ANIME SACRAMENTO NEWSLETTER, JUNE - JULY 2003 Welcome to the June-July 2003 Anime Sacramento Newsletter. Meetings of Anime Sacramento are bi-monthly, usually on the 2nd Saturday of the odd-numbered months, at the private residence of Laurine White, Sacramento, California. Email the editor, LVBwhite@concourse.net for info and directions. I enjoy trading non-commercial Japanese-language anime (such as tv episodes), and do limited freebie-dupes of same. E-mail me about trading tapes and some stuff I have for sale. Next meeting will be Saturday, July 12, 2003, from 1pm to 10pm. Thank you kind folks who brought munchies in May, including the cookies, sodas and asparagus rollups. In fact, there are so many snacks on hand for the July meeting, you don't need to bring anything! But if you insist, please - no cookies or cokes (plenty on hand), suggestions - fruit juice or diet sodas, cheetos or an exotic-flavored potato chip (like BBQ). There will be ice in the freezer. Dinner break is 7-8pm (or whenever). Possible program items include more Fruits Basket, more Saiyuki, more Chronicles of 12 Kingdoms, Tsukikage Ran, Ponpoko Tanuki (Studio Ghibli), Flirting Scholar (Stephen Chow). Any requests? If you have anime DVDs you want to view with others, please bring them to the show. Subscriptions to this newsletter are available, 3 issues for $1.80, 6 issues for $3.60. Make checks payable to Laurine White or send unused postage stamps. If your subscription is expiring, ask to be added to the personal distribution list for the newsletter (it's not an attachment), just send me an email. Remember, if you change your email address, please let me know, so I can keep you on the distribution list. Also let me know if your email is set up to reject distribution list emails. If you want to Unsubscribe to the newsletter, just say so. Cultural Events: International Taiko Festival (35th Anniversary) will be November 22 and 23 at Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, featuring Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka and San Francisco Taiko Dojo, San Jose Taiko, and guests from Japan. For more info, contact the Taiko Dojo Showroom at (415) 928-2456 or email taikodojo@earthlink.net. If you enjoy Japanese performances and other ethnic cultural programs, this is a great show. I've been going for years. 2003-2004 Mondavi Season (www.mondaviarts.org/events) has scheduled the following Asian cultural events for the Mondavi Center at UC Davis, Davis, Calif: the Krasnoyarsk National Dance Company of Siberia, with performance based on Siberian folklore (Wednesday, Sept 10); the Shaolin Warriors (Thursday, Oct 2nd - for more info, check www.cityweekend.com.cn/issues/2002/17/Profile_Shaolin); CHI - a New Era in Acrobatics (Shanghai acrobats, Friday, Mar 4, '04); the Taiko Project (fusion of taiko drumming, storytelling, hiphop and modern dance; Friday, May 21, '04). For more info, check the Mondavi website or phone tollfree 1-866-754-ARTS. Nihonmachi Street Fair, San Francisco - (www.nihonmachistreetfair.org/2003/2003.html) - 30th annual Street Fair in JapanTown on Aug 9-10 (Sat-Sun) with food booths, obon fest, Asian artisans, free musical shows. More websites of interest: www.bigfire.com/conventions.htm - for info on upcoming anime conventions. Animemeetup.com - We need more Sacramento-area fans to sign up for this, but enough participants actually signed up and showed up at an actual meetup, at the TrueLove Coffee House, in May. www.sacramentoanime.com - a really great online anime site in Sacramento. Check it out. Besides, Nicky is posting my latest newsletters here. www.nikaku.com - Nikaku Animart - 615 North 6th Street, San Jose, CA 95112, (408) 971-2822, for anime CDs, books, posters, etc. Visit them when you're in the area for FanimeCon. www.dazzled.com/dangermuff/bollybob/rmrindia.html - Here's a website with a review of one of my favorite Hindu movies, MR. INDIA. Maybe we could show it at an anime show. It's a lot of fun! (Thank you, Jeff) bushidodesigns.com - These folks were at the Pacific Rim Fest in Old Sacramento. On their website they sell samurai swords and t-shirts with samurai print designs, also with links to samurai video and DVD dealers. They also have a nice 2003 samurai calendar. WonderCon: www.thekwoon.com - the online kung fu series that chronicles the misadventures of 5 kung fu students struggling to survive in the rough and tumble environment of Silicon Valley. The site has m/a links, message board, and they sell a DVD of their adventures for $20, also selling shirts and posters. www.drunkenmaster.tv - At the Drunkenmaster table at WonderCon, they were selling lots of DVDs of Hong Kong movies (Stephen Chiau, Jet Li, Donnie Wong, etc), cult movies, Japanese, Korean, on DVD. Check out their website. It is updated so frequently, but if you know what you want, you can send them a list of titles and see if they can get those on DVD for you. (I picked up quite a few HK movie titles for showing at future Anime Sacramento shows. Lots of Chow Sing Chi, you bet!) Giant Robot Magazine wasn't represented at WonderCon this year, but they now have a real store at 2015 Sawtelle Blvd, L.A., CA 90025, and you can order issues of the zine, t-shirts and other stuff at www.giantrobot.com à GR Store. www.comicsone.com - Besides publishing manga and Chinese sword comics as graphic novels in English, Comics One also has small replica swords from the graphic novel series Weapons of the Gods and Storm Riders for sale. Prices range from $3 to $30 and a really fancy Heaven's Crystal sword for $100. www.bayareanime.com - for info on the Japan Town Anime Faire , to be held at the Best Western Miyako Hotel in Japan Town San Francisco on September 13-14, with cosplay, swap meet, etc. $8 per day, $12 both days to attend. Other conventions: ReccaCon will be November 8th at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg (Contra Costa County), Calif. Check the website for updates - www.reccacon.com From Jakob at California Anime Clubs (cac):
test.animeondvd.com/license/index.php
- updated list of anime currently licensed for American distribution,
and News from no particular source: Tom Cruise's next movie, THE LAST SAMURAI, will open in December, about an American military office hired to modernize the Japanese army in the late 1870s. // TNN is running clips from the old Japanese series, Raid on Takeshi Castle, under the title, Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, on weekend nights. My stuff for sale: Japanese CDs: RED - music soundtrack album from STEAM BOY DETECTIVE and BLUE, a drama album, same anime series, $10 for the set; ULTRAMAN ACE double CD set ($10); SFX GRAFFITI-ULTRAMAN - 4 CDs for $15; SHADOW SKILL original music soundtrack double CD set, very nice music for $10. Is anyone interested in three robot model kits, Net Attacker Glitch, Scratch, and Net Defender E-Male? They are Skill Level 1, and I'll let them go for the cost of postage. Also for sale are Roman Album-type publications, manga, robot models and laser disks. www.destroy-all-monsters.com News: Disney plans to release Miyazaki's next animated feature, HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (Hauro no Ugokujou) in the U.S. in 2005. www.henshinonline.com/front.html News: To make it easier for us to forget about September 11, Disney will be purging children's programming (including Power Rangers) on its networks, of scenes with attacks on cities, exploding buildings, people fleeing from danger, or any other realistic violence. Miramax (www.miramax.com àUpcoming Films) announces that SHAOLIN SOCCER will get a theatrical release in August 2003. KILL BILL (the new Quentin Tarentino movie) will be released on October 10. HERO (nominated for best foreign film Oscar, starring Jet Li) will get a release in Winter 2003. SAMSARA, a "spiritual love story set in the Himalayas", will be released sometime in 2004, as will THE WARRIOR, a film from India about a lone warrior who renounces violence. At KILL BILL, click on "Hanzo Steel" (an inside reference to Hattori Hanzo, whom Sonny Chiba played in 4 Japanese tv series) to look at the samurai sword. www.hkcinema.co.uk News: Between December 2002 and November 2003, Celestial Pictures is releasing 151 Shaw Brothers movies, unfortunately in Region 3 DVD (not compatible with American DVD players). Now for the other shoe - it sounds like there's a deal between Celestial and Miramax to release 50 Shaw Brothers movies to North America (and other places), with a "Video on Demand" deal with North American. Consider what Disney/Miramax has done with Asian films in the past: change the title, cut out pieces (Miramax put pressure on so that 18 minutes was edited out of HERO, not just the version to be distributed in America, but the international version), dubbed audio track (without a subtitle option), replacing a great music soundtrack with an inferior one), delayed and limited cinema release. Please go to www.petitiononline.com/warthkf/petition.html and sign the online petition requesting Disney (and subsidiary Miramax) to treat with more respect the Asian films it has rights to distribute. More about this on www.monkeypeaches.com, where you can buy documentaries on HERO and Chinese language books with lots of HERO photos (300 stills in the "making of" book for $4) (50 stills in the novelization for $2). Lots of Asian movie news at this site as well. Such as, film rights to CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON Prequel have been renewed, but no word on whether Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun Fat or Ang Lee will be connected with it. Time setting of CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON is 1745. // The next Jackie Chan movie, THE MEDALLION (a police fantasy), may open August 15. The original film title was THE HIGHBINDERS. Columbia (Sony), with international distribution rights, has demanded cuts, namely, the comedy scenes. And there won't be a separate, longer Chinese version, just the one version with the comedy scenes deleted. (See comment above on Miramax cuts to HERO.) Don't these bozos (Columbia, Miramax) realize we were watching Jackie Chan movies over 20 years ago for his blend of comedy and action? Any fool can make an action film! HIGHBINDERS was finished a year ago. Another source says the American release may be delayed until October 2003. // Stephen Chow has started work on a new kung fu comedy, KUNG FU SCHOOL, in Shanghai. Ng Man-Tat will also be in it. Columbia has international distribution rights. (Note, above, the cuts that Columbia demanded on Jackie Chan's THE MEDALLION.) // DARK OCTOBER, a Chinese film scheduled to start shooting in Guangdong Province, has been cancelled due to SARS. The movie was to deal with 7 heroes protecting Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. Of local interest is that when Dr. Sun Yat-Sen had a price put on his head by the Manchu government, he was hidden for a time by the Chinese communities in Northern California. www.zentertainment.com News: - More on HK movies and SARS - a Hong Kong filmmaker is working on a new comedy - CITY OF SARS - about the outbreak, with 3 "side-splitting" stories. // Milla Jovovich returns for the RESIDENT EVIL II movie, which will be directed by Alexander Witt. // The script for the FANTASTIC FOUR movie (Marvel Comics) needs more work, so who