Top 20 Must-See Manga Events at Comic-Con 2008

Manga Artist Appearances, Celeb-Sightings and Publishers' Previews

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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