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Bookshelf Briefs 5/29/12

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This week, Kate, MJ, and Michelle look at recent releases from Yen Press, VIZ Media, JManga, and eManga.

Amorous Women of the Floating World: Sex in Old Tokyo, Vol. 1 | By Kaoru Hazuki & Chinatsu Takamura | Leed Publishing Co., LTD – The cover copy for this manga begins, “Did you know that Japan in the 18th century was even more sexually permissive than it is today?” After reading this manga, however, it must be clarified that “sexually permissive” should be appended with”…for men.” This book is for men, of course, but it’s difficult to accept it as harmless sexual fantasy, when it works so hard to try to sell the subjugation of women as female empowerment. The book opens with lessons in “marital harmony.” “It is incredibly pleasurable for your lord to enter your mouth,” a young woman is told on the eve of her wedding night. “Do not deny him!” Later, we learn about the rural practice in which groups of local men set upon households of women in the middle of the night to ask for sex, which we’re told was empowering for the women because they were allowed to say no. While as a history of sexual behavior in Japan, this book offers some interesting information, as sexual fantasy it’s just kind of… icky. – MJ

Black Butler, Vol. 9 | By Yana Toboso | Published by Yen Press – You know the previous arc must’ve been a dark one when a murder mystery set in Phantomhive Manor seems positively lighthearted by comparison! Ciel is compelled by Her Majesty to play host to a distinguished German visitor, but when the man turns up dead (on the requisite dark and stormy night, of course), Ciel is the only one without an alibi. One guest believes in his innocence, however—a medically trained mystery writer named Arthur, whom one can only assume is meant to be Conan Doyle. Arthur narrates the tale, which is kind of neat, and though I don’t believe for one moment that Sebastian has truly become the killer’s latest victim, I must say that I was really bummed out that I didn’t have volume ten immediately to hand.– Michelle Smith

Cross Game, Vol. 7 | By Mitsuru Adachi | Published by VIZ Media – I’ve you’ve been keeping up with Cross Game, you pretty much know what to expect with this volume. The Seishu team has one last chance to make it to Koshien, and this omnibus (comprising volumes 14 and 15 of the original Japanese edition) offers lots and lots of baseball goodness as they make their way through the Tokyo tournament. Meanwhile, there’s a sort of romantic pentagram going on that provides some distractions. I really admire the elegant way that Adachi and co. depict the games—they are effortlessly easy to follow—as well as Aoba’s growing realization of Ko’s various good qualities, and am always left wanting more even after 300+ pages. Speaking of wanting more, I shall avail myself once more of the opportunity to express my wish for another Adachi series after Cross Game wraps in July. Please, VIZ? – Michelle Smith

A Devil and Her Love Song, Vol. 3 | By Miyoshi Tomori | VIZ Media – Miyoshi Tomori captures adolescence in all its messy confusion, addressing pack behavior, frenemies, and faculty bullies. To be sure, other manga explore the same terrain, but Tomori’s work is one the few that can transport an adult reader back to his or her high school days in a vivid, compelling fashion. What makes this series work is its cast: the characters are flawed, inconsistent, and sometimes unlikable — just like real people — but they’re also funny, smart, and occasionally brave in small ways — just like real people. Best of all, Tomori’s heroine is prickly and brash without being cartoonish; chances are, you knew someone just like Maria when you were 15, and secretly admired her candor, too. Recommended. -Katherine Dacey

Don’t Cry, Girl | By Tomoko Yamashita | JManga – Are wacky nudists the latest trend in manga? I ask because Don’t Cry, Girl was the second manga I’ve read that featured a naked character — in this case, Masuda, a bachelor who agrees to provide a home for Taeko, his friends’ chaste but sensible 17-year-old daughter. The story reads like an extended riff on Austin Powers, with Masuda strategically using bowls of fruit, house plants, and vacuum cleaners to block Taeko’s line of sight. It’s a giddy and stupid conceit, sustained by the chemistry between the unsparingly blunt Taeko and the irrepressibly childish Masuda. The volume is rounded out by a second story, “3322,” which explores the relationships among a trio of women who spend a summer living together. The second story is lush and atmospheric but a little disjointed, making it difficult to follow all the plot strands. Taken as a whole, however, Don’t Cry, Girl is a welcome addition to the small but growing body of josei in English. – Katherine Dacey

Rin-ne, Vol. 9 | By Rumiko Takahashi | VIZ Media – The latest volume of Rin-ne features several ghost-of-the-week stories. Some have a loopy charm: in “Ramen Kaedama,” for example, Rokudo’s feckless father teams up with another damashigami to open a noodle shop, while “The Wig’s Regret” features a possessed prop from a long-forgotten school play. Other chapters, however, feel like something that Rumiko Takahashi could produce on autopilot: the stories are pat and predictable, with magical elements that feel overdetermined. The artwork, too, lacks the detail and personality of Takahashi’s earlier efforts; the backgrounds are uncharacteristically sparse and bland, while the figure drawings look like pallid imitations of characters from Ranma and InuYasha. It’s not bad, just tired; we’ve seen Takahashi tell these kind of stories before with more spark and wit. -Katherine Dacey

New SJ series, more on American manga creators

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The newest addition to Viz’s Shonen Jump Alpha lineup is Kōhei Horikoshi’s sci-fi manga Sensei no Baruji (Barrage).

This really shouldn’t be news, but somehow it is: ICv2 reports that Bizenghast creator M. Alice LeGrow will be paid for the eighth and final volume of the series, which is being co-published by Tokyopop and RightStuf.

Sean Gaffney looks at the coming week’s new manga releases.

The Digital Manga Guild will expand its reach to light novels and doujinshi, Digital Manga, Inc., representatives announced at Fanime this past weekend.

Deb Aoki continues her series on Making a Living in Manga with a look at publishers vs. self-publishing and webcomics—and whether you should just move to Japan.

And here’s an interview with a working manga artist: Laur Uy posts parts 3 and 4 of her interview with Cassandra Jean, the illustrator of Beautiful Creatures, published by Yen Press.

The Manga Moveable Feast, which focused on Oishinbo and food manga, is over, but you can read all the posts and check the links at host blog Otaku Champloo. A few late entries: Ed Sizemore has some things to say about food manga at Comics Worth Reading, and he and Johanna Draper Carlson discuss the topic with Deb Aoki and Michelle Smith in the latest Manga Out Loud podcast. Meanwhile, Ash Brown muses on Oishinbo and the Romance of Food at Experiments in Manga. And Kate Dacey looks at seven mouth-watering food manga at The Manga Critic.

And Michelle Smith and Anna Neatrour will co-host the next MMF at their blogs, Soliloquy in Blue and Manga Report, respectively. The topic: The works of Takehiko Inoue.

Erica Friedman rounds up the latest yuri news at Okazu. She also points to the English translation of Kimino Tamenara Shineru, a gag manga set in the Heian era, which is now available on JManga, along with an essay on the Heian Period that she co-wrote with translator Erin Subramanian.

Patrick Markfort takes to video to discuss the work of Naoki Urasawa.

Comics Alliance has an excerpt from the manga section of The Comic Book History of Comics, by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey. Check it out for a snippet of the history of manga told in comic-book form.

Connie continues her commentary on the Eroicaverse with a look at the art book Plus Ultra.

Black Sun manga-ka Uki Ogasawara will be a guest at this year’s Yaoi-Con.

Megan Purdy reports on the scene at TCAF at Manga Bookshelf.

Matt Blind has the manga best-sellers (online sales) for the week ending March 11.

News from Japan: Three Steps Over Japan takes a look at the newish manga magazine Miracle Jump. W-Juliet creator Emura will launch a new shoujo manga, Idea no Hana, in the August issue of Bessatsu Hana to Yume, and D.N. Angel manga-ka Yukiru Sugisaki’s 1001 (Knights) debuts in the next issue of Asuka. Galaxy Angel creator Yūko Ōtsuki (a.k.a. Kanan) has a new series, Shōjo Ren-ai Hen-i (Girl Love Variation), in Shogakukan’s Club Sunday magazine. Manga adaptations of the anime ‘K’, the Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor game, and the Mini-Skirt Uchū Kaizoku light novels are in the works. Berserk is back for a three-chapter run in Hakusensha’s Young Animal. The high school version of K-ON will end in the June issue of Manga Time Kirara Carat.

Reviews: MJ and Michelle Smith discuss some recent yaoi titles in their latest BL Bookrack column at Manga Bookshelf. Ash Brown wraps up a week’s worth of manga at Experiments in Manga.

Matthew Warner on vol. 6 of Arisa (The Fandom Post)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 14 of Black Bird (The Comic Book Bin)
Sesho on vol. 1 of Bloody Monday (podcast review) (Sesho’s Anime and Manga Reviews)
TSOTE on vol. 3 of Case Records of Professor Munakata (Three Steps Over Japan)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 3 of Dawn of the Arcana (ANN)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 4 of Dawn of the Arcana (The Comic Book Bin)
Anna on vol. 3 of A Devil and Her Love Song (Manga Report)
Carlo Santos on Dororo (omnibus editions) (ANN)
Connie on vol. 1 of Doukyusei (Slightly Biased Manga)
Manjiyorin on vol. 1 of Drifters (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)
Connie on vol. 2 of Fist of the North Star (Slightly Biased Manga)
Alexander Bustos on issue 11 of GEN magazine (Comic attack)
Rebecca Silverman on vol. 18 of Higurashi: When They Cry (ANN)
Lesley Aeschliman on vol. 1 of Hoshin Engi (Blogcritics)
Connie on vol. 9 of Kamisama Kiss (Slightly Biased Manga)
Kristin on vol. 9 of Kamisama Kiss (Comic Attack)
Sweetpea616 on Kitchen Princess (Organization Anti-Social Geniuses)
John Rose on vol. 5 of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya-Chan (The Fandom Post)
Connie on vol. 7 of Natsume’s Book of Friends (Slightly Biased Manga)
Lori Henderson on vol. 1 of Neko Ramen (Manga Xanadu)
Lori Henderson on vol. 1 of Oishinbo A La Carte (Manga Xanadu)
Ash Brown on Oishinbo A La Carte: Ramen and Gyoza (Experiments in Manga)
Leroy Douresseaux on vol. 62 of One Piece (The Comic Book Bin)
Chris Beveridge on chapter 1 of Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration (The Fandom Post)
Drew McCabe on chapter 1 of Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration (Comic Attack)
Carlo Santos on vol. 5 of Saturn Apartments (ANN)
Kristin on vol. 7 of The Story of Saiunkoku (Comic Attack)
Connie on vol. 6 of Tyrant Falls in Love (Slightly Biased Manga)
Snow Wildsmith on Young Miss Holmes Casebook 1-2 (Good Comics for Kids)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Vol. 1

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The opening pages of Puella Magi Madoka Magica suggest a dreary retread of Sailor Moon: Kyubey, a talking cat, appears before Madoka Kaname, a perky yet otherwise unremarkable school girl, and asks her, “Would you like to change destiny?” Our first clue that Puella has something nastier up its be-ribboned sleeve occurs midway through the first chapter, when transfer student Homura Akemi confronts Madoka with a dire, if cryptic, warning: “You should never consider ‘changing yourself’ in any way,” she tells Madoka. “If you choose not to heed my words, those things that you hold dear will all be lost.” Homura then attacks Kyubey, accusing him of using “dirty tactics” to persuade Madoka to make a contract with him.

Though all the trappings of a traditional magical girl manga are in place — the costume changes, the cute familiars, the teamwork — Puella charts a darker, more violent course than other translated examples of the genre. Homura and Madoka operate in a world where magical girls routinely die; though their powers are formidable, magical girls are worked to the point of emotional and physical exhaustion. Moreover, their contracts are signed under duress; Kyubey frequently appeals to girls in desperate circumstances, using their vulnerability as leverage. (In exchange for battling witches, he explains to Madoka, “I fulfill one wish. Any wish you want!”)

In short, Puella manages to have its cake and eat it, too, faithfully adhering to the genre’s conventions while offering an explicit critique of its underlying message of courage and selflessness. The story is the antithesis of a wish-fulfillment fantasy: the powers that Kyubey bestows come with responsibilities that are too difficult for a young, inexperienced person to bear. Throughout the manga, we see examples of magical girls who have become competitive or embittered by their experiences, at risk of becoming witches themselves. We also meet girls who regret the haste with which they made their contracts, as their wishes were fulfilled at the expense of friends and family members.

