CLAMP

Welcome to Kuriousity

News, reviews and features with a focus on manga, self-published works and a Canadian perspective. Enjoy fulfilling your Kuriousity!

SITE RETIRED - Thank you for the years of support and readership!

Posts Tagged Global Manga

eManga Expands Creator Offering with Yayoi Neko’s Incubus

eManga: Incubus by Yayoi Neko

eManga has added a bunch of interesting new titles in this latter portion of 2010, notably a handful of new titles from artists outside of Japan, along with a new manga series exclusive to their site.

Most recent, and my most favourite, additions are the first two volumes of Yayoi Neko’s Incubus series. The print edition (currently up to volume three) has been published in its entirety so far by Kitty Media (after being picked up from Bang! Entertainment).

“Demonic beings longing to be human put Judas’ life at stake to possess the unique soul within him. The incubus Lenniel, has sworn to protect and defeat all who threaten the man he loves: the shy puritan Judas. But outside dangers are not all that threaten his human beloved. A painful past haunts Judas, preventing him from trusting anyone, especially Lenniel. This is an enemy the incubus is not sure how to defeat. How does one fight a crippling force that exists within another’s heart?”

I’m a fan of Yayoi Neko‘s work – it has an art style that offers something notably different than the vast majority of boys’ love released in North America (check out her website gallery). The first volume of Incubus also comes with a short called ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ (which was released originally by the artist in limited edition ‘floppy’ comic format) about a scientist and the robot he helped create with… well, it’s worth reading to get all the exact details.

Other new titles on eManga include the webcomic BL-hit, Starfighter, a sample edition of the artistically-gorgeous Teahouse (also a web comic) and Mizuki, which is a “never before released” shoujo by the creator of Wedding Peach.

Digital Manga sells its points “using a credit card at a typical rate of 1000 points for $10.”. Looking at a complete volume at 300 points, you’re only paying $3 for the rental (which lasts 72 hours). It’s a great deal for people who love to read a book once, especially when a second rental allows you unlimited time access (so about $6 a book for digital keeps).

While the addition of a variety of talented artists from around the globe is of course great, I also continue to be impressed simply by the amount of cross-publisher work being done with eManga. BLU (Tokyopop), Yaoi Press, Media Blasters and of course Digital Manga, all on one site – it’s quickly collecting all the boys’ love basics (plus some Harlequin thrown in there for good measure?). It’s a shame though that this collection of boys’ love, with its great prices in particular, isn’t able to be utilized on a more mobile platform. Even a digital-meh person such as myself wouldn’t be able to deny this kind of collection being in the palm of my hand instead of trapped on the internet-locked computer screen.


Yen Press Seeks Fresh Talent for Yen Plus Serialization

Early September  marked the first issue of Yen Plus in its digital format for subscribers. For only $2.99 a month – which is set up via PayPal – readers now have access to that month’s issue, which also now includes new chapters of K-on and Yotsuba&! (which was reason enough for me to subscribe right off the bat).

In their first issue they also officially launched their search for new talent to be potential new additions to the monthly magazine. At their request, information was kept off other sites to give subscribers the early-bird advantage. As of today however, the information for their New Talent Search has been posted publicly on Yen Press’s site so now all interested and qualifying artists can read the details.

Read more…


Review: Loud Snow


No Link Available

Author: Tina Anderson
Artist: Amelie Belcher
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: July 2010

Synopsis: “Romantic ice-age hilarity ensues as young whaler Anituk’s miserable life with doting parents and an oversexed wife-hunting brother is rudely interrupted by the arrival of Abalu, a tall handsome stranger who delights in encroaching upon Anituk’s angst.”

For all the light heartedness of penguin tossing and wife hunting, there is a strong undercurrent of loneliness in this story. The main character just doesn’t feel he ‘fits’ in his world. He comes from such a limited background, so small a circle of influence, it’s no wonder he doesn’t get how he fits in when he’s got only his loving parents and his lusty, wife-hunting brother to measure himself by. Even when he meets Abalu, he still feels on the outside of something important. It isn’t until the snow strands them on their own does Anituk finally understand what he’s feeling and what he wants to do about it.

Read more…


13 Days of Halloween: Arkham Woods

Shannon, here – Halloween is my favourite holiday and to honour it I’m counting down 13 manga throughout the month that I think best capture the Halloween spirit. They aren’t all horror manga, as to me Halloween is about more than scares: it’s about a sense of fun and wonder. It’s about discovering that there may be more to this world than meets the eye. So with that in mind, there’s everything on this list from action-packed shounen to romantic-comedy to children’s manga to some lock-the-doors-and-leave-the-lights-on horror. (See all 13 Days of Halloween so far…)

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

7. Arkham Woods

Seven Seas has a lot of titles that would fit on this list, but one that stands out is the lovecraftian OEL manga Arkham Woods. Kirsti’s mom recently found out that she is losing her sight. In order to pay for the operation, they need to sell Kirsti’s great-uncle’s creepy home. However, that may be hard to do since the house sits on a portal to an ancient and unspeakable evil, a feature likely to scare away potential buyers.

