Crayon Shin-Chan Manga Sequel Planned
A public funeral was held this week in Japan for Crayon Shin-Chan manga-ka Yoshito Usui. Over three thousand fans attended the event for the late creator. It's good to hear that so many people loved his series & wanted to pay their respects. Shin-chan is, after all, one of the few manga/anime in Japan that everybody reads/watches- not just anime fans & children. At the event, fellow manga-ka & good friend Tetsuya Chiba (Ashita no Joe) said "Mr Usui unfortunately died, but the characters created by Mr Usui are still alive."
We knew this was true for the anime, but now it holds true for the manga as well. After the few remaining chapters run over the next few months, it was announced that Usui's assistants will be creating a sequel to Crayon Shin-Chan will starting in Summer 2010. It's also expected that the new manga will be in a different format than the current Shin-Chan manga, which is done in the four-koma style. Usui’s surviving family gave their consent to the idea of his manga living on.
Sources: http://www.japanator.com/three-thousand-attend-crayon-shin-chan-creator-s-funeral-12502.phtml
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-11-30/newspaper/crayon-shin-chan-manga-sequel-in-the-works