Books & Writing – Page 26

A Love of Books and Reading Inspires a Girl to Stand Against Censorship in New Manga Series “Library Wars: Love & War”

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings a new literary manga adventure to North American readers with the release of Library Wars: Love & War on June 1st. The series, with story and art by Kiiro Yumi and based on the original concept by Hiro Arikawa, will be published under the Shojo Beat imprint, is rated “T+” for Older Teens and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

In the near future, the federal government creates a special committee to rid society of books it deems unsuitable. But the libraries vow to protect their collections, and with the help of local governments, form a military group to defend themselves — the Library Defense Forces!

In the opening volume, Iku Kasahara has dreamed of joining the LDF ever since one of its soldiers stepped in to protect her favorite book from being confiscated in a bookstore when she was younger. But now that she’s finally a recruit, she’s finding her dream job to be a bit of a nightmare. Especially since her hard-hearted drill instructor seems to have it in for her!

“Manga lovers will root for the cute librarians in this fun new series that also addresses some important issues like liberty, freedom of speech and censorship,” says Candice Uyloan, Director, Consumer Marketing, VIZ Media. “Library Wars is based on a collection of novels also written by Hiro Arikawa that were extremely popular in Japan, selling more than one million copies. Fans will definitely want to add this adventure to their summer reading lists!”

Hiro Arikawa won the 10th Dengeki Novel Prize for her work Shio no Machi: Wish on My Precious in 2003 and debuted with the same novel in 2004. Arikawa is probably best known for the Library Wars series and also her trilogy about Japan’s military Self Defense Forces, Jieitai Sanbusaku (The SDF Trilogy), which consists of In the Sky, The Bottom of the Sea, and City of Salt.

Kiiro Yumi won the 42nd LaLa magazine Manga Grand Prix Fresh Debut award for her manga Little Billy’s Depression. Her latest series, Library Wars: Love & War is currently featured in Japan’s LaLa magazine.

For more information on this title and other shojo titles from VIZ Media, please visit shojobeat.com.

Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls/FAO “Out of this World” Free Book Deal

from Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls:

Free Galaxy Girls Book!
($12.95 value!) when you buy ANY Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls doll.*

Shop Now

Plus, Enjoy Free Shipping on Everything!
(up to a $25 value) with your purchase of $99 or more!**

*Quantities limited; no rain checks.
**Standard shipping only. Excludes video game accessories, consoles/handhelds, software.

“Vampire Knight” Animated Series Premieres Online at VIZAnime.com

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, beckons fans to sink their teeth into the gothic romance of the animated series Vampire Knight, launching online today on VIZAnime.com.

VIZ Anime is the official online home to some of VIZ Media’s best-loved animated series and a burgeoning social network for fans to connect and form an interactive community. Over 400 episodes are currently available and new content is added on a weekly basis. VIZ Anime is accessible at: VIZAnime.com.

Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorms, they cross paths with the mysterious Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy’s dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires! Yuki Cross has no memory of her past prior to the moment she was saved from a vampire attack ten years ago. She was adopted by the headmaster of Cross Academy, and now works alongside Zero to guard the Academy’s secret. Yuki believes that vampires and humans can coexist peacefully, but her partner has different ideas…

“With its cast of edgy and engaging characters combined with a dark sexy storyline, Vampire Knight is destined to be one of the most exciting anime releases of 2010,” says Brian Ige, Director of Sales, Home Entertainment. “Fans can also look forward to the release of Vampire Knight on DVD, under the Shojo Beat imprint, on July 20th. Stay tuned for more details coming soon on some hot VIZ Media anime summer releases!”

Vampire Knight (rated “T+” for Older Teens) is based on the best-selling manga series created by Matsuri Hino, who burst onto the scene in Japan with her debut title, Kono Yume ga Sametara (When This Dream is Over) in LaLa DX magazine. With the success of subsequent series such as Captive Hearts and Meru Puri (both published domestically by VIZ Media), Hino has firmly established herself as a major force in the world of shojo manga. Vampire Knight is currently serialized in LaLa magazine in Japan.

