.

Rakuda Laughs GN - Katsuya Terada

New father and troubled yakuza Rakuda gets a call from his colleagues tasking him to dispose of a random body. The job is fishy, but when you are a gangster sometimes you have to just do what you're told. But in this case, who gave him the job is the problem. A young hustler named Amazaki has tasked him to take care of a corpse without any info on who the body is and how to get rid of it. Turns out the body belongs to their gang lord... Now the gang and the cops are after Rakuda. And with danger around every corner, there are now very few moments for jokes in Rakuda's world.

Rare Flavors: Tasting Ashcan #1 - V. Ram & Filipe Andrade

The Eisner, Harvey, and Ringo Award-nominated team of Ram V and Filipe Andrade make their celebrated return, and you can get a first taste in this exclusive ashcan edition!

Tantalize your senses with this amuse bouche introducing this creative duo's next masterpiece marrying the supernatural, Indian cuisine, and the cutthroat world of chef-driven celebrity in what will be the most talked about new comic of 2023!

This ashcan will be strictly limited to its first printing, never to be printed again!

Red Zone TP - Cullen Bunn, Mike Deodato & Lee Loughridge

Called in by the U.S. government for a secret international mission to Russia, unassuming American professor of Russian and Slavic Studies at NYU Randall Crane finds his history in the Soviet Union begin to thaw and reveal itself. When the team of commandos sent to protect him end up dead, Randall finds himself forced to fight his way out of the former U.S.S.R. using skills he thought he'd left dead and buried in the cold, hard streets of the Mother Russia a lifetime ago.

The Sea In You GN - Jessi Sheron

A whimsical dark fantasy retelling of "The Little Mermaid," The Sea In You upends everything you thought you knew about magical creatures of the deep, on a whirlwind journey to a whole new world you've only dreamed of before! 15-year-old Corinth was just trying to clean up the beach; she never expected to meet a mermaid, let alone be nearly drowned by one. It was the start of a very strange friendship! After Skylla, the deadly fanged mermaid, mysteriously lets Corinth live, they grow closer through a cautious exchange of stories, gifts, jokes, and sign language. Mermaids, it turns out, eat people, but however terrifying Skylla may look, she's a little younger, a little smaller, and perhaps a little too soft for all that. Bewitched by Corinth and their growing bond, she learns about all the best things in life on land: books, burgers, donuts, and this strange chattering human sound called laughter. But a storm is brewing-both at sea and in Corinth's increasingly dangerous relationship with her obsessively jealous boyfriend-and a magical bargain may be the only thing that can save her, at a tremendous cost.

Sparks & The Fallen Star GN - Lyndon White

The stars are going out. Night never ends and while others only wonder, Sparks, the bravest little robot, sets out to discover the reason why. Enjoy this beautiful tale about friendship and overcoming adversity.

Specs TP - David M. Booher & Chris Shehan

Small town. Ohio, 1986. All Kenny and Ted want is to not feel like outcasts. What happens when a pair of X-ray glasses mysteriously appear? The magic specs open a world of possibilities for these misfit teens through the granting of literal wishes! Things start out innocent, but when they wish that their bully would disappear, things take a cursed turn, with far darker consequences than they thought possible...

Tabegirl: Art Of Jun SC - JUN

Powerfully cute! Jun's TabeGirls are the embodiment of what makes Japanese character designs so beloved, as they capture young ladies at their purest... while chowing down on scrumptious eats! Collecting nearly one-hundred full-color portraits from Jun's growing collection of web-illustrations, comics and promotional art, fans of the artist will have plenty tasty images to sink their teeth into.

The Cull #1 (of 5) - Kelly Thompson& Mattia De Iulis

Something is Killing the Children horror vibes mix with The Goonies-style adventure as five friends set off to shoot a short film on a forbidden rock near their home the summer before they all go their separate ways. But that's not really why they're there. One of them has lied. And that lie will change their lives forever.

