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Author Archive for Lissa Pattillo

PR: Animate USA New Kindle Releases for April 2011

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, May 11, 2011

ANIMATE USA – NEW RELEASES IN AMAZON KINDLE STORE

TOKYO, JAPAN – May 9 – Animate U.S.A., Inc. is pleased to bring you four new titles for the Amazon Kindle Store this April!

This month sees the continuation of three popular series as well as the beginning of a brand new story by Naduki Koujima! Other releases include Youka Nitta’s “Sound of My Voice,” You Higashino’s “Hyper Loving a Maniac,” and Shiuko Kano’s “Play Boy Blues.” You can only get them on Kindle so be sure to download all four of these new releases this month! They are not to be missed!

For more information, please visit www.animate-world.com and www.libre-pub.co.jp. If you’re a fan of Youka Nitta, please drop by her website, nittayouka.com to see wallpapers, author comments, and any news. Also, Animate USA is happy to announce that there is now a Japanese version of her website. For those Ayano Yamane fans out there, check out her site, yamaneayano.com, which also has updates, wallpapers, and comments from Yamane herself! Be sure to check them out!!

TCAF 2011: Spotlight on Usamaru Furuya

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, May 11, 2011

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Sunday at Toronto Comics Art Fest had a spotlight panel for special guest and manga artist, Usamaru Furuya. I was present for the interview which was conducted by TCAF’s director, Christopher Butcher. Like my Natsume Ono post, I wasn’t able to record the interview (though in this instance it was lack of means instead of lack of permission) so the write-up below is done in paragraph format with just a few direct quotes. I hope it still proves even half as interesting to readers here as it was for those of us there!

Warning: Some images in article are intended for older audiences only.
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Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Canada, Conventions, Manga, TCAF 2011, Usamaru Furuya, Vertical Inc, Viz Media

TCAF 2011: Spotlight on Natsume Ono

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, May 9, 2011

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Natsume Ono was a special guest at this year’s Toronto Comic Arts Fest and on Saturday there was a special interview session hosted by About.com’s Manga Specialist Deb Aoki. While no recording was allowed, I did take some notes and I’ve done my best to put the neat facts and information together here for the Natsume Ono curious. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to provide any quotes because of the recording rule so apologies for the choppy paragraphing. Those disclaimers aside – enjoy!
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Tags: Canada, Conventions, Manga, Natsume Ono, TCAF 2011, Viz Media

Comic Capers in Toronto 2011: Part One

By Lissa Pattillo on Saturday, May 7, 2011

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It’s been a busy last few days since my roommate and I arrived in Toronto early Thursday morning. We’ve spent every waking moment since walking up and down the grid-street systems of Toronto exploring any comic store we could find, peeking into many a store that just looked interesting and nursing sore feet while trying to find the next delicious place to try something new to eat. Of course there was the comic artist extravaganza known as Toronto Comics Art Fest going on as well today!

I’ll say this as a tourist – Toronto is an amazing city. It has its share of big-city problems that I could certainly do without (nasty amounts of people smoking in doorways, huge crowds of people who always seem to be in a hurry for something, and a tricky transit system in particular) but get past all that and you’ve got a neverending supply of little shops, weird discoveries and a million things to spend your money on and not regret a penny of it.

A good bulk of the trip involved visiting local comic stores. I took a few notes after each one based on my experiences there to add to my Canadian manga-resources page. If curious about the good, the bad, the ugly and the awesome, you can pop over there to the Ontario section.

Of course a combination of my local comic store on Wednesday before the trip, a variety of comic stores visited and a full day of spelunking TCAF meant I’ve already gotten a bunch of great things to read. At the end of this weekend there will be an especially lengthy Swag Bag post about the purchases made so far (and my glowing recommendations of many), including a guest appearance from my roommate and fellow traveler, MTCopyright.

As for TCAF itself, the amount of artists present is amazing and there’s so much talent stuffed into that library it’s amazing there’s even room in there for the hundreds (if not thousands?) of people who browsed them today. Manga artists Usamaru Furuya and Natume Ono were also present at the event and I enjoyed being able to hear them both speak. I learned a lot of interesting and amusing facts about Natsume Ono and really admired the subtle but strong confident air Usamaru Furuya had to him as he spoke about inspirations for his work. If curious to know more about Natsume Ono’s RSVP-only panel, I’ll be doing up a little post about it after TCAF. (Edit: Now posted!)