For more information on the Vampire Knight manga and to read free previews online please visit shojobeat.com. For more information on other animated titles from VIZ Media please visit VIZAnime.com.

Weta News!

from Weta:

Come, all ye Satyrs!

Weta wants to see more Centaurs, Satyrs, Demons, Gargoyles, Unicorns, Dragons, Minotaurs and other fantastical creatures roaming the earth! So we just launched Weta Legs with our good friend Kim Graham. If you are a performer, costumer or just want to change into a new creature, then Weta Legs will help you take your creativity to a whole new level (literally!).

The YouTube video has already been viewed 25,000 times in the last 2 weeks. Costume Actor Shane Rangi demonstrated a pair at the Elf Fantasy Fair in Holland on 24-25 April, and our good friend Meredith Yayanos will be showing them off at the Bay Area Maker’s Faire on 22-23 May in the US. These are the first digitigrade legs ever made available for the public. Here’s what Coilhouse Magazine had to say about them.

Now, take advantage of this SPECIAL OFFER! Order your Weta Legs by 25 May and you get an “Early Bird” discount of US$150!

Want to win an all-expenses trip to Weta Workshop in New Zealand?
Join in the digital rendering creativity at Dr. Grordbort’s Raygun Shootout. Entry is free. The challenge for April was to create the most “Futuristic Raygun”. Check out the awesome entries on the Leaderboard. The winners for April will be announced very shortly. There will be new competitions each month up until October. In May, your challenge is to create the finest “Alien Raygun” in the Universe. Get your entries in now. There are monthly prizes and spot prizes from Dr. Grordbort’s. If you are not into rendering you can still vote for your favourite entries. Just register your details, and vote for your favorites on the Leaderboard.

The Lord of the Rings
Middle-earth fans have got a range of new art to choose from:

Keep your own piece of Middle-earth close to your heart with engraved Stone Pendants from the South Island of New Zealand. Their journey began thousands of years ago in the mountains of the Southern Alps. Will they make their way across the globe to your home?

The first 3 of our miniature shields are now shipping from our warehouses in the US, UK and New Zealand. They can be displayed as collectibles or worn as a badge (there is a pin on the back). Stocks in our UK warehouse are already down to very limited numbers, so be quick. A fourth shield is already in production. Which will it be? Have your say on this thread at our fan forum.

Strider’s Sword from the Master Swordsmith’s Collection sold out very quickly. We will be shipping these beautiful works of art out to their 10 lucky owners in May (there are plenty of jealous staff in the Workshop who wish they could afford one!). If you have not yet seen the video on how these blades are crafted, it really is worth taking a look.

The Map of New Zealand as Middle-earth is proving very popular.

Pre-orders for the Bag End Collector’s Edition are racing along. Make sure you don’t miss out before it’s too late.

We will be sending out shipment notices for the Argonath next week. This item has already Sold Out, however you can put your name on the waiting list for cancelled orders by e-mailing us at info@wetaNZ.co.nz.

Please don’t forget if you are ordering 5 or more pieces at once, it pays to send us a note to see if we can reduce your shipping costs by packing them all in one bag.

District 9 fans — Watch Out!
We will be opening pre-orders for an all new D9 collectible in our next newsletter. So get your eyes off the cat food and watch out. The full scale Arc Generator gun sold out in only 4 days, so you don’t want to be late for this one. (You can still put your name on the waiting list for the Arc Generator). The Art of District 9 book is well under away and the design team are doing a terrific job. It’s full of never-seen-before art and tells the story of the design process. We are so excited about launching this book later in the year, we just might have to leak a few glimpses every now and again.

Weta Cave
The Weta Cave in Wellington, New Zealand is nearly 2 years old. We were thrilled to host 100,000 people from all over this world (and a few others) in the last 12 months. It’s a real motivation to all of us at Weta to know that people care enough to travel so far to come and say Hi. Please keep coming and please keep sharing in our obsession for creativity. Recently, we were delighted to host author Robert Rankin from the United Kingdom. We were geeking out about his books and were surprised to find out from his friend “Raygun”, they were both huge Dr. Grordbort’s fans. Huzzah!

We can confirm rumours of Trolls stomping around Wellington airport are true. Weta has a new shopping display at the Discover New Zealand store inside the airport. And yes, of course the trolls do come alive at night time. How else would they stay so well fed?

Dr. Grordbort’s
We are very sorry to advise the Superintendent of Grordborts Industries Misinformation Office has been replaced because of health (death by insect poisoning) reasons. However, on the positive side, we have now discovered where the last remaining live Blue Sacked Pillock was hiding. It has now been skewered through its sack and the new Superintendent is very pleased to announce another Venusian species has officially been made extinct. Our congratulations to the brave gentlemen and literate women at Grordbort Industries for bringing their combined total up to 814 species and counting. There are indications that more bugs are likely to follow in the footsteps of the unfortunate Pillock. Gossip is also rife in the Workshop at the moment. The doors to the paint room have been locked for days on end (luckily — that place stinks of heavy metals and nasty solvents), and the only visitors have been a space man, a well dressed gentleman with over-sized canines and a so called “graffiti artist” with rather loose fitting trouserage covering only the lower halves of his puny buttocks! Could there be more custom painted rayguns on their way? Look out for an imminent propaganda message from Dr. Grordbort’s for more misinformation.

Halo Console Auction
Weta recently created a Halo themed Xbox for our friends at Microsoft, which was auctioned off for charity on eBay. The winning bid was A$10,000. The piece was designed and sculpted by Weta Workshop’s Alex Faulkner. Check out the video! And the full range of Halo collectibles.

Comic-Con is Coming!
San Diego Comic-Con 2010 is only 2 and a half months away. We hope you’ve booked your tickets and will be visiting the Weta team at our booth. More news coming soon…

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True Blood: New ongoing monthly comic book series from IDW!

from Things from Another World:

Have you been watching True Blood on HBO? Well, about a gajillion other people are, and if you’re among them, you’ll be psyched about the new True Blood comic book series from the folks at IDW. Blood and sex mix on a hot rainy night at Merlotte’s, when Sookie and her friends are trapped by a vengeful spirit who feeds on shame.

People die and dirty secrets are revealed as Sookie, Bill, Eric, Sam, Tara, Jason, and Lafayette are all coerced to dig deep and tell painful memories from their pasts — those things we all have locked within us that we never tell another living soul!

Bon Temps, Louisiana has never been stranger, or more twisted, in a story co-plotted by True Blood series creator Alan Ball, with a script by David Tischman (Bite Club) and Mariah Huehner, and lush art by David Messina (Star Trek: Countdown).

If you’d like to start a True Blood Series Subscription with the first issue, you’ll want to do so before May 31. If you aren’t familiar with our subscription service, we invite you to learn more about subscriptions at TFAW.

Pre-order Your Copy of True Blood #1 Today

Start a True Blood Series Subscription

Space Cadet Topo: The Day the Sun Turned Off

from Immedium:

We have cool new books coming this fall. On deck is the first story from DGPH (dgph.com.ar). These Argentinian designers are known for their whimsical vinyl toys based upon their character Topo (Spanish for “mole”). Now they feature their hero in an eye-popping “galaxy quest”:

Space Cadet Topo: The Day the Sun Turned Off

What would you do if the sun turned off? Space Cadet Topo has work to do! His mission is to find the mythic Galactic Torch and relight the sun before the universe freezes forever. Can he beat the clock? Find out and have fun traveling with Topo and his robot pals!

