Father Geek here, fresh from peeling off what seemed like a gallon of professionally applied liquid latex, foam appliances, glue, and various other sticky, crusty, and bloody substances which I endured (along with about 25 or 30 others who helped turn Austin video store PEDAZO CHUNK into a full service makeup studio) from 2pm till a little after 2am for an incredible screening of SHAUN OF THE DEAD at the ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE with the Director and its two principle stars attending.

Just how much fun was this AICN special event? Well, riotious enough to send the usually well composed SIN CITY Director Robert Rodriguez to his feet, screaming and waving his hat repetedly in the air. Cool enough to have several professional Effects Makeup people who had nothing to do with making the British flick babbling about it until the early morning hours in a nearby Austin pub that the film crowd literally took over.

Well, that's enough of Zombies and their kin... lets get on to Scott's regular weekly column concerning the worlds of Manga & Anime...

AnimAICN...

by Scott Green

Manga Spotlight: Berserk Volume 4
By Kentaro Miura

Released by Dark Horse Comics and Digital Manga Publications

It is amazing to watch someone become captivated by the anime
adaptation of Bersek. Ostensibly a medieval action story arc, with
encroaching, and finally encompassing supernatural menace, the
characters have a quality that rivets viewers to their exploits.
Transcending subject matter preferences and exceedingly shocking
material, no one who has seen Berserk has expressed disinterest.

For those without exposure to the Berserk anime, the first three
volumes of the manga were an unfortunately tentative exercise in
several expanding arcs of conventional monster killing, negatively set
apart by a patently unlikable lead, and at times boundlessly grotesque
content.

Volume four set into motion the events adapted into the anime series
and introduces the elements that establish the work's power: a view
into a character's addictive cycle of violation and revenge and a
family of personalities who age and change with experience. The
volume begins baring the souls of fascinating individuals whose
actions and motivations beg pondering starting with a fiercely emotion
moment of pain, with immediate resonance of how it could shape a
personality.

"The Golden Age" arc began with the newborn Guts' discovery under the
hung body of his anonymous mother. After his adopted mother's death
by plague his new guardian began taking the child onto the battlefield
during his mercenary endeavors. The previous volume ending with Guts
showing up his guardian on the battle field, and volume four begins
with his absolutely chilling retribution, which introduces Guts to the
domino fall of revenge.

The second face of the volume is an older teenage Guts' ungraceful
introduction to the Hawks, an upstart, upwardly mobile group of
mercenaries that will serve as his dysfunctional family for the
defining stretch of the series.

The triangle that will support the band and the series is Griffith, a
man of extraordinary intellect, personality, physical beauty and
swordsman whose ambition founded and drives the Hawks, Casca a young
woman who serves as Griffith's fiercely loyal second, and Guts, whose
extraordinary ability makes him the object of Griffith's desire and
Casca's distrust.

The adopted family of circumstance glued misfits quick begin
demonstrating interesting dynamics with its balance of military unit
and support system, frequently fueled by the rivalries, snide,
jester/antagonizer mouth of Corkus, one of the captains.

The volume also begins to showcase a new aspect to Kentaro Miura's
skill as an illustrator. Previously this was best exemplified in
horror set pieces and the grotesque. The accompanying skill for a
diversity of facial expression carries over but here, the stunning new
facets is some of best medieval battle scenes and duels in comics.
All these successes stem, or at least bolster by one quality in his
illustration: there are startlingly few short cuts. Not just an
immense level of detail with an expansive level of design, distinct
patchworks of armored pieces and weapons on each combatant, background
that establish a greater locale, but that when there is an opportunity
to mask or neglect he doesn't take it. The small figure in has a full
design rather than a blurred shape, the face mostly obscured by a
helmet is reveal through the covering break. The small details build,
and Berserk becomes an immersive world.

Anime Spotlight:
Master Keaton
Volume 1: Excavation

Released by Geneon/Pioneer

The medium and style of anime doesn't always lend themselves to subtly
or restraint, making Master Keaton, a globetrotting serial for the
introspective and curious is a pleasant surprise.
Urasowa Naoki is one of the woefully unexposed creators in the
domestic anime/manga market. His works has range from sports manga
Yawara (recently receiving another round of mentions due to its
connections to Olympic judo) and Happy to psychological patch works
Monster (currently being animated and airing on Japanese TV) and 20th
Century Boys (his most recent work, currently running in Japan), all
with a grand touch for characterization. If for no other reason, as
his only domestically available work, Master Keaton is working seeing
to sampling to see Urasowa Naoki's brand of intelligent plotting and
character usage.