knows when the movie will finally be released? A release date has been announced, but with no cast or script yet??? Fox is producing it. // Arnold Schwarzenegger is rumored to be getting ready to star in KING CONAN: CROWN OF IRON. (Why didn't they just make RED SONJA the 3rd Conan movie, and give it a bigger budget? Conan and Red Sonja at the siege of Vienna? Why not?) // Tim Burton may direct a remake of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. (Remember Willy Wonka?) // And there may also be a live action movie remake of LONE WOLF AND CUB, to be directed by Darren Aronofsky. (source: Variety) // Looks like Fox is going ahead with an Elektra Assassin movie. (Never mind that she was killed off in the DAREDEVIL movie.) // The SciFi Channel plans to air its first animated series, Tripping the Rift, beginning next January, a half-hour show about a smuggling ship, The Free Enterprise. Cartoon Network Changes - Kikaider starts on July 6th, at 1a.m. Big O starts in reruns on July 7, and the new Big O series starts on August 31. News from Jeff S: Chow Yun-Fat agreed to co-star in the Hua Mu Lan movie featuring Michelle Yeoh as the title heroine and Corey Yuen as director. Shooting of the film may begin as early as August. Comics Buyers Guide News: Sandman goes shojo! "DEATH: At Death's Door", a Vertigo softcover, by Jill Thompson, shojo art style, based on Neil Gaiman's Sandman storyline, will be published in mid-July. It's 208 pages, b&w, 5x7.5", and will sell for $9.95. It will include a sketchbook section and summaries of the earlier Sandman graphic novels. // Coming from Ironcat (www.ic-ent.com), BLACK CROW, by Shusay (Lupin III artist) - "Evil seeks the Black Crow and her crew. Has the time finally come to face it?"// The Spiderman 2 movie release date has been pushed back to July 2, 2004, due to the producers having to consider a realistic production schedule. It's the same release date as Isaac Asimov's I ROBOT starring Will Smith. // The LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (LXG) opens July 11. // Rightstuf (www.rightstuf.com) News: Pioneer has released the OnMyoji live action movie, based on the series of novels by Baku Yumemakuro. The movie will get a DVD release in August. Check the official website: www.onmyojimovie.com. Pioneer will be releasing the Witch Hunter Robin series on DVD. // Dark Horse plans to publish the BERSERK manga series, right to left format, starting in the fall. // The Japanese series, SHAMAN KING, has been picked up by Fox, with 26 episodes to start running on tv this fall. // The WB has picked up the new 26-episode ASTRO BOY (Tetsuwan Atom) series, for airing this coming season. // Check out the AnimeNetwork website for ADV's online campaign (at www.theanimenetwork.com) to expand the AnimeNetwork to your local cable system. Anime-tourist.com News: Studio Ghibli's animated feature fantasy, "The Cat Returns" (Neko no Ongaeshi) was recently shown at the L.A. Anime Film Festival. The Baron from "Whisper of the Heart" has an appearance in 'The Cat Returns". (Thanks also to whoever mentioned this to me at the May anime show.) // ADV News from Sakuracon 3 - Jim Hensen Studio is in pre-production on an animated version of FARSCAPE. www.aint-it-cool-news.com News: (also from www.animeondvd.com) Manga Entertainment has optioned the rights to the GS Mikami series. // ADV has licensed Final Fantasy Unlimited, Azumanga Daioh, Magical Shopping Center District Abenobashi, and director's cut of the Evangelion series (episodes 25-26 will not be changed). // Pioneer will give Sakura Wars the Movie a limited release, followed by a DVD release. Pioneer will also release Lupin III: Mystery of Mamo movie. // Viz is discontinuing its monthly comics format. The stories will be continued in graphic novels. // James Cameron still wants to direct a BATTLE ANGEL ALITA movie, perhaps even more than one film about her, but thinks the manga storyline is too inconsistent. The movie storyline will be more focused. // ADV and Gainax are working on a joint project, a live action movie based on Neon Genesis Evangelion. // An animated feature version of Osamu Tezuka's manga based on Journey to the West will get a release in Japan on July 12. It was 5 years in the making. Animenewsnetwork.com News: Due to the popularity of Funimation's YuYu Hakusho series on Cartoon Network, Score Entertainment will be bringing out the YuYu Hakusho trading card game in September. www.fanboyinc.com appears to be the new website for Fanboy Entertainment. The old website refers you to www.anime.com which sells DVDs, CDs and books like SECRETS OF THE SAMURAI. (But will there be any more neat samurai t-shirts from Fanboy?) Diamond Previews distributes Jade Screen, a British import zine covering HK movies, but the really good Brit import zine is Oriental Film Review (OFR), which Diamond also distributes. OFR has a website - www.orientalfilms.co.uk Jade Screen isn't the first zine with that title. Once upon a time, when there was a proto-HK movie fandom (pre-DVD, nearly pre-video), some of us read and contributed to Jade Screen, a HK movie fanzine put out by fans in Florida. The editors referred to Jackie Chan as "banana nose" and adored Fu Sheng. Diamond PREVIEWS (diamondcomics.com) May 2003 for delivery in July (except as noted). Comics - Dark Horse - GO BOY 7: Human Action Machine #1, color, 32 pg, $3, Jonny Zero's parents were murdered, now he's a cyborg boy with 3 combat robot companions, manga-style art; USAGI YOJIMBO #68 by Stan Sakai, b&w, 24 pg, $3, a diabolic artist has brought Majin to life; CLUB 9 Vol 2 by Makoto Kobayashi (What's Michael), b&w, 192 pg, $16, the country girl fights temptation at the hottest hostess bar on the Ginza. Vertigo - DEATH: At Death's Door by Jill Thompson, Sandman manga digest size, $9.95 - See Sandman goes shojo under "Comics Buyers Guide News" (above). Wildstorm - EXTINCTION EVENT #1 (of 5) by Robert Weinberg, 32 pg, color, $2.50, meat-eating dinosaurs, asleep for 65 million years, emerge from deep tunnels, and they want the surface back; TOKYO STORM WARNING #2 (of 3), 32 pg, color, $2.95, giant robots vs nuclear monsters over Tokyo. Image - most of their titles are bi-monthly, color, 32 pages - LEGACY #2 - Zelandria is a land of magic & technology, where legends are born and heroes tread, manga style; MISPLACED #2, Alyssa, with her robot dog Tink, is a fugitive from another dimension, and just wants to have fun; POWERS #33: Forever Man Pt 3, the Powers meet Chinese kung fu; TECH JACKET TP Vol.1: Lost and Found, 144 pg, b&2, $12.95, a teen finds a powerful weapon in alien wreckage. Marvel Tsunami - NAMOR #4, color, 32 pg, $2.25 (Namor never looked prettier); RUNAWAYS #4, 32 pg, color, $2.50; QUEST #2 (of 6), 32 pg, color, $2.50 with Yuji Iwahara cover. Amaze Ink - KITSUNE TALES #1, art by Andi Watson, b&w, 48 pg, $4.95, fox spirit battles wolf things in ancient Japan; SAMURAI JAM by Andi Watson, 144 pg, b&w, $15, skateboarding, punk rock & hockey. Anarchy - XIN: Legend of the Monkey King trade pb, 88 pg, color, $12.95. Antarctic - NEOTOPIA Vol.2 #1 by Rod Espinosa, color, 32 pg, $3, battleships sail the skies, Miyazaki-type gorgeous art. Avatar - SHI: Sempo #1 (of 2) by Billy Tucci, 32 pg, b&w, $3.50, Shi must protect a WW II Japanese general helping thousands of escaping Jews. CrossGen - martial arts titles with 32 pg, color, $2.95 - SILKEN GHOST #2 (of 5) and WAY OF THE RAT #11. ComicsOne - STORM RIDERS Collected Illustrations Book 3 hardcover, 136 pg, color, $30. CPM - ALIEN NINE Bk 2 by Hitoshi Tomizawa, b&w, $16, 6th grade girls