I’ve been pretty wiped lately so I’m probably not going to post anything coherent this week.
But here’s something that I thought was kind of funny: Playboy has coverage of Comicon on their website. And why are they there? They’re going to where the girls are.
So instead of comics or movies or celebs, what brings us to Comicon? The babes….
Brigid posted the news of TokyoPop’s agreement with Gentosha last week over Comicon in answer to the looming question “Can anyone stop Viz Media?”
TP/Gentosha and Viz Media’s new Viz Productions will be shopping ideas around Hollywood, which has an interest in manga. SpeedRacer didn’t go over so hot, but for anyone who wants to see what kind of movie Leonardo DiCaprio and Katsuhiro Otomo can produce with Akira or how Astro Boy will fare, 2009 is going to be a big year. Can this manga stuff really translate to real, actual Hollywood fodder? Wasn’t there going to be a remake of My Sassy Girl starring that blond girl from Blue Crush? My Sassy Girl was manhwa fr. Korea before it was made into one of the best humor/romances to come out of the S. Korean industry. So it’s not exactly from Japan, but like most manga, Sassy Girl is heavily steeped in Korean culture and etiquette – the way manga is rooted heavily in Japanese pop life.
I’m too tired and lazy at this point to really think about this. I’m too lazy to google My Sassy Girl and find out what’s going on there. But I do hope that there’s some sort of successful partnering of Hollywood studios and manga publishers. I love Otomo and really want Akira to be good.
Here’s a photo of some convention space. Not verified, but I think this is where the TokyoPop booth was last year.
Overheard:
“Some times inspiration comes when you’re sitting on the toilet. I just like to think it’s a gift from heaven.” Hiro Mashima
“You may not have won an Eisner, but you’re publishing the books that Viz Editors are buying.” (Told to publisher Stephen Robson at the Fanfare booth.)
“Believe in your work. Otherwise it’s dishonest to charge [people] for your art and work.” Tite Kubo
”I grew up on the Wu.” Takahashi Okazaki on learning that the RZA was working on the soundtrack for Afro Samurai.
I had my interview with Fairy Tail master Hiro Mashima. He is a total rocknroll kinda guy, down to earth energetic and vivacious. I was very happy to have the opportunity to interview him. I only cried once.
The folks at Del Rey old Mashima-sensei that my son is a big fan of Fairy Tail and Natsu, so he did a little something special for my little special guy.
Forward thinking Gia posted his panel demo on youtube for the world to see. I tried to shoot it, but by the time I got a decent angle, he was finished.
In his panel, Mashima in his own words – in English!:
“Whassup guys! Thank you for coming to see me. I love meeting my fans. I hope you have a rocking time. Thank you.|”
In the Kubo panel now.
And here is something interesting Kubo-san says: apparently, when he draws action, he sees it all in his head, like a movie with its own soundtrack. And when he wants to draw it, he freezes the action and then visually, in his head, he circles arount it to find the best angle for the visual.
I’m going to ask him about this in my interview so that he can explain it since I’m paraphrasing.
there is no room in the Kubo/Bleach panel. Not even for Viz ppl. We’re waiting outside.
B3st US Edition of International material, JP
Winner! Taiyo Matsumoto! This was my top pick for 2007 and if you haven’t already read it, read it now.
So does Y the Last Man!
But congratulations Dark Horse!
Today when I was at the Last Gasp booth, Colin Turner had a content if not indifferent attitude.
“We won’t feel disappointed,” he said when I asked him if he was excited. “Ït’s up against some stiff competition
”It’s like when Barefoot Gen went up against Buddha.” He said and shrugged. “Whatever.”
boiled egg 