Master Keaton is a mature and subdued globe trotting adventure with a
character who has the functional qualifications of an Indiana Jones or
a McGuyver, but whose exploits are more rewarding for their appeal of
location, history, and twists of intellect or perspective than style
or physical confrontations. Consequently rapid anime pacing, leading
to a visually intensive finally are absent.

Unassuming looking half Japanese, half British Taichi Keaton lives a
rare Renaissance man life, he's a former SAS survival instructor and
Falkland Islands veteran, an Oxford grad, a history professor, an
archeologist and an investigator for Lloyd's of London. The episode
length short stories take Keaton across European, generally in the
capacity of an agent of Lloyd's.

In the first volume the tasks range from investigating the suspicion
death of a Greek salvager/archeologist, to resolving custody child
battle among the Italian elite, to overseeing the bloodless surrender
of a German terrorist. Keaton's mild mannered but not zen-blank
demeanor and quick thinking, but low key MO is unique and fascinating
to watch.

His small manipulations of perception and capabilities in a psychical
confrontation drive the series, despite a lack of big action. The
episodes build to some key moment. The clincher may be Keaton in
action, or it may be a piece of history (or historical fiction),
character drama, or insight into Keaton's mind beyond the capacity of
battle.

Urasowa Naoki has an interesting ability to give the viewer a glimpse
into the way a character thinks, nothing especially elaborate, but a
small detail the observe can latch onto an use to connect with a
character. Keaton's personal interactions aren't unpredictable, but
they are satisfying. In a formulaic fashion, Keaton meets the players
of a given episode and they mistrust and or underestimate them. An
aspect of the story's resolution is the revealing of the nature of the
initial disconnect. The player may still be a thug or a malcontent
when the whole picture is reveal or they may be something more
interesting or sympathetic, but they aren't left as cardboard
obstacles.

Beyond the thrill of exploring corners of history, seeing a well
executed plan or an exotic locale, the hook of the series is that
Keaton lives an exceptional life in a very familiar way. The most
compelling moments come when he confronts the fears felt by almost
everyone over a certain age, whether one's occupation and life style
is taking them away from what they though their contribution in life
would be, whether what one does servers the import people in one's
life as well as possible.

There is an air of post Cold War, pre 9/11 vacuum to the series. Not
that there is faux-innocence or even necessarily apolitical view but
that there is a dimension of suspicion not appearing in this equation.
No one is trying to piece out the position of others' roles in a
global agenda. It is notable that a character can travel the world
and generally deal with local concerns, even if there historical root
do runs deep and wide.

Manga Spotlight: Galaxy Angel
Volume 3
By Kanan

Released by Broccoli Books

Galaxy Angel succeeds at its not completely lofty ambition: adorable
characters that are always appealing to view and comfortable stories.
Three volumes in, the series has gotten a lot of mileage out of
incredible cuteness and light fairytale, quasi-romantic situations,
using sci-fi trappings for look, while deflating the potential to
become an epic.

The series isn't for everyone, and maybe not for fans of general sci-
fi anime/manga, but if the early parts had appeal, it hasn't gotten
tired three volumes in.

There is a plot, a more or less continuous one at that, but galactic
empires, ancient technologies, and mystery goddesses are boiled down
to small character humor moments (as opposed to the anime quick,
elaborately odd engagements).

The five young woman of the Angel Brigade continue to protect Prince
Shiva, the young sole survivor of a coup. This volume is more static
than the galaxy spanning story tends to be, with the Brigade, along
with their command Takudo Meyers staying in one place to protect their
charge.

The volume mainly deals with intruders, and focuses on Milfeulle the
very pink, without being too cloying by default of maintaining the
most face time, lead of the series, and Mint, the polite, semi-demure
member of the Brigade. Each character has few interesting aspects,
that adds little extra complexity and endears them into memorablity.
Mint's arbitrary secretiveness and manipulative streak are nice
additions to the volume (Mint brushing off an explanation of her fuzzy
lamb ears is a highlight)

Cohorts Forte and Vanilla fans get a bit of short shrift in this
volume and to some degree the series in general, while jokes about
Ranpha's bad cooking a reminder of how the series can touch upon a
familiar routine with relying upon it to the series' detriment.

Given its unavoidable ties to merchandising efforts, its hard to avoid
an evaluation of Galaxy Angel's character design, which are well
constructed, but not over elaborate, using uniforms while maintaining
distinctive and memorable appearances. There is an interesting non-
threatening iconishness to them, which, depending on your acceptance
of commerciality is exceptionally desirable or insidious.

Manga Spotlight
STONe
Volume 1:
by Hiromoto-Sin-Ichi

Releases by TOKYOPOP

With the storm of manga the currently being released, there are some
rewarded surprises like STONe that have the unfortunate potential of
falling under the radar. STONe takes a character designer's Kill
Bill style genre amalgamation of sci-fi and uses it to showcase come
some intensely bizarre sights.

Hiromoto-Sin-Ichi constructs an unmissable visual appeal, with few
other distractions. The series is simply fun to look at, but design
is the chief strength. Ideas feed the visuals with a relationship
between premise, design and action that serve each other in a video
game-ish fashion: elaberate staggings, rewarding developments with
new sights. There isn't the mental or emotional content of many well
regarded manga series, but almost on look alone, it is a STONe is a
dynamic, blazingly fun read.

Given the pastiche nature of the work, the editor's preface takes an
odd step in introducing sand seas as a foreign concept.
Desert epics have been a staple of story telling, especially quasi-
religious story telling, probably since the beginning of story
telling, and science fiction extrapolation of seas of sand is nothing
new. Ironically, the best known use is Star Wars, which STONe's
creator adapted into manga. More so because Star Wars references are
strewn across STONe(impressively including a sand-sea craft that is
Bobba Fett's Slave 1 rotated 90 degrees), alongside other sci-
fi/horror classics from Hellraiser to Neoen Genesis Evangelion.
The dressing of re-appropriated design is enmployed in a rewarding
Easter-egg hunt.

The wow moments begin when the series offers up a strange new
apocalypse.
In another case of odd localized descriptions, such as the one on
TOKYOPOP's web site, after taking the already seen and making it
presenting it as new, t takes the new and makes it sound already
seen. In the "not-too-distant future" a sea creature called "STONe"
consumed five continents, and the seven seas (not depicted yet, but
the prospect of given Hiromoto-Sin-Ichi's illustration its a highly
appealing proposition), leaving a truly bizarre sandy version of Water
World.

The situation gave birth to some very interesting new fauna. Under the
sand seas, covered cities, planes, ships and submarines, random city
blocks flowing in the submerged jetsom provides habitat ithiasaur like
creatures, serpent turtles, odd tendril creatures, and most fearsome
devourers, dolphins whose who body opens into jaws and leviathans,
whales with gaping mouth's of needle-teeth.

Set against the world's empires, traditions, and forces of nature are
Zizi, a wild young woman with strange powers to sense the currents of
the Sakai (sand sea), and Suv a grizzled pirate nee "aggressively
persuasive merchant".

The young messiah in a strange new environ is a bad penny in
fantasy/sci-fi, but a wild-child assertive and confident hero with a
really force of presence plays off the bizarre design and gives STONe
a wild energy.

Manga Spotlight: World of Narue
Volumes 1 & 2
By Tomohiro Marukawa

Released by CPM Manga

The story of an average guy dating a strange
alien/supernatural/something else girl has been a force in anime and
manga for a while now, and maybe World of Narue is a sign that the
convention has matured to the point where its adherents can just be
clever and entertaining, rather than overly pandering, attempting to
elicit an emotional investment in the characters or intellectual
investment in the plot.

World of Narue doesn't have the memorable characters of some of its
genre siblings, but it does have a great opening, and largely
successful chain of comic circumstances.

The first four pages might be a candidate for the funniest guy meets
girl illustrated. Kazuto, an anime fan, but not an extreme one,
pretty average but not weak spined in the male oriented relationship
comedy tendency, is walking to school in the rain when he happens upon
an adorable abandoned puppy. He's about to take the puppy in when a
girl in a school uniform pushes him aside and clubs the puppy to pulp
with a baseball, and informs Kazuto the his just averted a trap at
fangs of the the space organism...er altered...er poisonous dog. The
girl runs off leaving her name tag labeled baseball bat. Upon
returning it, Kazuto begins dating the half alien Narue. (There isn't
much to the plot, why Narue's father is on Earth or the reason for
occasional dangerous space dogs or assassin).

The series is seeded with similar scenes and concepts that make it
worth while, not universally intelligent or successful, but including
a number of clever jokes, such stock sci-fi fan/conspiracy nut
classmate being obsessed with disproving that Narue is an alien (a
rather poorly hidden and generally accepted fact), the snap shot
history of Narue's alien home Planet Japan (Japanese history in a 50's
sci-fi motif) or Narue's chronologically older sister from her
father's first marriage, who, by the laws of relativity and space
transportation, is physically younger.

The flaw with the collection is that collection is that nature of the
short chapter based stories. They are quick, amusing, read like they
were written for an anthology. Collection editions didn't seem to be
in the mind of the author, so it occasionally hits pacing problems.
The first volume in particular is a rather dizzying in not quite joint
loud confrontation. As the series progresses and the volume lowers,
the seems become less visible.

Initial ImaginAsian Station Listing

ImaginAsian, a new Asian entertainment network with anime programming
launched August 30th on the following stations:

• Las Vegas, NV: KTVY, channels 7 and 63
  
• Ventura, CA: KIMG-LP, channel 23
  
• Denver, CO: KKTV-DT, channel 11
  
• Minneapolis, MN: K07UI, channel 7
  
• Atlanta, GA: W55CR, channel 45
  
• Seattle, WA: K58DP, channel 30

Linkin Park Anime Video Wins MTV Award

Linkin Park's music video of "Breaking the Habit", anime by anime
studio Gonzo won MTV's Viewers Choice Award at the r
cent Vide Music Awards.

November Box Sets

From Anime on DVD
AnimEigo will be releasing a box set of the 8 Bubblegum Crisis OAV
episodes and 2 music video OAV on November 9th for $69.99.

TOKYOPOP will be releasing the first 15 episode collection of the
Initial D street racing anime on November 9th for $89.99. Volume 8
will also be released on that date.

Upcoming Ghost in the Shell Dates

Volumes 6 and 7 of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex will be
released on May 24th July 26th 2005 repestively. Volume 7 concludes
the first season of the series.

Bandai will be releasing box sets Big O II Complete Collection
($49.98) Please Teacher Complete Collection ($49.98) and Mobile Suit
Zeta Gundam Limited Edition Box Set ($199.98) on Novembe 23rd.
Please Twins volume 1 will also be released on that date.

Cowboy Bebop Audio Remix

Anime News Network
reports that Cowboy Bebop will be remixedfor a Dolby Digital 5.1
Japanese release. The 26 episode collection will be released in Japan
on December 23rd for 42,000 yen (US$384)

I'm Gonna Be An Angel Volume 3 Date

The third volume of the spuratically release anime-on-Addams Family-
like comedy I'm Gonna Be An Angel will be released on November 30th.

Broccoli Books Licenses Until the Full Moon

Broccoli Books announced
that hey have acquired the publishing rights for the series Until the
Full Moon. The first volume of Until the Full Moon is set for October
27, 2004, and will be released as an exclusive to Borders Bookstore,
Brentano's Bookstore, Waldenbooks, and Anime Gamers for three months.

Known as Full Moon ni Sasayaite and published by Biblos in Japan,
Until the Full Moon is done by manga artist Sanami Matoh, who also did
the well-known series FAKE.

A two-volume fantasy-romance Manga series, Until the Full Moon is like
a fairy tale, only about vampires and the darker side of the
supernatural spectrum instead. "It's our first non-Broccoli title, and
I believe fans of bishounen titles like Juvenile Orion will enjoy
Until the Full Moon," says managing editor Shizuki Yamashita.

Publisher Hideki Uchino comments, "Juvenile Orion did great at Borders
Group, and we're happy to be continuing our relationship with them on
our newest title."

About Until the Full Moon

Marlo has a problem. On the night of the full moon, this half-
werewolf, half-vampire undergoes a mysterious and terrifying
transformation:

He turns into a girl.

Desperate for a cure, his parents call on Doctor Vincent, a long time
family friend. But Marlo wants to keep his condition secret from
Vincent's son, the vampire playboy David.

Unfortunately, the secret gets out, and a new problem surfaces: David
is interested in Marlo's female form! If a remedy can't be found,
their parents believe the next best solution is marriage - a marriage
between Marlo and David!

Gundam SEED Destiny Trailer

A trailer for the new Gundam SEED sequel series Destiny is online href="http://mbs.jp/gundamseed-d/index2.html">here.

