– Wil Moss talks to the Apocalipstix team.

– Good news: IDW is going to alter the format of the Dick Tracy books in order to allow the Sunday pages to be printed at a larger size.

– Brigid Alverson talks to Templar, Arizona creator Charlie Trotman.

– The Daily Cross Hatch chats up Cory Doctorow.

– Frank Santoro on Kyle Baker’s How to Draw Stupid.

– Franklin Harris recounts the history of EC Comics for Reason.

– James Kochalka takes a stab at recreating a classic Fantastic Four page.

– Yen Press is hopping on the four-panel manga bandwagon.

Although the two big summer-event miniseries take a breather this week, Wednesday sees the debut of DC’s much-anticipated tie-in Legion of Three Worlds — which could end up faring better than Final Crisis itself.

For Marvel it’s all about collections: Mighty Avengers, Amazing Spider-Man, Punisher: War Journal Classic, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane and X-Men: Divided We Stand, for starters.

Elsewhere, Dark Horse releases the first volumes of Herbie Archives and MySpace Dark Horse Presents, IDW Publishing debuts Doctor Who: Forgotten and a Scorchy Smith hardcover, Viz reaches the home stretch with Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, and Dynamite rolls out the fifth issue of Project: Superpowers.

To see what other titles Chris Mautner and I think are worth mentioning, just keep reading. As always, let us know your choices in the comments below.

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• As expected Tropic Thunder unseated The Dark Knight this weekend, grossing an estimated $26 million. Don’t cry for Batman, though: Although it fell to No. 2, The Dark Knight has earned $471.5 million domestically, making it the second highest-grossing movie of all time, behind Titanic. Star Wars: The Clone Wars came in third this weekend, with $15.5 million. [Variety, The New York Times]

• Relativity Media is negotiating to pick up Voltron: Defender of the Universe after Fox’s New Regency put the project into turnaround. Relativity is shooting for a lower budget by making use of cost-effective “green-screen” technology used in movies like 300. Justin Marks, who wrote Greyskull and Supermax, penned the adaptation of the 1980s anime series. [Variety]

• Rumor mill: Apparently Punisher: War Zone will be rated R after all? Eh, I don’t care anymore. [FirstShowing.net]

• “5 Manga Movies We Want to See After Akira Blows Everyone’s Mind.” [io9.com]

• Warner Bros. is resurrecting Hanna-Barbera’s weird ’60s TV series The Banana Splits in a “multiplatform effort” that includes shorts and music videos and Cartoon Network. DVD and CD releases, as well as live performances, are planned to follow. Can Skatebirds be far behind? [Variety]

Editor’s note: Newsarama contributor and Olympics fan Seth Robison joins Blog@ to highlight “tangentially Olympic-related” comics and pop culture moments. You can read more from Seth on the Olympics at his blog Off The Podium.

by Seth Robison

“Tetsuo!”

Yell that in a room crowded with 20- to 30-somethings in America, and chances are that you’ll get the proper countersign back: “Kaneda!” The Japanese animated film Akira became a cult film sensation in the United States in the late 1980s and early 1990s. While it saw a limited theatrical release, Akira spread in a proto-viral manner on bootlegged VHS tapes and late night television.

While Akira started its life as a manga, it was the film that made the biggest waves — although if the massive six volumes were dropped into a pool, the effect would be the same. Unlike anything seen in western animation, Akira’s fluid look and excellent English dub made tens of thousands of fans and opened the door to Japanese pop culture. It laid the groundwork for the mass acceptance of the works of directors such as Hayao Miyazaki and TV series like Pokemon and Naruto, as well as the explosion of manga in bookstores and comic shops.

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Beginning today some 500,000 people will descend on the Tokyo Big Sight for the 74th installment of the twice-yearly Comiket, the world’s largest comic convention.

Yes, half a million people. That includes about 35,000 “circles,” or groups of people who self-publish manga (dōjinshi). About 70 percent of the circle members are women.

The winter installment of Comiket, also known as Comic Market or Comike, will be held from Dec. 28 to 31.

The Japan Times has a brief preview of this weekend’s event.

– This is fantastic news.

– The Sydney Morning Herald talks to Marjane Satrapi.

– Not everyone’s fond of Gary Panter it seems.

– Manga completists will want to buy the Black Jack hardcover editions it seems.

– Forbidden Planet shows us what Bryan Talbot is working on next.

– Chris Mautner interviews Jason.

– Jim Mahfood designs Colt .45 cans.

– This is pretty cool; using Flash, Plasmic Studios has a great “poster to poster” comparison going for the Watchmen posters.

– Time delves into the Stephen King/Marvel web thing, N.

– Jay Faerber talks about Urban Myths and Dynamo 5.

– Speaking of Urban Myths, it’s currently ahead in Top Cow’s Pilot Season competition, with Genius coming in at no. 2.

Compiled by JK and Chris.

Writing for PWCW, Brigid Alverson reports that all those rumors of Tokyopop cancellations that have been circulating the Net recently are just that:

As part of its recent restructuring, Tokyopop cut back its publication schedule from about 500 volumes per year to between 200 and 225. As a result, Tokyopop postponed some scheduled releases so the rights could be renegotiated. Tokyopop notified retailers in June that 28 titles solicited in the July previews would be canceled, and many bloggers posted that list. In addition, PWCW’s Heidi MacDonald reported in her comics industry blog, The Beat, that 11 more that were slated for January had been pulled.

However, Pavia says the books on both lists were postponed, not permanently canceled. “We obviously have restructured our publishing program and are going month by month with fewer titles,” he says. That requires going back to the license holders to discuss the new schedules. “We are talking about either revising the schedule or looking at alternatives such as online [publication],” he says. While he did not rule out dropping some titles, he says, if that happens, “We will certainly let everyone know.”

What’s more, they’re planning some new releases as well:

Meanwhile, Tokyopop continues to release new series, and its August releases include four double-size volumes at different price points. Pavia says the reasons for the thicker volumes vary from title to title. The science fiction series Jyu-oh-sei was released in double volumes in Japan, Pavia says, so Tokyopop opted to keep the original format. On the other hand, the two-volume bindup of the manhwa Jade of Bango was strictly a marketing decision. “It’s a shojo action fantasy series,” he says. “We thought binding it up at a good value price would encourage new readers.”

– Project Rooftop and Harris Comics have teamed up for a “Vampirella ReVamp” contest.

– David Lasky’s doing a book about the Carter Family.

– The Daily Cross Hatch talks to Jamie Hernandez.

– Our own Tim O’Shea chats up Dirk Deppey.

– DK plans to keep making funnybook-related coffee-table books.

– How to play Calvinball.

– How much more black could this be? The answer is none. None more black.

– Cripes, I completely forgot that Otakon was last weekend.

– Good lord, people are still griping about that Kramers Ergot volume? Buy it or don’t buy it, just stop complaining about it.

– Not Comics: Clue is being updated. Now you can kill people with a baseball bat.

Compiled by Chris and JK.

If you’re into Secret Invasion – I mean really into it — this is a good week for you. Or if not “good,” at least pricey: The fifth issue of the miniseries event hits this Wednesday, along with four direct tie-ins and a peripheral title.

DC, meanwhile, debuts another Final Crisis tie-in, Revelations, and dusts off the 20-year-old Millennium. Yes, the crossover that gave the world the New Guardians.

If superhero event comics aren’t your bag, Fanfare/Ponent Mon releases Hideo Azuma’s Disappearance Diary and Jiro Taniguchi’s The Ice Wanderer, IDW Publishing debuts Ben Templesmith’s Welcome to Hoxford, and Viz Media brings out Hiroe Rei’s Black Lagoon.

To see what other titles Chris Mautner and I think are worth mentioning, just keep reading. As always, let us know your choices in the comments below.

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Some people think these are adorable. Others shudder at a moment’s glance. Whatever the reaction, these contacts are made for anyone that wants disproportionately large manga or anime eyes. Korean manufactureres G&G and Dueba seemed to have cornered the market.

The contact lenses are available in a large variety of colours and more importantly, have a larger diameter than normal contact lenses. The effect gives the wearer the appearance of gigantic irises for that alluring cartoony look. Both cosmetic and prescription lenses are available.

At $35-40 a pair online, big eyes are much more reasonably priced than a small nose and more readily available than the Astro Boy makeover.

Doed-eye wannabes can get these contacts through Shopping Times.

Found via Inventorspot.

This week’s edition of Publishers Weekly Comic Week is still heavy on Comic-Con reports. For me though, the most noteworthy links are a pair of interviews Kai-ming Cha did with some visiting manga-ka. First she spoke with Bleach author Tite Kubo:

PWCW: What is your favorite aspect of creating Bleach?

TK: When I draw the scene that I’d been dreaming about or had always wanted to draw, that is the time that I’m happiest. The other time that I really enjoy is when I create new characters. But when I create new characters, it’s not usually when I’m working. When I’m running errands, it will come up in my mind, and then I’ll develop it. It’s one of the most enjoyable parts. But I enjoy drawing and creating manga, so it’s always fun.

Then, she talks to Hiro Mashima, whose Fairy Tail and Rave Master series has garnered no small bit of attention:

PWCW: In Rave and Fairy Tail, you have two main characters, both boys, who have no fathers. Additionally, two adventures in Fairy Tail entail saving a father-son relationship. Why is this relationship important for you to explore?

HM: It’s partly from my personal experience. I lost my father when I was younger. In a way, it’s difficult to imagine what a father is. In my stories, instead of introducing the father figure first, I introduce him in the later part and expand from there. I kind of keep him as a mysterious figure and introduce him little by little later on.

August kind of creeps up on you, doesn’t it? It seems like only yesterday that we were counting down to crises, and being infiltrated by one alien or another.

And now, here we are, with the third issue of Final Crisis — plus a “Director’s Cut” of Issue 1! — and the second issue of the ancillary Secret Invasion series Front Line.

This week also sees the first Creepy Archives from Dark Horse, a trio of “Batman R.I.P” tie-ins, the (limited) return of NYX and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, a hardcover Bleach Collector’s Edition and, after some delay, the appearances of Special Forces #3 and Okko: The Cycle of Earth.

To see what other titles Chris Mautner and I think are worth mentioning, just keep reading. As always, let us know your choices in the comments below.

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With all of the hustle, bustle and hype of Comic-Con, we could all use a little break. So it’s probably good that it’s a light week for big releases.

Well, mostly. Del Rey Manga has seven noteworthy releases this Wednesday, from the first volume of Me and the Devil Blues to the second volume of Toto! to the fourth volume of Parasyte. Image uncorks a second installment of the Popgun anthology, and Winsor McCay’s groundbreaking Little Nemo in Slumberland gets two hardcovers.

To see what other titles Chris Mautner and I think are worth mentioning, just keep reading. As always, let us know your choices in the comments below.

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Yes, Comic-Con International ended two days ago, but there are still stories and announcements filtering out:

• ICv2.com has a convention overview, and an interview with David Glanzer, director of marketing of public relations. This year saw a sellout before the show even began, and “a large increase” in registrations by journalists. Comic-Con will remain in San Diego at least through 2012, when its contract with the convention center expires. However, if the facilities don’t expand by 2010, Glazner says, “we’re going to have to explore options.”

• National Public Radio’s All Things Considered reports on librarians at the convention attending tailored panels and searching for — you guessed it — manga.

• Deb Aoki covers Chip Kidd’s Bat-Manga! panel.

• The Christian Science Monitor, which couldn’t resist a “POW! ZOWIE!” headline, looks at scholars who are drawn to comics, and to the convention.

• The Los Angeles Times laments that comics are being squeezed out of Comic-Con. Here’s The Spirit actress Jaime King: “There does seem to be some random booths here which don’t have anything to do with comics. Slowly but surely the entertainment community is taking over to promote their projects here even though they have absolutely nothing to do with comics. What’s next? A panel for Deal or No Deal?”

• Wildstorm continues snatching up licenses, announcing comics based on the video games Resident Evil and Devil May Cry.

• Shhhh! The comics industry is sleeping now.

• At Good Comics for Kids, Scott Robins reports that Scholastic has plans for more Bone after Vol. 9 is released next spring. Previously published “peripheral material” will be adapted for a young audience.

• Gia Manry covers the spotlight panels on creators Tite Kubo (Bleach) and Hiro Mashima (Fairy Tail). As an added bonus, she has video of Mashima drawing Natsu from Fairy Tail.

• ComiPress has an exhaustive roundup of manga-related convention coverage.

• Tor.com’s Pablo Defendini reports on the Watching the Watchmen panel, which featured Dave Gibbons, Chip Kidd and Mike Essel discussing the upcoming book that details the making of the groundbreaking comics series.

• Another Comic-Con, another round of folks questioning whether the convention could, or should, leave San Diego: Variety, Broadcast Newsroom, Major Spoilers.

• According to Geoff Boucher of The Los Angeles Times, sales of original art were brisk at the convention. He spoke with art dealer Joe Mannarino, who had just laid out $115,000 for the original pages from Green Lantern #84, by Neal Adams and Bernie Wrightson.

• Wired‘s Underwire blog provides a convention overview, focusing on the relationship between comics and Hollywood.

• Creators Jason Aaron, Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang, G. Willow Wilson and Brian Wood blogged from San Diego. Azzarello will never have a career as a food photographer …

• USA Today blogger Whitney Matheson rattles off her “15 favorite things about Comic-Con.”

• Heroes star Milo Ventimiglia is, I don’t know, producing a comic through his DiVide Pictures, to be released by Top Cow.

You can follow our complete Comic-Con coverage here.

Random House’s Suvudu blog has posted the above video from Fairy Tail creator Hiro Mashima’s signing at the Del Rey Manga booth. I love that series.

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards capped off a busy second day of Comic-Con, one that included big announcements from Marvel, Viz Media and Image, plus a slew of new titles and creator exclusives.

The meaning behind the much-teased “Marvel to the Nth Degree” panel came to light Friday morning in The Wall Street Journal with word that Marvel is reteaming with Stephen King for a “motion comics”-style digital adaptation of his forthcoming short story “N.”

Image Comics revealed a team-up of its own: Six of the company’s founders — Marc Silvestri, Erik Larsen, Jim Valentino, Rob Liefeld, Whilce Portacio and Todd McFarlane — and new partner Robert Kirkman will release Image United, a miniseries starring some of their best-known creations, plus “side characters.”

And after a lengthy delay at the creator’s request, Viz Media finally will release Naoki Urasawa’s science fiction/mystery series 20th Century Boys. The publisher also has licensed his latest work, Pluto. Both will debut in February.

The Vertigo panel unveiled new titles from Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá, and Jonathan Ames and Dean Haspiel, and offered details on the Vertigo Crime imprint, Seaguy sequels, and a hardcover collection of Death miniseries called, naturally, The Complete Death.

Other convention-related announcements:

• Del Rey has acquired several titles, including Shaenon Garrity’s CLAMP in America, Harvey Pekar’s Huntington, W.V On The Fly, Paul Hornschemier’s Life With Dr. Dangerous, and Brenden Burford’s Syncopated.

• Farscape creator Rockne O’Bannon will write BOOM! Studios’ previously announced adaptation of the sci-fi TV show.

• IDW Publishing will release a prequel to next summer’s Transformers movie.

• Dabel Bros. Publishing is adapting The Warriors, just in time for the cult film’s 30th anniversary.

• Artists Khoi Pham and Paolo Rivera have signed exclusive agreements with Marvel.

You can follow our complete Comic-Con coverage here.

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were presented last night in a ceremony held at the San Diego Convention Center. Frank Miller was the keynote speaker.

And the winners were …

Best Short Story: “Mr. Wonderful,” by Dan Clowes, serialized in New York Times Sunday Magazine

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot): Justice League of America #11: “Walls,” by Brad Meltzer and Gene Ha (DC)

Best Continuing Series: Y: The Last Man, by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, and Jose Marzan, Jr. (Vertigo/DC)

Best Limited Series:The Umbrella Academy, by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá (Dark Horse)

Best New Series: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, by Joss Whedon, Brian K. Vaughan, Georges Jeanty, and Andy Owens (Dark Horse)

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Viz Media announced today at Comic-Con that it has licensed 20th Century Boys and Pluto, by renowned creator Naoki Urasawa (Monster).

The two titles will be released bimonthly beginning in February.

The publisher initially licensed 20th Century Boys in 2005, but Urasawa reportedly requested it be delayed until after Monster finished its English serialization because his art style had progressed between the two works.

In the award-winning science fiction/mystery series, a man and his childhood friends are drawn into a conspiracy that could threaten the world.

Urasawa’s most recent project, Pluto is a murder mystery that reinterprets Tezuka’s Astro Boy, specifically “The Greatest Robot on Earth” story arc.

Between Slam Dunk, announced last year, Black Lagoon, revealed in January, and now 20th Century Boys, I’m very happy.

Random House’s new genre blog, Suvudu, previews this year’s Eisner Awards with overviews of the nominees for Best Single Issue (or One-Shot), Best Continuing Series, Best Limited Series and Best Humor Publication.

The ceremony for the 20th annual awards kicks off tonight at 8:30 Pacific in Ballroom 20 of the San Diego Convention Center. You can see the complete list of nominees here.