I finally finished reading through an article Patrick Macias (he of Otaku USA editorial fame) wrote on Stan Lee (he of Spiderman, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, X-Men, etc. fame) in today's Japan Times. And, before you ask, yes, it is in English.

Lee talks about his current manga and anime projects in Japan and muses upon his past success in comic books. I enjoyed it and I hope you do, too!

Noticed this the other night while I was waiting for the lab portion of our class to start. And it looks like looking2dastars continued the list of creepy comic book characters (found via When Fangirls Attack!).

If you're looking to kill some time, be possibly disturbed, and/or get a laugh in, check it out! I was certainly creeped out...and laughed at how censors missed things involving bondage, bestiality, and incest...

So, I just remembered that Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday, May 3. On this most special of days, comic book stores across the world give away free comics!

It's this simple -- just show up and grab a copy of the free titles that are available! This is how I got hooked on Last Blood and Gyakushu!. And, this year, there's more manga being given away, including a Shonen Jump sampler.

Of course, there's tons more to check out, so find your closest participating retailer and pick up some new reads!

On my morning ritual of eating breakfast in the office while checking out pop culture news, I ran into this. ( A quick rant about a magazine that I fail to get in a timely fashion. )

On another note, I read through this really interesting post on the Publisher's Weekly Web site. In it, the comics blogger, Heidi MacDonald, dissects what went down at the first-ever New York Anime Festival. If you have the chance to read it, look through the comments, too. Interesting discussion going on there on the fans that showed up, what companies weren't there, and what the growing "otaku" culture is looking like...

And, with the end of another year, Johanna Draper Carlson looks at her manga favs and disappointments in 2007. As we get closer to the end of 2007, I'm sure more and more folks will be releasing their lists of picks and pans soon enough. ( Death Note gets some serious criticism. )

As far as new series that quickly became favorites, I'd have to agree with Carlson that Lovely Complex is easy to love-- quirky rom-com that isn't your typical shojo fare. Other series that I've been reading are either continuing series, old series, or only have a volume out, so it's simply too early to review them. ( New manga to be excited about in 2008 )

And there's more than just manga to love in '08-- there are tons of great movies from manga-inspired live-action flicks like Honey and Clover and Lovely Complex, to comic book-based sequels like The Dark Knight and Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

So, what were your favs of 2007 and what are you looking forward to most in '08?

I just realized that it has been some time since my last LJ post, so you've been forewarned that this will end up being a looooong post (use of LJ cuts employed where necessary, though). I've been crazy busy with work-- it's like all of our university's faculty have decided that they MUST get a news release written about their latest event, study, class, etc. and it has to go out ASAP. Not to mention other end-of-the-year work-related stuff (updating lists and getting our year-end clip report together) and, oh yeah, grad school!

As far as grad school goes, the first semester is almost over! Just two more weeks and then finals. I do have a paper that I've been researching for some time-- it's supposed to be a test-drive on my master's thesis and I've been reading a lot about active audiences, my topic of choice. Active audience research is pretty much focused on fandoms, which is why I find it interesting, especially the research done on fanfic writers and fanartists. ( But it's weird being a subject of study... )

Anyway, I'm insanely thankful that my first semester of grad school is nearly at an end and am happily looking forward to winter break. Speaking of being thankful, I decided to compile a little list that I'm dubbing: ( Fangirlish Things to be Thankful for This Year )

Speaking of newfound manga addiction-- I finally got my copy of Manga: The Complete Guide! It took a few weeks to get it mailed, but I did pay less than $12 for it, so who am I to complain? ( Here's what I loved (and found a little annoying)... )

In conclusion, life is good and is about to get better! Hope all my American friends had a great Thanksgiving and that everyone enjoys the upcoming holiday season and that you get everything your otaku-, nerd-, or geek-oriented heart desires!

Looking for something fun and free to read? Then head out to your local comic book store today-- it's Free Comic Book Day!

Comic book stores across the country are giving away free comic books supplied by publishers, including DC, Marvel, Bongo Comics (owned by the creator of The Simpsons and Futurama, Matt Groening), Dark Horse and TOKYOPOP. There's something for everyone-- so find the closest store to you that's participating and pick up some freebies (and buy something while you're there-- I'm a big believer in supporting your local store!)...

Happy reading!