Those Who Helped Us GN - Ken Mochizuki & Kiku Hughes

Basketball-loving Sumiko Tanaka, then 11, narrates this graphic novel about the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans. Through her eyes, we watch as her family is forced from their home and subjected to indiscriminate racism as they are shipped off to the concentration camp called Minidoka in Idaho. But Sumiko and her 17-year-old sister Yuri also see acts of charity and solidarity from their non-Japanese neighbors and friends in the Seattle area that make them hopeful for the future. As the young girls struggle with the horrors of being imprisoned in the dusty desert, they also find solace in the fact that some people chose to help.

Ultralazer TP - Pauline Giraud, Maxence Henry & Yvan Duque

The people of the planet Topoy live in peace, surrounded by lush nature and magical, infinite resources. But the King of Beasts, who maintains balance on this world, is in danger. His protectors, Horb and Booko, will need to set off on a long journey if they want to save their planet...

On planet Topoy, everything has been peaceful for a long long time. People and magical creatures have been living in peace for generations. But danger came from space! The buzzards attacked and changed Topoy forever. Do they want the planet's natural resources? Yes. But they also want the King of Beasts, the supreme being that ties everything on this world.

Enter Horb and Booko, two protectors and servants of the King. They can't let their planet plundered! Their only hope? An ancient legend: the Ultralazer! Forgotten by many, this power could unleash the power they need to save the planet.

Washington's Gay General: The Legends & Loves Of Baron Von Steuben HC - Josh Trujillo & Levi Hastings

This graphic novel biography tells the true story of one of the most important, but largely forgotten, military leaders of the American Revolution, Baron Wilhelm Von Steuben, who brought much-needed knowledge to the inexperienced and ill-prepared Continental Army. As its first Inspector General, Von Steuben created an organizational framework for the US military, which included writing the Blue Book guide that became the standard for training American soldiers for more than a century. Beginning with Von Steuben's career in the Prussian Army, Trujillo explores his recruitment by Benjamin Franklin, his work alongside General George Washington at the Battle of Valley Forge, and his eventual decline into obscurity. In Washington's Gay General, Trujillo and Hastings impart both the intricacies of queer history and the importance of telling stories that highlight queer experiences.

Whatcha scooping up this week, Fantom Fam?

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dropintomanga · 1 year

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Anime NYC 2022 - New York Be Back, Y’All~

What a return. What. A. Full-fledged. Return.

After last year’s chaotic line mess, Anime NYC returned with a new panel queue system and revamped health check. This year's event was a possible glimpse of a full-on NYC anime convention would be like, post-pandemic emergency times. They were front-loaded with guests from top to bottom - one of which was the creator of Attack on Titan, Hajime Isayama.

While it’s impossible to check out everything, I had a fun time.

Friday was somewhat chill as I got to avoid the line for regular pass holders. It sounded like a bit of a mess from what I heard, but things apparently got better as the day went on. After the Press check-in, I went up to check out the riichi mahjong gaming area held by Riichi Nomi NYC and bought a lanyard from them that matched my now-mahjong state of mind. I did play with the group for a little bit before heading down to the Exhibit Hall.

At the Exhibit Hall, I bought some manga from Denpa Books and checked out their panel. What’s nice this year about the Denpa panel was the promotion of the BL imprint, KUMA. So not only it was Ed Chavez of Denpa fame talking, but also Andrea Donohue, the head of KUMA, who promoted a good amount of BL titles that I actually want to take an interest in. Especially a title called Crappy Happy Life because a gag BL manga is something I would eat up in a hurry. Ed would then talk about current and upcoming Denpa releases like the final volume of Inside Mari, the first volume of Under Ninja, TabeGirl: The Art of JUN, and the first volume of March Comes in Like a Lion. What really impressed me the most is the community that supports Denpa and I noticed how excited fans at the panel were about their books. There’s something else that happened there that I want to talk about, but that will be the main topic of a later post.

I also checked out the return of Anime for Humanity, the anime-centered mental health NPO that I volunteered for back in 2019. They got a booth this year and were still giving out Anime Therapy Kits. I caught up with the main guy I worked with there and talked about many things, anime and manga-related. I would see them through the whole weekend and donated to them as well. It was good to see AFH back.

After that, I just straight up left the convention because I wanted to go home and get my Kaname Date (AI: The Somnium Files, a game franchise which I wrote about) cosplay ready for Saturday and Sunday. While the Exhibitors’ Hall was packed, I never felt that it was congested as in years past.

Anyway, on to Saturday, busy, busy day. I went to my first ever Yen Press panel! It was nice to see the a good sized crowd show up and even writer TurtleMe (of The Beginning of the End fame) stopped by to talk about himself for a bit. There’s way too many books Yen Press announced and I won’t mention them all here. But Yen Press did mention an upcoming Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun box set and they licensed the Elden Ring gag manga that I heard about, so now I’m intrigued. I also wish them luck for their print release of Oshi no Ko.

I later checked out a Yakuza/Like a Dragon/Ryu ga Gotoku Studio meetup and it continues to amaze me to see how much the franchise has blown up since 2017. As a fan of the franchise before it became mainstream, I think Westerners like myself are super-spoiled with what’s to come. I don’t think it’s a bad thing because I think everyone should play RGG Studio games.

I next went to the Dark Horse Manga Panel. And they really did not disappoint. The big news was that Innocent by Shin’ichi Sakamoto is coming to the U.S. around Fall 2023. I would have never foreseen the day that this work would get licensed here. There’s a really good video of Sakomoto and his thought process on Archipel. He has made an emphasis on promoting about the value of manga despite Japanese readers treating it as “one and done” most of the time. Also, Carl Horn (who I love hearing talk about comics) mentioned how much manga has made a significant impact in America. He talked about how he brought a group of Japanese manga editors to a Barnes & Noble bookstore one time to check out its manga section. The editors were amazed that manga had its own unique section in a store that’s known for Western-centered material. It’s funny because a month ago, a friend and I were at a Barnes & Noble checking out the huge manga shelves on display. We had a conversation about how different it was back in 2009-2010 for manga fans like us in terms of promotion (Spoiler: it was dark times). To see how far we’ve come, it’s a bit surreal. We don’t get every manga licensed, but damn, the Americans who appreciate manga and work in promoting it know how to give the titles we do get the spotlight they deserve.

I also won a free NieR: Automata artbook at the panel too! I was the 1st winner out of 6!

I would later take part in a Zero Escape/AI: The Somnium Files meetup. There weren’t many people sadly including myself, but we all made the most of it. I was also amazed at the amount of people who recognized me as Date at the con. I’m so glad that there were fans who have played the Somnium Files games and I will always recommend the franchise whenever the games are on sale.

I did find out what happened in the Hajime Isayama panel that I didn’t get into. I heard that fans at the panel had a positive reception to Isayama ending Attack on Titan the way he did and that their reaction almost made him cry. Isayama wrote a message on Kodansha’s website prior to the event saying he knew the ending was controversial and that people should be kind to him. I wish he didn’t had to write that because the internet isn’t always real life despite what social media says otherwise. But I do get that for every few positive comments that get you hyped, there’s always that one nagging negative comment that overshadows all the positive ones. I’m glad that Isayama got a chance to meet people from the one country that really ate Attack on Titan up when it became mainstream.

Finally, as I left for the day, Saturday night was banging with DJs blasting hip-hop and fans dancing in front of the main exhibit hall entrance. I even recorded a video looking from above and it was, as the kids say, lit.

