Manga Media & The Swedish Manga Magazines

A long time ago, when the publish of manga's were still on the top in Sweden
There were magazine like:  Manga Mania, Shonen Jump and Shojo Stars

The company Manga Media were result of  between the companies Swedish Bonnier AB (by Bonnier Carlsen) and the Full Stop Media (Schibsted publishers AB).
Schibsted took over Full Stop Media in the years 2005/2006. 

The Manga Media gave out the magazines ; Shojo Stars , Shonen Jump and Manga Mania.
 Manga Media published the three magazines between the years 2003-2009.

Sadly the company had finances problem and declining sales on all three magazines.
There were struggle with the license when it come to the manga series.
So the company disband in the years of 2008- 2009.

So lets take a look about the magazines

Shojo Stars had the inspiration of the Japanese magazine called : Hana to Yume  
(HanaYume) and were a Shōjomanga. The magazine came out monthly.
Manga series were;  Godchild, Skip Beat!, Fruits Basket , Gakuen Alice, Vampire Knight and W Juliet.
But there were also articles (some like some focus articles about illustrators and models) ,sudoku, and contests. More focus on romans, music and trend

Manga Media had cooperation with Hakusensha with Shojo Stars

Shojo Stars were born in the autumn in 2007 and sadly ended in the autumn of 2009.
The magazine had 25th issue, volumes.
 
At first the magazine had great selling number, but soon the magazine lost followers, readers.
So in the end Manga Media had the finances struggle with the production, declining sales.
And Manga Media had to end Shojo Stars. 

 ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣڿڰۣ☸

Shonen Jump had as role-model the Japanese magazine ; Shukan Shonen Jump
The magazine came out between the years 2004 - 2007
The magazine were a Shōnenmanga and came out monthly.

Jump post (readers letters)

Some of manga series that comes in the magazine is :
Naruto, Shaman King, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Rurouni Kenshin, Bleach & Romance Dawn (another variation of the series One Pieces beginning)
 
 But here were also; courses on how to learn to draw manga, competition/contest and Jump post (readers letters). 
Shonen Jump even got a sister magazine in Norway (the years 2005-2007)

Manga Media had cooperation with Shueisha with Shonen Jump
In the year of 2007 it's said that there were legal issue with Shueisha.
And the Shonen Jump came to the end.
There were 36 th issue, volumes of Shonen Jump

Silver Fang /GNG Note
In the issue, volume 10/ 2007 there were three pages about a contest to win a Silver Fang dvd box.

In 2007 the Silver Fang Ginga Nagareboshi Gin Dvd box were still expensive.
So a contest to win the uncut dvd box were wanted.
The challenge were to draw a Manga dog. In the spirit of Silver Fang, Ginga Nagareboshi Gin


I tried to find out more, but sadly the web site that publish the winners are gone.

 ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣڿڰۣ☸

Some of mine collection of Manga Mania

Manga Mania were a bit different if you compare to Shojo Stars and Shonen Jump.
There were more focus on Japan, with many articles how to learn Japanese both the language and traditional culture. News about manga and anime and many competition/contest. 
There were also fan draws show in the magazine aswell.

In the magazine there were manga series like;Blade of the Immortal ,Love Hina ,Chobits ,Power !! ,Puppet Revolution , Tokyo by night ,Air Gear ,GTO ,Negima ,School Rumble , Wolf's Rain

Manga Media had cooperation with Kōdansha  with Manga Mania
Manga Mania were the larges manga magazine between the three.
And the magazine issues, volumes gave out more often. First year 4 issues, volumes and then 10 issues, volumes each year.

Manga Mania were born in 2003 and ended in 2007.
Because Manga Mania had unclear audience focus and declining sales the magazine ended .

During the four years Manga Mania had 42 th issue, volumes.

Silver Fang /GNG Note
 During the time Manga Mania were alive, there were publish a article about Silver Fang.
 As you see the article were two pages.

