L.A. Times, other U.S. newspapers to carry manga from Sunday

NEW YORK, Jan. 5 Kyodo

The Los Angeles Times and other U.S. newspapers will publish a Japanese manga-style comic every week for about 20 weeks from Sunday, an L.A. Times editor has told Kyodo News.

The daily was approached by Universal Press Syndicate, a comic distributor, to distribute ''Peach Fuzz'' and ''Van Von Hunter'' and became the first paper to buy the manga series, according to Sherry Stern, the deputy features editor of the L.A. Times.

A Seattle-based paper is among other newspapers that will publish ''Peach Fuzz'' from Sunday, according to the online USA Today.

The L.A. Times will run 20 weeks of ''Peach Fuzz'' to replace the series ''Calvin and Hobbes,'' which is completing its series run, followed by about 20 weeks of ''Van Von Hunter,'' according to Stern.

''Peach Fuzz'' by American authors Lindsay Cibos and Jared Hodges, is a story about a 9-year-old Amanda and her pet ferret Peach. Unlike most comics in U.S. newspapers, the style of its characters is inspired by Japanese manga.

''Van Von Hunter'' was created by Mike Schwark and Ron Kaulfersch, who collaborate as ''Pseudome Studio.'' The comic's hero, Van Von Hunter, seeks to destroy evil throughout the world using various weapons.

Stern said the two manga received a very positive reaction from L.A. Times staff members and she is optimistic that the paper will continue to publish manga-style comics after ''Peach Fuzz'' and ''Van Von Hunter'' have completed their 20-week run in its Sunday comic section.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Kyodo News International, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning