Over the last 20 years, SDCC has morphed from a comics-focused show to a pop-cultural behemoth dominated by movie studios and television stars. The ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, however, shifted the show’s emphasis back to comics, as many of the big, media-friendly events were scrapped in the weeks leading up to SDCC 2023. Writing for ICv2, Rob Salkowitz described this development as bittersweet. “This year’s San Diego Comic-Con proved that sometimes dreams can come true, even if one person’s dream is another’s nightmare,” he observed. “Despite fears to the contrary that the strikes and Hollywood’s general financial malaise would lead to implosion, SDCC 2023 proved that the industry’s premier event has a path forward even if the world takes a collective step back from the Peak Geek era.” Attendance was robust, dealers reported strong sales, and smaller panels drew bigger crowds, all of which suggest that SDCC, NYCC, and other conventions don’t need A-list actors and blockbuster films to attract fans.
On the manga front, Hayao Miyazaki’s Shuna’s Journey won the Eisner Award for Best US Edition of International Material—Asia, and Junji Ito took home an Inkpot Award for his “contributions to the worlds of comics, science fiction/fantasy, film, television, animation, and fandom services.” Previous Inkpot winners include Rumiko Takahashi and Tite Kubo… the Mangasplainers announced plan to co-publish four new titles with Fantagraphics and UDON Manga… Kodansha unveiled new titles for Spring 2024… ABLAZE licensed Masaaki Nonomiya’s GANNIBAL… Deb Aoki convened her annual Best and Worst Manga panel with Brigid Alverson, Varun Gupta, Siddarth Gupta, Jillian Rudes, and Laura Neuzeth… and speaking of Deb, she gets the last word in our SDCC round-up with Manga Was Marquee at San Diego.
NEWS ROUND-UP
The CBDLF has joined forces with the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, and the Author’s Guild to oppose a new law that would require Texas booksellers to use a content ratings system when selling materials to libraries… a Florida woman is suing to have Assassination Classroom removed from high school libraries in Polk County… Hayao Miyazaki’s film The Boy and the Heron will open this year’s Toronto Film Festival… ICv2 names the top ten manga franchises for spring 2023… Brigid Alverson parses the June 2023 Circana Bookscan numbers… Insomniacs After School is entering the final stretch, with just two more chapters to go… George Morikawa’s long-running boxing drama Hajime no Ippo just achieved a new sales milestone… and Otaku USA has previews of two upcoming series: The Poetry of Ran and Tengen Hero Wars.
AROUND THE WEB
If you read nothing else this week, check out Tony Yao’s excellent essay about Kowloon Generic Romance, a series that “starts off as an interesting romance drama” and “becomes an ongoing mystery regarding identity and what it means to live as someone who feels strangely out of place.” Yao’s essay explores the cultural roots of this story, offering a thoughtful reflection on the “persistence of nostalgia” in Hong Kong culture. [Drop-In to Manga]
That Manga Hunter takes a deep dive into the Shojo Beat catalog in search of great josei titles. [That Manga Hunter]
Kara Dennison explains why fantasy fans should read Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. [Otaku USA]
Researcher Paul DeMerrit-Verrone joins Erica Friedman for an in-depth look at how Japan’s Student Movement (1968-89) influenced the development of shojo and yuri manga. [Yuri Studio]
If you’re a horror buff, be sure to check out Lynzee Loveridge’s interview with Masaaki Nakayama, whose PTSD Radio was nominated for an Eisner Award earlier this year. [ANN]
Slam Dunk fans take note: Aoba no Basuke might just be your new favorite basketball series. [Sports Baka]
School’s in session! Solène Mallet Gauthier and Stephanie Halmhofer dedicate the latest Comics Academe column to SPRIGGAN, “a fun, action-packed mix of archaeology, aliens, and international politics.” [WWAC]
ICYMI: The New York Times recently published a fascinating article on translating manga for English-language audiences, tracing out that history from Epic Comics’ flipped, colorized version of AKIRA through Drawn & Quarterly’s forthcoming edition of Nejishiki. [New York Times]
REVIEWS
Scott Cederlund posts an in-depth reflection on Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Good-Bye, Eri... Sarah reviews The Summer Hikaru Died, one of the year’s most anticipated horror manga… ANN’s Christopher Farris takes Spider-Man: Fake Red for a spin… Otaku USA’s Danica Davidson weighs in on Tokorozawa is 177 cm Tall, a collection of “shojo-ai” stories published by DMP… and Megan D. pronounces The Honor Student at Magic High School a dud.
New and Noteworthy
- The Beginning After the End, Vol. 1 (Noemi10, Anime UK News)
- Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 1 (Renee Scott, Good Comics for Kids)
- Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 1 (Krystallina, The OASG)
- Disney Twisted-Wonderland The Comic: Episode of Heartslabyul, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, ANN)
- The Essence of Being a Muse, Vol. 1 (Claire, Beneath the Tangles)
- Fushigi Yugi: BYAKKO SENKI, Vol. 1 (Megan D., The Manga Test Drive)
- Imitation, Vol. 1 (darkstorm, Anime UK News)
- Imitation, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
- Insomniacs After School, Vol. 1 (Adam, No Flying No Tights)
- K-On! Shuffle, Vol. 1 (Krystallina, The OASG)
- Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms, Vol. 1 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
- Okinawa (Publisher’s Weekly)
- Papa and Daddy’s Home Cooking, Vol. 1 (Danica Davidson, Otaku USA)
- Parallel World Pharmacy, Vol. 1 (MrAJCosplay, ANN)
- Soichi: Junji Ito Story Collection (MrAJCosplay, ANN)
- Soichi: Junji Ito Story Collection (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, Vol. 1 (Krystallina, The OASG)
- The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
- Sunbeams in the Sky, Vol. 1 (Krystallina, The OASG)
- Tokyo Aliens, Vol. 3 (Helen, The OASG)
- Until I Love Myself: The Journey of a Non-Binary Manga Artist (Publisher’s Weekly)
- Who Made Me a Princess?, Vol. 1 (Noemi10, Anime UK News)
- The Witch and the Knight Will Survive, Vol. 1 (Liz, No Flying No Tights)
- Wolverine: Snikt! (Adam, No Flying No Tights)
Complete, OOP, and Ongoing Series
- The Abandoned Empress, Vol. 5 (Noemi10, Anime UK News)
- Beauty and the Feast, Vol. 8 (Krystallina, The OASG)
- The Boxer, Vol. 3 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
- Boy’s Abyss, Vol. 2 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- Coffee Moon, Vol. 3 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
- Dr. STONE, Vol. 26 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- Fly Me to the Moon, Vol. 18 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- Gabriel Dropout, Vol. 12 (Krystallina, The OASG)
- The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!, Vol. 5 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
- Hi, I’m a Witch, and My Crush Wants Me to Make a Love Potion, Vol. 2 (Krystallina, The OASG)
- Hinogawa ga CRUSH!, Vol. 8 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- In Another World with My Smartphone, Vol. 9 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
- My Happy Marriage, Vol. 3 (Krystallina, The OASG)
- My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Vol. 14 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- Otherside Picnic, Vol. 5 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)
- Record of Ragnarok, Vols. 6-7 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- Show-ha Shoten!, Vol. 2 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
- Shy, Vol. 3 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
- Twilight Out of Focus, Vol. 2: Afterimages in Slow Motion (Sarah, Anime UK News)
- Wistoria: Wand and Sword, Vol. 4 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
- Yuri Is My Job!, Vol. 11 (Christian LeBlanc, Okazu)
- Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, Vol. 10 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)