Naruto Movie Opening

Anime News Network
reports that the Naruto movie has openned in first place in the
Japanese box office. Akira creator Katushiro Otomo's Steamboy has
been pushed off the top ten. Pocket Monster Advance Generation: 2004
(Pokemon) is 4th place after 6 weeks in the top 10, and anime movie
Konjiki no Gash Bell: 101 Banme no Mamono is in 10th place after 3
weeks in the list.

Last week's complete list was:

• 1 Naruto Movie
  
• 2 Farenheight 911
  
• 3 Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
  
• 4 Pocket Monster Advance Generation: 2004
  
• 5 Spider-Man 2
  
• 6 Tsuribaka nisshi
  
• 7 Shrek 2
  
• 8 The Chronicles Of Riddick
  
• 9 King Arthur
  
• 10 onjiki no Gash Bell: 101 Banme no Mamono

Anime Merchandise

From Figures.com

Anime related figures shown at the San Diego Comic Con can be see at:
Fewture including Blood: The Last Vampire and samurai
manga Vagabond

Toyami including InuYasha, Robotech/Macross, SpeedRacer
and Voltron

Takara
USA

Mattel including Mega Man,YuGi-Oh and Shaman King

Kotobukiya including Full Metal Alchemestic and Star
Ocean

Kaiyodo

Yamato USA will be releasing 5" PCV figures from the cute anime serie
Bottle Fairies later this year. Images can be seen href="http://www.figures.com/databases/action.cgi?
setup_file=fignews2.setup&category=actionfigures&topic=73&show_article=
219">here
They will also be releasing 6" PVC statue of Trigun's Vash the
Stampede, seen here.

Diamond has will be soliciting Kotobukiya's first series of 5" Full
Metal Alchmemsic figures. The line which includes Edward Elric,
Alphonse Elric, Roy Mustang, and Winry Rockbell and will retail for
$5.99 can be seen here.

Anime Game News

Anime News Network
reports the DragonBall GT Playstation game Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout,
wich was released in 1997 and subsiquently became a collector's item
selling for $200 has been re-released by Atari in limited quantities
with exclusive cover art from Toei Animation.

Namco has announced that it has licensed FUNimation's Rock the Dragon
theme from Dragonball Z for the new PS2 game the 'Taiko: Drum Master'
which will be released in late 2004.

Spong.com reports super natural
Shonen Jump action Bleach will be adaptated into a video game from
Sony.

From The Magic Box
Mobile Suit Gundam: Never Ending Tomorrow, the Playstation 2 sequel
to 3D action game Megurial Sora can be seen here

Sega's Sakura Taisen V: Saraba Aishiki Hitoyo the lastest in the
frequently anime tied-in game franchise is 30%, and schedule for a
Japanese released in Summer 2005. Screenshots can be seen href="http://www.the-magicbox.com/0408/game082704a.shtml">here.

Sakura Taisen V: Episode 0 Kouya no Samurai Musume, to be released in
Japan September 22nd can be seen here. The game will have
interactive features with Sakura Taisen V: Saraba Aishiki Hitoyo, you
can raise a character in this game and reuse the same characters in
the other game.

Not anime related, but something for samurai fans, a follow up to Fu-
un Shinsen Gumi in which the player was tasked with protecting lorder
from attacking Tenchu ninja, called Fu-un Bakumatsu Den, in you play
the assasins, will be released in Japan this winter. Screenshots can
be seen here.

Forbes Profiles ADV Pres

Forbes has protested a profile of anime and manga distributor ADV's
John Ledford href="http://www.forbes.com/business/forbes/2004/0906/178.html">here>.

Gundam X Revival?

AnimeNation reports that
Sunrise has launched a new site for Gundam X a 1996 TV series cancelled after 30 episodes.

New Robotech Series In Production?

Anime on DVD points out that
Robotech.com has been updated with an item stating that a fourth
Robotech installment is being producted.

There is a new timeline section created that has "August, 2044:
Operation is begun to locate the missing SDF-3 and Admiral Hunter."
This gives hint that they're looking to go along something in the
Sentinels timeline once more but likely in a new way as they're
titling this new series Shadow Force. The only other text available at
this moment is an vague setting paragraph: "With the unexpected
conclusion to the war with the Invid, the people of Earth are finally
liberated and an expedition prepares to search for Admiral Hunter's
missing fleet. However, another mystery unfolds as a deadly new
advesary threatens to test the limits of the Expeditionary Force's use
of Shadow Technology."

Upcoming in Japan

From Natsume
Maya
Victorian romance manga Emma, not based on Jane Austin's novel will be
adapted into an anime series.

