The Panels Guide to Manga Terminology

Who can't use a nifty guide to vocabulary associated with Manga? Surely no one in education or literacy studies can afford not to have access to one, especially given the monstrous sales numbers of Attack on Titan recently. Some even suggest that when it comes to American comics sales, Manga is the dominating force.

Luckily the folks at Panels have created a primer. See their Guide to Essential Manga Terminology here. 

First Ph.D. Program in Manga Studies coming Soon

Kyoto Seika University (Japan) expects the program to be ready by 2012.

What's Going on With Manga Right Now...

Tokyo has recently banned certain types of Manga that feature young girls doing sexual things. Or, another way of looking at it is that Japan is making it more difficult for minors to get their hands on this material.

The Beat has several links up with their own links, etc. See here and here and here.

I don't know enough about Manga or Japanese culture to make any informed statements, except to say that I'm not sure this legislation parallels directly the comics censorship efforts in the US from the 1940s and '50s. Yet. In terms of sex and nudity, these types of Manga texts at the center of this exigency are much more overt and graphic than any of those images in panels with supposedly subliminal vaginas that folks griped about back in the day.

"Subliminal Vaginas" -- that'd make a great name for a band, eh?

GNR Posts Slew of Updates!

Graphic Novel Reporter continues its excellent work! This week they have creator interviews with Belle Yang and Audrey Niffenegger; our friend John C. Weaver reports on his vbisit to Baltimore Comic-Con; and there's a feature on GRN's "Core List of Manga for Teens."

Since I'm not really Manga-informed, I'm especially excited to see that list!

And there's so much more! Visit http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com now!

Good Article on Manga's Decline in the States

This Week's NCTE Inbox Mentions Article on Manga Quoting Peter Gutierrez

The article is from the AARP Bulletin and is entitled "Drawn Into Manga." Peter holds court pretty well.

ICV2 Covers the Maryland Schools Dragon Ball Controversy

They're a little late to the game, but ICV2's short article on the Salisbury, MD, school district's decision to pull Dragon Ball Mangas from all its school shelves is short and gives the facts.

Parent Complains about Dragon Ball Z Manga; School Library Removes Book

Here's a link to the article in the local paper. The Beat reports this happened in a school library in Salisbury, Maryland. What is it with the Mid-Atlantic states lately? Maryland now, Connecticut a year or so ago. Is there a push to get another coastline for Alabama or something???*

(*reference to Corville's humorous claim that Pennsylvania is nothing but Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with Alabama in between)