Mameshiba on the Loose! is a fun adventure comic that is goofy enough for kids but smart enough to make adults smile as well.

Mameshiba are cute little rounded creatures with the facial features of cartoon dogs, no limbs to speak of, and a propensity for spouting random bits of trivia. ("Mameshiba" is a made-up Japanese word that combines "mame," or "bean," with "shiba," a type of dog.) They first appeared in short television cartoons devised by the Japanese ad agency Dentsu to fill unsold slots, but they sort of took on a life of their own and became popular with viewers. Still, the cartoons are very short and very minimal. Read more...

Tags kids' comics, Manga, VIZ

A boy drops a pea from his fork. The pea suddenly develops a face and floppy ears and announces "In French, dandelions are called pissenlit, which means 'urinate in bed.'"

Welcome to the wacky world of Mameshiba, where legumes from cashew nuts to coffee beans surprise unsuspecting diners with odd bits of trivia. Read more...

Tags kids' comics, Mameshiba, Manga, mascots, VIZ

Marvel Comics announced that they're set to go back over the rainbow in September for Dorothy & The Wizard Of Oz. Eric Shanower and Skottie Young return for the 4th Oz book, featuring Dorothy and her cat Eureka traveling to the land of imagination once again after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. (We recently chatted with Young at HeroesCon and you can read the interview here!) Check out the cover for Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz #1 below, and then read on for more details about this next chapter in the highly popular all-ages comic book series!

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Tags Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, Eric Shanower, Marvel Comics, Skottie Young, Wizard of Oz

At the Viz panel at FanimeCon this weekend, Marketing Director Candice Uyloan announced that Viz will publish two "film comics" based on the new Studio Ghibli movie Arrietty the Borrower (Karigurashi no Arietti), and Viz spokesperson told MTV Geek that the company is also planning to publish a picture book and an art book based on the movie, which will be released in the UK in July and the U.S. next February. (The English-language voice cast includes Carol Burnett and Amy Poehler.)

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Tags Anime, Arrietty the Borrower, Manga, Movies, Studio Ghibli, Viz Media

I’m often asked by parents what are good titles to buy their daughters in order to start them off with a lifelong love of comic books. One really important thing to remember before you buy comics for young females is that: there are no “one size fits all” comic books just for girls! There is really no such thing as “comics for girls” -- perhaps something with pink covers and glitter, for instance. It all depends on what the personal tastes and preferences are of the girl in question.

An easy way to determine what type of comics a girl (for the purposes of this article, “girl” refers to any female from 7 to 17 years of age) would enjoy is to observe what they are into in other media like books or TV. For instance, she is a big fan of Harry Potter, you might want to try titles like Scholastic’s Amulet series, or Oni’s Spell Checkers. A fan of fantasy books like Lord of the Rings? Try Mouse Guard from Archaia Studio Press or the Bone series from GRAPHIX.

Sometimes there is a direct comic book adaptation of a girl’s favorite book, TV show, or movie that might be a good gateway to eventually try other types of comics. Is she mad about Twilight? Start her with the Twilight Graphic Novel from Yen Press. A Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan? Start with Dark Horse’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 series of collected editions. Check out Dark Horse too if she's a Star Wars fan! The Artemis Fowl and Percy Jackson book series have graphic novel adaptations out now, as well. Read more...

Tags Archaia, Comic Books, Comics For Girls, DC Comics, Geek Gifts, Gift Guides, Marvel Comics, Scholastic, Spider-Girl