Welcome back to another installment of “Last Week in Geekdom” where I comb the internet for all the news you need to know so you don’t have to. June in Pride Month and I’m thinking of reviewing a bunch of queer and LGBT comics and manga along with finishing my Fruits Basket read-through, so you can hit me up down below in the comments or on Twitter with your favorites. In terms of highlights for this week: the Japanese government is looking into new guidelines for the anime industry to improve working conditions; Akira Toriyama has been knighted in France; and Robert Pattinson has been officially confirmed as the new Batman. Check below for more interesting articles and videos. Youtube was down for a while this afternoon, but videos should now be linked below. As always, if I missed something important, let me know in the comments and have a great rest of your Sunday!
Top Anime and Manga News
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation has released a report on the state of the manga industry in North America. Industry professional Dallas Middaugh wrote the report that tells of year-on-year growth of sales since 2013, with the shonen genre still the most popular, and the release of anime adaptations still an indicator of a manga’s success. Manga currently holds about 25% of the graphic novel market in the US.
Dragonball creator Akira Toriyama has been knighted in France this week. Dragonball is credited with popularizing manga in France. Toriyama did not appear for the ceremony as he rarely appears for any, with his publisher accepting his medal in his stead.
Funimation has acquired the UK anime distributor Manga Entertainment Limited, making it the largest distributor of anime in the UK and Ireland. The acquisition will being an increased amount of titles to the UK and Ireland that will be available for streaming on the FunimationNow platform.
The Japanese Government is soliciting opinions on how to improve the anime industry. The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry is looking at formulating new guidelines to improve the working conditions of employees in the anime industry, many centered around scheduling and contracts.
Anime Announcements:
- Vinland Saga #1 to air on Prime ahead of July 7th premiere
- Star Twinkle Precure gets film October 19th
- Teasing Master Takagi-san 2nd season premieres July 7th
- Kochoki: Wakaki Nobunaga premieres July 8th
Manga Announcements:
Top Comics News
It’s been confirmed that Robert Pattinson will be the next Batman. Warner Brothers has reached a decision and has chosen Pattinson to star in its upcoming trilogy, The Batman, to be directed by Matt Reeves. Apparently the choice sat between Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult, but it seems Pattinson was well-liked by the filmmaker.
In continuation of the news last week, it looks like Stan Lee’s former manager Keya Morgan has been arrested after he charged for multiple counts of elder abuse. Apparently Morgan, besides severely isolating Lee from friends and family, was pocketing thousands of dollars from autograph signings.
DC Comics has announced a new line-up of YA graphic novels at BookCon this year. Kicking it off with a Teen Titans: Raven written by Kami Garcia and illustrated by Gabriel Picolo. They also announced a similar Beast Boy graphic novel as well as multiple other titles such as a Dick Grayson and Batgirl graphic novel.
Featured Articles and Interviews
- Anime Feminist starts off Pride Month with a look at yuri manga, giving beginners to the genre a comprehensive guide.
- Deb Aoki on Publisher’s Weekly talks about the popularity of the manga industry, its growth, and the kinds of trends that are dominating the market, with interviews from prominent comic sellers.
- Women Write About Comics takes a look at how the writers of Avengers: Endgame failed to give Tony and Steve the closure and reconciliation their relationship deserved, possibly pointing to a larger problem with masculinity in Marvel comics.
Featured Videos
- LEGOF gives us a behind-the-scenes look at voice acting with a video showing the recording of episode one of Sore ga Seiyuu.
- Gigguk talks Gankutsuou, an anime I consider a real hidden gem, and how the anime managed to captivate him with its story, characters, and art style.
- Kamimashita takes a look at Hitoribocchi and the nature of anxiety in this short essay on how Bocchi perseveres through her social anxiety.
Featured WordPress Post
- Lumi Reviews Things takes a look at the life of NEETs through the manga Neeko wa Tsurai yo and how it portrays the issues that may lead someone to the NEET lifestyle.
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