Japan Creates a Nobel Prize For Manga

theatrecade writes: ""Japan will hand out its first "Nobel Prize of Manga" this summer for artists in the comic book genre abroad, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday — another step in its efforts to harness the power of pop culture diplomacy. The International Manga Award — which manga enthusiast Foreign Minister Taro Aso likened to a "Nobel Prize" when he first proposed it last year — will be given to an artist working abroad whose work best contributes to the spread of the manga form worldwide, the ministry said in a statement." http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/05/22/manga. nobel.ap/index.html"