Issue, volume 8/2004

The tale about Silver Fang and the era of 80's & 90's when the anime classics  came. 
But also the article tells about devoted, enthusiastic fans.
You see back in the 2004 there weren't so many sites or information about Ginga Nagareboshi Gin.
A small fan base , but it grow with time.
Here we also get to know a bit about Weed, (from the manga Ginga Densetsu Weed)

Images from Issue,Volumes; 4/2006 & 5/2007

Manga Mania had contests to win the uncut dvd box of Silver Fang, Ginga Nagareboshi Gin
But in issue, volume 4/2007 there were a dvd gift.
Manga Mania anime & trailer DVD , See more at Silver Fang Dvds (History)

 

 ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣڿڰۣ☸

 
The availability of the manga's magazine is difficult to say.
Mostly you can find the manga's on Swedish auctions site or secondhand stores
And the price can be cheap and sometime expensive.

But for a complete set for the three different manga's can be really expensive what I have as experience.
Just the shipping part can be hight prize, just for there are so many issues of each magazine

New dvd release : Silver Fang

Hi, There have been a time since I last post.
I guess sometime you turn really busy and forget things.
But I guess the passion to blog were a bit lost in the spring, so sometime you need to take a break .
Just to find the way one more.

I have now 19 post in draft and I need to finish some soon.
So I have something to do, indeed

But let go to some news

What happened if you mix some edition of the Silver Fangs dvds?
Like the release of 2008 and the release of 2011 ?

Let's take a look

The release of 2008

The release of 2011

Different covers and layout indeed. Both have the dub and the cut version.

I like the purple version,just the color and layout . Or more the different layout and covers.
On the release of 2008  the dog jumping out on the cover seems to lost their tail and it's a bit a mess.
Just if you compare of the quality of the covers.

So today, the big news, that make me so happy is;
I got the newest dvd release 

Image from the store Ginza.se

I got a bit surprise  when I found this one in a store.
For me that are a bit nerd and like to collect the different editions release

 

I just  on the new edition , there are some darker purple color , then the early release.
But other then the inside on the new dvd is mostly the same, as the dvd release of 2011

Inside the dvd release of 2011

The new release of 2015

 If we could take away the text on the cover , like ;
" Hela Svenska serien" 
Meaning "The entire Swedish Series"
That will be better, since  there are already that say that this dvd have Swedish dub.
But also the dvd have also Finnish and Hungarian dubs aswell.
But well sometime or often the Swedish release have extra text, that telling this is the dub version 


Right, if you take a look at the cover, you see that  the image of Akakabuto with "jumping flying dogs ", from the uncut Swedish version of 2015
You can see the image here

 A other thing I notes were that face that some dog have lost there tails
I know that Kurotora have been missing his tail since the third vhs release (with mean a time back, somewhere in the 90's) . At lest Kurotora got his tail back in, if you look at the back cover on the 2011 release.
But now have Cross lost her tail and please don't get me started on Riki
Or Smith     >_>
Take a look at Akakabuto's claw, frame. It seem like that clip and past , and not work on that one.
It just feel a bit amateur to clip in dogs , bear on the cover and not do a better work.

You can indeed read more at the early blog about  Silver Fang Dvd's
If you cant more details and images , a taste of Silver Fang dvds history 

Bonus Image;
"Mr drool a lot", know as Akakabuto

The Dvd edition, release of 2008, 2015, 2011

 ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣڿڰۣ☸

I have just update the history list of :  Silver Fang Dvd's 


Updated 27/8- 2015

Gin Badge

Yes I'm alive ^^
But sadly never got the time around to blog
Well a bit until now.

I have seen this Gin badge few time but never got around to be in a bid-war,or hunt for at lest one.
So far I have seen four different badge of Gin.
Like these four;

Just the sleeping Gin is just adorable and so cute.
I really like this one of the four one.
It's to bad  the items seem to be hard to find. And to often (that I have heard & a part seen) becomes expensive.But now days I think many ginga merchandise have more and more expensive.
On the other hand; hard to get or rare merchandise will be wanted and so people seem to be willing to pay the price.

