Comics212

Seriously people.

- Chris

I have to say, I feel slightly better about being late to the show today. Adrian Tomine just came by and said hi as I sit here in the hotel lobby, trying to see what I missed at the show so far by checking all of the news sites. If Adrian can get up and go to the show at noon, then I feel like I can do the same.

So yeah, the show’s pretty good this year. I think the crowding may have reached a whole new level though, and I honestly can’t see how the event can proceed ‘business as usual’. I wonder how much it is to rent the Petco stadium? Or maybe that bandshell over behind the convention centre…

Last night was the Oni party, and it was too crazy to take pictures, for the most part. You’ll just have to imagine Shirley Manson and Sarah Silverman on your own.

Awright, I’m headed back into the fray. Thanks to everyone who’s linked the photo blogging so far, it’s pretty great of you to do so. I’ll set up reciprocal links on Monday or Tuesday probably :)

Photos continue at http://flickr.com/photos/comics212/ imminently. Or possibly after breakfast.

- Christopher

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

More Matsumoto!

GO GO MONSTER anyone? Ask Viz to make It happen…

EDIT: August 1st 2008: Here’s the official VIZ PR.

VIZ MEDIA’S TEKKONKINKREET

BY TAIYO MATSUMOTO

WINS 2008 EISNER AWARD

 

Edgy Series About Two Miscreant Boys’ Adventures In A Surreal Metropolis Is The Only Japanese Manga Title To Win This Year

 

San Francisco, CA, August 1, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced that its manga, TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE, by acclaimed creator Taiyo Matsumoto, won a 2008 Eisner Comic Industry Award for the Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Japan. Named for pioneering writer and comic artist Will Eisner, the awards recognize exemplary comics, graphic novels and other pop writings and are given each year as part of the annual Comic-Con International convention.

 

The manga, which is published by VIZ Media under its Signature imprint, was also the inspiration behind the Tekkonkinkreet animated feature film from Sony Pictures directed by noted visual effects artist and producer Michael Arias (The Abyss, Princess Mononoke, The Animatrix).

 

TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE presents a gritty depiction of urban and social chaos surrounding a pair of outcast kids. Orphaned on the mean streets of Treasure Town, Black and White steal and fight to survive but remain fiercely loyal to each other. The result? The citizens of Treasure Town are afraid of them, the police are afraid of them, and even the local yakuza gangsters are afraid of them…and when a crime boss known as the “Rat” returns to Treasure Town, a confrontation is set to occur.

 

VIZ Media released TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE in August 2007 and bundled all three volumes of the original series into a new, premium omnibus edition that includes a color poster insert and 12 additional full-color manga pages – the first time these pages were published in the U.S. An insightful interview with Michael Arias and screenwriter Anthony Weintraub is also featured in the foreword. TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE is rated “M” for Mature Audiences and has a Suggested Retail Price of $29.95. In addition to TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE, Matsumoto’s other notable works include BLUE SPRING and NO. 5 (both published by VIZ Media) and PING PONG, which was also adapted into an award-winning live action film that is available domestically from VIZ Pictures.

 

“We are extremely honored to have TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE recognized by the comics industry with this notable award,” says Alvin Lu, Vice President, Publishing, VIZ Media. “Taiyo Matsumoto has won international critical acclaim for his honest and unflinching depictions of young peoples’ lives and for his unique, immediately recognizable art style that blends both Japanese and European influences. We invite everyone to explore this award-winning series now available in a gorgeous omnibus edition from VIZ Media!”

 

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone  (415) 546-7073 ; Fax (415) 546-7086; and web site at www.VIZ.com.

 

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Blogging from the handheld here but wanted to write this while. I thought about it. The worst part about Comicon is that everyone here is afraid to leave the building for any reason. The idea that you might miss something is both omnipresent and terrifying. Because, why would you come all this way and not squeeze every last dollar out of your convention badge? Why waste time at a pool or having a really good lunch 10 minutes walk away when you can pay 10 bucks for crappy con pizza and Still Be In The Building. Why take time to enjoy yourself at all? When you can wait in a line for 4 hours to catch a panel…

I think this is the same reason that antholigies do so poorly in North America–people can’t conceive of paying for something if they don’t love every single story in it.

Anyway, this came up because I just missed the SPACED panel that I wanted to see because I got caught up talking with a friend, and I started to feel awful… Until I realized that my conversation was worthwhile and enjoyable and I would have missed THAT if I’d made it to the panel on time. It was a nice little reminder that things are what we make them.

Anyway! I’m enjoying the hell out of the show, hope you are too.

- Christopher

Hey there. San Diego is going well so far, we’re currently kicking it on a patio and having a beer after a long day of walking around. Fun times. I bought a Phil Bond original for 125 DOLLARS, which is amazing… Page one of Kill your boyfriend… Life is good! I’ve posted tons of photos to the flickr, hope you’re enjoying them. More posts l8r.

Hey there! I can now blog and photograph… on the go! So expect lots of little updates, and photos at Flickr.

http://flickr.com/photos/comics212/

Alright! I’m off tomorrow. Perhaps I’ll see you in San Diego.

- Chris

SAN DIEGO, CA: Thanks to their friends at Drawn + Quarterly, The Beguiling Books & Art will be exhibiting at booth #1529 at this week’s Comic Con International: San Diego, in its role as a sales representative for original art. D+Q’s generous donation of exhibition space will allow The Beguiling to present original art from dozens of talented cartoonists including brand-new, never-before offered-for-sale originals from SETH (Wimbledon Green), JASON (I Killed Adolf Hitler), PAUL POPE (Batman Year 100), and FAREL DALRYMPLE (Omega The Unknown).

The Beguiling represents original art sales for more than 40 cartoonists at its online store at Beguiling.com, but this small exhibition at San Diego will allow an unprecedented opportunity for art collectors and fans of these artists to see the original works up close. In addition to brand new works from Seth, Jason, Pope, and Dalrymple, The Beguiling will have work on hand from Drawn + Quarterly cartoonists including Miriam Katin (We Are On Our Own), Sammy Harkham (Crickets), Kevin Huizenga (Or Else, Curses), Jason Lutes (Berlin), Anders Nilsen (Big Questions), Michel Rabagliati (Paul Goes Fishing), Maurice Vellekoop (Vellevision) and dozens of other talented cartoonists.

For fans and collectors who will be in San Diego for the con and would like to save themselves the shipping charges on a piece of original art or two, drop a line to mail@beguiling.com with the title and artist of one of the thousands of pages from our online art store at Beguiling.com and we’ll bring it to the show for you!

Remember, that’s The Beguiling at the Drawn + Quarterly booth, #1529, near Comic Relief, Fantagraphics, Last Gasp, and Artists Alley on the “right” side of the exhibition hall.

ABOUT

The Beguiling is Canada’s premiere retailer of comics, graphic novels, and original comics art. Almost all of the original art that The Beguiling represents is consigned by the artists, ensuring we are able to offer the widest possible selection of material and that the artists get the largest possible chunk of the proceeds. Visit The Beguiling online at http://www.beguiling.com.

Artists with original art represented by The Beguiling include: Jessica Abel, Ho Che Anderson, Jeffrey Brown, Eddie Campbell, Geneviève Castrée, Scott Chantler, Becky Cloonan, Dave Cooper, Jordan Crane, Farel Dalrymple, Kim Deitch, Phoebe Gloeckner, Tomer Hanuka, Sammy Harkham, David Heatley, Paul Hornschemeier, Kevin Huizenga, Jason, Miriam Katin, Jeff Lemire, Jason Lutes, Matt Madden, Kagan McLeod, Anders Nilsen, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Paul Pope, Michel Rabagilati, Brian Ralph, Ron Rege, Graham Roumiey, Sean Scoffield, Seth, Jay Stephens, James Sturm, Maurice Vellekoop, and Steve Weissman.

The Beguiling is a sponsor of The Toronto Comic Arts Festival, May 9-10 2009. For more information visit http://www.torontocomics.com.

I was happy to read that Kazu Kibuishi really enjoyed Taiyo Matsumoto’s Tekkon Kinkreet, particularly since he says it was the interview I published that pushed him to finally pick the book up off his to-read pile. The piece he wrote on approaching Matsumoto’s work, and the book itself, is also really interesting. I’m aware that when you push a creator or a work really hard, people (particularly hardcore comics readers) tend to bristle. The number of comments in my feed reader in a given week that are some variation on living or not living up to the “hype” is kind of ridiculous… Anyway, Kazu lays his thought-processes on engaging the work bare, and like I said, it’s worth reading.

So this means that yes Jim, you have to read it again.

- Christopher