Continuing with our Manga Blogger Profile series, today we visit Dave Ferraro, who does Manga Monday and more at his blog Comics and More.

Your name or blog handle: Dave Ferraro
Where do you live? United States - Near Milwaukee, Wisconsin
What is the URL of your Blog? http://comics-and-more.blogspot.com

What your blog offers:
Comics-and-More is a blog where I review comics of all sorts: graphic novels, superheroes, art comics, and of course, manga. I have a few features that readers can expect to see consistently, the most popular being "Manga Monday." I do put other content on my site, like my thoughts on music and movies, but comics are my first love, so I keep my focus on that medium. Manga takes up more and more of my time these days, and having that weekly feature forces me to try out books I normally wouldn't read, and I feel like I have a better grasp on things going on in manga for it, and it has enriched my life, as I hope to enrich others through my blog by pointing out the best that the medium has to offer.

What got you started blogging about manga?
I began blogging as a way to write consistently. I write a lot in my free time, mostly novels, and I felt like it was a good exercise to keep my writing sharp. But since I started posting more content, I found that I really enjoyed having a voice in the comic book community. I love championing books that may get overlooked, discovering hidden gems, and just gathering my thoughts about how I feel when I finish reading a new book. Putting my thoughts down helps my critical skills and makes me a better writer: When I see things I don't like in stories, I can think about why I didn't like them and can avoid similar mistakes in my writing. And vise-versa, when I see something I like, I ponder over why it worked for me and apply it to my own work. I also really do just love pointing out good material to readers, and I feel that at the end of the day, if I turn somebody on to a book that I really love, and they love it too, then the whole experience of blogging over the years has been worthwhile.

What was the first manga you read that caused you to become a regular manga reader?
Nana by Ai Yazawa (from the very first chapter in Shojo Beat)

What one title do you think everyone should go out and buy?
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki

What is the most prized volume or series in your manga collection?
Andromeda Stories (Volume 2) by Keiko Takemiya, because it was the first comic to use a blurb from my blog to sell it!

What outside of manga interests you?
I'm surrounded by books constantly. When not in the bookstore where I work, I can usually be found reading or writing. I write novels primarily (fiction, mostly supernatural), but draw comics as well. I'm also a big movie buff, particularly when it comes to horror movies, and I can never get enough pizza.

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