As sharp as Puella‘s genre critique may be, the artwork is a disappointment. The character designs are faithful to the original anime, but the magical elements look smudgy on the page, the product of too much dark grey screentone. The anime’s surreal fight sequences have lost their visual punch as well. Creatures that looked strange and menacing in color have been defanged, reduced to cute video game monsters floating above the picture plane.

Most of the fight scenes have been compressed into a few pages, further curtailing their impact; we barely have time to register who the opponents are before one of the magical girls has eliminated the threat. As a result, the volume’s climatic scene lacks emotional resonance. Though the characters have repeatedly discussed how dangerous their vocation is, the fight is so fleeting and impressionistic that the stakes seem too low to yield such a devastating outcome.

If the artwork lacks the personality of a Magic Knight Rayearth or Cardcaptor Sakura, however, the actual story is on par with the best translated examples of the magical girl manga. Like the aforementioned CLAMP titles, Puella Magi Madoka Magica treats the magical girl as a character worthy of complexity and genuine interiority; the Puella girls may engage in magical combat, but they’re painfully aware that saving the world can be an ugly business — even if they’re wearing smart costumes.

Review copy provided by Yen Press.

PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA, VOL. 1 • STORY BY MAGICA QUARTET, ART BY HANOKAGE • YEN PRESS • 144 pp. • RATING: OLDER TEEN (16+)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Vol. 1

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The opening pages of Puella Magi Madoka Magica suggest a dreary retread of Sailor Moon: Kyubey, a talking cat, appears before Madoka Kaname, a perky yet otherwise unremarkable school girl, and asks her, “Would you like to change destiny?” Our first clue that Puella has something nastier up its be-ribboned sleeve occurs midway through the first chapter, when transfer student Homura Akemi confronts Madoka with a dire, if cryptic, warning: “You should never consider ‘changing yourself’ in any way,” she tells Madoka. “If you choose not to heed my words, those things that you hold dear will all be lost.” Homura then attacks Kyubey, accusing him of using “dirty tactics” to persuade Madoka to make a contract with him.

Though all the trappings of a traditional magical girl manga are in place — the costume changes, the cute familiars, the teamwork — Puella charts a darker, more violent course than other translated examples of the genre. Homura and Madoka operate in a world where magical girls routinely die; though their powers are formidable, magical girls are worked to the point of emotional and physical exhaustion. Moreover, their contracts are signed under duress; Kyubey frequently appeals to girls in desperate circumstances, using their vulnerability as leverage. (In exchange for battling witches, he explains to Madoka, “I fulfill one wish. Any wish you want!”)

In short, Puella manages to have its cake and eat it, too, faithfully adhering to the genre’s conventions while offering an explicit critique of its underlying message of courage and selflessness. The story is the antithesis of a wish-fulfillment fantasy: the powers that Kyubey bestows come with responsibilities that are too difficult for a young, inexperienced person to bear. Throughout the manga, we see examples of magical girls who have become competitive or embittered by their experiences, at risk of becoming witches themselves. We also meet girls who regret the haste with which they made their contracts, as their wishes were fulfilled at the expense of friends and family members.

As sharp as Puella‘s genre critique may be, the artwork is a disappointment. The character designs are faithful to the original anime, but the magical elements look smudgy on the page, the product of too much dark grey screentone. The anime’s surreal fight sequences have lost their visual punch as well. Creatures that looked strange and menacing in color have been defanged, reduced to cute video game monsters floating above the picture plane.

Most of the fight scenes have been compressed into a few pages, further curtailing their impact; we barely have time to register who the opponents are before one of the magical girls has eliminated the threat. As a result, the volume’s climatic scene lacks emotional resonance. Though the characters have repeatedly discussed how dangerous their vocation is, the fight is so fleeting and impressionistic that the stakes seem too low to yield such a devastating outcome.

If the artwork lacks the personality of a Magic Knight Rayearth or Cardcaptor Sakura, however, the actual story is on par with the best translated examples of the magical girl manga. Like the aforementioned CLAMP titles, Puella Magi Madoka Magica treats the magical girl as a character worthy of complexity and genuine interiority; the Puella girls may engage in magical combat, but they’re painfully aware that saving the world can be an ugly business — even if they’re wearing smart costumes.

Review copy provided by Yen Press.

PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA, VOL. 1 • STORY BY MAGICA QUARTET, ART BY HANOKAGE • YEN PRESS • 144 pp. • RATING: OLDER TEEN (16+)

BL Bookrack: May 2012

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Welcome to the May installment of BL Bookrack! This month, Michelle takes a look at est em’s Apartments of Calle Feliz (JManga) and the first volume of The Scent of Apple Blossoms (SuBLime), while MJchecks out western BL webcomic Honeydew Syndrome. In Brief: Doukyusei from JManga, and My Sweet Home from the Digital Manga Guild.


Apartments of Calle Feliz | By est em | Published by JManga – It seems that every time I turn around I am thanking JManga for something these days, and this quirky set of interconnected short stories from est em can now be added to the list!

Life’s not going well for aspiring novelist Luca. His editor is dissatisfied with his work, and he’s just been kicked out of his home because his boyfriend found a new guy. When he responds to a flyer advertising a room for rent, he ends up living with the landlord, Javi, instead. Luca’s intrigued by Javi, but keeps telling himself not to care about him, because it seems obvious that Javi has ousted a past lover from his apartment and Luca knows what that feels like.

Still, Javi is an inspiration, and his suggestion that Luca write stories with happy endings for the tenants of the apartment building—located on Calle Feliz (or “happy street”)—results in the tales included here. Residents include Dino and Salvator (a fashion designer and his nudist recluse boyfriend), Noe and the Twins (a man unable to decide which of a pair of twins he prefers), Matias and Pepe (a boy who reminds a puppetmaker of his lost love), and Jose and Eva (a hard-of-hearing guy and a crossdresser with a bunch of noisy roommates). A story about Javi and Luca and Javi’s past rounds out the collection.

The stories themselves are generally fun and charming—though I was disappointed that the Jose and Eva story seemed to end so abruptly—but what’s even more intriguing is wondering how much of this actually happened and how much is Luca’s imagination. Did Pepe’s lover really return to him? Did the designer and the nudist resolve their problems and live happily ever after? It’s nice to imagine they did, but est em floats the possibility that maybe things didn’t actually turn out so well, which is a narrative trick I just love.

This may not be as dramatic a collection as something like Seduce Me After the Show or Red Blinds the Foolish, but it is definitely worth reading all the same.