Arkham Woods is a nicely paced horror story. The tension and the weirdness just keep mounting until the climax, where the cast must stop Cthulu himself from taking over our world. The series plays pretty fast and lose with the Cthulu mythos, but it still manages to share its atmosphere of weird, otherworldly horror. If you’re not familiar with H.P. Lovecraft’s works, don’t worry, the manga tells you everything you need to know.

If you want to check out Arkham Woods yourself, Seven Seas has put the entire thing online here.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I want to note that I’ve worked for Seven Seas as a freelance editor. In the interest of self-promotion, I want to note that anyone who likes dark and twisted manga should buy Amnesia Labyrinth as soon as it comes out.)


Artist Eric Kim To Hold Manga Workshop Program in Toronto

Far too few and far between when I get to post to about some neat manga-related events going on across the country. Today I was sent an interesting press release from artist Eric Kim, probably known best to manga readers as the artist of the manga-inspired Love As A Foreign Language.

From November 6 to December 18, Eric Kim will be holding hands-on sessions about the creation of Japanese manga with the focus on storytelling through art. These sessions will take place in Toronto and will be 3 hours a class for seven weeks. Enrollment is limited to 15 students.

“Students will be introduced to layout, composition and design for storytelling, staging, anatomy, life drawing, perspective, shadow and texture, inking, toning, lettering, character design, color work, and also an overview of the North American marketplace. Along with comprehensive training both in-class and through assignments, students will obstain training that will start them on their storytelling careers.”

This Manga Dojo is a part of the Toronto Cartoonist Workshop which holds similar classes for all types of comic-making material.


PR: Eric Kim’s Manga Dojo in Toronto Cartoonists Workshop

Renowned Manga Creator Eric Kim
Set to Reveal Craft and Technique in “The Manga Dojo”

Eric Kim’s Manga Dojo kicks off Saturday, November 6, 2010

TORONTO, ONTARIO – Oct 15, 2010 – Toronto’s own Eric Kim will be bringing his many skills and accomplishments to the table when he takes on the role as instructor in the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop’s Manga Dojo.

The Manga Dojo is a hands-on, practical course – ideal for both beginner and intermediate artists. Students will be guided through the process of story creation and obtain a firm grasp of the fundamental elements involved in the Art of Japanese Manga.

Dates: November 6, 2010 to December 18, 2010
Time: Saturday afternoons 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Length: 7 weeks of 3 hour classes
Cost: $350. plus H.S.T.
Location: 486A College Street, Toronto

ABOUT ERIC KIM: Eric Kim has been working in comics and illustration for the past seven years. His book credits include Love as a Foreign Language, Degrassi: The Next Generation Vol. 3, Battle Academy, The Sidesteppers, Streta, and most recently, the Complete Plays of William Shakespeare. As an illustrator, he has worked for numerous book and editorial clients across North America as well as Japan.

Eric’s website is http://www.inkskratch.com. He’s also a smart cookie.
ABOUT THE TORONTO CARTOONISTS WORKSHOP: The Toronto Cartoonists Workshop is a learning environment where aspiring cartoonists can study with working professionals in the North American comic book, webcomics, animation and illustration fields.

Workshops are seven weekly sessions of three hours each and attendance is limited to a maximum of 15 students to optimize individual learning.

The TCW does not offer a certificate or degree. It is a continuing education experience where students are encouraged to sample various instructors and pick the learning styles and philosophies that work best for them.
The TCW’s new permanent home is located at 486A College Street, just west of Bathurst. For more information on the TCW, see http://cartoonistsworkshop.wordpress.com

-30-

For further information, images or photos, please contact:
Sean Menard
Director, Marketing and Publicity
Toronto Cartoonists Workshop
Phone: 647.328.1656
info@cartoonistsworkshop.com


Review: The Last Airbender – Zuko’s Story

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Authors: Dave Roman, Alison Wilgus
Artist: Nina Matsumoto
Publisher: DelRey
Rating: Teen (13+)
Release Date: May 2010

Synopsis: “When Prince Zuko dared to question authority, his father Fire Lord Ozai, banished him from the Fire Nation. Horribly scarred and stripped of everything he held dear, Zuko has wandered the earth for almost three years in search of his only chance of redemption: the Avatar, a mystical being who once kept the four nations in balance. Everyone he encounters believes that this is an impossible task, as the Avatar disappearance a century ago. But Zuko stubbornly continues the search. He must regain his honor, so his question is all he has left.”