Topo:
The star of the show is otherwise known as Space Cadet 3x-245. His duties are to monitor the galaxy, help ETs (extra terrestrials), and clean up debris. “Someday, I’ll become Space Commander!” vows Topo.

Available in August 2010, pre-order your autographed copy today!

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An Extraordinary View of the Future Shines in “Saturn Apartments” Manga Series from VIZ Media

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings the newest title from its partnership with Japan’s IKKI magazine to domestic audiences with the release of Saturn Apartments on May 8th. Created by Hisae Iwaoka, the manga series will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated “T” for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

Far in the future, humankind has evacuated Earth in order to preserve it. Humans now reside in a gigantic structure that forms a ring around the earth, 35,000 kilometers up in the sky. The society of the Ring System is strictly stratified: the higher the floor, the greater the status. Mitsu, the lowly son of a window washer, has just graduated. Five years after his father disappears and is assumed dead, Mitsu takes on his father’s occupation. As he struggles with the transition to working life, Mitsu’s job treats him to an outsider’s view into the living-room dioramas of the Saturn Apartments.

“Saturn Apartments delivers a brilliant vision of a future where Earth is just beyond the grasp of humanity,” says Daniel Gillespie, Editor, VIZ Media. “As Mitsu endeavors to become an adult, he treats us to touching insights on working life, dreams and ambitions, class tension, the value of community and family, and the perplexing loneliness that occurs when people are forced to live on top of one another. It’s a poignant metaphor for urban life, drawn with stunning intricacy and irresistible cuteness.”

Hisae Iwaoka is the creator of several one-shot manga, including Hana Boro (Flower Cookies) and Shiroi Kumo (White Clouds), both of which were serialized in IKKI magazine. Saturn Apartments is her most recent series. A noted artist and illustrator, her installations also have been displayed internationally in the group show “Tokyo Girls Bravo,” which was curated by famed artist Takashi Murakami.

Saturn Apartments is the latest series to be published as part of VIZ Media’s partnership with Japan’s IKKI magazine, bringing a diverse collection of exceptional manga series to audiences in North America. From action to comedy to drama, slice-of-life stories to surrealist fantasies, the uniting themes these works share are an uncommon emphasis on creative quality and on pushing the boundaries of the manga norm. Saturn Apartments is also featured online at SIGIKKI.com, the groundbreaking web destination for a broad range of unique manga designed for mature audiences.

For more information on other VIZ Signature titles and to check out a sneak peek of chapters one through eight of Saturn Apartments, please visit SigIKKI.com.

VIZ Media Offers a Battle of Brains Versus Brawn in New Manga Series “Maou: Juvenile Remix”

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings Maou: Juvenile Remix to North American audiences on May 11th. The new series, by Megumi Osuga and Kotaro Isaka, will be published under the Shonen Sunday imprint, is rated “T+” for Older Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

In the city of Nekota, where rapid modernization threatens everything the longtime residents hold dear, one young man stands up to oppose the progress. Inukai and his team of vigilantes, known as Grasshopper, protect the citizens from the rising crime wave and the greedy businessmen bent on turning every block into a strip mall. But what is this public hero’s true motive? Is this angelic man really a devil in disguise?

Ando is a high school student who has the power to make others say out loud what he’s thinking. In this chaotic city, these two will come together to weave a story of courage, determination and confrontation. But will this be enough to uncover Inukai’s secrets and stop the plot to control the city?

“It’s a cat and mouse chase and battle of wills between two sides with differing ideals as creator Megumi Osuga and Kotaro Isaka set the stage for an engrossing story with Maou,” says Alexis Kirsch, Editor, VIZ Media. “The new series shows that as crazy as one’s ideas may seem, as long as you believe in yourself and tackle problems head-on, one has the power to change the world. This is the perfect addition to our Shonen Sunday library and we are excited to bring this intriguing series to our fans.”

Megumi Osuga made her debut in Shonen Sunday R with the manga series, Tonpachi, and also had a short series called Honou no Ana no Yomi featured in Shonen Sunday Super. Maou: Juvenile Remix launched in Weekly Shonen Sunday in 2007.

Born in 1971 in Chiba Prefecture, Kotaro Isaka is one of the most popular Japanese novelists and has received numerous awards. He has many titles under his belt, and most of them have been turned into live-action movies.

To read free previews of Maou: Juvenile Remix or for more information on other Shonen Sunday series, please visit shonensunday.com.

Time to Get Your Read On!

from Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls:

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… to get your read on!

Once again, Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls will be invading the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Being held this weekend (April 24th – 25th) on the beautiful UCLA campus, this festival is one of the largest literary events in the world.

A few events being held at the festival are special lectures by authors, book signings and reviews, poetry readings, as well as story-telling and live performances on the children’s area stage.

So come on by and check us out. We are in the children’s book section — Booth 854.

And, as a special bonus, those at the festival who buy a Galaxy Girl Doll online at our booth will get an original MWGG illustration by creator Lauren Faust!

For more details, please visit the Festival of Books website.

Hope to see you there!

Over and Out!

Mother Earth

Irreference Report: April

from Quirk Books:

Dawn of the Dreadfuls Hits New York Times Best-Seller List
Check out this prequel to the original monster mash-up phenomenon, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Read an excerpt and check out the book trailer.

Quirk @C2E2 on Flickr
See photos of all the wacky antics and comic-inspired debauchery at C2E2.

Quirk’s Series of Tubes:
Find Quirk Books on Facebook
Find Quirk Classics on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Watch our videos on YouTube
Admire our photos on Flickr

“Flower in a Storm” Brings On a Frenzied Romantic Chase in a Fun New Shojo Series from VIZ Media

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, offers Flower in a Storm, an imaginative romantic comedy from a fresh new talent of the shojo manga world, Shigeyoshi Takagi. Set to be published under the Shojo Beat imprint and released on May 4th, Flower in a Storm is rated “T+” for Older Teens and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Riko Kunimi is trying to lead a normal high school life when Ran Tachibana bursts into her classroom carrying a gun and tells her that her life is now his. Ran, who is the richest and most powerful 17-year-old in Japan, wants her as his wife, and he’s not taking no for an answer!

If Ran can’t capture her by five o’clock the next day, he’ll give up, but he has all that money can buy at his disposal. However, Riko has one trick up her sleeve — she has superpowers!

“Flower in a Storm is a zany, sweet, over-the-top story of a girl with superhuman abilities who just wants to lead a normal life and a boy who leads anything but a normal life but just wants to make her his,” says Leyla Aker, Editorial Manager, VIZ Media. “We hope shojo readers will enjoy this fresh, funny debut series from a young creator.”

Flower in a Storm is a two-volume series that was originally featured in Lala and Lala DX magazines (also the original home of Vampire Knight). This is the first graphic novel from Shigeyoshi Takagi.

For more information on this title, or other shojo titles from VIZ Media, please visit shojobeat.com.

VIZ Media Titles Dominate “New York Times” Manga Best Seller List

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media has announced that 9 of its manga titles have made the New York Time’s Manga Best Seller list for the week ending April 10th.

VIZ Media Best Selling Manga Titles on the list include (In Listed Order):

Rosario + Vampire: Season II, Vol. 1
Yu-Gi-Oh! R, Vol. 4
Naruto, Vol. 47
The Gentlemen’s Alliance †, Vol. 11
One Piece, Vol. 40
One Piece, Vol. 39
One Piece, Vol. 41
One Piece, Vol. 43
One Piece, Vol. 42

The rankings reflect sales of graphic novels at thousands of retailers and venues nationwide. These include hundreds of independent book retailers; national, regional and local chains; online and multimedia entertainment retailers; university, gift, supermarket, discount department stores and newsstands.

