Manga from Suvudu

There's something about getting a package in the mail that just makes me feel ... giddy. Books, movies, music, catalogs, doesn't matter. If it's for me, if it's even remotely associated with happiness or Pezz, I love it (bills excluded of course). So imagine my surprise when the mailman tromps across my lawn to deposit a fairly large package in my tiny mail box. I admit, first it was annoyance, then it was anger, but ultimately it was a feeling of ecstatic giddiness. Why? Manga! Turns out I was one of the winners of Jason Thompson's 365 DAYS OF MANGA contest being held over at Suvudu.com.

One of the stipulations? A picture of the winner holding their manga.

Now before you make any cracks about my picture: yes, that's really me. Yes, I am quite aware that the manga in my hands, the birdie bedsheets, and the stack of crap everywhere makes me seem like a teenager. Yes, I know I'm almost 30. And yes, I'm quite aware that this is a very unflattering photo of myself. Deal with it. I tried several times to take a decent picture; each time was as equally unflattering as this one. I am not a photogenic person. Never have been, never will be. My "Blossom reject" picture from junior high can attest to that (and before you ask, no, you can not see it). Don't believe me? Behold, other "candidates" for this post:

Horrid. Just horrid. Look, I'm not evening smiling in that last one! *sigh* In my [pathetic] defense: taking pictures with out the use of a tripod and single-handedly isn't that easy.

In case you're wondering I'm holding volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4, of E'S by Satol Yuiga. I love the art style. It's dramatic, crisp, and reminds me of the work of Yuu Watase. The books themselves are massive in weight! and heavy to hold. That was always something I loved about Broccoli Books USA; they produced substantial manga with crisp, bright-white pages that packed a punch! I still hold the tiniest bit of hope that once the industry stabilizes they'll return. The Broccoli Books USA website is still registered until 2014, after all.

The fifth book is No Need for Tenchi! Tenchi in Love vol 7 by Hitoshi Okuda. This one's a shounen from VIZ that I hadn't heard of before. It also sports bright-white pages and has a more substantial feel than standard manga. The art is cute if more "classic" in style and more simplistic and easy to follow. Sadly, it's printed in the US format which, for those of you who don't know, results in the reader starting at the end of the story and not the beginning if they are used to reading in the Japanese style. If you are new to manga, I think this series would be a good introduction. It's also safe enough to pass down to your younger brothers or sons if it's not to your taste.

I'd like to give an extra "thank you" to Jason Thompson over at Suvudu.com for hosting this contest. If you're interested, there is still time for you to enter. Also, go check out his newest work KING OF RPG'S or just go buy a copy.