– Review by Michelle Smith


Honeydew Syndrome, Vol. 1 | By New Shoe | Rated Teen – A while back, I got an e-mail asking if I’d be willing to take a look at a North American comic called Two Keys from the creative team New Shoe (Chloe Chan and Aliena Shoemaker). I agreed. Included in the package when it arrived was the first print volume of the duo’s older BL webcomic Honeydew Syndrome, which immediately stole my attention with its sparse, melancholy cover art and manga-influenced character designs. I couldn’t help but read it, and though its promising first impression was marred somewhat by a small rash of typos and lettering mishaps, the truth is, I found myself rushing to my computer the moment I finished in order to read the rest (and I’ve just purchased volume two, which promises a bonus chapter and some prose stories). It’s just that charming.

So here’s the setup: High school student and emo-in-denial Metis (yes, like Athena’s mother, for those of you who are into Greek mythology) accidentally witnesses popular jock Josh being dumped by his cheerleader girlfriend, which somehow lands him in the way of Josh’s angry fist. To make things worse, he then gets paired up with Josh for a major school project. Though Metis is initially afraid for his well-being, fear soon turns to anger as he realizes that Josh has no idea who he even is, let alone that he recently punched him. Since this is BL, we know that teen angst and misunderstanding ultimately lead to love, but in romance, of course, it’s all about the journey, and this one is pretty delightful all-around.

Though romance is definitely the destination, what makes this series’ journey so worthwhile is its focus on friendship—specifically that between Metis and his collection of outsider friends, and especially his long-time best friend, Charles. Metis and Charles, with their impenetrable universe of two, embody all the best parts of teenage outcast friendship, including all the conversational shorthand, unspoken loyalty, and weirdly casual sexual tension that so often comes with the package. Other standouts include quietly colorful Jay and witheringly honest Sarah (who appears in later chapters).

New Shoe’s artwork lacks polish (at least in this early work), but it’s also unfailingly expressive, and the visual storytelling is solid. The characters’ emotional trajectory is crystal clear, panel-to-panel, even in the artwork’s most uneven moments. If I had the opportunity to register only one complaint regarding Honeydew Syndrome, it would be that there simply is not enough of it. The series ended abruptly in 2009 amid discontent on the part of both fans and creators, as evidenced by comments posted to its fan community at the time. But whatever controversy the series once generated, the existing work is well worth reading.

With its character-driven approach and thoughtful storytelling, Honeydew Syndrome holds its own alongside my small collection of Japanese and Korean favorites. Recommended.

– Review by MJ


The Scent of Apple Blossoms, Vol. 1 | By Toko Kawai | Published by SuBLime – I have yet to meet a Toko Kawai manga I didn’t like, and The Scent of Apple Blossoms proves to be no exception.

Born in America, salesman Haruna Mutsuki is a little more uninhibited than most, and when he meets the intriguing grandson of a sake brewery master during the course of business, he’s pretty forthright with his interest. The grandsom, known for most of the volume only as Nakagawa, presents a cold demeanor, but proves to be kindly in certain situations. I swear, never has the act of remaining sober so as to drive someone else home had so much sweet, romantic significance.

While this is definitely a romance, Kawai gives the story space to breathe and allows her characters ample time and opportunity to establish their personalities. While Haruna looks like the stereotypical uke, for example, and requires a bit of nursing on several occasions, he’s actually a pretty confident guy who’s very capable at his work. Nakagawa, meanwhile, is a ringer for the stereotypical gruff but sweet type who will come around eventually, but he’s actually got some legitimate reasons for shying away from Haruna’s romantic advances.

When the two eventaully get together (not really a spoiler in this sort of story), it’s a big leap for both of them that Kawai’s storytelling has allowed readers to really understand and appreciate. Although I get the sense that she was fine where the story ended in this first volume, The Scent of Apple Blossoms is actually a continuing series. The third volume was just released in Japan earlier this month, and though SuBLime’s digital release calendar doesn’t show volume two yet, I am hoping the wait won’t be too long.

– Review by Michelle Smith

In Brief:

Doukyusei | By Asumiko Nakamura | JManga | Rated Teen Plus – As far as I’m concerned, when it comes to romance, the more awkward the better, and that goes double if the characters are teens. Fortunately, Doukyusei gets this exactly right, and really so much more. Emotionally offbeat in the vein of Rihito Takarai & Venio Tachibana’s Seven Days series (but without the contrived setup), Asumiko Nakamura delicately explores the awkwardness of first love with a kind of frank delicacy, aided greatly by her unique art style and gangly character designs. The story’s themes and school-based situations may be standard genre fare, but Nakamura’s storytelling is decidedly not. Highly recommended. – MJ

My Sweet Home | By Kai Nanase | Digital Manga Guild | Rated Mature – This BL one-shot about a young real estate agent who finds himself showing luxurious apartments to an ex-lover sounds promising to start. (Adults with jobs? Check. Workplace awkwardness? Check.) Unfortunately, the book’s summary is its highlight, leading quickly to rushed, unsatisfying romance, incoherent plotting, and artwork so generic that only the change in main character names really distinguishes the book’s title story from the shorter one-shots that follow. Digital Manga Guild localizing team Kaedama Translations does their job, but there’s only so much that can be done with a clunker like My Sweet Home. With so much BL manga now flooding the market by way of the DMG, mediocre fare like this holds very little appeal. – MJ

Review copies provided by the publishers.

Disclosure: MJ is currently under contract with Digital Manga Publishing’s Digital Manga Guild, as necessitated for her ongoing report Inside the DMG. Any compensation earned by MJin her role as an editor with the DMG will be donated to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Other recent BL reviews at Manga Bookshelf: Apartments of Calle Feliz (JManga), Working Kentauros (JManga), Devil’s Honey (Sublime), The Boyfriend Next Door (Digital Manga Guild)

Announcing the Takehiko Inoue Manga Moveable Feast!

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What: A multi-blogger event focused on the works of Takehiko Inoue. (Those published in English include Slam Dunk, Vagabond, and Real.)

When: The week of June 24-30, 2012.

Who: Co-hosted by Michelle Smith and Anna Neatrour, participation open to all!

Why: Because we are both major Inoue fans and want to spread the love!

Where: Soliloquy in Blue (that’s here!) and Manga Report (that’s here!).

