So I got an e-mail from Gary Steinman, former editor-in-chief of Newtype USA and, until today, editor-in-chief of PiQ. In the e-mail he passed on info about the next person to talk to about the magazine if we have questions, and I noticed that it was at a new domain: PiQmag.com.

So there you have it: the official PiQ website has launched, or at least pre-launched since it’s mostly a placeholder. Still, I thought I’d let you know where to keep an eye out if you’re interested in the new mag.

Just got a press release from TRSI, whose sub-only release of Victorian Romance Emma will be previewed in the final issue of Newtype USA (the February issue). And allow me to point out, for those of you still reeling from BVU’s prices, that Emma is coming out in two 12-episode box sets (one for each season), and the first one is $49.99. Go TRSI!

They did want to point out, though, that although the Newtype USA DVD will feature a letterbox (4:3 aspect ratio) early cut of the first episode of Emma, the actual DVD set will have widescreen (16:9) video.

Allow me to also note that Emma is a fantastic show, even if (like me) you’re not usually all that in to romance. It’s a beautifully animated period piece with spectacular character development and I highly recommend it.

Comic212’s Christopher Butcher received a media kit about ADV’s magazine PiQ, which is apparently both just a name change for Newtype USA and, at the same time, an entirely reworked magazine.

The magazine will be a bit smaller both in trim size (8″x10″ instead of 9″x12″) and length (~130 pages versus ~160), and in price as well: $6.99 to NTUSA’s $12.98 (that’s USD of course; CAD will be $7.99, versus NTUSA’s $16.98). It will also read standard left-to-right instead of NTUSA’s right-to-left and have a spine instead of being stapled.

No word on DVDs, but the content will broaden; it’ll be roughly 20% anime, 20% gaming, 20% “US comics/Japanese manga,” 20% genre movies and TV, 10% toys and collectibles and 5% each of gadgets and lifestyle. Butcher notes how amazingly similar this is to Wizard’s magazines, especially when you factor in that PiQ will be “squarely addressing the needs of a cutting-edge young male audience.” (I wonder if they really wanted that phrase to be published; as a cutting-edge female I can’t help but feel a little neglected.) They’re estimating a 70/30 split in favor of guys for their readership– I wonder what NTUSA’s was?

Butcher also shares a potential cover for the first issue featuring Appleseed Ex Machina, which you can go see at his post.

I think Butcher’s statements that the magazine sounds a bit more generic geek than otaku-specific are pretty apt given this information, though of course we’ll have to wait and see how it actually turns out. Given the current market for magazines, broadening probably isn’t a bad move anyway– but it may put off some of the fans who would rather see more features on anime and manga than on, say, Heroes or Cloverfield.

And I have to admit I’m a little annoyed that I’m gleaning all the info on PiQ via other people receiving media kits or having their questions answered, rather than via a response to my own e-mail to Gary Steinman regarding the magazine, or even an e-mail to all us former NTUSA writers.

Original source: Comics212
Secondary source: MangaBlog

Here’s hoping I got to this oh-so-clever title before the rest of the anime blogging world.

That said, MangaBlog got a user tip letting them know that ADV’s new magazine– set to replace Newtype USA –will be titled PiQ. ANN confirms this news by sending its peons to ask about their NTUSA subscriptions, and they receive promises that NTUSA subscribers will receive a subscription to PiQ equal to double their remaining time with NTUSA.

As someone who has written for NTUSA, I can tell you that as of this moment I’ve heard no word about PiQ or its content. Only time will tell!

But you know who I’d REALLY like to hear from? Kadokawa Shoten, who publish Newtype in Japan. Presumably they were getting some money from ADV for Newtype USA, the “official” English version of the magazine. Maybe this is Kadokawa’s punishment for being so nice to Bandai Entertainment? Or maybe Kadokawa wanted to pull out of the magazine? Or maybe they have nothing at all to do with it? Hmm!

(Note: Since Rob’s an expert in the US anime magazine world, having been chief editor of Anime Insider, I recommend taking a look at his take on it as well.)