Links: Rumiko Takahashi online!

Rumiko Takahashi’s long-running manga (InuYasha, Ranma 1/2) are like crack to teenage manga fans, so it’s good news all around that her newest manga, Rin-ne, will be released simultaneously in Japan and the U.S., and it will be available for free on a new Viz-sponsored website, TheRumicWorld.com. A new chapter will be released every week both here and in Japan.

Johanna Draper Carlson talks to Archie Comics managing editor Mike Pellerito about Young Salem and the future of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.

Johanna also speculates on what’s going on with Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam, which has a new creative team. Check out the lively discussion in the comments section!

At Graphic Novel Reporter, Ariel Schrag discusses her high-school memoir, Likewise.

Francoise Mouly discusses the Toon Books line with Karen MacPherson of Scripps-Howard. Here’s the key quote:

"There’s an enormous industry of those very boring readers for kids," she said. "But we must give kids something that gives them a taste of how pleasurable reading is."

Noah Berlatsky looks at the final issue of Spider-Girl and sees some missed potential.

GNR also has a nice Q&A with Alex Simmons, the man behind the upcoming Kids Comic Con.

New webcomic alert: Snowflakes, an all-ages comic about kids in an orphanage in the Andes, trying to get themselves picked by families. It has an odd but funny sensibility to it.

Ryan and Eric discuss the new BOOM! kids’ comics, The Invincibles and The Muppet Show, as well as movies, toys, and other kid stuff in their latest Comics Playground podcast.

Disney has inked a deal to produce Disney comics in India in both English and Hindi. (Via Journalista.)

This is slightly off topic, but I like The Otaku Librarian’s argument for having video games (and anime, and graphic novels) in the library: It lets the kids know you care.

Reviews

J. Caleb Mozzocco on The Color of Earth (Blog@Newsarama)
Lori Henderson on vol. 1 of Dinosaur Hour (Comics Village)
Melinda Beasi on vol. 15 of Hikaru no Go (there it is, plain as daylight)
Kiara on vol. 1 of Kasumi (Manga Jouhou)
Richard Bruton on Luke on the Loose (Forbidden Planet Blog)
John and Jana Mitchell on Luke on the Loose, Benny and Penny in The Big No No, Chicken and Cat Clean Up, and Ojingogo (here it is!)
Ed and Christopher Sizemore on My Mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill (Comics Worth Reading)
Colin Hodgson on The New Brighton Archaeological Society (The Graphic Classroom)
J. Caleb Mozzocco on Stinky (Every Day Is Like Wednesday)
John Thomas on vol. 1 of Wolverine: Prodigal Son (Comics Village)

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