Since the dawn of manga's popularity in America, Nanase Ohkawa, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Satsuki Igarashi—the four-member artist collective known as CLAMP—have done pretty well for themselves. Older fans know them for classic series like “;Cardcaptor Sakura”; and “;X/1999,”; while newer fans might be more familiar with such works as “;Chobits,”; “;Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle”; and “;xxxHolic.”;

If there's anything that Comic-Con International in San Diego proved last week, it's that much more CLAMP is to come, as three publishers announced projects in the pipeline.

Dark Horse, which already picked up and re-released former Tokyopop property “;Clover”; as an omnibus edition, has snagged “;Chobits,”; “;Cardcaptor Sakura”; and “;Magic Knight Rayearth”; from Tokyopop as well, and plans to give those series the omnibus treatment. Expect the first of two “;Chobits”; volumes next spring.

Del Rey has “;CLAMP in America,”; a retrospective of the group's rise to prominence in Japan and the rest of the world. Originally scheduled for October, release has been delayed to March because the publisher is busily cramming even more CLAMP-y goodness into the book. Once 160 pages, the book has now more than doubled to 384 pages, with bigger art and more of it than originally planned.

Finally, Yen Press picked up the license to CLAMP's newest series, “;Kobato.”; If that name sounds vaguely familiar, it's because the on-hiatus-and-very-likely-dead ADV Manga once had the rights to it and was serializing it in the pages of Newtype USA magazine before that magazine died in February 2008.

All-frills fashion

Certain anime and manga fans love dressing up in Gothic and Lolita styles, frilly dresses and ribbons inspired by Rococo and Victorian-era fashion. A few weeks ago when I was browsing through manga at the Book-Off at Pearlridge Center, a fellow shopper walked into the same aisle, decked out in full-on, black-and-white Gothic Lolita finery. It ... was a bit weird.

No doubt that person will feel more in her element at Pipeline Cafe tomorrow, when several local designers will host the Gothic and Lolita Fashion Show. If you like what you see, there will be booths selling handmade accessories and outfits, as well as a silent auction for brand-name items.

Tickets are $12 at the door for the event, which runs from 5 to 10 p.m.; visit www.hsblinks.com/jm or myspace.com/everaftercreations.

Vacation time

OK, folks, time for me to take a quick breather to catch up on my anime and manga backlog. My next column will be in two weeks, on Aug. 11. See you then, or online at “;Otaku Ohana”; in the interim.