(Translated by Crayon)
Hi everyone!  Kazuka Minami here!  Nice to meet you!  I was excited when 801-chan  contacted me with this opportunity!  I just wanted to say thank you!  …aaaand, thank you everyone for reading my manga.  I want to be sure to answer all of the questions (801-chan gave me 3 pages!) and hope you get to know me better at the end of this blog!

First of all… All I can think of is-  YaoiCon 2009!  You have no idea how excited I am!  And I can’t wait!  I’ve never been to America before and I am soooo looking forward to it!  I just want to get there and take it all in! Did I tell you?  I love love love American movies – mainly horror, suspense and fantasy movies.  My favorite actors are:  Bruce Willis, Keifer Sutherland, Wentworth Miller, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki!  (I’m thinking – how can I possibly meet them during my stay…) If any of you have a connection, please let me know!!!

I’m actually an Anime Otaku!  My current obsession is Code Geass! Last time I cried, got little teary-eyed was when my favorite character died during the episode of Code Geass >_<   Yes, I’m an emotional person!  Speaking of anime – anime inspired me to become a manga artist.  Back in the day, I used to attend dojin-events and the publisher saw my work and recruited me.  I am very grateful of my career and I cherish every moment of it.  I have to say my most memorable work is 仔羊捕獲ケーカク!  (Kohitsuji Hokaku Keikaku! – “Capturing the Lambs”) because it was a made into PS2 game.  I felt very honored that they picked my work.  For my R&R, I like to take a loooong bath and then sleep as much as I can!  Oh, and of course, being otaku! But I don’t think I’ll be doing much of that since two of my new series of work starts this fall.  But I hope I can still fine the time to relax somehow… and also somehow find the time to go on my dream vacation, to Egypt!

Truly – thank you for support!  I want to deliver entertaining and interesting Yaoi/BL manga to your library collection!  So I’m going to get back to work and draw, draw, draw!

Love, Kazuka

So, lots and lots of things are happening this week.  Let’s start with the obvious - THE ANIME EXPO 2009!  Ladies and gentlemen!  Come to booth number 801!   Trust me, you won’t be dissappointed!  Lots of new titles, lots of new releases, lots of import books, lots of costumes, lots of everything!  - and they are all on convention discount price!  We also have tons of stuff to give away!  Come early and grab yours! 

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Next, I just finished writing sales sheets for Q1 2010 book information.  They will be posted here this week!  So please be sure to stop by again soon!   

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This week, rolling out to reviewers are: Unsophisticated And Rude (June Manga), A strange And Mystifying Story v2 (June Manga), Steal Moon v2 (June Manga), Millenium Prime Minister v1 (DokiDoki), Color (DokiDoki) and Train Train v2 (DokiDoki) - so reviewers, listen for those doorbell ring “UPS Delivery!”   

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Since 801 Media has no new book for the month of July, I decided to put a spotlight on Botan Yamada.  She’s been with us since the grand opening of 801 Media Inc.  (Whaaat?  you didn’t know this?)  Who is she?  You ask? She is the creator of 801-chan & Tomo-chan characters.  Yep!  That’s right!  She’s the artist face behind our mascot!  801-chan & Tomo-chan’s mommy!  I think she’s under represented here so I decided to re-introduce here in July!  I will be doing a one-on-one interview and she will be here for the shout-out CELEBRITY BLOG!  Can’t wait!  She says she has treats for us too!  OOOhhh… I can’t wait to see what it is!  

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eManga.com - the 2 weeks x2 Double promo has ended and we will be selecting winners for those!  The winners will be annouced here and also in the NEWS section of eManga.com site! 
801-chan 
No excuses! 
Twitter with us!  twitter.com/digitalmanga

First of all, I want to thank all of you for your emails!  Recently, 801-chan’s email Inbox is flooded with questions!  Tons of questions!  I truely appreciate your support and inquiries!  Today, I thought I’d pick some interesting ones and feature them here.  So here you go:  
 
FAQ of The Day:  Do you plan to put more 801 Media titles on eManga.com? 
A: Thank you so much for supporting eManga.com and making it a success!  We’ve had overwhelming responses and I wanted to let everyone know that His Arrogance was Number ONE rented AND viewed title for 2 weekends in a row!  And answer to this question is “YES!  - YES-YES-YES!”  Of course, there’s going to be more 801 Media titles on eManga.com.  Next one in queue is Falling into Love.  And there’s more to come!

FAQ of The Week:  Is 801-chan billingual?  
A:  Yep!  This 801-chan is billingual!  Jealous much?  I get to read all those manga in advance - courtesy of 801 Media - specially shipped from Japan, just for me!  HeeHee.  In real life, this 801-chan, born and raised in Southern California and growing up, my parents made sure that I’d be fluent in Japanese.  In addition to Japanese, I know how to say “Hello,” “beer,” and “money” in dozen other languages and I also know plenty of bad words in Spanish!  Did you know, the word “manga” is universal.  “Manga” is “manga” worldwide! 

FAQ of the All-Time:  Can you please publish Yamane Ayano’s Love Finder Series? 
A:  No surprises here - This is the most, number ONE, frequently asked questions of All-Time.  I will have you know - our VP of Licensing is bombarded with this inquiry and it’s on her “to-do” list every week!  She is actively pursuing this title ALL THE TIME!  Yup, I’ve read it in Japanese!  Yup, I’ve seen them on ebay for over $200 - whoa! Cha-ching!  and YUP!  I’d love to see it in our 801 Media library too!  And yup I know what you mean… Sorry guys - for now, all I can say is we are trying very very hard…  and I hope, soon, one day, I can deliver the good news!  You’ll be the first ones to know! 

801-chan

(Translation by Crayon)
Hi everyone!  How do you do!  I’m Ruri and you have no idea how ecstatic I am that my book is being published in America!  I hope you enjoy!  Thanks a million to 801Media (and Digital Manga Publishing!)  *kisses*  Truth be told, my English is very limited - but I DO know how to say “hello,” “thank you,” and “where is the restroom?”  LOL    And how is it fair that my characters in my book are able to speak fluent English just-like-that?  Wish I had the same ability… I’m very envious!  LOL

Monsoon season is just around the corner for Japan -  expecting lots of rain and thunder storms in some parts of the country.  It’s muggy from time to time and I’m starting to feel lots of moisture in the air.  I wish I can take you around my neighborhood, purple hydrangea flowers are in full bloom and they are absolutely beautiful!

Okay - so little about myself:  earlier, 801-Chan asked me what inspired me to become a manga artist?  Well, manga is my passion!  Manga is my life!  I loved drawing and I loved reading manga as long as I can remember.  I’ve always carried pencils and papers everywhere I went.  I always knew that I wanted to become a manga artist.  I’m working on 2 new projects right now, I’m still penciling and in a stage of rough sketches though but they are coming along very well!

When I’m not working, I like to decompress and relax with my favorite movies:  SEX and the CITY, The Phantom of the Opera, Great Detectives Poirot… well, don’t get me started with my favorite movies list… cuz I have tons more and I can’t choose!   My taste buds are keen on soba, sushi and Chinese food!  *awh… drool*  I’m also a wine, tea and coffee connoisseur!  My current obsession includes: aromatherapy <-- highly recommended! very therapeutic!  Cosmology - okay I admit, I don't know much about it but it sounds interesting and I want to learn more!  ...and of course, SEX and the CITY!  <-- love this movie!  I'm hoping my next vacation destination will be Manhattan New York!  I’m dying to check out all the hot spots and all the buzz from the movie!

Thank you for reading my blog!  And thank you 801-Chan for this opportunity!  And oh, please visit my official website:  http://butterflykiss.rocket3.net/top.html  for more info!  (it’s in Japanese)  It is single-handedly maintained by me!  Yes, everyday!

Best, Ruri

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone had a good 3day weekend!  ‘cuz I did!  I actually got lots done in 3 days!  Must I say, it was very productive!  Friends, family, pool, beach, BBQ, shopping, reading…  awh…  when is the next 3day weekend? 

I want to let you know, Hey Class President volume 2 is now on sale at akadot.com !  Yes, they are on sale for $14.36 (10% off) - so, go get your credit card and let me hear you go cha-ching!  http://www.akadot.com/product_info.php?products_id=28658&ref=new   Coming in month of June is, On Bended Knee by Ruri Fujikawa.  Yes, I will be hosting another contest in about 10 days, so be sure to check back here soon for more details. 

I see that a lot of you took advantage of the eManga.com’s Memorial Day weekend Super Sale event at www.emanga.com ! It was totally worth it right?  Uh-huh!  Thanks for your support and thanks for your comments and suggestions!  This sale ends Wednesday 27th at noon.  You still got time to get your last minute super-saver-sale before the prices go back up again!   

801-Chan

April 18, 2008 Los Angeles - 801-chan steps down from being the President of 801 media. Asked why, 801-chan responds, “I realized that I would never compare to Tomo-chan. She’s just sooo much better than me. In her words, she’s 1337.”

Tomo-chan was only more than happy to fill the position and become the world leader but only under one condition. “I had only one condition. 801-chan had to admit she was a cat. Since I’m now the President, it’s only obvious that she met my demands.”

When asking 801-chan whether or not she was a cat, she gladly responded, “meow meow”.

Always in a celebratory mood, Kampai popped the champagne and began drinking even before the announcement. In fact, she started drinking at 5:00 am, before she even woke up. Asked how she was able to do this, Kampai responded. “When it involves alcohol, I can drink anytime. Even in my sleep.”

Tomo-chan’s speech during the festivities, “I’m 1337. I pwn 801-chan. She suxorz. Now where’s my YAOI!!!”

801 Media Inc. is crashing the Digital Manga Publishing panel at New York Comic Con!! Well… I guess technically, we aren’t crashing it if we told them beforehand we would be stealing 10 minutes from their panel…

Anyhoo…

“Come join the editors of DMP, June, and 801 Media as we discuss new acquisitions for 2008-2009 - both yaoi and mainstream, 2008 highlights, and raffle off the usual slew of awesome prizes. Peter Fernadez (the voice behind Speed Racer) will also be on hand to discuss DMP Platinum’s release of the complete, original Speed Racer manga. Who knows, 801-chan and Tomo-chan might even put in a guest appearance!”

Room: 1E02 @ 3:00pm sharp!! Saturday, April 19, 2008
Be there!

Also, we will have copies of A Foreign Love Affair available for purchase at our booth. And if the yaoi gods are good, we might have The President’s Time and Weekend Lovers! (Note to self: Buy Kampai some really expensive alcohol if the books make it in time!) Go Kampai! You can do it!
Hope to see you there!

~801-chan ^ ^

Got a blog or website dedicated to yaoi or manga in general? 801 Media Inc. has a couple of open slots on our advanced copy mailing list. The rules are simple:

1. You have to enjoy reading yaoi! (No haters please. It is just a waste of your time and ours.)

2. You must live in the United States or Canada. (International shipping is killer!)

3. You must have a website, podcast or blog that is updated regularly. (We are talking like once a week, not when the mood strikes you.)

4. You must be willing to write honest and constructive reviews. (We don’t expect you to like every book we publish, but… things like “I don’t like 801 Media Inc. books because they are too explicit” or “Yaoi is gross, why do people read this!” aren’t exactly constructive criticisms…)
5. You have to email us a link (or at least try to) when you post a review of our books. (We try to read everyone’s site daily, but… Kampai is a slave driver!!! >_< Do this 801-chan! Do that 801-chan!)

6. You have to be 18 years old. (You might be a very mature 17, but 801-chan doesn’t look good in stripes and would rather be publishing yaoi than spending time in the slammer.)

If you are interested, post a link to your site in the comments section! We will check out your site and get back to you!

Thanks!

801-chan ^ ^

801-chan and Tomo-chan here with a look at the Fall 2008 books in the 801 Media Inc. line up! *teehee* We have 4 new titles shaping up the end of 2008! So here we go!

Black Sun by Uki Ogasawara

801-chan: This one is about this really hot guy, whose fortress is under siege by an even hotter guy! So of course cutie #1 offers his head to save all the poor and helpless soldiers from the evil invaders…

Tomo-chan: But the leader of the invading army, cutie #2, is more interested in his a$$! >_<

801-chan: Tomo-chan!!!! We can say that on a public blog!! Umm... moving right along...

Meeting You by Mio Tennohji

801-chan: Kampai still can’t stop talking about The Sky Over My Spectacles! All those lovely pages to look at. So we decided we needed another Mio Tennohji title more shocking than the first one!

Tomo-chan: Yup, this one is really heavy on the blow jo-

801-chan: Tomo-chan!!!!! This is supposed to be PG-13 not rated XXX! Finishing off the year, we have a set of related books by Takashi Kanzaki.

Tomo-chan: Yup! Falling Into Love and His Arrogance. These books are set in the same modeling agency. Actually in Japan they were released simultaneously, but we are going to spread them out. The best part? On page 148 of Falling Into Love, hottie #1 handcuffs hottie #2 to the bed and then begins to cut off his clothes with a pair of scissors! And then –

801-chan: T-O-M-O-C-H-A-N!

Tomo-chan: And then in His Arrogance –

801-chan: Look on the website for more information!!!!

~801-chan ^ ^ and Tomo-chan m(_ _)m

801-chan, Kampai and Tomo-chan here wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day! We hope your day is filled with pretty boys and lots of chocolate!
~801-chan ^ ^, Tomo-chan m(_ _)m, Kampai >_>

Oh and BoyzRule and Bend said hi!