The Legendary Stan Lee Talks Manga and Ultimo

The legendary Stan Lee was on hand at Comic-con this year to promote Ultimo, a new manga series he is working on for Viz Media in collaboration with the noted manga-ka Hiroyuki Takei, creator of the bestselling manga series Shaman King. Originally conceived for the Japanese market, Ultimo the story of two mysterious and powerful mechanized figures—one good; the other evil—created by a mysterious scientist/shaman figure that looks suspiciously like Stan Lee himself.

San Diego Media-Con: One Big Size Fits All

Originally founded as a kind of fan-fest and back-issues swap meet for comic book, science fiction fans and retailers, the just concluded San Diego Comic-Con has grown to become an international platform for popular culture, servicing the fans that love it as well as the artists and publishers that create and distribute it. But with the book industry openly questioning the usefulness of a strictly trade show like BEA, has the San Diego Comic-Con become a possible model for publishing/media conventions?

Panel Mania: Stitches

In David Small's autobiography, Stitches, he depicts his childhood with his disfunctional family, as he struggles with a botched surgery that rendered him mute. In this 16 page preview, David escapes through his imagination and his art. Stitches will be released by W.W. Norton on September 8th.

San Diego Comic-con 2009: Not Just for Grown-ups

The annual San Diego Comic-Con International ended July 26, leaving 125,000 attendees alternately dazzled and exhausted by the four-and-a-half day marathon of comics, movies, panels, signings and parties. More than ever, the show has become the biggest marketing platform of the year for film and TV as well as comics—including comics material aimed at children and teens.

Bigger and Bigger Still—San Diego Comic-con Keeps Growing

The annual San Diego Comic-Con International ended July 26, leaving 125,000 attendees—the unofficial attendance figure of the sold-out convention—alternately dazzled and exhausted by the four-and-a-half day marathon of comics, movies, panels, signings and parties. More than ever, the show has become the biggest marketing platform of the year for film and TV as well as for comics.

The Changing Face of Manga: Talking with Hideki Egami

Hideki Egami, editor-in-chief of the Japanese magazine Ikki, which specializes in manga aimed at an older more sophisticated adult readership, sat down with PW Comics Week for a micro-interview during the San Diego Comic-con to commemorate the launch of Viz Media’s English-language counterpart, SigIkki, an online magazine offeringe a different kind of contemporary manga to the U.S. market.

Comics Briefly

Talking with Ultimo's Hiroyuki Takei

Last year, Viz Media announced Ultimo, their first ever manga collaboration between an American creator, the legendary Marvel creator Stan Lee, and a Japanese creator, Hiroyuki Takei. Takei is the creator of the shonen manga, Shaman King, a series totaling with 32 volumes and a 64-episode anime adaptation. Takei appeared at this past weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con to promote the American release of Ultimo where PW Comics Week sat down and spoke with him.

Manga Keeps Growing in a Tough Economy

“If this is the valley,” Scott McCloud said at a discussion during the 40th annual San Diego Comic-Con International this past weekend, “then we’re doing pretty good.” McCloud was referring to the dip in the economy which was not reflected in the business climate of this year’s event. While some the publishers and vendors on the manga-side of the graphic novel business scaled down their booths or did not attend, others put on a strong show.

Furry Water Flows at Dark Horse

Rising art star Rafael Grampá is bringing two comics to Dark Horse, with a new six-issue mini-series, Furry Water, and a new edition of Mesmo Delivery, his first solo book. Furry Water is written with Daniel Pellizzari, a known SF author in their native Brazil. They describe the series as a saga of adventure and family honor set in a world where most of the population has been killed by “Furry Water,” a deadly rain.

Photo Mania

The 40th annual San Diego Comic-con International was a bombastic, oversized, pop cultural revival meeting, exhorting the gospel of contemporary comics, movies and TV. PWCW photographers roamed the San Diego Convention Center to bring back pictures of some of the people and events of the show.

Why Are Two Canadians Out to Kill Shakespeare?

If you're a fan of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or Bill Willingham's Fables, there's a good chance you'll be hooked on Kill Shakespeare, a new comics series coming from IDW next year and easily one of more exciting new projects bouncing around this year's Comic-con International.

Del Rey to Publish Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel

Following on the success of Quirk Book’s bestselling transformation of Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice into a zombie novel, Del Rey Books announced plans to turn Pride and Prejudice and Zombies into a graphic novel.

Comics, Movies and a New Publishing Deal for Bone at the San Diego Comic-Con

The 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International, the sold-out pop culture marathon that will attract about 125,000 fans to the San Diego Conventiion Center over the next 5 days, kicked off this year’s events with Preview night, a 3-hour sneak peak at the jam-packed exhibition floor, a new conference focused on the lucrative crossover between comics and other media and news of lots of publishing deals.

Amazon, Archaia To Release Kindle Graphic Novel

Although Amazon.com has published prose works exclusively on the Kindle before, in a first the online retailer has teamed with graphic novel publisher Archaia to publish Tumor, an original graphic novel by writer Joshua Fialkov and artist Noel Tuazon, initially in a digital edition formatted specifically for the Kindle; Tumor will be released serially on the Kindle before a hardcover print edition is published.

Red 5 Hits with iPhone App

With digital downloads of comics for various desktop and handheld devices getting more and more attention, several comics publishers are getting additional sales through iPhone downloads. One of the surprise success stories has been Red 5.

Brian Fies Looks Back at the Future

There was a time when the future was something to look forward to. That’s the spirit Brian Fies captures in his graphic novel, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? , published this month by Abrams. “It really stems from a joke—‘It’s the 21st century. Where is my flying car and jet pack?’—and looking back and turning over the question in my mind—what did happen to the fun stuff?” Fies said.

Otakon ‘09: Good Attendance and Sales; Some Complaints

The unofficial registration for this year's Otakon, an annual anime and manga convention held July 17-19 at the Baltimore Convention Center, was 26, 350, up slightly from last years attendance of 26, 262. Although fans showed up in force (and in costume) and vendors generally seemed pleased with sales, there were complaints about the organization of Artists Alley and the programming—including one anime panel that was abruptly halted for inappropriate content.

Comics Briefly

Yen Press Plans Twilight Manga; Rand’s Anthem to be Graphic Novel; Penguin Grabs Sex Is Fun; Spider-Man party at Hanley's; Mouse Guard RPG Nominated; Stan Lee's Time Jumper Premier; Taymor on Spider-Man Musical; SDCC 09: Papercutz, CBLDF, G4; and This Week @ Good Comics for Kids

Relationships and Preconceptions: Fumi Yoshinaga’s Ooku

The Ooku is the area of Edo Castle, the legendary ancient Japanese military capital, where the Shogun’s wife, concubines and female relatives lived during Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868). In Fumi Yoshinaga’s new alternate history manga Ooku: The Inner Chambers, the Ooku is instead the residence of the Shogun’s husband and concubines, for in this Japan, the women rule.