Lastly (for now!) my special thanks go to Chris Butcher (TCAF Organizer), Ed Chavez (Advertising Director for Vertical) and Deb Aoki (Panel Host) for making the event an extra-special one!

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Tags: Canada, Conventions, Manga, TCAF 2011, Vertical Inc

Off to TCAF, Site Comment Updates

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, May 4, 2011

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I’m off to Toronto Comics Art Fest in a few hours! With many an artist to hunt down and all their snazzy art to oogle and buy (including manga artist Natsume Ono and Usamaru Furuya), I’m super excited to hit the library floor running! That and I’ll be spending a week in Toronto seeking out comic stores new and old. Expect some updates to the Oh Canada! section after this.

Going to TCAF? Let me know! I’d love to meet up with people.

On a quick site note, expect some big, big changes coming to Kuriousity in the near-ish future but in the meantime, a little change has been made to the commenting system to allow me some peace. Upon reaching an average of 2000+ spam comments a day, I finally realized it was about time I installed a plug-in to combat it. All those who comment must now enter a simple system of letters/numbers so Kuriousity knows you’re not a spambot. I apologize for any inconvenience this causes but I think it’ll be much more beneficial in the long-run with less lost comments and less time spent deleting spam.

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Categories: Site Updates
Tags: Canada, Conventions, TCAF 2011

PR: Viz Media Celebrates 25th Anniversary

By Lissa Pattillo on Wednesday, May 4, 2011

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VIZ MEDIA CELEBRATES 25th ANNIVERSARY

25 Years of Storytelling and Pioneering New Paths in Global Entertainment

San Francisco, CA, May 4, 2011 – VIZ Media, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in the North America, will celebrate its 25th Anniversary on July 7th, 2011. Over its 25 year history, VIZ Media has led the transformation of manga and anime from a niche category sold only at specialty retailers into a mass media phenomenon popularized on Cartoon Network, Hulu and iTunes, and available at Barnes & Noble and Walmart. Today, VIZ Media is North America’s largest distributor of anime and manga, and is leading the global anime and manga industries to their digital futures. To celebrate 25 years of pioneering new paths in global entertainment and publishing, later this year VIZ Media will be unveiling new properties, marketing programs, and distribution partnerships.

Since 1986, VIZ Media has primarily distributed titles exclusively owned by its parent companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Ltd.. In 2011, VIZ Media will diversify its award-winning library further by licensing properties from other global content creators as well as creating its own content. On the digital front, VIZ Media has created partnerships with Apple, Hulu, Netflix, Google and more, leading the way to new paths for distribution of manga and anime.

“For 25 years, VIZ Media has been telling stories that resonate with audiences and fans all over North America,” said Hidemi Fukuhara, President and CEO of VIZ Media. “Even after two-and-a-half decades of explosive growth, we still see tremendous potential to adapt, grow and leverage our library of world-renowned and beloved characters. With a full slate of new anime and manga releases planned this year, VIZ Media has something for everyone.”

The VIZ Media library includes global blockbuster franchises like NARUTO, INUYASHA, POKÉMON, DRAGON BALL Z, YU-GI-OH!, BLEACH, VAMPIRE KNIGHT, and DEATH NOTE. VIZ Media’s manga titles are available at mass retailers everywhere, and through VIZ Media’s free VIZ Manga App for the iPad™, iPhone™, and iPod Touch™, the first manga-dedicated app in North America. VIZ Media anime titles can be seen on Disney XD, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, is available for Download-to-Own/Download-to-Rent via iTunes, PlayStation®Network, Amazon Instant Video and Zune on Xbox LIVE®, and for streaming on the company’s own VIZAnime.com, Hulu and Netflix, and is available for purchase on DVD at mass DVD retailers.

