mikemcguff.com: Houston anime magazine hits stands

Houston, we have a new anime publication called PiQ magazine. I only write about this because it comes out of the Bayou City:

Hitting newsstands this month, the premiere issue of PiQ magazine lives up to its mantra of “entertainment for the rest of us” by covering anime, sci-fi, games, movies, television, and more. Glossy, eye-catching images and insightful, quirky writing give readers a comprehensive look into the most exciting, often-overlooked entertainment around the world. PiQ is an entirely new publication that seeks to cover new ground in entertainment coverage—perfectly illustrated with its gun-blazing cover image from the futuristic animated feature Appleseed: Ex Machina.
The cover story on Appleseed: Ex Machina includes exclusive insights from internationally recognized action director John Woo on anime and his involvement with the visionary Appleseed sequel. Other featured stories include anime releases Code Geass and xxxHOLiC, Nickelodeon’s crossover animated hit Avatar, action/sci-fi smash Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, hot new game titles N and Crisis Core: FFVII, and a look at Marvel’s Secret Invasion. With the LIST section, PiQ reviews the best offerings of the month, including Tweeny Witches, Aquarion, Patapon, Fullmetal Alchemist, Battlestar Galactica and Frisky Dingo.
“Is Anime Dead?” leads off PiQ’s MONITOR section, tackling the biggest concerns facing the anime industry today. With contributions from five well-known industry names, PiQ takes a hard look at the topics of fan culture, copyright infringement, trends in anime, online business models and what to expect for the future. MONITOR also includes highlights and perspectives on retro games, foreign films, music, visual artists, technology and collectibles, for a well-rounded view of entertainment subculture and its influences.
For comic and manga fans, also included is an exclusive 16-page excerpt from CMX Manga’s Crayon Shinchan, Volume 2, presented in authentic right-to-left orientation. This special newsprint section will be included with each issue and feature pages from the best publishers and creators in the comic and manga markets.