must fight ferocious aliens. Deux Graphica - ASTIKA graphic novel, 180 pg, color, $15, sc-fi manga style tale. Fanboy - ANGEL'S WING #2 by Tetsuya Aoki, 80 pg, color, $8; NOZOMI Vol.1 by Nao Yazawa, 56 pg, color, $5.95. Fanfare - YUKIKO'S SPINACH by Frederic Boilet, 144 pg, b&w, $14, a young Japanese woman must choose a path between safety and stability. Gutsoon - BAKI THE GRAPPLER Vol.1 by Itagaki Keisuke, 190 pg, b&w, $10; FIST OF THE NORTH STAR Vol.5 by Buronson & Tetsu Hara, 190 pg, full bloody color, $18. Ironcat - HANAUKYO MAID TEAM Vol.1 by Morishige, 200 pg, b&w, $12.95. Radio Comix - SAIKO & LAVENDER Vol.1 by Michael Vega & Diana X. Sprinkle, 144 pg, b&w, $15, furries fight to keep their magic shop open; FURRLOUGH #127 with Heather Bruton cover, 32 pg, b&w, $2.99. Shoto - GOLDEN VINE, 304 pg, color, $25, Alexander the Great in a parallel world. TokyoPop - too many to list, most $10, b&w, BRIGADOON Vol.1 (of 3); CHOBITS Vol.7 by CLAMP; FORBIDDEN DANCE Vol.1 (of 3) by Ashihara Hinako; NIEA_7 Vol.1 (of 2) by Yoshitoshi ABe; DRAGON HUNTER Vol.2 (of 3) by Hong Seock Seo; SHUTTERBOX Vol.1 (of 2) by Tavicat; X-DAY Vol.1 (of 2). Viz - BASARA Vol.1 by Yumi Tamura, 200 pg, b&w, $10 (listed because I like the anime series). Zines - JADE SCREEN Vol.1 #6, $7.95, Bruce Lee 30th Anniv. Issue. Books - MANGA MANIA VILLAINS by Chris Hart, how to draw manga villains, 128 pg, color, $20. T-shirts - InuYasha cast (black) and InuYasha & Kagome (red), sizes L-XL, $19 each. Action figures from "Battles Without Honor" yakuza movie (directed by Kinji Fukasaku), 6 different yakuza figures 12" high, highly articulated, $45 each (ship in October). Games - "Munchkin Fu" from Sovereign Press, ninja vs demons, $25. From Z-Man are "Cartoon Action Hour: Transbots" $17 and "Kung Fu Samurai on Giant Robot Island" card game, $20. Misc. - Usagi Yojimbo limited edition wristwatch, $50. DVDs (just a few of the many being released) - 12 KINGDOMS Vol.1 (episodes 1-5) $30 (AnimeWorks). ALIEN NINE, 100 min, $30 (U.S.MangaCorps). AURA BATTLER DUNBINE Vol.1, 125 min, $30 (ADV). BANDIT KING JING Vol.1, 125 min, $30 (ADV). HEAT GUY J Vol.1 (Kaze No Yojimbo?), 100 min, $30 (Pioneer). CITY HUNTER TV Season 1 Boxes 1-2 (25 episodes per box), $90 each (ADV). KAIDOHMARU, 60 min, Heian-period warrior is really a woman, $25 (Manga Ent). WEATHERING CONTINENT, $30, another OAV with gorgeous art (AnimeWorks). Live action - LONE WOLF & CUB: "Sword of Vengeance" and "Baby Cart at the River Styx", $30 each, subtitled, the bloody, action-packed Tom Wakayama movies from 30 years ago (AnimEigo). CD Soundtracks - Nuku Nuku Soundphase 4 $15 (ADV); Haibane Renmei $15 (Pioneer); Lain $15 (Pioneer); Chobits $15 (Pioneer). Diamond PREVIEWS June 2003 for delivery in August (except as noted). Comics - Dark Horse - OK, this dates me, but if anyone remembers the Roy Thomas/Barry Smith issues of the Conan comicbook from Marvel (ancient history), Dark Horse is reprinting them as graphic novels ($16) starting in September. Dark Horse plans to publish an all-new Conan title soon. New Usagi Yojimbo trade pb, "Duel at Kitanoji", b&w, $17, appears early in September. ULTRAMAN TIGA #1 (of 10) by Tony Wong & Khoo Fuk Lung, 40 pg, color, $4, originally published in Hong Kong. FUTURE WORLD Vol 1 by Osamu Tezuka, 160 pg, b&w, $14, September. WHAT'S MICHAEL: "Show Time" by Makoto Kobayashi, 88 pg, b&w, $9, September. DC - BATMAN: HONG KONG hardcover, Batman meets Night Dragon, 128 pg, $25. Image - HEDGE KNIGHT #1 (of 6) 32 pg, color, $2.95 (not manga, but based on George R.R. Martin's 7 Kingdoms great fantasy novel series). TIME SEEKERS #1, 32 pg, color, $2.95, manga-style SF series. NO HONOR trade pb, color, 96 pg, $13, samurai series with J.Michael Straczynski foreward. This is to become a pilot on Showtime. Antarctic - NETOTOPIA Vol.2#2 by Rod Espinosa, 32 pg, color, $3, more skyships and lovely art. SHOUJO #2, b&w, 48 pg, $5.95, fortress-city Oasis protects desert survivors. Crossgen - WAY OF THE RAT: Dragon's Wake, graphic novel #2, 160 pg, color, $16. Comicsone - SHAOLIN SOCCER #1 by Andy Seto, 128 pg, color, $14, adaptation of the Stephen Chow movie (remember, the HK hit movie stars Stephen Chow; a comicbook isn't the same!). LEGENDARY COUPLE #1, from the Louis Cha novel, 120 pg, color, $14. Fanboy - ANGEL'S WING 33 by Tetsuya Aoki, 32 pg, color, $2.50. Future - METALLIX #9, color, 24 pg, $3, government takes action against "Super-powered beings", cover by local artist Ron Lim (way to go, Ron! Now will you tape Monkey King '96 #1-2 for me?). Gutsoon - CITY HUNTER Vol.2 by Hojo Tsukasa, 190 pg, b&w, $10; FIST OF THE BLUE SKY Vol.2, 190 pg, color, $10. Ironcat - DRAGON FIST Vol.1: Dragon Returns by Kenji Okamura, 224 pg, b&w, $15. DI GI CHARAT Vol.1: Dejiko's Champion Cut Theatre by Kage-Donbo, 152 pg, $11. REN AI Vol.1: In the Spotlight by Yun Kouga, 200 pg, b&w, $13, shoujo style. Radio Comix - FURRLOUGH #128, 32 pg, b&w, $3, furry comedy-action tales. TokyoPop - .HACK// Vol.1 (of 3) by Tatsuya Hamazaki, b&w, 192 pg, $10. BABY BIRTH Vol.1 (of 2) by Tomita & Mikimoto, 192 pg, b&w, $10. DEMON DIARY Vol.1 (of 4) by Lee & Lim, 192 pg, b&w, $10, gods vs demons. DUKLYON: CLAMP School Defenders Vol.1 (of 2) by CLAMP, 192 pg, b&w, $10. ESCAFLOWNE Vol.2 (of 3) by Aki Katsu, 192 pg, b&w, $10. FLCL Vol.1 (of 2) by Studio Gainax, b&w, 192 pg, $10. FAKE Vol.3 (of 7) by Sanami Matoh, 192 pg, b&w, $10. (+ lots more titles) Zines - Wizard Anime Insider #9, $5, with Witch Hunter Robin episode guide, yoshitoshi ABe interview. GIANT ROBOT #30, Asian pop culture, Kazuo Koike, 88 pg, $5. PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS #78, 72 pg, $5, MS Gundam, Zeta Gundam, 12 Kingdoms, Wolf's Rain. KAKUMEI #2, zine focusing on anime & pop culture, $4, from Cabil. Misc - Photoshop for Comics: Master Course CD-Rom, $25, from Radio Comix. Books - JAPANESE IN MANGALAND by Marc Bernabe, $24, "helps readers master the basics of Japanese using manga as a tool." SO CRAZY JAPANESE TOYS! By Jimbo Matison, 132 pg, $19. T-shirts - sizes L-XL, 100% cotton, $17 each - YuYu-Ghost Files Spirit, YuYu-Ghost Files Circle, EVA-Nerv Logo (one size fits all); $19 - Inu Yasha & Kagone Sword on dark blue. Action figures - Barbie Princess of Japan
in kimono, doll $28. Cobra action 2-packs, Cobra, Doctor, Lady, Robot,
slightly posable, 4.5" to 5.5", $19 per pack. Cowboy Bebop:
EIN (the dog) vinyl figure, 5.5" high, $20. Games (Books) - Big Eyes
Small Mouth (BESM) UTENA Bk 1, $20; BESM: Space Opera, $17 (from Guardians
of Order). BLOOD & FISTS: Modern Martial Arts, from Aikido to Zen
Archery, $15. Osprey - KAWANAKAJIMA 1553-64, $19, Takeda Shingen vs Uesugi
Kenshin, 5 times! DVDs - Boys Over Flowers Vol 1, $25 (Viz). FCLC Vol.3
$30 (Broccoli Int.). Go Nagai DVD Set Subtitled box set, $45 (ADV). Gun
Frontier Vol.3: Nooses Wild, $25 (AnimeWorks). .Hack//Sign Vol.4, $30
(Bandai). Haibane Renmei Vol.1 New Feather, $30 (www.pioneeranimation.com).
KO Beast Senki II, $25 (RightStuf). Spirit Warrior Vol.1: Revival of Evil,
$20 (USManga Corps). Fox Home Entertainment for July (probably dub only
at $15 each): Hong Kong 1941 (Chow Yun Fat), Magnificent Butcher (a Sammo
Hung classic), City Hunter (Jackie Chan), Naked Killer (Chingmy Yau cult
classic). Onmyoji the Yin-Yang Master, Heian demons & ghosts, $20
(Pioneer). Neverwhere DVD box set with the 6-episode BBC series, $40 (not
Asian, but a great fantasy by Neil Gaiman). CDs - $15 each - Giant Robo
Vol.1 OST; X TV series Vol.1; Princess Nine Vol.1 OST; Lain Cyberia Mix. These Newsletters are posted with permission
of the author, Laurine White |