So onto Sunday. I went up to where the Community Stage was for the “Defending Manga” panel hosted by the brain behind Manga in Libraries, Jillian Rudes (who I finally got a chance to talk to in person at the Dark Horse panel). Unfortunately, it got canceled. I was really looking forward to seeing it too. It’s possible that someone might have gotten sick and given that COVID/RSV/cold/flu cases in the U.S. have gone up the last few weeks, it’s understandable to not let something spread at the con. I gave up on going to the Kodansha USA panel due to mental exhaustion, though I did hear what they announced and Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen, The Darwin Incident (I’m interested in this one the most), My Lovesick Life As a ‘90s Otaku, Limbo the King, a Magic Knight Rayearth paperback release and an upcoming Blue Period box-set stand out to me.

So I just decided to play mahjong with the Riichi Nomi NYC gang. Originally formed in 2020 by a small group of passionate New Yorkers interested in riichi mahjong, they have become a juggernaut in the North American riichi mahjong scene. Ever since I became a part of the club in the summer of 2021, Riichi Nomi NYC has gone from doing organized meetups to hosting multiple tournaments at their leader’s apartment and running a huge 2-day tournament of 70+ players in NYC in July 2022. They also made their anime convention debuts in 2022 at Anime Boston and Otakon with huge positive reception by both convention fans and staff. I felt that Anime NYC would be the perfect way to end the year for Riichi Nomi NYC and the culmination of all their 2022 success. This was the also the first time Anime NYC ever officially had mahjong in all of its 5 years of existence.

Riichi Nomi NYC absolutely killed it. They ran a 12-person tournament on Friday and a 16-person tournament on Saturday with little-to-no problems all while teaching newcomers and selling great merchandise. The gang did an excellent job in ensuring beginners weren’t frightened and that players already skilled in the game had a great time. I got a chance to play with 2 Cantonese-speaking players and I got a chance to show off my Cantonese outside of talking to family. We all felt a sense of communal/cultural pride that was wonderful and only something I could experience via mahjong, so huge props right there. I’m so proud of what Riichi Nomi NYC has accomplished and I’m looking forward to see what they do next year!

I finally went to Artists’ Alley and got some Spy x Family and Chainsaw Man goodies. The crowd over there wasn’t super-packed like last year’s. I also got a chance to check out the big Hajime Isayama “Thank You” message wall at Kodansha’s booth and I wrote something too.

Overall, I thought Anime NYC was fine for the most part. They really addressed the line problems last year to check-in at the con and for panels. The staff enforced an attendance cap for all 3 days and it showed. With only 4,500 3-Day passes sold, it wasn’t crowded to the point of being super-congested. I got to walk around crowds with little to no problems. I also liked how bag checks were replaced with walkthrough scanners unlike in previous years. Mask enforcement was hit and miss for the most part, but I felt comfortable because I wore a KN95 mask the whole time I was there, kept to myself a bunch, and was in parts of the convention center that were well-ventilated. I think the last part is key here because I honestly think great indoor ventilation on par with outdoor air levels makes going mask-less bearable in my opinion. Let’s not have the Anime Expo 2022 Artist Alley mess here.

I do notice that the Anime NYC panel lottery now makes panel hopping not as hyped as before. I know people sneaking into the biggest and coolest panels even when they were jam-packed was a thing and it was great. Those days might be over for the most part. But I do wonder about the after-effect since lines for other panels might become jam-packed as fans want to see what other options are there. However, I haven’t heard anything of that sort at all. I might be talking out of my butt here. I think the Community Stage helps to alleviate concerns and having panels there is refreshing. They provide a more fan-perspective view that’s needed and is sometimes missing in a industry-focused con such as Anime NYC.

I’m also now curious about Anime NYC’s continued co-existence with New York Comic-Con. This year’s NYCC gave a huge spotlight to anime and manga - arguably the best ever. VIZ Media did show up at Anime NYC, but there were really no manga promotions from them. Those seemed to be now saved for New York Comic-Con. I don’t think NYCC will supplant Anime NYC with regards to anime-related experiences, but I will admit that there’s things about NYCC on the manga side of things I want to check out now compared to Anime NYC.

Yet I will say, after cosplaying as Kaname Date, I still think Anime NYC is a good spot for underrepresented Japanese-related series. I found a small group of fans for AI: The Somnium Files (which wasn’t a hugely marketed franchise) somehow. Anime NYC still has some issues, but for me, it was worth going. The experience I had this year was far better than last year’s and this was due to all of the various people I connected with and the friends I already made who showed up.

So much love to the Anime NYC staff and here’s to 2023!

I will have a follow-up post (if anyone is interested) about a fan Q&A moment at the con that made think and reflect, so that will be up soon.

#Anime NYC #conventions #anime conventions #convention report #anime #manga #Hajime Isayama #riichi mahjong #Like a Dragon #AI: The Somnium FIles #2022 #manga industry

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ljaesch · 2 years

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Denpa's Announcements at Anime NYC 2021

Denpa’s Announcements at Anime NYC 2021

Manga publisher Denpa, LLC. announced at Anime NYC 2021 that it is teaming up with FAKKU! to publish the Nana & Kaoru manga. The company gave an estimated release date for this 3-in-1 omnibus as Fall 2022. The publisher also announced that it plans to release the They Were 11 manga as a single volume in Winter 2022. It was also announced that Denpa plans to begin releasing the seven volume Mobile…

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#Black Tights WIDE #Denpa #manga #March comes in like a lion #Mobile Suit Gundam: Char&039;s Counterattack #Nana & Kaoru #Renjoh Desperado #The Art of Jun - TabeGirl #They Were 11

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recentanimenews · 2 years

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Anime NYC 2021, Day One

So first of all, in regards to what everyone’s talking about, I can’t speak for the line problem. I arrived at 10am via the press entrance with no issues, but I talked with other press folks who arrived later who were in line forever. So I’ll let them go into details. My own start of the con was relatively sedate. At 10am the place was almost deserted. I found out why later. Plus my first panel wasn’t till 3:15. So I leisurely sat, read manga, read books, ate lunch, and visited a show floor that was absent a lot of the usual suspects. Viz is entirely absent this year. Kodansha has a panel and an Attack on Titan art exhibit, but no booth. The manga contingent consisted of Yen press, J-Novel Club, and Denpa Books.

Speaking of Denpa, they had my fist panel. First of all, the biggest news: Ed Chavez was audible through the entire panel. Anyone who has seen Ed’s prior panels knows what a big deal this is. As for the panel itself, a lot of it was titles that Denpa has already discussed, either in previous con announcements or in tweets. The combination of COVID-19 delays and printing issues owing to the sudden explosion of manga popularity means that getting books to the printers takes forever. A few of the slides Ed had gave Summer 2021 release dates, which isn’t true. That said, he has had a lot of new titles go to the printers recently, so 2022 looks far more promising on the Denpa front.

A big surprise to me, and showing that my own tastes do not necessarily match that of the average manga buyer, was hearing what Denpa’s big sellers were. For all that folks mocked Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji’s delays of Vols. 1-3, now that they’re out they’re selling very well. Also selling well is Pleasure and Corruption, the high school bondage and discipline manga. The Girl with the Sanpaku Eyes also has its 3rd volume out soon, and is also selling well. There were also two special editions of Shūzō Oshimi titles at Denpa’s exhibitor table – they have a very good working relationship with the author.

“Old” new announcements included Baby Bear’s Bakery, an adorable-looking series about, well, a baby bear running a bakery. March 2022 for that. The Man Who Created Gundam, a nonfiction-ish manga with real people in it, is trapped in clearance hell at Sunrise. Hopefully soon. Guyabano Holiday should now be Fall 2022, and we also saw updates on yuri vampire series Vampeerz and comedic action series Under Ninja. We then got “new” announcements, though we knew most of these from tweets the last few months. They Were 11, which will have an oversize trim, posters, and color pages, and will also feature the “extra” chapters never published in English before. They’re looking at Winter 2022. Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack: Beltorchika’s Children has Char abandoning Gundams for the life of a Broadway stage actor. Possibly.

