Stars and Stripes (and Stanford)
More evidence that comic books, er, graphic novels are going mainstream.
Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper, reports that in preparation for the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington in Yokosuka, Japan, the U.S. Navy is distributing 30,000 copies of its own manga. Titled CVN-73, the book tells the story of third-class petty officer Jack Ohara, an American of Japanese descent, as he arrives on an aircraft carrier in Japan.  The book’s goal is to ease tensions in the community and get out a positive message about the U.S. military presence there.
Meanwhile, Stanford University has just completed writing course called “The Graphic Novel” in which fourteen students collaborated to produce a 224-page work about the aftermath of an acid attack on a Cambodian karaoke performer.  (The San Francisco Chronicle has more.)  The book is called Shake Girl. It’s here. And it’s good.