This week’s release of Black Jack 16 is only a taste of what to expect at this year’s NYCC. Experienced con-goers of all ages are expected to make a beeline to Vertical’s booth for advance copies of his seminal shojo (girls’ comic) work Princess Knight. Meanwhile, from the opposite side of Tezuka’s catalog, is another title with a memorable female lead, The Book of Human Insects. With three new Tezuka releases hitting the shelves within a span of two months manga readers have plenty to choose from the master’s ever expanding library.

Those looking for more contemporary content should rejoice when they find two other series debuting this weekend. Tadashi Agi’s legendary wine comic The Drops of God will premiere at the con. Wine will not… And Usamaru Furuya returns with an homage to one of Japan’s great literary voices of the twentieth century, Osamu Dazai, with his adaptation of No Longer Human.

The excitement shifts from the showroom to the panel halls on Friday night. Vertical will be hosting its annual panel in Hall 1A03 in primetime from 8:45pm. Members of the Vertical staff will reveal their Summer 2012 catalog which features a handful of new manga properties that are certain to be the highlight of the weekend.

New York Comic-Con
Jacob K. Javits Center
Booth #2652
655 West 34th Street
New York, NY 10001
(212) 216-2000
Thursday October 13 through Sunday October 16

Panel: Friday October 14 at 8:45pm in Hall 1A03

And as Asumi looks up to the skies to see the stars, her latest volume will go on sale at America’s largest collection of comic all-stars, San Diego Comic-Con.  This week Vertical will return to Southern California with a full compliment of manga titles. Their event will reach its climax Friday night as two Vertical titles—Nobuaki Tadano’s 7 Billion Needles and Osamu Tezuka’s Ayako—join the comic industry’s brightest at this year’s Eisner Awards.

So if you happen to make the trek, come experience the best in Japanese comics, and stick around to do some star-watching of your own.

San Diego Comic-Con International
San Diego Convention Center
Booth E8
111 West Harbor Dr.
San Diego Ca 92121
Thursday July 21 through Sunday July 24

Book Signing at the Toronto Comics Art Festival
Saturday May 7th, 2011
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
at the Toronto Reference Library, Beguiling Signing Area, Basement Level
789 Yonge Street, Toronto, Canada
Admission is Free
Books available for sale through the Beguiling and Vertical booths.

Spotlight on Usamaru Furuya
Chris Butcher interviews Usamaru Furuya
Sunday May 8th, 2011
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
at The Beeton Auditorium, Toronto Reference Library, 1st floor
789 Yonge Street, Toronto, Canada
Admission is Free

Book Signing with at The World’s Biggest Bookstore
Monday May 9th, 2011
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
at Chapter’s The World Biggest Bookstore,
20 Edward Street, Toronto, Canada
Book signing limited to 90 guests.

Film Screening of ZOO
Q&A with Furuya to follow the movie
Monday May 9th, 2011
7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
at the Toronto Underground Cinema
186 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Canada
Admission: $10
RSVP through the TCAF Facebook page

NIKKEI Power Meeting for Women Part 3 with KIMIKO
Friday April 15, 2011
6:30 PM 〜 9:15 PM
At DanceSport, 22 W. 34th St., 4th Fl., Manhattan
Admission is free; registration is required

Lisa Mullins, anchor of PRI’s The World, the celebrated radio program based out of the city, will also be taping an interview with the author this week for broadcast. Click here to see what The Boston Globe has to report about the author.

Earlier this year, Kennedy spoke by invitation at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles and the National Museum of the Pacific War (a.k.a. the Nimitz Museum) in Fredericksburg, TX. The Flowers of Edo, his debut novel, chronicles a Japanese-American lieutenant’s desperate espionage mission to his ancestral homeland in the final days of World War II.

In the words of James Fallows, regular contributor to The Atlantic Monthly, the novel is “a gripping combination of military action and cultural analysis, which offers a unique and provocative perspective on the history that was—and might have been—between Japan and the United States. This is a valuable addition to the literature of understanding how the two nations faced their opposite prospects at the end of a brutal war.”

Don’t miss this appearance by a dynamic speaker and inspired writer.

November 8, 2010 (Monday) 7 pm – 8 pm
Location:
Showa Women’s University
420 Pond Street
Boston, MA 02130
Directions: http://www.us-japan.org/boston/Directions
Phone: (617) 451-0726

The party’s going down on Sunday at 3:00pm to 4:00pm in the Kennesaw panel room. Come on down prepared with questions, or just prepared to shoot the breeze.