# # # # #

Media Contacts:

Brian Rosman Jane Lui
Dog and a Duck VIZ Media
brian@dogandaduck.com jane.lui@viz.com
323.605.2211 415.546.7073 x176

About VIZ Media
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine, and blockbuster properties like Naruto, Bleach and InuYasha, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance, and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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Categories: Press Releases
Tags: Shoujo Beat, Vampire Knight, Viz Media

PR: Viz Manga App Presents Four New Manga Titles

By Lissa Pattillo on Tuesday, May 3, 2011

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VIZ MANGA APP PRESENTS FOUR NEW MANGA TITLES FOR iPAD, iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH

VIZ MANGA APP To Offer HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES, not simple, MAOH: JUVENILE REMIX And HYDE & CLOSER; Additions To 17 Other Popular VIZ Media Manga Series Also Announced

VIZ Media has announced four new manga (graphic novel) series that will be offered for digital download within the VIZ MANGA APP for the Apple iPad™, iPhone™ and iPod™ Touch. The latest update offers two acclaimed works from celebrated manga creator Natsume Ono – HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES and not simple – that are available now. Two additional new series – MAOH: JUVENILE REMIX and HYDE & CLOSER – will debut for digital download on May 9th and May 16th respectively. Updates for the first half of May to 17 other popular manga series have also been announced.

The VIZ MANGA APP is now available for free for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch through the iTunes Store, and all manga volumes are generally available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada from within the application for only $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) per volume.

In Natsume Ono’s HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, recently nominated for a 2011 Eisner Award), a wandering samurai Akitsu Masanosuke is a skilled and loyal swordsman, but his naïve and diffident nature has time and again caused him to be let go by the lords who have employed him. Hungry and desperate, he becomes a bodyguard for Yaichi, the charismatic leader of a gang called “Five Leaves.” Although disturbed by the gang’s sinister activities, Masa begins to suspect that Yaichi’s motivations are not what they seem. And despite his misgivings, the deeper he’s drawn into the world of the Five Leaves, the more he finds himself fascinated by these devious, mysterious outlaws.

Natusume Ono’s not simple (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) tells the story of Ian, a young man with a fractured family history, travels from Australia to England to America in the hope of realizing his dreams and reuniting with his beloved sister. His story unfolds backwards through the framing narrative of Jim, a reporter driven to capture Ian’s experiences in a novel titled, not simple.

Don’t miss Natsume Ono’s rare U.S. personal appearance at Kinokuniya Books in New York City on Tuesday, May 10th starting at 7:00pm.

Manga creator Megumi Osuga’s MAOH: JUVENILE REMIX (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) features a boy with special powers who may be the key to stopping the spread of crime, big money and urban sprawl in a story of confrontation and determination. Ando is a high school student who has the power to make others say out loud what he’s thinking. Inukai is the mysterious leader of a vigilante group called Grasshopper, which is at odds with the city’s redevelopment plan. In this chaotic city, these two will come together to weave a story of courage.

The fantasy driven action of creator Haro Aso’s HYDE & CLOSER introduces readers to Shunpei Closer, your average… well, slightly below average kid in junior high who finds himself in the middle of a great battle of dark sorcery. With cursed dolls coming after him one after another, Shunpei Closer’s life is in danger! If that weren’t enough, Hyde, the teddy bear given to him by his grandfather, suddenly comes alive to rescue him. With Hyde’s help, can Shunpei save himself and live to see another day?

PR: Viz Media Launches Manga App for iPhone and iPod Touch

By Lissa Pattillo on Monday, May 2, 2011

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VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES VIZ MANGA APP FOR THE iPHONE AND iPOD TOUCH

Special Promotion Makes Select Volume 1 Titles Available For 40% Off

San Francisco, CA, May 2, 2011 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, continues the digital integration of its vast library of manga (graphic novel) properties with the latest announcement of the availability of the VIZ MANGA APP for the Apple iPhone™ and iPod Touch™ mobile devices. The expansion will be compatible with the VIZ MANGA APP on the iPad, and adds cross-platform features.

To support the launch, the publisher has also kicked off a special 7-day digital promotion that offers select Volume 1 titles for only $2.99 – 40% off the regular price! This is for a limited time only and runs until midnight PST May 9th.