“It’s exciting to see such a wide variety of VIZ Media titles reach this level of popularity,” says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President, Sales, VIZ Media. “From the irresistible bite of Rosario + Vampire to the high seas pirate adventures of One Piece to the romantic shojo hijinks of The Gentlemen’s Alliance, these titles continue to show the diversity of the manga genre and its strong appeal among readers of all ages and interests.”

Rosario + Vampire: Season II, Vol. 1
Rated “T+” (For Older Teens)
Shonen Jump Advanced
Average human teenage boy Tsukune accidentally enrolls at a boarding school for monsters — no, not jocks and popular kids, but bona fide werewolves, witches, and other unnamable monsters out of his wildest nightmares!

Yu-Gi-Oh! R, Vol. 4
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
The twisted Yako Tenma has taken control of the gaming company KaibaCorp, using its high-tech dueling machines to resurrect the dead… but the original master of KaibaCorp is not happy! Kaiba, Yugi’s archrival, challenges Yako to a duel to see just who will control Japan’s biggest gaming company. Can Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes White Dragon stop Yako’s evil plan. Look for an ultra-rare Angel 07 Card inside! (Limited quantities available).

For more information on Yu-Gi-Oh! and to read free online previews of the manga, please visit ShonenJump.viz.com.

Naruto, Vol. 47
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
Naruto inches ever closer to discovering the true identity of his nemesis, Pain, but is it worth it as the frustrated ninja begins to morph at last into the dreaded Nine Tails? Plus an unexpected confession reveals incredible secrets about his past as Naruto prepares for the ultimate battle with Pain. Can the chakra-challenged Naruto win when one misstep could spell disaster?

For more information on Naruto and to read free online previews of the manga, please visit Naruto.com.

The Gentlemen’s Alliance †, Vol. 11
Rated “T+” (For Older Teens)
Shojo Beat
Haine goes to Shizumasa and Takanari’s grandfather, the head of the Togu family, to ask him to release the twins from their fate. He tells her she must pass the same trial the twins went through for determining the Togu heir. Haine agrees, but little does she know that a former friend is now out for her life.

For more information on The Gentlemen’s Alliance † and to read free online previews of the manga, please visit ShojoBeat.com.

One Piece, Vol. 39
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
Sanji, Usopp and Franky are on their own against the Navy as the rest of the Straw Hats hurry to catch up to the speeding Sea Train. But freeing Robin from the clutches of CP9 won’t be an easy task with a train full of enemies. And even if they do reach her, does she even want to be rescued?!

One Piece, Vol. 40
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
Hankering for a fight, Luffy’s got a jump start on the battle to rescue Robin and Franky before they’re sentenced by the Navy’s court at Enies Lobby. Now that the Straw Hats and the Franky Family have banded together, the World Government is in for an epic battle. But did the Navy deceive Robin into sacrificing herself in order to trap the Straw Hats?!

One Piece, Vol. 41
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
Robin and Franky have been captured by CP9 and locked in the courthouse on Enies Lobby. The Straw Hats and Franky’s crew must join forces if they want to save their friends. But before they can rescue them, they must face Spandam’s six deadly assassins. Can the two groups work together, or will CP9 finally win?

One Piece, Vol. 42
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
The Straw Hats have infiltrated the Tower of Justice to save Robin, but they still need a special key to release her. One of the CP9 assassins holds the right key, but Luffy and his crew may have to defeat them all. Can the Straw Hats thwart CP9 and rescue Robin?

One Piece, Vol. 43
Rated “T” (For Teens)
Shonen Jump
Luffy has made it to the tower where Robin is being held captive, but in order to save her he must get past the deadly assassin Rob Lucci. The rest of the Straw Hats are busy fighting their own battles to find the key that will free Robin. Can the crew find the right key in time?!

For more information on One Piece and to read free online previews of the manga, please visit OnePiece.viz.com.

For more information on these titles, or others from VIZ Media, please visit viz.com.