Welcome to the Wonderful World of Manga Origami Origami masters Márcio Hideshi Noguchi and Seth Friedman show everything you need to know to create adorable paper characters from your favorite manga/anime stories with basic origami folding instructions and clear step-by-step diagrams. In the first section you’ll learn about the paper and other necessary materials, the origami symbols and terminology, and the general folding techniques needed to create and assemble all the basic figures. In the second section you will find specific instructions for customizing each of the characters with their outfits/costumes, accessories, and unique hairstyles. Some of the twenty projects are very recognizable as Japanese manga/anime characters, such as the Ronin Samurai, Kimono-Chan, Tea Picker, and Shrine Maiden, while others, like the French Maid, Nurse, Baseball Player, and Bunny Girl are more western. Also included are some fantasy characters, like the Fairy, Ori Fighter, Santa’s Helper, and Dragon Girl. Of course, characters depicting school life and summer vacation fun are here too, such as Schoolgirl, Sailor Fuku, Gym Girl, Beach Bunny, Sensei, Uki-wa Chan, Harem Otoko, and Neko Form. All projects are clearly marked with their difficulty level: beginner (*), advanced beginner (**), intermediate (***), advanced (****), and expert (*****). Get ready, get set, start folding. You’ll want to make all 20 characters.

Grand in its scope, Asian Comics dispels the myth that, outside of Japan, the continent is nearly devoid of comic strips and comic books. Relying on his fifty years of Asian mass communication and comic art research, during which he traveled to Asia at least seventy-eight times and visited many studios and workplaces, John A. Lent shows that nearly every country had a golden age of cartooning and has experienced a recent rejuvenation of the art form. As only Japanese comics output has received close and by now voluminous scrutiny, Asian Comics tells the story of the major comics creators outside of Japan. Lent covers the nations and regions of Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Organized by regions of East, Southeast, and South Asia, Asian Comics provides 178 black-and-white illustrations and detailed information on comics of sixteen countries and regions—their histories, key creators, characters, contemporary status, problems, trends, and issues. One chapter harkens back to predecessors of comics in Asia, describing scrolls, paintings, books, and puppetry with humorous tinges, primarily in China, India, Indonesia, and Japan. The first overview of Asian comic books and magazines (both mainstream and alternative), graphic novels, newspaper comic strips and gag panels, plus cartoon/humor magazines, Asian Comics brims with facts, fascinating anecdotes, and interview quotes from many pioneering masters, as well as younger artists.

Make flashy origami projects out of postcards, photos and other travel keepsakes with this easy origami book. In Travel Origami, author Cindy Ng shows you how to take the paper souvenirs you collect on your travels and turn them into beautiful and useful folded origami objects that serve as visible mementoes! Use those postcards, street maps, tickets and souvenirs and convert them into artful memories that can last a lifetime. Whether you are a world traveler or a local vacationer, Travel Origami gives you 24 easy-to-fold origami projects that are fun to make and fabulous to display in your home. Foolproof step-by-step instructions show you how to fold your paper collections into special items you can wear, carry, hang on your wall, or give to a traveling companion as a special keepsake. Use it to craft eye-catching origami for your friends, to decorate your room—or as a wonderful gift for paper craft lovers. All of the folds are simple enough to be origami-for-kids projects and are a great way to learn origami. None of the projects require paint or glue so just grab some origami paper and start folding right away! This origami book contains: 120 page, full-color book 24 fun and functional origami projects Step-by-step instructions Colorful diagrams and photos Origami basics and tips Travel Origami is the perfect way to stretch your adventures into hours of memory-making fun while reminiscing with family and friends. Origami projects include: Comic Strip Bracelet Metro Card Holder New Kind of Envelope Modern Money Ring And many more…

Fandom and geek programming has exploded in libraries in recent years. From anime-themed library lock-in events, cosplay contests, and video game tournaments, to an annual Harry Potter Yule Ball, libraries have embraced their inner geek and are hosting a wide variety of fandom programs. For those librarians who have no idea about the importance of Doctor Who, or the Star Trek vs.Star Wars debate, planning for such programming can seem daunting. Teen Fandom and Geek Programming: A Practical Guide for Librarians covers major fandom and program themes, as well as real-world event, club, and program ideas to help librarians provide this type of programming to their communities. Specifically, detailed coverage is provided for: Major fandoms, including superheroes, anime, Harry Potter, Dr. Who, Sherlock, and video game fandoms including MMOGs, Nintendo, and RPGs Fandom clubs Fanfiction programming Cosplay programming STEM programming through fandoms (graphic design and art; video editing and design; 3D printing) Large-scale geek events Promoting inclusivity through geek programming Use the tips and how-to knowledge in this practical guide to get more teens into your library!

Lavishly decorated manhole covers, pink polka-dotted backhoes, toilets with warmable seats, blow dryers (and other bells and whistles). It's just another day in Japan, where the futuristic and zany stands side-by-side with the rooted and the venerable, and there's a festival going on somewhere almost every day of the year. In Uniquely Japan, Abby Denson--author of Cool Japan Guide and Cool Tokyo Guide--uses her own personal drawings and photos to highlight the things that make Japan truly different from every other place on the planet. From the ramen and sushi we've all come to love to the fantastic creatures who now star in their own video games and anime, the comic artist takes you on a romp through Japan's distinctive popular and traditional culture. Here are just a few of the favorite bits and pieces Abby presents: Vending machines for everything from eggs to electronics Tiny alleyways where you may come across a shrine--or a hip-hop bar Silly mascots promoting serious businesses Whimsical architecture for neighborhood police stations Stamps for your name (no signature is complete without one), or to collect at railway stations and castles Colorfully painted, hardworking construction vehicles that beep and talk as you pass by And, of course, the ridiculously delicious food: noodles, bento boxes, and gorgeous sweets From kimono to kawaii, Japan has endless ways to astonish visitors. This book offers a fun opportunity for armchair travel and reminds you to keep your eyes wide open when you do get to visit Japan in person!

To address the issue of the lack of integration and common policy among Japan’s cultural promotion actors and institutions, Gadjeva explores an integrated approach for Japanese public diplomacy through public-private partnerships. She examines the potential of the Japan Foundation as a central public diplomacy actor in Europe, facilitating a Public-Private Partnership Platform. Focusing on France and Bulgaria, Gadjeva observes the Japan Foundation’s role, contributions, and activities implemented between the 1970s and 2018, both autonomously and in collaboration with Japanese and local public and private actors. She compares the Foundation’s initiatives in the two countries, highlighting both the strong points and the space for improvement. In addition, Gadjeva points out essential Japanese, French, and Bulgarian actors with potential for future cooperation with the Japan Foundation through public-private partnerships. Drawing on her interviews with Bulgarian and French representatives, she examines the image of Japan and the future expectations from Japan. Revealing certain cultural aspects and less-explored areas of Japanese soft power, she proposes specific project proposals for integrated public diplomacy initiatives implemented through a Public-Private Partnership Platform facilitated by the Japan Foundation. Providing valuable insights into the strong and insufficient points of Japan’s public diplomacy in Europe and policy recommendations, this book will be of great interest to scholars and professionals in the spheres of Japanese public diplomacy, foreign cultural policy, and Japanese-European international relations.

What exactly are comics? Can they be art, literature, or even pornography? How should we understand the characters, stories, and genres that shape them? Thinking about comics raises a bewildering range of questions about representation, narrative, and value. Philosophy of Comics is an introduction to these philosophical questions. In exploring the history and variety of the comics medium, Sam Cowling and Wesley D. Cray chart a path through the emerging field of the philosophy of comics. Drawing from a diverse range of forms and genres and informed by case studies of classic comics such as Watchmen, Tales from the Crypt, and Fun Home, Cowling and Cray explore ethical, aesthetic, and ontological puzzles, including: - What does it take to create-or destroy-a fictional character like Superman? - Can all comics be adapted into films, or are some comics impossible to adapt? - Is there really a genre of “superhero comics”? - When are comics obscene, pornographic, and why does it matter? At a time of rapidly growing interest in graphic storytelling, this is an ideal introduction to the philosophy of comics and some of its most central and puzzling questions.