Hi everyone! Hope you had a great weekend. Today marks the start of a new week and here on WWAC, the launch of a new column! Welcome to Previously On…Comics, which rounds up news from all corners of the comics world. Yes, we’re retiring our other comics news columns, because comics are comics, no matter who makes them and where in the world they come from. I’m Vernieda, and I’ll be tackling the inaugural edition. In the coming weeks, you’ll be seeing Angel, Kate, and Al too.
Looks like the Supergirl TV show has found its Superman. Fan favorite Tyler Hoechlin, best known for his role on Teen Wolf, has been cast in the iconic role as the Man of Steel. As of right now, he’s scheduled to appear in a couple episodes of season 2. What do we think about this casting? Thumbs up or thumbs down?
In manga industry news, Libre Publishing has terminated its agreement with North American company Digital Manga, Inc. Libre is a Japanese publisher best known for its BL titles, such as the popular Kizuna and Finder series. I’m not sure about the circumstances surrounding the separation. Based on the press release, it sounds like Libre’s decision caught Digital Manga by surprise and they’re not too happy about it. Let’s be real here. How often do you hear a North American manga company talk openly about scanlations and why English-speaking fans resort to them?
One of the reasons we consolidated the various comics news columns is because due to their respective concentrations, certain comics fell through the cracks. Case in point: manhwa or webtoons, as they’re commonly called these days. (Webtoons are Korean webcomics. They’re usually published on sites like Naver or Line.) One such webtoon is Fluttering Feelings, a college romance story about two young women. Sadly, the creator, Ssamba, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Fans have reacted to the news with inspiring kindness and goodwill. They’re organizing an effort to send supportive messages to Ssamba. I’ve made no secret of my love-hate relationship with fandom in the past, so it really heartens me to see this display of affection. I’m also a little sad I found out about this webtoon under these circumstances. It sounds great!
For those who weren’t aware, Tokyo Ghoul creator Sui Ishida has a very active twitter, where he often posts artwork and interacts with fans. Yes, even English-speaking ones. And while Orlando has been in the headlines recently because of the Pulse shooting, another tragedy also took place that same weekend. Christina Grimmie, formerly a contestant on The Voice, was shot and killed at The Plaza Live Theater. Grimmie was a big manga and anime fan, and her twitter profile even features a quote from Ken Kaneki, the protagonist of Tokyo Ghoul. In response to the news, Ishida posted the following art:
@TheRealGrimmie This is for you.Have a good sleep. pic.twitter.com/rfKtCwLIP9
— 石田スイ (@sotonami) June 12, 2016
I don’t think I can follow up that news item with anything else, so let’s end it here for now. I hope you enjoy our new column in the coming weeks!
The Libre/DMI split is probably due to the controversy about DMI’s Kodomo no Jikan Kickstarter, I’d imagine! ( http://www.theoasg.com/articles/please-save-my-money/the-good-the-bad-and-the-kodomo-no-jikan/1922 ) Can’t say I blame them either. DMI’s always been kinda sketchy to begin with, too.