Zipang, the anime
adaptation of the manga by Kaiji Kawaguchi, creator of political and
military manga series Eagle and Silent Service will begin on Japanese
TV October 7th. Direction and series composition by Furuhashi
Kazuhiro, main character design by Umakoshi Yoshihiko, main mecha
design by Obara Shouhei, music by Sahashi Toshihiko, animation
production by Studio Deen.

Tactics, the anime adaptation of the manga series by Mystical
Detective Loki creator Sakura Kinoshita will air on Japanese TV
starting October 5th.

TAB Pro's website states that a Bleach TV anime will commence
broadcast on TV Tokyo at 6.30pm on October 5th 2004.

Official website for the ninja clan warshref="http://www.basilisk.jp/">Basilisk - Koga Ninpou Chou TV
anime which will commence broadcast in April 2005. The manga version
(based on the original novel) finished serialisation in Uppers
magazine not too long ago.

TBS Anime Festa 2004's website for the upcoming Oh! My Goddess TV
anime href="http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/festa/sakuhin/megami.html">here.

Digi Charat creator Koge Donbo will begin a new manga series entitled
Kohime Soushi in the November issue of Dengeki Comic Gao!, on sale in
Japan September 27th.

A website has been posted for Production I.G's recent fuedel action
series href="http://www.vap.co.jp/otogizoushi/video/index.html">Otogizoushi>. The series will be released doemsticall by Media Blasters.

Gonzo Changes

Anime News Network
reports that Gonzo's, best known for their digital animated series
such as Last Exile and Full Metal Panic, parent company Gonzo
Digimation Holdings has partnered with French industry veterans to
form GO-N productions. GO-N is to produce French and European
animation, as well as investigate possible French / Japanese
collaborations opportunities.

The company has also changed its name from "Gonzo Digimation K.K."
to "Gonzo K.K." on July 1st, 2004. Gonzo Digimation was formed when
two companies, Gonzo and Digimation merged in 2002.

Ghost in the Shell 2 To Be Promoted on Anime Network

Go Fish Pictures, a subsidiary of DreamWorks Pictures, has selected
Anime Network as the platform for its fall television advertising
campaign for the highly-anticipated animated film "Ghost in the Shell
2: Innocence."

The studio's substantial ad commitment encompasses Anime Network's 24-
hour cable channel as well as the network's video-on-demand (VOD)
service and will include the airing of the full 75-second trailer
for "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence."

"The advertising buy for 'Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence' validates
not only the growth of Anime Network but its ability to reach and
deliver the elusive young adult male and core 18 to 34 demographic
groups," explains Kevin Corcoran, President of Anime Network. "Go
Fish Pictures, like many competitive media buyers today, also
recognizes the strength and influence advertising with our video-on-
demand service provides. In fact, while VOD advertising is still very
much in its infancy, astute marketers are becoming savvier about the
benefits of VOD advertising."

As the first and only anime film to screen in competition at the
Cannes Film Festival, "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence" has brought
the distinct Japanese animation style to an even wider audience. The
film is the second anime feature film to be released under the Go Fish
Pictures banner, a subsidiary of DreamWorks Pictures. Written and
directed by Mamoru Oshii, "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence" tells the
story of a solitary cyborg desperately fighting to retain what little
humanity he has left in a world where human souls are an obscurity.

Charlize Theron Injured on Aeon Flux Set

According to the Associated Press, Charlize Theron was injured while
shooting Paramount Pictures' Aeon Flux adaptation in Germany. A studio
spokeswoman said the Monday accident was caused while Theron was doing
her own stunts. Filming in Berlin has been halted for at least 3 weeks to allow her to
recover. Word has it that Charlize didn't break any bones, or suffer any major cuts during the complex "wire-work" accident.

Scott McCloud to Examin Manga

Newsarama.com href="http://www.newsarama.com/pages/McCloud_Making.htm">reports
Scott McCloud creator and analyst Scott McCloud will be following up
his examinations of the comic medium Understanding Comics and
Reinventing Comics with a third volume entitled Making Comics. Among
the volume's topics will be a look at manga. In the "Understanding
Manga" section, McCload hopes to explain why many readers find manga
story telling compelling.

The book is tenatively planned to be released in 2006.

Rave Master to Go Daily on Cartoon Network

ICV2 reports that this fall, aquatic
fantasy anime Rave Master will be moved from its current Saturday
night slot on Cartoon Network to a weekday airing.