Anime Vice Anime/Manga News

True to most peoples' expectations, manga didn't take home dozens of awards at this year's Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards-- the only category it picked up was, as usual, the “Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Japan” category.

This year's winner was Vertical Inc. for Dororo, Osamu Tezuka's classic manga about an itinerant warrior searching for his stolen body parts, and a young thief, the titular Dororo. I couldn't agree more; it's a fantastic manga...even if you're not necessarily into all the “old” stuff.

It is of note that Nina Matsumoto, also known as Space Coyote or “that artist who did the manga Simpsons thing” (and who also created Del Rey's Yokaiden, which we spotlighted as one of the best at the Best and Worst Manga panel), won the Best Short Story award for “Murder He Wrote,” part of the Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror compilation-- which is, in itself, a Death Note parody featuring Bart.

I am sad, however, that the “Spirit of Comics” Retailer Award didn't go to my local shop, Cosmic Monkey, which was nominated. Next year for sure!