How: Anna will be maintaining the archive at Manga Report, so if you’ve written anything Inoue-related in the past that you’d like to be included, just send her an e-mail. Michelle will be posting daily MMF wrap-up reports at Soliloquy in Blue, so if you’re contributing new stuff, drop her a line. You can also post your link on Twitter using the hashtag #inouemmf. If you don’t have a blog of your own but would like to contribute, just let us know and we can make that happen!

Manga Bestsellers: 2012, Week Ending 11 March

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Comparative Rankings Based on Consolidated Online Sales

last week’s charts
about the charts

##

Manga Bestsellers

1. ↑1 (2) : Sailor Moon 4 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [485.3] ::
2. ↓-1 (1) : Sailor Moon 3 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2012 [467.7] ::
3. ↑2 (5) : Naruto 55 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [446.9] ::
4. ↔0 (4) : Sailor Moon 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [404.3] ::
5. ↓-2 (3) : Sailor Moon 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [400.8] ::
6. ↔0 (6) : Maximum Ride 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2011 [385.5] ::
7. ↑7 (14) : Black Bird 13 – Viz Shojo Beat, Mar 2012 [376.3] ::
8. ↔0 (8) : Sailor Moon Codename: Sailor V 2 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2011 [356.5] ::
9. ↓-2 (7) : Black Butler 8 – Yen Press, Jan 2012 [336.7] ::
10. ↔0 (10) : Sailor Moon Codename: Sailor V 1 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2011 [311.1] ::

[more]

Top Imprints
Number of volumes ranking in the Top 500:

Viz Shonen Jump 78
Yen Press 70
Viz Shojo Beat 58
Tokyopop 51
Kodansha Comics 43
Viz Shonen Jump Advanced 34
DMP Juné 19
Vizkids 18
Dark Horse 17
Seven Seas 17

[more]

Series/Property

1. ↔0 (1) : Sailor Moon – Kodansha Comics [1,190.0] ::
2. ↔0 (2) : Naruto – Viz Shonen Jump [941.1] ::
3. ↔0 (3) : Black Butler – Yen Press [722.9] ::
4. ↔0 (4) : Maximum Ride – Yen Press [719.9] ::
5. ↑1 (6) : Black Bird – Viz Shojo Beat [607.1] ::
6. ↓-1 (5) : Bleach – Viz Shonen Jump [550.7] ::
7. ↑7 (14) : One Piece – Viz Shonen Jump [492.3] ::
8. ↑1 (9) : Fullmetal Alchemist – Viz [438.0] ::
9. ↓-2 (7) : Negima! – Del Rey/Kodansha Comics [429.9] ::
10. ↓-2 (8) : xxxHolic – Del Rey/Kodansha Comics [416.0] ::

[more]

New Releases
(Titles releasing/released This Month & Last)

1. ↑1 (2) : Sailor Moon 4 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [485.3] ::
3. ↑2 (5) : Naruto 55 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [446.9] ::
7. ↑7 (14) : Black Bird 13 – Viz Shojo Beat, Mar 2012 [376.3] ::
12. ↑108 (120) : Dengeki Daisy 9 – Viz Shojo Beat, Mar 2012 [292.4] ::
13. ↑6 (19) : Sailor Moon 5 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2012 [292.3] ::
14. ↓-1 (13) : Naruto 54 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [285.5] ::
16. ↑15 (31) : One Piece 61 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [279.4] ::
19. ↓-2 (17) : Bleach 38 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [253.3] ::
30. ↑30 (60) : Soulless 1 – Yen Press, Mar 2012 [198.1] ::
31. ↑72 (103) : Fairy Tail 18 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2012 [198.0] ::

[more]

Preorders

23. ↓-1 (22) : Sailor Moon 6 – Kodansha Comics, Jun 2012 [246.2] ::
25. ↓-4 (21) : Sailor Moon 7 – Kodansha Comics, Sep 2012 [232.8] ::
72. ↑8 (80) : Black Butler 9 – Yen Press, Jul 2012 [126.7] ::
75. ↑8 (83) : Sailor Moon 8 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2012 [125.5] ::
86. ↑21 (107) : Finder Series 6 Passion within the View Finder – DMP Juné, Jul 2012 [117.7] ::
102. ↑7 (109) : Private Teacher 3 – DMP Juné, May 2012 [102.5] ::
103. ↑47 (150) : Naruto 56 – Viz Shonen Jump, May 2012 [102.2] ::
105. ↑ (last ranked 4 Mar 12) : Novus Karma (ebook) 1 – MangaMagazine, Aug 2012 [101.2] ::
106. ↓-18 (88) : Dance in the Vampire Bund 12 – Seven Seas, Jun 2012 [100.7] ::
144. ↓-5 (139) : Naruto 57 – Viz Shonen Jump, Jul 2012 [75.3] ::

[more]

Manhwa

283. ↓-29 (254) : Bride of the Water God 10 – Dark Horse, Jan 2012 [39.3] ::
301. ↑7 (308) : Bride of the Water God 9 – Dark Horse, Oct 2011 [37.5] ::
690. ↑ (last ranked 2 Oct 11) : Priest Purgatory 1 – Tokyopop, Aug 2010 [12.4] ::
770. ↑129 (899) : Arcana 4 – Tokyopop, Mar 2006 [9.7] ::
955. ↓-335 (620) : March Story 3 – Viz Signature, Oct 2011 [5.7] ::
1022. ↑756 (1778) : March Story 1 – Viz Signature, Oct 2010 [4.6] ::
1027. ↓-172 (855) : Toxic (anthology) 1 – Udon, Jul 2012 [4.6] ::
1041. ↓-347 (694) : Ragnarok 1 – Tokyopop, May 2002 [4.4] ::
1059. ↑720 (1779) : Jack Frost 4 – Yen Press, Dec 2010 [4.2] ::
1122. ↓-371 (751) : Jack Frost 2 – Yen Press, Nov 2009 [3.5] ::

[more]

BL/Yaoi

83. ↓-29 (54) : Finder Series 5 Truth in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Dec 2011 [121.1] ::
86. ↑21 (107) : Finder Series 6 Passion within the View Finder – DMP Juné, Jul 2012 [117.7] ::
92. ↓-11 (81) : Ambiguous Relationship – DMP Juné, Mar 2012 [113.3] ::
94. ↑7 (101) : Ice Cage (ebook) – Yaoi Press, Feb 2012 [111.5] ::
97. ↓-21 (76) : Seven Days Friday-Sunday – DMP Juné, Sep 2011 [109.1] ::
99. ↑3 (102) : Maelstrom (ebook) 1 – Yaoi Press, Jun 2011 [107.9] ::
102. ↑7 (109) : Private Teacher 3 – DMP Juné, May 2012 [102.5] ::
173. ↓-50 (123) : Private Teacher 2 – DMP Juné, Jan 2012 [62.9] ::
178. ↓-1 (177) : Finder Series 4 Prisoner in the View Finder – DMP Juné, Aug 2011 [61.8] ::
187. ↓-43 (144) : Black Sun 2 – 801 Media, Dec 2011 [60.0] ::

[more]

Ebooks

3. ↑2 (5) : Naruto 55 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [446.9] ::
6. ↔0 (6) : Maximum Ride 5 – Yen Press, Dec 2011 [385.5] ::
11. ↑5 (16) : Naruto 53 – Viz Shonen Jump, Dec 2011 [303.4] ::
14. ↓-1 (13) : Naruto 54 – Viz Shonen Jump, Mar 2012 [285.5] ::
18. ↓-3 (15) : Maximum Ride 1 – Yen Press, Jan 2009 [270.2] ::
24. (new) : SIN 1 – MangaMagazine, Sep 2011 [236.9] ::
26. ↑9 (35) : Maximum Ride 2 – Yen Press, Oct 2009 [227.1] ::
29. ↑3 (32) : Maximum Ride 4 – Yen Press, Apr 2011 [198.1] ::
30. ↑30 (60) : Soulless 1 – Yen Press, Mar 2012 [198.1] ::
40. ↓-4 (36) : Maximum Ride 3 – Yen Press, Aug 2010 [183.0] ::

[more]

An Open Letter to Movie Critics

by

By now, if you’re a movie critic, you’ve filed your Avengers — sorry, Marvel’s The Avengers — review and are girding your loins for The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises. Before you hold forth on the evils of comic book movies, or write an essay about superhero decadence, let me offer a few suggestions for reviewing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight. These tips won’t guarantee that every DC or Marvel man will be wowed by your references to Rio Bravo and Yojimbo, or swayed by your measured criticisms, but they will ensure that movie-goers like me — smart folk who like Lawrence of Arabia and The Walking Dead — won’t roll our eyes in disgust at yet another review that begins, “Hollywood must be out of ideas, because they sure do like to make comic book movies.”

1. Don’t trot out the “superheroes are for kids” line.

Neither DC Comics nor Marvel have been publishing superhero comics for kids since the mid-1980s. OK — that’s not entirely true. In the interest of reaching out to younger readers, both companies have created all-ages versions of Batman, Spider-Man, and other popular stories. That both companies felt the need to create kid-friendly versions of these properties ought to tell you something about the content of most DC and Marvel products. Just compare an issue of any New 52 title with Tiny Titans if you don’t believe me; the difference in tone, presentation, and content will astonish you:

This DC Comic is for kids.

This DC Comic is not.

It’s fair to criticize the plot of a comic book movie as being too obvious or simplistic to sustain an adult’s interest, of course, but that’s not the same thing as dismissing the entire enterprise as “kids’ stuff” because ten-year-old boys used to be Stan Lee’s target audience. Comics have evolved. So should your critique of movies based on comics.

2. Get your facts straight.

Take it from a comic book reviewer: if you whiff a detail — no matter how insignificant — fans will stop following your argument and start building a case against you. Amy Nicholson — who wrote a smart, informed review of The Avengers — was eviscerated by fans who fumed that she’d referred to Samuel L. Jackson’s character as “Nick Frost” instead of “Nick Fury.” (The error has since been corrected.)

As someone who reviews Japanese comics in translation, I have deep sympathy for this reviewer. I’ve made similar mistakes, and have endured withering comments from readers who think it a cardinal sin to credit the wrong publisher for a book, or misspell a secondary character’s name. What I’ve learned from that experience is that you might demonstrate your erudition in ten other ways — through the quality of your insights, the depth of your cinematic knowledge, or the creativity of your language — but comics fans won’t give a damn about your opinion if you call Captain America “Stephen Rodgers.”

3. Do your homework.

The best comic-book films work equally well for devoted fans and newcomers alike: think Ghost World (2001), Spider-Man (2002), or Superman (1978), all of which had something to offer both groups of viewers. And while it’s beneficial to share your impression of a comic book movie as a member of the general public — as someone who knows Batman from the campy Adam West show, for example, or from watching Saturday morning cartoons — your review will be more authoritative if you take the time to learn a little more about the characters’ histories. Think about it this way: you wouldn’t review a big-screen adaptation of Sense and Sensibility without reading the novel or watching other versions, so why would you walk into a movie version of a long-running comic book franchise without at least familiarizing yourself with the characters? Read Wikipedia. Visit your local comic book store and talk to the sales clerks. Buy a few trades. It won’t kill you, I promise.

4. Remember that there are many comic book fans who will appreciate a thoughtful review.

We aren’t all rampaging monsters with a taste for critics’ flesh; many of us like an elegant turn of phrase or appreciate a Truffaut reference as much as you do. Don’t insult us for liking comic books, and we won’t sneer at you for suggesting The Avengers was overly long. Scout’s honor.

An Open Letter to Movie Critics

by 19 Comments

By now, if you’re a movie critic, you’ve filed your Avengers — sorry, Marvel’s The Avengers — review and are girding your loins for The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises. Before you hold forth on the evils of comic book movies, or write an essay about superhero decadence, let me offer a few suggestions for reviewing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight. These tips won’t guarantee that every DC or Marvel man will be wowed by your references to Rio Bravo and Yojimbo, or swayed by your measured criticisms, but they will ensure that movie-goers like me — smart folk who like Lawrence of Arabia and The Walking Dead — won’t roll our eyes in disgust at yet another review that begins, “Hollywood must be out of ideas, because they sure do like to make comic book movies.”

1. Don’t trot out the “superheroes are for kids” line.

Neither DC Comics nor Marvel have been publishing superhero comics for kids since the mid-1980s. OK — that’s not entirely true. In the interest of reaching out to younger readers, both companies have created all-ages versions of Batman, Spider-Man, and other popular stories. That both companies felt the need to create kid-friendly versions of these properties ought to tell you something about the content of most DC and Marvel products. Just compare an issue of any New 52 title with Tiny Titans if you don’t believe me; the difference in tone, presentation, and content will astonish you:

This DC Comic is for kids.

This DC Comic is not.

It’s fair to criticize the plot of a comic book movie as being too obvious or simplistic to sustain an adult’s interest, of course, but that’s not the same thing as dismissing the entire enterprise as “kids’ stuff” because ten-year-old boys used to be Stan Lee’s target audience. Comics have evolved. So should your critique of movies based on comics.

2. Get your facts straight.

Take it from a comic book reviewer: if you whiff a detail — no matter how insignificant — fans will stop following your argument and start building a case against you. Amy Nicholson — who wrote a smart, informed review of The Avengers — was eviscerated by fans who fumed that she’d referred to Samuel L. Jackson’s character as “Nick Frost” instead of “Nick Fury.” (The error has since been corrected.)

As someone who reviews Japanese comics in translation, I have deep sympathy for this reviewer. I’ve made similar mistakes, and have endured withering comments from readers who think it a cardinal sin to credit the wrong publisher for a book, or misspell a secondary character’s name. What I’ve learned from that experience is that you might demonstrate your erudition in ten other ways — through the quality of your insights, the depth of your cinematic knowledge, or the creativity of your language — but comics fans won’t give a damn about your opinion if you call Captain America “Stephen Rodgers.”

3. Do your homework.

The best comic-book films work equally well for devoted fans and newcomers alike: think Ghost World (2001), Spider-Man (2002), or Superman (1978), all of which had something to offer both groups of viewers. And while it’s beneficial to share your impression of a comic book movie as a member of the general public — as someone who knows Batman from the campy Adam West show, for example, or from watching Saturday morning cartoons — your review will be more authoritative if you take the time to learn a little more about the characters’ histories. Think about it this way: you wouldn’t review a big-screen adaptation of Sense and Sensibility without reading the novel or watching other versions, so why would you walk into a movie version of a long-running comic book franchise without at least familiarizing yourself with the characters? Read Wikipedia. Visit your local comic book store and talk to the sales clerks. Buy a few trades. It won’t kill you, I promise.

4. Remember that there are many comic book fans who will appreciate a thoughtful review.

We aren’t all rampaging monsters with a taste for critics’ flesh; many of us like an elegant turn of phrase or appreciate a Truffaut reference as much as you do. Don’t insult us for liking comic books, and we won’t sneer at you for suggesting The Avengers was overly long. Scout’s honor.

Convention report: TCAF 2012

by 5 Comments

Guys, I really like TCAF. Which might sound strange, as this is the latest con report in the history of time, but there it is.

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival is a week long comics festival held all over Toronto’s downtown. It culminates in a weekend mini-convention hosted by the (not so) secretly awesome Toronto Public Library. Christopher Butcher, TCAF’s founder and director, didn’t want it to be your typical comic con, so he modelled it on literary festivals and conferences. There are none of the giant screens, booth babes, or pricey giveaways that you’ll find at most major North American comic cons, and you won’t hear much about the latest Marvel and DC releases. Instead, you’ll hear from Scholastic, First Second, Oni Press and Archaia, and mainly, comics creators themselves. You’ll get the chance to meet lots of up and coming and independent creators, from all over the world. You’ll get to participate in workshops, play indie games, indulge in kidstuff and check out great panel discussions, and you’ll do all of this mostly for free—only a few of TCAF’s events are ticketed.

I mention all of this not to boost the festival (it’s not without its flaws), but because TCAF is designed to cultivate a certain kind of festival experience for creators and fans, and overall, it’s a pretty good one. The festival is hosted by the downtown Reference Library and surrounding businesses, all of which maintain regular operating hours during the two-day explosion of comics love. While you’re collapsing into a lump of fannish bliss at Kate Beaton’s feet, someone’s studying for an exam, or enjoying an afternoon meal. And so, the festival is less an awesome assault on the senses, and more kicking comics book fair. Also, it’s on a smaller scale than the other two major dates on the Toronto comics scene’s calendar, Fan Expo and Anime North, and the character of the festival is just more relaxed, less overheated, and far more oriented to discussion of comic arts, than to promotion by publishers. If you’re a fan of indie, small press, or kids books, it’s a good show, is what I’m saying.

My usual con and festival buddy is my girl Maddy (of When Fangirls Attack). We’ve been attending local conventions for a couple of years now, and have it down to a special kind of socially awkward, anti-science. This time, while we were impeded by a forgotten cell phone, crowd aversion (Saturday was packed!), a general lack of proper hydration and nutrition, we managed to meet up with friends, hit most of the panels we were interested in, and with the help of a third friend and a Starbucks full of regretful witnesses, get into an hours-long argument about J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek. It’s why I missed the presentation of Allison Bechdel’s new book, and while I’m sore about it, I also can’t turn down a chance to complain about Kirk’s poor character development (Chris Pine, saved that script, ok?). Basically we had a great time, and we talked to all kinds of incredible people.

The Festival

Maddy and I are both Toronto locals, so we started our festival experience early, with a University of Toronto symposium that took advantage of TCAF, to bring in Kate Beaton (Hark A Vagrant) and Bryan Lee O’Malley (Scott Pilgrim). I can’t speak for the rest of the Bodies and Cities series, but this discussion was about art and place. Does art depend on where you are, or who you’re with? Is the internet making it harder for artists to make a living? These were questions the never entirely serious Beaton and O’Malley answered, with weird and funny anecdotes, and plenty of shade for North American Big Comics.

After the talk, we had mediteranian food and cake, and hit up BMV Books (quite possibly the best place to pick up cheap, used comics in Toronto) and The Beguiling (the festival’s mothership), where we got our festival guides, and started to plan our itineraries. We’re both panel people, so it was akin to shopping for a Christmas siege of the Reference Library, The Pilot Tavern and other TCAF venues. There may also have been an extended email chain involved. It was a whole thing.

O’Malley and Beaton both had interesting things to say about creation, ownership and the whys and wherefores of comic art, which set the tone for the weekend. The opening night talk with Jeff Smith (Bone), Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba (Daytripper) picked up on these themes—perhaps a consequence of bringing together so many indie and small press creators. Smith, Moon and Ba have a bit of a mutual admiration society going on; their rapport makes it well worth checking out the talk, which has been posted in full by the library. It also reminds you of just how small a world comics is, that creators and fans from all over the world have such close personal and creative connections. This, it turns out, was another of the themes of the festival. Butcher and the rest of the TCAF staff worked hard to bring in an impressive slate of international guests. With everything from workshops, to exhibits (Gabriella Giandelli!) to panel discussions, TCAF celebrated the hell out of the international comics scene this year, and particularly, international comic art (double emphasis on art). Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, so it seemed a pretty natural fit, to be having this discussion here.