Anime Weekend Atlanta
September 19, 2010; 3:00 – 4:00pm — Kennesaw Room
Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.
2 Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339

On September 2, the National Museum of the Pacific War, also known as the Nimitz Museum and located in the legendary admiral’s hometown of Fredericksburg, will be celebrating the sixty-fifth anniversary of the signing of the instrument of surrender. Invited for a book signing—the museum’s first—on that historic date is Michael Dana Kennedy, author of The Flowers of Edo, an astounding debut novel featuring a Japanese-American lieutenant who volunteers to infiltrate militarist Japan.

The new Barnes & Noble establishment in La Cantera in nearby San Antonio will also be hosting the author, on September 1, in what’s to be his first appearance at America’s largest bookstore chain.

Stay tuned for further engagements including one at the Boston Japan Society.

September 1, 2010 (Wednesday) 7pm
Location:
The Shops at La Cantera
15900 La Cantera Parkway Bldg 27
San Antonio, TX 78256
[Near the University of Texas at San Antonio]
Phone: (210) 558-2078

September 2, 2010 (Thursday) 2pm
Location:
The National Museum of the Pacific War
340 East Main Street
Fredericksburg, TX 78624
Directions: http://www.nimitz-museum.org/PlanYourVisit.asp
Phone: (830) 997-8600

Guided by new furry friends, and her best pal Yohei, Chi will be taking her new adventures on the road. First she’ll take command of her building’s perimeter. Then she’s got a park to conquer… After that who knows, she might take over a few alleys just to build up some turf! But let’s hope Chi doesn’t forget to protect her home, ’cause there are rumors of another cat causing trouble.

Given our primary mission, we’ve had to turn down most of them. But our veteran fans surely remember the two exceptions that we did make: the business primer Saying Yes to Japan by Tim Clark and Carl Kay and the indispensable guide to J-Horror by David Kalat, both of which enjoyed overwhelmingly positive receptions.

It was only when the World War II-thriller The Flowers of Edo hit our inbox, however, that we decided to go ahead and publish our first work of originally-in-English fiction. Yes, it’s just that good! Check out its webpage to see why.

In celebration of his literary debut, author Michael Dana Kennedy will be making appearances in major cities around the U.S. in the coming months.

First leg of the tour: California. Vertical’s Editorial Director Yani Mentzas will accompany in what’s to be a rare sighting of Yani outside the midtown NYC area.

August 19, 2010 (Thursday) 7:00pm-8:00pm
Location:
Japanese American National Museum
369 East First Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Map: http://www.janm.org/visit/map/
Phone: (213) 625-0414

August 20, 2010 (Friday) 6:30pm-8pm
Location:
Kinokuniya Bookstore
1581 Webster Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Map: http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/ohb/02/contents/storeinfo-sf.html
Phone: (415) 567-7625

His Japanese debut Peepo Choo made a big splash when it launched back in 2008, rocking the manga scene with his original designs and his bigger-than-life characters. While his tale of culture clash challenged even veteran comic critics, there was no doubt in their minds that Felipe had mastered the art of manga presentation. Now Peepo Choo stands alongside works from such luminaries as Moyoco Anno, Takehiko Inoue, and Naoki Urasawa, published in Japan’s premiere seinen (men’s) comic anthology Morning.

As Felipe is developing his latest series for Japan’s largest publisher Kodansha, his Peepo Choo is ready to take on American readers. And to celebrate the occasion, Felipe will be joining Vertical at San Diego Comic Con and Otakon as a guest this summer, with book signings at both shows. Felipe will also be going back home to LA between cons for a special event at Hollywood’s Meltdown Comics. So don’t miss out on your chance to meet a comics legend before he once again departs for the Far East.

Book Signing @ Comic Con International (limited to 100 ticketed guests)
July 24, 2010 (Saturday) 2:00pm-3:00pm
Location: San Diego Comic Con – San Diego Convention Center, 111 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA

Peepo Choo Launch Party @ Meltdown Comics
July 26, 2010 (Monday) 7:00pm-
Location: Meltdown Comics – Meltdown Comics, 7522 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA

Book Signing @ Otakon
July 31, 2010 (Saturday) TBA
Location: Otakon – Baltimore Convention Center, 1 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD