The art of Zodcore Comics

I wanted to feature my great friend Zodcore and the joy always present in his art!

This is his blog:
http://zodcore.blogspot.com/

More detailed information about him:
http://zodcore.blogspot.com/p/about-creator-of-zodcore.html

 "One afternoon in 2001 I was watching Superman 2 on a local cable channel. The main protagonist was named General ZOD and I thought, that is a HARDCORE name! Then it came to me, because of thinking of the word ,HARDCORE. Took out the word hard and replaced it with ZOD, ZODCORE. I made it my email, thought it sounded cool". 

His current main work is The Taskmasters. Check it out!


SKETCH IT. INK IT. DRAW IT.

In the middle of a crisis, simple words get you back in the game!

Love his use of contrasts and angles, his works have his own spunk, as if it were his own music you were listening to. 

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MangoSlice: a community for aspiring OEL manga artists!

I wanted to especially recommend this beautifully constructed forum that serves as a learning resource, as well as a way to connect with fellow artists that want to get their manga project out there.

This is their premise:

"Mangoslice.net is a forum that encourages the growth of writers and illustrators who aspire to create original English language manga (or “Mango”).

If you're training to become a writer or artist to create Mango then this place is for you!

 Here we: 

-Respect manga as a medium for storytelling. -Respect the culture that manga has come from as well as the culture that manga had spawned.-Acknowledge that without a good foundation we will never make something worth reading. -Acknowledge that even in manga there is ample room for improvement and innovation. -Our goal is to elevate the perception of manga style comics all over the world.-To show that there is more to manga than just the art style and crazy expressions. -We aim to bring a close to an era where much of OEL manga are just a shallow imitations of Japanese comics and to remind us all what manga is really about; to tell a beautiful story."

Here's their link:

http://www.mangoslice.net/forums/forum.php

With the way digital publishing is slowly changing the concept of manga publishing, even in Japan itself, an uprise in great digital OEL manga is not too far ahead :)

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Medaka Box will have a second season!

Next week’s issue of Shonen Jump magazine will formally confirm rumors from last spring that the Medaka Box anime television series from Gainax will get a second season. The series’ first 12-episode season has just finished its Japanese broadcast. 


 Source: ANN

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Code: Breaker teaser! Premieres on October!

About time this series got an anime adaptation!


 The official website for the upcoming Code:Breaker television series has added a 30-second teaser. The “dark hero” supernatural action series based on the current manga by Samurai Deeper Kyo creator Akimine Kamijyo is being animated by Kinema Citrus. Yasuhiro Irie (Kurau) is directing for an October premiere.

 source: ANN

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Uta Koi teaser, premieres on July 2

An adaptation of Kei Sugita's historical romance manga, known as Chouyaku Hyakunin Isshu: Uta Koi, it is set to premiere on July 2.

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Binbougami ga! Trailer, premieres on July 4

The adaptation of Yoshiaki Sukeno’s gag comedy revolves around a poverty goddess who tries to eliminate a perpetually happy human girl. The show will premiere on July 4.
 Looks amusing, let's check it out.

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Kishimoto: "Naruto Manga Is 'Rising Towards Its Climax'"

The author indicated in a brief snippet that appeared in the Asahi Shimbun  newspaper that he already has an ending in mind for Naruto and that from now on, the story is heading towards that direction. "The series is rising towards its climax at its current point", he added.

Kishimoto has been serializing the ninja manga in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine since 1999, and Shueisha published the 60th compiled book volume in Japan last month. Viz Media will publish the 57th volume in North America next month.  

source: ANN

Could this be a hint that Shueisha could be planning to end Naruto and Bleach simultaneously in one edition?

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Japan passes law that criminalizes illegal downloading as well as DVD ripping

The spot of controversy this week, Japan's House of Councillors passed a bill into law that covers a variety of issues regarding the usage of documents and digital content. 233 of the Diet's 242 members cast votes on the law: 221 for and 12 against.

 As the bill had already passed the Diet's House of Representatives last Friday, the law will go into force on October 1. The law includes sections outlawing the "ripping" of content, for personal use, that involves the bypassing of digital copy protection such as the CSS system on DVDs.

 The law also includes a section added in committee that imposes a penalty to the already illegal act of knowingly downloading copyrighted material without permission, and those charged with illegal downloading will now face up to two years of prison or fines of up to 2 million yen (about US$25,400). The law also obligates national and local governments to educate minors on illegal download prevention.

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Happy Father's Day!!!

:)

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Bleach manga volume 55 has already sold 500 thousand copies in Japan!

The latest volume of Kubo Tite’s Bleach manga (55) made it’s debut on the shelves of Japanese retailers on June 4th, 2012. There is great feedback on the new saga that allegedly will finish the manga. 

By the end of the sales week, June 10th, over 500,000 copies had been sold. That’s more than 18,000 than the number two highest selling manga volume last week.

01 – Bleach Manga Volume 55 – 521,626 copies sold
02 – Bakuman Manga Volume 19 – 332,706
03 – Katekyo Hitman Reborn Manga Volume 39 – 226,893
04 – Beelzebub Manga Volume 16 – 152,893
05 – Claymore Manga Volume 22 – 144,521 

Source: Oricon, SaiyanIsland

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'K' trailer

Finally we get more info on this upcoming supernatural adventure anime series.

 

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La storia della Arcana Famiglia promo trailer, premieres July 1

Intriguing indeed.



The story follows Arcana Famiglia, a self-appointed organization with mysterious powers that has protected a small Mediterranean island from pirates, foreign countries, and other threats. The only daughter of the family's "Papa," Felicitá, will be married to the next head of the family in two months — and the successor will be decided in a competition that Felicitá herself will take part in.

source: ANN

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GACKT to Star in Live Action TV Show of Sengoku Basara

The first live-action TV adaptation of the series Sengoku Basara will feature actor/singer GACKT as Oda Nobunaga (pictured far right), also star Kento Hayashi (Arakawa Under the Bridge) as Date Masamune (center) and Kōhei Takeda (Hana Zakari no Kimi-tachi e: Ikemen Paradise, Kamen Rider Kiva) as Sanada Yukimura (left).

Gackt will contribute the ending theme song "Hakuro."

 The show will premiere on July 12 on MBS, and it will run every Thursday night at 1:25 a.m. (early Friday morning).

source: ANN

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Hiramaru from Bakuman cosplay

My absolute favorite character from Bakuman, aside from Niizuma Eiji.

And this is pretty much inevitable:

heheheheeheheheheh XD

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A list of anti-social geniuses in manga and anime

This is a great post I came across, it compiles a list of those characters we love for being anti-social.

Not missing from the list is L from Death Note and Alice from Kamisama no Memocho.

Here's the link:

http://organizationasg.com/2012/06/02/list-of-anti-social-geniuses-anime-manga/

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Sailor Moon manga soars again in U.S bookstores! Naruto at #3

The fifth volume of Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon manga ranked #2 in Nielsen BookScan's list of top 20 graphic novels in American bookstores for May, only to be beaten by The Avengers: The Ultimate Guide to the Earth's Mightiest Heroes, which took the #1 spot.

Whereas the 56th volume of Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto manga ranked at #3. The other two manga volumes in the top 20 are the 62nd volume of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece (#13) and the ninth volume of Yana Toboso's Black Butler (#16). The same volume of Black Butler had ranked at #14 in April.

source: ANN

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Chihayafuru will have a second season!

The latest volume of Yuki Suetsugu's manga (17th) announced in the ad section that a new season of the anime is in development to give it a definitive resolution.

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Tari Tari 2nd trailer

Set to premiere on July 1, it is a slice of life drama.

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Naruto Shippuden anime June 2012 schedule

The war continues, with a few pieces of filler. Nevermind the low quality due to budget. This hasn't been a good year for anime due to Japan's recession.

Episode 265 "An Old Nemesis Returns" (宿敵との再会) May 31, 2012

Episode 266 "The First and Last Opponent" (最初の敵, 最後の敵) June 7, 2012

Episode 267 "The Leaf Village's Genius Strategist" (木ノ葉の天才軍師) June 21, 2012

Episode 268 "Everyone's Fierce Battle!!" (それぞれの激戦!!) June 28, 2012

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What if Marvel's The Avengers were made into a moe anime movie?

Hahahahahahahahahaha XD Amusing to say the least

Priceless hahahahaha

Taken from: http://fashionablygeek.com/approved-products/the-avengers-get-an-anime-costume-upgrade/

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One Piece's Eichiro Oda and Naruto's Masashi Kishimoto to redraw Kingdom manga!

AMAZING AND EPIC!!

One Piece creator Eichiro Oda and Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto are both participating in the "Social Kingdom" campaign in Japan to celebrate the upcoming television anime adaptation of Yasuhisa Hara's historical manga Kingdom.

 Manga creators, celebrities, and voice actors from the anime adaptation are contributing to the project to redraw the 26th volume of the Kingdom manga. Anyone with a Twitter or Facebook account can also participate. 

Participants select one of the about 1,000 panels from the book, redraw Hara's illustrations, and upload the art to create a new version of the manga.

Here's the link to participate:
http://socialkingdom.jp/

 Here are some samples of the redrawn panels:

 The campaign's creators plan to submit the "Social Kingdom" project to Guinness World Records as the "Manga Written by the Most People." The manga's story begins with Xin and Hyō, two boys without families in the Warring States Period when China has been embroiled in war for five centuries. Despite living like slaves, the boys strive to realize their dream of becoming warlords.

source: ANN

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Viz Media confirms Tiger & Bunny DVDs

Viz Media has publicly confirmed plans to release the popular 2011 superhero satire anime TV series Tiger & Bunny on domestic DVD & BD early next year.

source: AnimeNation

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New Samurai Ace magazine to launch this June

I really miss the samurai theme in both anime/manga :( this is a relief!

Japanese publisher Kadokawa Shoten will launch a new manga magazine called Samurai Ace on June 26. The magazine will feature the following series:

 Yamato Takeru -Joshō- By Yoshikazu Yasuhiko (Gundam character designer, Venus Wars, Arion, Joan) The origin of one of Japan's earliest and greatest heroes

Mitsukuniden Original novel by Tow Ubukata (Le Chevalier d'Eon, Fafner, Mardock Scramble), art by Ranjō Miyake (Imuri)
A story inspired by real-life Japanese lord Mito Mitsukuni

Shamon Kūkai: Tō no Kuni nite Oni to Utage-su
Original novel by Baku Yumemakura (Onmyoji, Kurozuka), art by Mioko Ōnishi The adventures of the genius Kūkai and his close friend Hayanari

Yume Genji Tsurugi no Saimon Original novel by Kazuo Koike (Lone Wolf and Cub, Crying Freeman), art by Natsuki Sumeragi (Guin Saga anime's original character designer) Sumeragi returns to her manga of Koike's novel (about the demon Ibaraki Dōji) after the manga's previous magazine, Jin, ended in 2008

Fuyō Senri Original novel by Shinobu Suga (Kill Zone, Ryūketsu Megamiden), art by Niki Kajiwara (Odunu, Tsuki to Mizu no Yoru) The story of girls who live in the red-light district of China's Harbin City at the turn of the 20th century

O-Neko Dōshin Torimono By Keito Yoshikawa A new Edo-era hero debuts, a cat

Source: ANN

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Mardock Scramble: The Third Exhaust movie trailer

It will open on theaters on September 29.

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