After the opening night talk, we headed over to the opening night party at The Pilot. We missed whatever festival activity resulted in all the cool kids having Hello My Name Is tags, but were in good time for its devolution into a nerdier version of any other bar in the world. There was a lot of comics talk over beers, is what I’m saying, and although that’s increasingly common, in these halcyon post-Dark Knight, post-Avengers days, the collective knowledge of the Summers-Grey family tree was still impressive. Unlike the big cons, TCAF doesn’t attract cosplay (did you catch the Homestuck/TCAF cosplay blowup?), so the bars around the festival aren’t filled with visible displays of nerdy enthusiasm. The bar scene is not mine though, even with an above average number of Green Lantern t-shirts in attendance, so we left after a few beers, without any awkward fan-creator stories to share.

Saturday and Sunday were a haze of panels, shopping, and arguing about Star Trek. A lot of panels and talks, you guys. I attended: Comics and Mental Health, Guy Delisle Spotlight, Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba Spotlight, Kate Beaton Spotlight, Graphic Narrative, Writer’s Craft, and, hell, some other stuff that I can’t clearly remember. Maddy and I split up, so between the two of us, we covered about 70% of the festival’s programming. I’m a sucker for smart, passionate people, saying smart, passionate things, but I’m picky—TCAF’s programming though, was really quite good. Overwhelmingly, the conversation at TCAF is analytical (what are the boundaries of comic art? what does the future look like for small publishers and independent creators?) and informative (how to manage life as a self-employed creator, how to construct a page for maximum impact).

Aside from programming, there was still the festival floor to hit. Vendor and creator tables are set up on the library’s first and second floor. As with any con, space is at a premium, but because TCAF takes place in an open-for-business library, and not a convention centre, floorspace is even more precious. Attendance has been going up the last few years, but this year it was ludicrous—so well attended that Saturday was basically a wash, in terms of meaningful interaction. At one point, getting to a particular table involved five minutes of bobbing, weaving and inching forward, half a foot at a time. One of the biggest draws this year was Andrew Hussie, creator of Homestuck. His fans lined up, and lined up, and lined the hell up some more for his Q&A. There were a lot of Homestuck fans; adorable in their enthusiasm. Another big ticket was the Adventure Time creative team. A video of their panel is available here. By Sunday things tend to clear up (most locals have been and gone), and this year was no different. Finally we were able to enjoy meeting and chatting with creators, and do some shopping.

The Haul

For the last few years I’ve been doing this whole responsible adult thing, and trying to pay down my student debt at as blistering a pace as I can manage. As a result I’m perpetually cash strapped, and go into every book fair, festival and convention with the intention of not buying. Or at least, buying as little and as smartly as possible. Never has this plan survived the first engagement. When you go to a convention, you spend money. My resolve is strong… until I see Michael Cho (Back Alleys and Urban Landscapes), or Scott Chantler (Two Generals), or, or, oh god, is that Kate Beaton? OMG, I love her shoes! And then my plan to spend responsibly is revised into Operation: All The Things, Into My (not a plastic) Bag. You can probably relate.

This year I managed to avoid the admittedly adorable ephemera that sends me into fits of puzzled buyer’s remorse when I get home (five handmade felt bookmarks? really?) and double down on the things I really covet: books and prints.

Because Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba made my TCAF weekend, I stopped by their table with the intention of buying all the things. But by the time I made it there, late in the day on Sunday, most of those things were gone. I picked up De:Tales though, a book I missed when it came out a couple of years back, and I have high hopes for. They weren’t the highlight of my festival experience just because they’re lovely guys, but also because they’re engaging speakers who used their showcase spot to put on a great talk about comic art and creative influence, and seemingly spent the weekend being laid back and intelligent all over the place.

Similarly, I went into TCAF weekend with the intention of picking up Guy Delisle‘s Jerusalem, and Alison Bechdel‘s Are You My Mother?, but their generally awesome showings at the festival made the experience of handing over my hard-earned Canadian dollars that much sweeter. Like the brothers, Delisle proved that PowerPoint can be wonderful, in the hands of an experienced comics professional. He showed in-progress art from his next project, sketches and pictures from previous projects, and bits and pieces of comics art that inspired him during his travels. Thus far, Delisle’s work has been something in the vein of thoughtful, personal (and hilarious) anti-travelogues, so seeing and hearing about that stuff made me even more excited for Jerusalem. As for Allison Bechdel, well, here’s a Wall Street Journal interview with her that demonstrates her inherent interestingness. (If you don’t think the grammar of comics is a cool subject, then I don’t know what to tell you. Also, at some point in the distant future, Scott McCloud will be rolling in his grave, because of you).

I also picked up two prints and the TCAF poster by Moon and Ba, and did a whole lot of shopping for other people. Their presents are in the mail, so hopefully I’m not spoiling things by mentioning Adrian Alphona, Chad Sell, Christina Strain and Bryan Lee O’Malley. Unicorns and drag queens—that’s all I’m prepared to say at this point. The Toronto streetscape above is part of a series by the always-friendly Michael Cho, and this lovely print is by Christina Strain and Jayd Aït-Kaci, who do the web comic Fox Sister. (Have you read Fox Sister? Get on that, for real). The print is of the eponymous fox sister, and will be framed and hung below my beloved Klimt print.

Overall I think I demonstrated admirable restraint. Which, hey, is why shopping for other people is the actual best.

The Conclusion (no hilarious anecdote?)

Even with all the people (18,000!), I managed to meet up with a few friends and acquaintances, get into two arguments about Star Trek, one argument about cyperpunk, and three debates about the future of online distribution and ownership. (I talk a lot. You might have noticed). I managed, somehow, to bump into two former classmates from the Toronto Cartoonist’s Workshop (holla!), and another two Twitter friends and their friends. And most importantly, I met the world’s most adorable Brony. Fluttershy, you guys, he was stealth cosplaying Fluttershy. My only regret is that I didn’t get a chance to check out the festival’s exceptional kids programming, or collapse into a lump of fannish bliss at Kate Beaton’s feet.

Oh well, there’s always next year.