Yes, *that* 07-GHOST!

Manga publisher Go! Comi announced today that they will be publishing one of the most hotly-anticipated new manga series, 07-GHOST.

Set in a gothic fantasy world, 07-GHOST tells the story of Teito, a former slave who is now pursued by the forces of the Barsburg Empire because of his exceptional ability to use a form of magic called Zaiphon. Teito’s discovery of his true nature and his subsequent quest for revenge involve him in the affairs of the Gods themselves, as he finds himself at the center of the conflict between Verloren, the God of Death, and the mysterious “beings of light” sent by Heaven to oppose him: the Seven Ghosts.

“We’re thrilled to be presenting this incredible series in the U.S.,” said Go! Comi Creative Director Audry Taylor. “With its amazing artwork, exciting characters, and engrossing story, 07-GHOST is truly a cut above. It appeals to all types of manga fans across the board.” Taylor added, “We’ve actually had many fans request that we license this series. They know we’ll give 07-GHOST the same level of excellence that got us nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Presentation of Japanese Material last year, with the finest translation and the highest production values.”

07-GHOST was originally published by Ichijinsha in Zero Sum Magazine. There are currently six volumes, and the series is still running. A drama CD based on the series was recently released in Japan. Go! Comi’s edition of Volume One will be published in January.

ABOUT GO! COMI: Go! Comi is known for its exciting manga series and top-notch production values. Among its publications are the Bookscan best-sellers Tenshi Ja Nai!! and Her Majesty’s Dog, and the Eisner Award-nominated After School Nightmare, which was named one of the Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens of 2008 by the Young Adult Library Services Association. Two other Go! Series, Train + Train and Cantarella, have also been cited by the YALSA Great Graphic Novels list.

The Los Angeles Festival of Books is coming up, and Wendy Pini, the legendary creator of Elfquest and the sensational new Masque of the Red Death, will be at the Kinokuniya booth for autographs!

Joining her is Aimee Major Steinberger, author of the adorable and sophisticated manga-style travel journal Japan Ai: A tall girl’s adventures in Japan. On Sunday, April 27th from 1:30 to 2:30 PM, you’ll have your chance to meet both amazing authors at once!

The Los Angeles Festival of Books is a celebration of the written word, where readers, authors and publishers gather to discuss, promote and celebrate what they love most…books! Join us on April 26th and 27th at UCLA for the 13th annual Los Angeles Festival of Books.

Go! Comi is seeking a freelance artist or team for a sequential art project targeted toward teenage manga fans, which will be published both as a web comic and as a graphic novel.

You must be able to demonstrate that you have the following skills:

-The ability to design compelling characters and keep them on model.

-Strong ability to draw background images with accurate perspective.

-The ability to envision and execute sequential paneling that conveys a story based on a script.

- Coloring skills optional.

- A flair for the fantasy/adventure genre.

When you apply, provide us with a link (no art attachments!) to your online portfolio or art site (deviantart and other websites that showcase your artwork are fine alternatives). Your portfolio should include:

-Life drawing. (Sketches of nudes, real people, real places, real animals, etc.)

-Landscapes, background art, buildings, interiors, and/or similar artwork. (Required)

-Sequential art. (Required) This can be a web comic, comic strip, pages from a comic or manga -- any format, so long as it involves sequential storytelling. The work can be professional, published, or a personal project. We would like to see both rough layouts and finished pages, if you can provide both.

-Original character designs for both genders and many different ages. (Required)

-If you have coloring skills, include color samples in all media you work in.

-A profile or small "about" section that divulges basic information about you, such as your hobbies, likes, age, general location, and ambitions.

-A resume, even if it just says that you're currently in college or have only worked at Pizza Hut. Whatever skills you can list and jobs you can mention will help us in determining if you are a good match for us. We also need to know if you are currently working on other projects which might affect the amount of time you can commit to ours.

-If a team of artists who work together to create sequential art wish to apply for the job, they should make sure they include a profile and/or resume for each member of the team.

This is NOT a request for submissions. We are NOT accepting submissions for outside ideas at this time. This is a freelance position for an existing project that is already in development.

If you are interested in learning more about the job, please send us an email in the following format:

Subject Header:
Freelance Artist Position

Body:
Introduce yourself!

Link:
Include a link to an online portfolio or art gallery.

Attach:
Your resume. (Or send us a link to it.)

Send your email to:
jobs (atsymbolhere) gomedia-ent.com

We look forward to hearing from you!

Woohoo! We have a winner!

The votes for the "Black Sun, Silver Moon" Doujinshi Contest were counted and our winning entry is...

Hunting the Undead
by ElvesAteMyRamen

Congratulations!! The winning entry will be published this year in a volume of the BSSM manga -- we'll let you guys know which one!

In other news, the website staff for Go! Comi is going to turn on FREE SHIPPING for our online store today. Yaaay! Just in time for the holidays! They say that if you get your order in by Dec. 20th, it'll arrive by the 25th. That sparkly, pink cover for Japan Ai would make the perfect stocking stuffer for a Mom who wants to know more about manga or a sister who keeps stealing your anime.

Not to mention that we JUST got in copies of The Devil Within 2, Kanna 2, Lovemaster A, and the first volume of the net-famous series, A-I Revolution!

http://www.myspace.com/pinimasque

Rumor has it that Prosper will be posting blogs about the web comic he stars in ("Masque of the Red Death" by Wendy Pini) and maybe even responding to comments -- if he can tear himself away from his top-secret experiments and that really hot assistant, Steffan... ^_^

(If you haven't seen the web comic, click here to go to it!)