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Top 20 Must-See Manga Events at Comic-Con 2008
Manga Artist Appearances, Celeb-Sightings and Publishers' Previews

By Deb Aoki, About.com

San Diego Comic-Con 2008 is truly an international affair, with no less than five top Japanese manga artists coming to meet and greet fans, and lots of anime and manga events and announcements.

With so much to see and do, what are the can't-miss events for manga fans? Here's my picks for 20 events that are on my must-do list for the weekend.

11. VIZ Media's Shonen Jump and Shojo Beat Panels

Cover artwork for the Shonen Jump 5th Anniversary Collector's Edition book, published by VIZ Media© VIZ Media LLC / Shonen Jump / Shueisha
VIZ Media's panel at Anime Expo was a bit skimpy on the shonen manga announcements, so look for them to introduce a few new coming attractions for 2009 that they've been keeping up their sleeve until Comic-Con.

Summer '08 also marks the 5th anniversary of the U.S. edition of Shonen Jump magazine (as well as the 40th anniversary of Weekly Shonen Jump, its Japanese counterpart), so perhaps there will be some interesting announcements on that front too.

  • Shonen Jump Panel: Friday, July 25, 10:00-11:00 at Room 2
  • VIZ Anime & Manga Panel: Friday, July 25 – 3:00 – 4:00 pm at Room 2
  • Shojo Beat Panel: Saturday, July 26, 3:30-4:30 at Room 10

12. Yen Press Debuts Yen Plus, Plus New Manga for 2009

Yen Plus August 2008 issue, featuring Maximum Ride by James Patterson and Narae Lee© James Patterson, Narae Lee / Yen Press

The always entertaining Yen Press crew will likely be showing off spankin' new copies of Yen Plus magazine (due to hit newsstands at the end of July), which includes several marquee titles, including James Patterson's Maximum Ride, Nightschool by Svetlana Chmakova and Soul Eater by Atsushi Okubo.

If we're lucky, they'll unveil a few new manga (and manhwa) releases for 2009. Also visit them at booth #1116, pick up some schwag and see what's new!

  • Yen Press Industry Panel: Saturday, 6:00 - 7:00 pm at Room 3

13. The Secret History of Manga in the U.S.

Wired Magazine, November 2007© The Conde Nast Publications

Manga editor, author and expert Jason Thompson presents his strange but true tour through the lesser known cul-de-sacs of manga's history in America, including Mixxzine, TokyoPop's early hip-hop infused attempt at a manga magazine and "ninja... lots of ninja."

If you liked his article about manga's invasion of America in Wired magazine, then you'll love this fast-paced tour through the wonderfully weird history of manga in America.

  • The Secret History of Manga in the U.S.: Thursday, July 24, 6:00-7:00 at Room 4

14. Dark Horse Reveals More About CLAMP's Mangettes... or Not.

CLAMP manga artists caricatures© CLAMP
They've been promising this to us for months... months, I say! So will Dark Horse's Saturday panel at San Diego Comic-Con finally be the day that the Dark Horse crew finally gives us more info about that super-secret "mangettes" project from CLAMP? Hrmmm?

According to the press release on the Dark Horse website, there's a secret "special guest" planned to make an appearance. Any guesses, anyone?

  • Dark Horse Comics Panel: Saturday, 12:00-1:00 pm at Room 2

15. Tokyo Zombie Invades the Last Gasp Booth

Tokyo Zombie by Yusaku Hanakuma, published by Last Gasp© Yusaku Hanakuma
After months of breathless anticipation from the guys who bring you the always entertaining Same Hat! Same Hat! blog, Tokyo Zombie by Yusaku Hanakuma will be ready for your reading enjoyment at the Last Gasp booth (#1614) at Comic-Con.

Be sure to drop by on Friday from 2 – 6 pm to congratulate Ryan and Evan, who brought this gekiga monster-piece straight from the pages of Japan's avant-garde AX magazine, the anti-Shonen Jump (or Nakayoshi for that matter)...

  • Tokyo Zombie Meet n' Greet: Friday, July 25, 2 :00 – 6:00 pm at Last Gasp booth #1614

16. Stock Up on Fanfare – Ponent Mon Manga

The Ice Wanderer and Other Stories Volume 2 by Jiro Taniguchi, published by Fanfare / Ponent Mon © Jiro Taniguchi
While technically not an event or a panel, UK-/Spain-based manga publisher Fanfare – Ponent Mon so rarely makes the jaunt across the pond to show off their fabulous assortment of graphic novels for grown-ups, just them having a booth is an event. Chat up publisher Stephen Robson at table C-04 and pick up copies of Disappearance Diary and the Eisner-nominated The Ice Wanderer and Other Stories by Jiro Taniguchi – you won't be sorry. Also, get a sneak peek at the upcoming release, Quest for the Missing Girl, also by Taniguchi-sensei, which will be fresh off the presses by the time Comic-Con rolls around.

17. Wendy Pini Celebrates 30 Years of Elfquest

The Masque of Red Death by Wendy Pini, published by Go! Comi© Wendy Pini

Time flies! 2008 marks the 30th year of Wendy and Richard Pini's creation, Elfquest. With the recent announcement that the Pini's have recently signed a movie development deal for Elfquest with Warner Brothers, and the upcoming publication of Pini's latest project, the erotic sci-fi romance The Masque of the Red Death due out from Go! Comi in Fall 2008, there's lots to celebrate at Sunday's Elfquest panel, or give your regards to Wendy Pini at her Artists Alley table, #AA-03.

  • 30 Years of Elfquest Panel: Sunday, July 27, 1:30-2:30 pm at Room 2

18. Comic-Con Masquerade

You want cosplay? You gots cosplay and lots of it at the Comic-Con Masquerade. Being so close to Hollywood, San Diego Comic-Con hosts an unusually high level of innovative and entertaining cosplayers who create some eye-popping costumes or put on some especially entertaining skits – sometimes both at the same time.

This event always attracts a capacity crowd and even warrants an overflow room where the folks who didn't get tickets watch the ballroom festivities on large screens. This year, it's even sponsored by HBO. Yes, it's that big.

  • Comic-Con Masquerade: Saturday, 8:30 – 11:00 pm at Ballroom 20
  • Ticketing: Thursday and Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm, Saturday from 10:00 – 12:00 pm at Masquerade Desk at Ballroom 20

19. CMX Manga Panel

Crayon Shin-Chan Volume 1 by Yoshito Usui, published by CMX Manga / Futabasha Publishers Ltd.© Yoshito Usui / Futabasha Publishers Ltd.

Often overshadowed at Comic-Con by big brother DC Comics, CMX Manga nevertheless promises to unveil some new manga for 2009 – or if not that, then at least show off what they've got planned for the rest of the year, which hopefully should be good.

Also visit them at booth #1915 for a copy of this season's manga sampler and maybe some cool Comic-Con schwag too.

  • CMX Manga Panel: Sunday, July 27 1:30-2:30 at Room 8

20. Lost in Translation Manga Panel

Cover artwork for Naruto Volume 17 by Masashi Kishimoto, published by VIZ Media / Shueisha© Masashi Kishimoto

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the unsung heroes of the manga publishing business – the translators. It's not easy to interpret the quirks of Japanese culture and language and make it all sound natural and conversational for American readers.

The translating talent behind Naruto, Switch, and Fairy Tail are here to explain the whys and hows of their craft.

  • Lost in Translation Panel: Thursday, July 24, 3:30 – 4:30 pm at Room 3

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