Manga titles for the iPhone and iPod Touch are available via the VIZ MANGA APP, which is free through the iTunes Store. Volumes are generally available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada for only $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) each. Twenty-eight series and almost 200 volumes are available now, including popular series such as BLEACH, BLUE EXORCIST, DEATH NOTE, NARUTO and ONE PIECE and dozens more from VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump, Shojo Beat, Shonen Sunday, and VIZ Signature imprints. Readers should check the app regularly, as new additions (including HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES and not simple released today) and free Chapter 1 previews of forthcoming manga series are also featured.

Swag Bag: Books, Demons, Vampires and Paint

By Lissa Pattillo on Sunday, May 1, 2011

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The Toronto Comic Arts Festival is coming up this week and though I’ve been saving pennies to lavish on the artists there, I had to leave some room in my pre-trip budget for new manga books!

From Viz Media this week I bought Kingyo Used Books (Vol. 03) which has a chapter about someone reading Sailor Moon in it – both nostalgic and well-timed. I also bought March Story (Vol. 02) and I enjoyed it even more than the first volume as it focuses more on the characters. Great atmosphere in this series. It only takes a quick flip through to stare at the artwork to see what I mean.

A little behind on this series but I finally came across a copy of Genkaku Picasso (Vol. 02). I’m expecting lots more of the same weirdness the first volume had and looking forward to it! I rounded out my purchases with a great discount-bin find of Buddha (Vol. 01) to add my Osamu Tezuka collection.

From Seven Seas I bought Blood Alone (Vol. 01) which is omnibus of the first three volumes. I’ve wanted to read this series for a while because of the pretty covers (doesn’t take much for me to give a series at least a fair try!) and having it re-released as a 3-in-1 is the perfect opportunity. It’s also a nice omnibus physically-speaking, very light in hand despite the huge page count and still feels tightly bound.

And lastly I was able to finish at least one of my on-going Tokyopop series by purchasing Mad Love Chase (Vol. 05). The series hasn’t made the most sense in the past couple volumes but I’m a fan of the artist’s work so my fingers are crossed for a somewhat coherent finish.

Next week I plan to write about my non-manga purchases for a change with hopefully a long list of self-published comics I’ll get to buy at TCAF. Until then, what was in your swag bag this week?

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Categories: Features, Swag Bag
Tags: Manga, Sailor Moon, Seven Seas, Tokyopop, Viz Media

Swag Bag: RightStuf Offers Mega Deals on UDON Books

By Lissa Pattillo on Friday, April 29, 2011

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RightStuf’s company-specific sale this week is for books from Canadian company UDON Entertainment. Though probably best known to most for their vast assortment of Street Fighter comics, the company has lots of hidden surprises well worth every penny spent on them. RightStuf’s sale offers minimum savings of 30% on the books.

UDON has a few different manga series for kids under their belts but admittedly I’ve yet to check them out. I have read their manhwa though and enjoyed each one for its own particular quirks. My favourite beyond a doubt is Chronicles of the Grim Peddler. So far they’ve only got one volume released but it’s a really atmospheric book about a man titled the Grim Peddler who anchors several alternate tellings of fairy tales.

Getting only one volume seems to be the manhwa curse from UDON though with the same being said for their horror series, Reading Club. While I’m still boggled by some super-tiny, near unreadable lettering the story itself still did a pretty good job setting up some book-related suspense. And how can a horror fan resist that cover?

Speaking of hard to resist visuals, UDON also picked up the publishing rights to Range Murata’s multi-artist compilation series Robot. Unfortunately they were only able to put out volumes four and five but they’re still no less worth owning. The same can be said for Apple, a similar full-colour comic anthology collection from Korea that sports breathtaking artwork. They’re released four volumes so far but you’ll be hooked after one!

Anyone who’s ever picked up or purchased an UDON book simply to stare at the super shiny artwork shouldn’t hesitate a moment to pick up the first volume of their Vent anthology. It’s another large trim cut, full colour and high gloss artbook chock full of artwork and tutorials from their talented team of regular contributors. The book is in celebration of the company’s 10th anniversary. Lastly (and speaking of tributes), if you’re even marginally a fan of Darkstalkers and Street Fighter, ensure your bookshelves are that much snazzier with their fan tribute books upon them.

You can see RightStuf’s full list of UDON books on sale over on their site.

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Categories: Features, Super Savings, Swag Bag
Tags: Manhwa, UDON