Scarred by his Father and scorned by his people, Prince Zuko embarks on a quest to capture the now near-mythicized Avatar to regain his honour and be once again allowed home. Little here will trend new ground for those well-versed in Nickelodeon’s original animated series but superb writing and classy artwork combine to make this book a short but sweet one-shot that any fan of the series should keep an eye out for. Zuko’s Story takes a huge leap forward from the Avatar movie-verse (from where it garnered its inception) by taking a step back to Zuko’s past and doing so with more reminiscent style.

Read more…


Review: The Last Airbender

Reviewer: Lissa Pattillo

Writers: M. Night Shyamalan/Dave Roman/Alison Wilgus
Artist: Joon Choi
Publisher: Del Rey
Rating: Teen (10+)
Release Date: June 2010

Synopsis: “Waging a devastating war, the Fire Nation destroyed the harmonious balance among the four nations. The Air Nation isNomads are no more, and the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom are on the verge of collapse. In such dire times, the Avatar, master of the all four elements, is expected to return bring balance to the world. But the Avatar has been missing for a hundred years. When teenagers Katara and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe rescue a young boy frozen in an iceberg sphere, their lives—and his—are changed forever.”

Word is out and it isn’t pretty – M. Night Shyamalan’s live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender is a big whopping flop. A rushed plot, inaccurate details and beyond lacklustre acting has left both fans of the show and lovers of movies leaving the theatre in disarray. While the movie may’ve been a spirited stinker, it did at least inspire a few graphic novel adaptations that could yet make a little good of the enterprise. This book, The Last Airbender, is a direct take on the film’s version of the story and cast. Despite being bound by the screenplay of the film, could there yet be hope for this 128 page spin of the fan-favourite series? Eh… not so much.

Read more…


Avatar the Last Airbender but Not the Last Comics

Avatar the Last Airbender - The Series Was Only the Beginning

A little change of pace today with a post about something near and dear to my fan-girl heart – fun, colourful comics and Avatar: The Last Airbender! And with so many great Avatar goodies out both recently and on the horizon, expect more ATLA here on Kuriousity coming up!

But today it’s about the comics – or lack there of.

Read more…


YaoiCon Updates, Tokyopop Titles and GloBL for June

Some technical difficulties over the weekend put a bump in my final update regarding Anime North but while I await the retrieval of some material, I notice it’s been a while since we’ve had a news snippet post. Time for some boys’ love loving with news today.!There’s been a few tidbits the past while so here’s a quick round-up of each:

AnimeNewsNetwork is reporting the next Gakuen Heaven manga has been listed on Amazon by BLU (the boys’ love imprint of Tokyopop). The book was also listed in this month’s Preview catalog from Diamond Comics. The company has already released the first two of the Gakuen Heaven books. Based on a boys ‘ love sim game, each book follows the lead character being involved with a different character. The title of this third volume is Gakuen Heaven: Endo ~Calling You~. BLUManga has also posted on their Twitter account that the third volume of Voice or Noise has gone to the printers (yay!).

Yaoi Con has updated its website with a whole look and a bunch of new announcements. This year’s Yaoi Con, North America’s largest convention dedicated to boys’ love, is celebrating its ten year anniversary. They’ve updated their website with guest information – including Hinako Takanaga, Ayane Yamano, Jo Chen and Kano Miyamoto – as well as information regarding returning events such as their AMV contest.

Over at The Yaoi Review, blogger Jennifer LeBlanc has proclaimed June to be Global Boys’ Love Month. Over the month she’ll be covering boys’ love works from creators around the world. Should be lots of interesting stuff to come!

On the note of global boys’ love, there’s some related news to check out on that front as well:

Artist Jo Chen, whose gorgeous painted works can often be seen on the cover of Marvel comics and Buffy issues, has some new independently released books that are definitely worth a look. Firstly she’s completed her first doujin (noted by Yaoi Con) – In These Words. The work is 52 pages altogether and was sold at the recent Fanime, plus will be available at Yaoi Con. Secondly she’s also releasing an art book of her cover illustrations, restricted to only 1500 copies, that she’s selling through e-mail. The book is in Chinese, has 140 pages and costs $45.

Tina Anderson, GlobBL creator whose work include Only Words and the web comic, Whore of Turfan, has a new independently published work coming out with the pre-order date closing in. Loud Snow is  a story of “romantic ice-age hilarity” with art by Amelie Belcher. A digital edition is already available via Kindle with a version soon to be available on eManga. The print edition is coming out this July with pre-orders available for only $8.00.


Take me back to the top!