March Comes in Like a Lion got a big reaction from the audience, though Ed is worried about the title. The author has had failures here before, and the shogi essays make it hard to find a translator. Renjoh Desperado is a comedy action manga about a woman searching for love and her fanservice to the manga reader that will hopefully help that search go well. And we heard about two new artbooks. Black Tights WIDE has 48 different illustrators give their interpretation of thighs and stockings. And The Art of Jun – TabeGirl is about girls eating. And looking good while doing it.

Ed then talked about Denpa’s books on the KUMA boy’s love label. They have not released much on that label yet, but that will change next year, they plan to do a lot more. You Are My Happiness is out soon (it was at Denpa’s table) and is by the author of Melting Lover, also from KUMA. Boys of the Dead is (groan) “Zom-BL”. The Song of Yoru & Asa is a band BL series that’s edgy but also has great character development. Sick is a series about a college student who likes to bully… erm, tease the boy he likes. And Canis – Dear Hatter is a sequel to the Canis title KUMA did earlier.

Lastly, they had a license from the FAKKU imprint that definitely surprised me, as I recall when it was coming out ages ago. Nana & Kaoru ran in Hakusensha’s Young Animal, and typified the magazine in many ways. A series about a virgin with an S&M fetish and the twisted relationship he has with the girl who discovers this, it’s a great example of a title that is almost explicitly porn without actually being porn. It’s 18 volumes long, and will be released in 3-volume omnibuses. Eds Q&A included a more extensive discussion of the supply chain issues going on right now, what made them decide to license a title like Kaiji, how how they look at licenses in general – per Ed, do not expect an isekai from them ever.

After this I bummed around and got more tea till it was time for my next panel, Inside the Manga Industry. This featured five experts in the field: Mark De Vera, sales & marketing with Yen Press (and formerly Viz Media); Jani Olove, translator and editor with Kodansha; Julian Robinson, designer with Viz Media; Nikolas Draper-Ivey, artist on DC Comics’ Static and heavily manga-influenced; and independent artist Koyuki Panda, also heavily anime and manga influenced. They introduced themselves and then noted most of the panel would be a Q&A; audience asks questions, they give advice. Things got off to a bang up start with the first question, which was “what advice would you give your younger self”?

More than one person said “don’t go to art school”, which ended up occupying a lot of the panel as it turns out that several folks in the room are art school students. It was generally agreed that if you need to learn the fundamentals of the craft, it’s a good place to be, but in general a lot of the art schools tend to frown on heading in a manga/anime direction and they also don’t focus nearly as much on the business end of things as they should. This led to the other running theme of the panel, which was learning about business and knowing how contracts worked. Everyone recommended supplementing art school with business classes. Everyone also agreed another good piece of advice is “don’t give up”.

Marketing your work was discussed, and it was mentioned that even established companies can have difficulty using marketing as a tool. Trust in your own likes, and (admittedly) it helps to like things that are not just Shonen Jump – even if Koyuki Panda admitted that she was a huge fan of “the big three” back in the day. It’s mentioned that things are very different now than they were 10 years ago – there’s a lot more breadth to what’s coming out in manga publishing. In fact, when a trans woman asked if there were specific titles available, the panel was able to easily recommend Boys Run the Riot, an excellent choice. Hopefully the boom market will also mean more opportunity for manga-influenced artists in the future – publishers like Oni, Image and Viz were mentioned as being open to this sort of thing, and a non-Japanese title, Radiant, was namechecked.

The panel ended with the wonderful news that they would meet up at Koyuki Panda’s booth in Artist’s Alley and answer the questions from the people they didn’t have time to get to, which was great to hear, and the panel was interesting and inspiring all round. This ended my Friday, as I grabbed dinner and returned to the hotel. Tomorrow will be much busier, and hopefully will have less line.

By: Sean Gaffney

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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