So back to the Gin badges.
I really like the older merchandise, and I hope to there can be some like this four in the future.
Perhaps re- make or something like that.
I love to use a badge with Ginga like those ones.

The other three are so cute aswell

The badge came in 1986 , when Ginga Nagareboshi Gin became an anime series 
"TV Asahi Ⓒ Yoshihiro Shueisha Toei Animation Takahashi"
You can read the text at the back on the badges.


The Image/Photo are borrow from Chinglebell blog

Update on the Silver Fang DVD

So in short I just added some new information on the new dvd version ;
"Ginga Nagareboshi Gin: Silver Fang  Special Edition "

Read more on the early post; Silver Fang DVD's

So Now I have the three different version of Silver Fang, Ginga Nagareboshi Gin boxes

But even so there are some small things that annoy me.
First one is , well
Take a look your self

Can you see anything odd or wrong here ?
Like Gins image and  big paws .. it's just wrong

I miss Gin vs Benizakura image
It' were more powerful image of the series 

True the image with Gin, the Pack running, as this one are lovely

But well, if they needed to do the new version
Why not do some newer box with images from the anime

Yukio Togawa, Part 1

There have been some mails people have send to me, asking about King Fang .
So I thought way not write a bit on the blog.
I mean Yukio Togawa were a inspiration to Yoshihiro Takahashi and their story's in many way have similarity. When it come to characters and storyline ideas. 


Born in Saga, Japan in the year 1912 Yukio Togawa had a long life ahead of himself.
It wasn't until at the age 92 he passed away.
But he were leaving legacy of story's to admire and think about.

Image from Kokudosha_Library

You see Yukio Togawa was most passion with his work when it come to nature , animals and the balance with humans.  He were novelist , children's author, newspaper reporter and over the time Yukio lived he create many story's. And were also a candidate of prizes, award for his works. 
But aswell Yukio were also writer as producer for movies.
As a documentary of ; Hokkaidô Monogatari (Hokkaido Story).
The documentary were 87 min long and produce at the 15 June the year 1968 , in Japan.
There were Yukio Togawa were associate producer.  

But Yukio had deep passion for animals, and were a fighter for wild animals.
He were director of the "Japan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals"
But not only in Japan , but such as Africa, with the activities complained of protection of wild animals.
Yukio Togawa made many books, so I will not write them all.
But if you interested you can go and look at ; Wikipedia;Togawa Yukio (Japanese)

"Takayasu's dog story"
Image (C) to seller kiyotee0624

  " Sabo "
From a Shonen Magazine , year 1968
Sabo were made by Yukio Togawa & Ishikawa TamaFutoshi

Those one I going to  write about is ;
"The Legends Of Nature" And "King Fang" 
I guess most knowing for us in the Ginga, Yoshihiro Takahashi community is ; King Fang

Image of Yukio Togawa & Ishikawa Kyuuta

Yukio Togawa were a writer and one of the illustrate/artist is Takao Yaguchi.
One thing that worth to notice is that Ishikawa Kyuuta have done remake of Yukio Togawawork.
Like King Fang .
But also Ishikawa have cooperate with Yukio, with the story's/ art. Note that Ishikawa have many names (artist) , as; Ishikawa TamaFutoshi Ishikawa Teruyoshi ,Ishikawa Mitsuyoshi ,Ishikawa Kyuta 

A other version of King Fang ?
Look like King fang on the covers

King Fang manga from the years 1967-1968, Kodansya Comics
Ishikawa have done some of the remake of King Fang manga, like this one

But I will go deeper on King Fang manga's later .
On thing first

"The Legends Of Nature"

My favorite manga series ( if you count out Yoshihiro Takahashi's work) is "The Legends Of Nature".
This series were create by Yukio Togawa the writer and illustrate/artist were Takao Yaguchi.

Yukio Togawa as writer and illustrate/artist Takao Yaguchi

The work were focus on the wildlife, animal" novels, as become manga's
You can say, in short term "Legend of nature " tells of the many tales of Japan's wild life.
The many animals in the country,  the mother natures and the balance she rules.
The story's have bitter sweet story's about the prey and the hunter, (mostly the human hunter).
The struggle to live and become the prey .


The first books of the series are focus on a Bear. Man eating bear

"Higumakaze" is the name of the first three manga's , in the series of seven.
And short story, a big man-eating bear attack a small village.
The manga follow a real story, when it come to the bear attack
Read more on Sankebetsu_bear_incident
In the manga it's seems no really stop of the bears hunger for blood and human flesh.

The humans try to fight back, but in this story the humans is the prey .
You will find blood, some gore, violence in the manga.
But also beautiful drawings and interesting storyline.

Two other manga's are;  Tsumeoh
The main character is a falcon, (hunt falcon in fact).
We follow the story when the falcon are born in the wild, but later are caught bu humans.
But even in this captivity a bond between human and bird is born.
And the story follow with , challenge,friendship, death and adventure.

Manga number six is called; Kita E Kaeru

The main character here is a Matagi Dog.
Here we follow the story how deep loyal and also how deep love for the family is.
The start at the country side in Japan.
There lives a family with a dog, Matagi dog.
This one is skilled hunting and seem to have combat ability.

But one day the dogs owner get sick, and they get a afford they can't refuse  .
They had do sell their loving family dog.

So the adventure goes, from the countryside, near the forest and the mountain, hills, the dog world changes. Now the new home is in the city. 
But how much the humans try to adjust the dog to the city. The deep desire to return home became to much for the dog.So one day, the dog escape. Here goes the long journey to come home, with full adventures. 

The manga book Seven are called; Ameirotsuno to Sanbonyubi 
Main focus is on the the Japanese serow , wild goat.
The struggle, relationship between wild animals and the humans.
The bitter sweet story and how we can follow the two sides.
Humans, the hunters and the serow. 

I think the main character there , is a leader serow.
But the manga are so beautiful draw.. I just adore Takao Yaguchi.

☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣڿڰۣ☸

Yuki and Takao

 So many of this manga series were books, novels at first.
But as far I know there is two manga release.

Image (C) to Mandarake

The years; 1997- 1998
Vol 1-7
BGC; Big Gold Comics
Publisher: Shogakukan

This one are hard to get, at lest as complete set.
Sometime you can get some volumes for a low price, but it's hard to get this manga's of  this date.
I have vol seven, missing the rest six.

The years; 2003- 2004 
Vol: 1-7
"Pocket Comics" , Kodansha
Publisher: Comics
Those are the complete series I got and they are more easy to buy.


☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣ☸ڿڰۣڿڰۣ☸

So this were the part one of  Yukio Togawa
I saw that I had written so much so I will do a part two there King Fang will be 

Until then
Take Care

//
24/2-15
Update with some more photos and some more text (Yukio, a fight for wild animals)

Weed Dohatsuten T-shirts

So the newest item that have come to me is the two T-shirts

I got one gray /black colored on Yahoo auction time back (still in store in Japan) with the size medium. This one with long sleeves.
Now I got the black and the white version , both size medium (with short sleeves)
Even this shipping took some month to get ^^

It's so nice to see new ginga merchandise .
Even that some are a bit trick to find

Image from www.gorakushokai.com

" Ginga 30 anniversary  &  Dohatsuten founded 30 anniversary special"

So there is two different edition.
Some with long long sleeves and some with short sleeves.

With the colors of ; black, black/gray, white and white/black
With size of ; S- XL and so one

Images from; Dohatsuten on Facebook

The crew Dohatsuten favorite characters ( I guess)is on the front 

And the T-shirt have printed autograph of Yoshihiro Takahashi on the front.
On the back Ginga Densetsu Weed the anime opening theme song Lyrics (anime was broadcast in 2005 )

Now I just need to get the white/black one with long sleeves to have complete set

I'm feeling a bit of the collection hunter inside me, has plans  ; )
But we will see , what happens