Japanese animated film director Kon dies at 46
By Mari Yamaguchi - Associated Press From Taiwan News Online
August 26, 2010 

Acclaimed Japanese animated film director Satoshi Kon, known for "Tokyo Godfathers," "Millennium Actress" and other prize-winning movies, has died of pancreatic cancer. He was 46.

Considered one of Japan's most exciting directors of animated films, or "anime," Kon was born in 1963 on the island of Hokkaido and debuted as a comic book artist at age 23 while still an art student at Musashino Art University near Tokyo. He began making animated films about 1990, establishing a style that blurred the boundaries of reality and fantasy.

Kon died Tuesday, his wife Kyoko said in a statement released on his official website, Kon's Tone.

In his Oscar-nominated 2003 film "Tokyo Godfathers," loosely based on the 1948 John Ford movie "3 Godfathers," Kon featured three homeless people instead of three cowboys, breaking with the clean and ritzy image of the Japanese capital. Kon's characters _ a drag queen, a runaway high school girl and a former professional bicycle racer _ pick up an abandoned infant from a garbage dump on Christmas Day and set out to find its parents.

The 2006 film "Paprika," based on a novel by popular writer Yasutaka Tsutsui, uses breathtaking cutting-edge animation and won a prize at the Brussels anime festival in 2007. Kon was working on his first children's film, "The Dreaming Machine," at the time of his death.

In a "Goodbye" statement released Wednesday, Kon said his doctor told him in May that he had terminal pancreatic cancer which had spread to his bones, and had at most six months to live. Two months later, his condition worsened and his doctor said his days were numbered. So he decided to go home and die there, he wrote.

"My biggest regret is 'The Dreaming Machine.'" he wrote. "I really worry about the film, and the staff."

The film is based on an original story, characters and a unique view of the world that "nobody else but Satoshi Kon could understand or create," he said.

He thanked his parents, his wife and his fans for their support.

"Thank you everyone," he said. "I'll go ahead now."

DC Comics To Shut Down CMX Manga Line⁞
By Calvin Reid From Publishers Weekly
May 18, 2010 

The battered manga category was dealt another blow after DC Comics announced plans to shut down CMX, its manga imprint, in July. The shutdown will not affect Megatokyo, Fred Gallagher’s bestselling original American manga series, which will continue to be published under the DC Comics line.

Although the initial launch of CMX generated controversy over the removal of mature material from the sexually explicit Tenjho Tenge series, the imprint went on to publish more than 50 titles since its debut in 2004. Two of the lines most popular titles were Gallagher’s Megatokyo and the Victorian era saga, Emma by Kaoru Mori.

In a joint statement, DC Comic co-publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio said “Over the course of the last six years, CMX has brought a diverse list of titles to America and we value the books and creators that we helped introduce to a new audience. Given the challenges that manga is facing in the American marketplace, we have decided that CMX will cease publishing new titles as of July 1.”

While the statment thanked fans that supported CMX and acknowledged “the efforts and dedication of the CMX staff” a DC spokesperson declined to respond to questions on whether the shutdown would result in layoffs. CMX line will publish 7 titles before closing for good on July 1.

The final titles to be published include Musashi vol. 17; Venus Capriccio vol. 4; Two Flowers for the Dragon vol. 6; Polyphonica vol. 1; Stolen Hearts vol. 2; Teru Teru X Shonen vol. 7 and Orfina vol. 8.

Creators Decry Tokyo's Proposed 'Virtual' Child Porn Ban
From Anime News Network

Tetsuya Chiba (Ashita no Joe) and Machiko Satonaka (Lady Ann) were among the manga creators who held a press conference on Monday to voice their opposition against proposed legislation in Metropolitan Tokyo to restrict sexually provocative, "visual depictions" of characters who sound or appear to be 18 years old or younger. The group presented the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly with a written statement in opposition to the measure. Among the creators who listed their names in the statement were Fujiko Fujio A, Takao Saito, Moto Hagio, and Ryohei Saigan.

According to ANN reports, it isn't only manga creators that are voicing concern over this legislation. Publishing giants Kadokawa Shoten, Kodansha, and Shueisha, among others, also submitted statements voicing opposition. Other people who have voiced their opposition to the proposed legislation include voice actress Haruna Ikezawa, lawyer Takashi Yamaguchi, manga/anime creator Yoshitoshi ABe, manga/anime creator Yun Kouga, manga creator Yasuhiro Nightow, manga/anime creator Go Nagai, manga creator Nanae Sasaya, manga creator Keiko Takemiya, and manga creator Kohei Nishino as well as the other Manga Department professors at Kyoto Seika University.

the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly's General Affairs Committee plans to deliberate on this proposal on March 18 and vote on it on March 19. If the proposal makes it out of the committee, it will face a vote by the entire assembly on March 30. If the assembly passes the legislation, it can go into effect as early as October 1.

Comic Book Industry Gets First Graphic Novel Exclusive to iPhone
From Press Release

The Carrier, a complete original graphic novel by author Evan Young, is now available worldwide. This marks a watershed moment for the American comic book industry: The Carrier is the first graphic novel to be published exclusively on the iPhone.

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) September 23, 2009 -- The Carrier, a complete original graphic novel by author Evan Young, is now available worldwide. This marks a watershed moment for the American comic book industry: The Carrier is the first graphic novel to be published exclusively on the iPhone.

"For the first time, a complete original graphic novel has been published exclusively on a mobile device in the United States," says Evan Young, creator of the story and co-founder of StopWatch Media, the company behind The Carrier. "This is not simply a single-issue comic book or a graphic novel that has already appeared in print and been repurposed for the iPhone. The Carrier is a complete, original graphic novel published first and only on the iPhone, integrating the iPhone's core technological capabilities into a creative storytelling experience," he says.

And technology is a significant part of what makes The Carrier unique: the iPhone app, which can be downloaded at www.carriercomicbook.com/appstore, utilizes mobile technology in its storyline and taps into the full power of the iPhone as a platform for integrating geolocation services, messaging, email and more. The result is that each reader comes away with a personalized experience.

"The iPhone offers an incredible platform for offering a rich multimedia experience to readers. We know where they are when they read a page, and we incorporate that into the experience as the story unfolds," says Geoffrey Young, developer of The Carrier application and along with his brother Evan, the other founder of StopWatch Media.

"There are many e-book applications out there, but they focus on re-creating a 'just-like-print' experience. The Carrier moves beyond this and into using a fully programmable mobile device to tell a layered story in entirely new ways," he says.

Perhaps the most unique digital twist to The Carrier is the real-time format in which this globe-spanning action and espionage adventure is told. The Carrier is told in real time for 35 chapters over the course of ten days. When action happens in the story it is revealed at that time in real life, with each chapter becoming available only as events unfold. Each reader gets their own unique timeline regardless of when they download or start reading the app, a technological innovation developed by Geoffrey.

"The real-time aspect of The Carrier adds another creative angle to the story that allows for further individual customization," says Geoffrey. "For example, 45 minutes after the reader first launches the app, they are notified - by both Push messages and a custom email that includes the reader's local weather report - that a new chapter is available. No two users will have the exact same experience, and it's all made possible through the flexibility and constant connectivity the iPhone provides," he says.

"In all, The Carrier offers a complete digital comic book experience, and marks a fundamental shift in comic book storytelling away from the confines of print publishing and into an exciting new mobile arena," says Evan.

There are two versions of The Carrier available in the iTunes App Store. The Carrier's full real-time version is available for $5.99; The Carrier Lite, a preview containing only the first chapter, is available for free. Full details about The Carrier can be found at www.carriercomicbook.com.

StopWatch Media is a mobile applications developing company based in Philadelphia. The Carrier is the company's second iPhone app; the first, Clinical Trials, was released in April to the mobile health care market. For The Carrier's push notification services, StopWatch Media has partnered with Urban Airship, one of the top iPhone push notification and in-app purchase service providers.

Mickey and Co. Nets Spidey and Friends for $4 Billion

August 31, 2009

It was announced earlier today on Marvel Entertainment's website that Disney is to acquire Marvel pending approval by Marvel shareholders and other legal determinations. Based on the closing price of Disney stock on Friday, August 28, the transaction value is $50 per Marvel share, roughly a whopping $4 billion.

"We believe that adding Marvel to Disney's unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation," Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Walt Disney Company said in the release.

Also quoted in the release is Marvel's Chief Executive Officer, Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter. "Disney is the perfect home for Marvel's fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses," Perlmutter said. "This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney's tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world."

Isaac Perlmutter, who owns 37 percent of Marvel, will receive $866.7 million in cash and stock worth $565.3 million, becoming one of Disney's 20 largest investors. He will continue to run Marvel. He will oversee the Marvel properties, and will work directly with Disney's global lines of business to build and further integrate Marvel's properties.

This opens up a vast catalog of over 5,000 Marvel characters for Disney to play with. The potential to market them in movies, theme parks, stores and on television is staggering when you think about Marvel's most recent films pulling in billions of dollars at the box office. Marvel has a recognizable franchise of characters that already do well at Universal Studios Orlando, so it should translate well to Disney World. And Disney's "cuteness" factor can now be offset by more "manly" characters to appeal to the male population. Men around the country can now be unashamed to say they watched a Disney film.

So what does Spider-Man creator, Stan Lee, have to say about all this? Apparently, he couldn't be happier according to New York Times blog, Media Decoder.

"I couldn't be happier with this agreement," said Mr. Lee through a publicist. "From every possible point of view, the merger of Disney and Marvel is a match made in heaven."

Earlier this month Stan Lee, who has a rather complicated relationship with Marvel over the years, told BBC Radio his production company, POW, was working on a project with Disney to create a new kind of comic that will grace mobile phones with motion graphics and sound. It should be no surprise then that he would be thrilled to see his creations in the hands of his new collaborators.

Although Walt Disney will have control over the Marvel Universe if the merger is approved, they will still honor outstanding licensing obligations to other companies. Sony Pictures owns the rights to the Spiderman franchise, 20th Century Fox has the rights to X-Men, and Paramount signed an agreement with Marvel Studios to distribute the company's five next films, including "Iron Man 2." Of course, when those contracts end, there won’t be an extention.

Will we see cartoons on DisneyXD featuring Goofy and Wolverine together or a new video game where the G-Force gets help from Spider-Man to catch a bad guy? Let's all hope that there won't be a tear in the Marvel Universe for the cuteness to sneak in through.

Manga Publisher VIZ Media Restructures
March 6, 1009
--SAN FRANCISCO, CA

As the economy continues to slump both here in the U.S. and around the world, it isn't a surprise that a well known publishing company, Viz Media, is among those businesses doing the restructuring dance. Originally reported on February 23 by Anime News Network, Viz Media CEO Hidemi Fukuhara stated, "Viz Media is in the process of refining its focus and is restructuring to adjust to changing industry and financial market realities. Viz feels confident that with these changes, the company will be more streamlined to face the current economic climate."

While layoffs were involved, there are no further reports regarding this restructuring. However, according to ICv2, "The company did confirm that Marc Weidenbaum, who was the Editor in Chief of Shonen Jump and VP Original Publishing, left to "move on to other projects" last week, but did not comment on the impact of his move on the company's original content project." It is not clear yet how the restructure will affect Viz Media's various divisions.

Viz Media is not the only manga/anime company in the states to feel the economic downturn. Tokyopop has already laid off employees in the past year, Broccoli shut down its Broccoli International USA subsidiary in December, and A.D. Vision downsized its ADV Manga division in 2005. What Viz has going for it, though, are its many popular titles such as Pokemon, Death Note, One Piece, and Dragon Ball, as well as the monthly comic magazine Shonen Jump. Viz Media may well be able to weather the financial storm with its impressive roster of titles.

Comic book artist tells the story of 1918 pandemic
July 24, 2008
--KING COUNTY WASHINGTON (press release)

A local comics artist with a personal connection to the great influenza pandemic of 1918 has teamed up with public health officials on an vivid new comic book about pandemic flu. The comic book No Ordinary Flu reaches out to immigrants and young people with information about the pandemic threat, then and now. Starting today, Public Health - Seattle & King County is making No Ordinary Flu available to order for free through the Public Health website.

The comic book follows the fictional account of a young World War I veteran and his family as their world is transformed overnight by the arrival of the deadly flu virus. No Ordinary Flu also describes the current threat of a flu pandemic and includes information on how to prepare.

Artist David Lasky brings a personal connection to his work on the comic, as his great-grandmother died during the 1918 pandemic that killed over 675,000 Americans. Her grieving husband left three of his children to be raised in an orphanage, including Lasky's grandmother.

"The 1918 pandemic left such a mark on my family, but until this project, I never really knew much about the pandemic itself," commented Lasky. "I was completely surprised to learn how deadly it was, and how quickly it had spread."

"A severe pandemic would affect the lives of everyone in our community, and this comic book helps people to visualize pandemic flu's speed and impact, which can be difficult to grasp," explained Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health - Seattle & King County. "Everyone needs to prepare for the health and economic impacts of a pandemic, so we're delivering the message in a way that reaches diverse communities."

The idea for No Ordinary Flu came from requests from local immigrant groups for emergency preparedness materials that use pictures to communicate. Public Health educators chose the comic book format because comics are widely read by people of all ages in parts of Latin America and Asia. The comic book has been translated into 11 languages to make it accessible to many of King County's immigrant populations. All language versions are available from the Public Health - Seattle & King County website.

"My great-grandmother who died in the 1918 pandemic was an immigrant from Russia," noted Lasky. "So knowing that this comic is available in multiple languages and could be helping to save lives in today's immigrant communities makes me very proud to have participated."

A pandemic flu is a new influenza virus that could be a much more serious flu virus than seen in a typical flu season. Different from the typical, seasonal strains of flu, humans would have no or little natural resistance to a new strain of influenza.

Once a pandemic virus develops, it can spread rapidly with the ease of global travel, causing outbreaks around the world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts that as much as 25% to 30% of the United States population could be affected. In King County alone, a severe pandemic flu could make 540,000 people ill, over 59,000 would need hospitalization, and 11,500 could die in the first six weeks of an outbreak.

Funding for the comic book was provided by the National Association of County and City Health Officers (NACCHO) Advanced Practice Center (APC) Program, a diverse network of local health departments actively working to help the public health community prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies and other disasters.

Providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services for over 1.8 million residents and visitors of King County, Public Health - Seattle & King County works for safer and healthier communities for everyone, every day.

# # #

Referenced from Public Health Seattle & King County
Comic book illustrates new way to reach immigrants and youth about pandemic flu

Japanese response to Navy's manga exceeds expectations
June 13, 2008
-- YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan

It was apparent by the long line of people waiting for the US Navy's very first manga that they had discovered the Rosetta Stone for communicating with the Japanese public.

According to military publication, Stars and Stripes, sailors handed out about 800 copies of "CVN 73" in three hours in the manga's first day of distribution. More will be handed out at upcoming open base events, said Waterman, a spokesman for Commander U.S. Naval Forces Japan.

"The response has been phenomenal," Waterman said. "People told me that if we passed out a brochure or a tri-fold, they wouldn't read it. But with a manga, we're speaking their language."

The manga is a 200-page comic featuring the USS George Washington, a nuclear-propelled aircraft carrier that will be the first of its kind to be deployed in Japan. It gives Japanese readers a glimpse of life on the ship and told through the eyes of a fictional Japanese-American sailor named Jack Ohara. The title itself comes from the ship's hull number.

"CVN 73" was born out of the need to address concerns by local citizens about the safety and environmental impact of the ship's nuclear plant. It was hoped that by creating a medium Japanese people were familiar with, they would have a better understanding of how procedures on a Naval ship made it a safe environment.

Questions about the George Washington had Hiroharu Kitamura leaving his Yokohama residence early so he could get a copy of "CVN 73." The 64-year-old was one of the first people in line hours before the event started.

"I have concerns about the nuclear carrier," Kitamura said. "Manga is one effective way (of getting the information out). It looks good and easy to understand."

Free downloads of "CVN 73" in English and Japanese are available at www.cnfj.navy.mil and www.kanji.cnfj.navy.mil.

Referenced from Stars and Stripes
Navy officials pleased with Japanese response to USS George Washington comic book

TOKYOPOP creates new company
June 3, 2008
--Los Angeles, CA

(Official Press Release)TOKYOPOP announced Tuesday that it has reorganized its North American business into two separate companies by spinning off its newly established comics-to-film and digital units into one new entity TOKYOPOP Media LLC.

As part of the spin-off and reorganization, 39 positions within the organization have been eliminated. The move will allow the company to align its publishing business with current book retail trends, as well as aggressively pursue growth in the white-hot comics-to-film and digital space.

According to Stuart Levy, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of the TOKYOPOP Group, “This reorganization is the right business move, but we are doing it with a heavy heart. It involves saying goodbye to 39 of the most talented, creative and compassionate people I've ever known. While it goes without saying, it's important to note that our restructure is not at all a negative reflection on them. The time is now for us to focus our publishing business to overcome current market challenges. Fewer releases will allow for less cannibalization at retail. At the same time, the opportunity is significant in the digital and comics-to-film space. As one of the largest comic book companies worldwide, we must adjust our overhead to properly execute this new business plan.”

Two key executive announcements accompanied the reorganization. Group President & COO John Parker has taken over the publishing reigns at TOKYOPOP Inc. with veteran Director of Marketing Marco Pavia being promoted to Associate Publisher. Current Publisher Mike Kiley has been promoted to the key senior executive role in TOKYOPOP Media, reporting to Levy, who will helm the new company.

John Parker explained, “After establishing our European operations, my next focus will be on increasing profitability by significantly reducing our annual output, focusing on the most successful continuing series, and most promising new titles. Marco will be instrumental in developing the upcoming line. These moves will show that, once again, TOKYOPOP is leading the evolution of the manga and graphic novel categories.”

Speaking about the growth opportunities for TOKYOPOP Media, Mike Kiley commented, “There has never been a time better for a graphic novel based creative studio such as ours. Over the past three years, we have produced more than 25,000 pages of original comics/manga material, making us the North American leader in production outside of Marvel and DC. With the relationships we have established in the past year, TOKYOPOP Media is ready to move quickly into the comics-to-film and digital markets.” Pointing to prominent successes in online video (www.youtube.com/tokyopoptv and www.myspace.com/tokyopop) and mobile, both Levy and Kiley are optimistic about the future. Levy added “Our goal is for TOKYOPOP Media to become one of the go-to production entities in Hollywood by building global entertainment franchises across media platforms.”

As part of the reorganization, TOKYOPOP's Japan entity will be separated into two units--one under TOKYOPOP Media and the other remaining the TOKYOPOP Group's holding entity. TOKYOPOP's European operations will not be affected.

About TOKYOPOP®

Founded by multi-cultural media visionary Stuart Levy, TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way teens experience pop culture. The company's global reach has expanded to Europe and Asia, with offices in the UK and Germany, in addition to its Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto the new social networking site www.TOKYOPOP.com, reading its books, which are licensed in 41 countries in more than 20 languages, and watching its DVDs and television programs, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing teen entertainment marketplace. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.

Protests suspend sales of anime series from popular manga title
May 24, 2008
-- Tokyo

This would be that moment of whoops that reverberated to another corner of the globe.

On Thursday, Japanese publisher Shueisha Inc and animation company APPP Co. suspended sales of some of the original comics and the DVD series of a popular minga title "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" because of the way the Quran is depicted in a 90-second segment of the anime. This scene in question depicts villain Dio Brando picking up a Quran from a bookshelf and apparently examining it as he orders the execution of the hero and his friends.

"Jojo's Bizarre Adventure" is a popular manga series by Hirohiko Araki that ran in a weekly magazine called Shonen Jump from 1987 to 2003. The English version of the manga was first published in the United States in 2005 by Viz Media, but the animation in question was released by Super Techno Arts from 2003 to 2004. The cartoon series' pirated version with Arabic subtitles has been distributed on websites since March 2007.

The funny thing about the internet is one's ability to be heard. After a viewer posted negative comments and an image of the scene, it sparked a slew of protests. Eventually responses were carried on more than 300 Arab and Islamic Web forums with some accusing Japan of insulting the Quran. Even a high-ranking Sunni chairman called the anime an insult to Islam saying, "This scene depicts Muslims as terrorists, which is not true at all." He also adds, "This is an insult to the religion and the producers would be considered to be enemies of Islam."

A representative of Shueisha apologized for the portrayal, but said the material was not intended to be offensive, explaining that it was "a simple mistake."

"Neither the original comic nor the animation intends to treat Muslims as villains. But as a result, the cartoon offended Muslims." said the official. "We apologize for the unpleasantness that the cartoon may have caused and will carefully consider how to deal with religious and culture themes."

This is where the "whoops" moment comes in. In the original manga, the book Dio reads is illegible. Instead of using the same tactic with the animated version, one of animators came up with the idea of using an Arabic book in order to give the scene a more authentic feel as the villain was hiding out in Egypt. With that in mind, according to the official, he went to the library and found a book, which turned out to be the Quran, and inserted an image of its pages. Since no one spoke or read Arabic, no one realized that the image used belonged to a sacred book.

Even the government issued a statement Friday regarding the controversy. 'While it resulted from carelessness, the Japanese government considers it regrettable that Muslims' feelings were hurt by the content of some of the cartoon," Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Kazuo Kodama said. "In any case, we think it is important to prevent a recurrence by fostering understanding and respect for other religions and cultures."

Despite the apologies and explanation, other negative responses continue, including suggestions that Japan sees Muslims as terrorists and that anyone who reads the Quran will develop evil tendancies. Still others are calling for a boycott on Japanese products.

referrenced from Japan Today:
     publisher to suspend cartoon sales (japantoday.com )
     japan says muslim offense regrettable (japantoday.com)