HERE ARE COMICS I WANT TO READ . . . RIGHT FUCKING NOW!
Oh lord! There's a slew of really amazing books that either just came out, I just heard about, or are coming soon. I wish i could teleport my future paychecks into the psychic coffers of these publishers and have the books in my meaty paws immediately. Here, for your enjoyment-- more Same Hat Library fodder!
The Push Man and Other Stories by Yoshihiro Tatsumi: Amazon says it's not released yet, but I saw it at a local bookstore on Sunday. This thing is GORE-GEE-OUS! The book is bound nicely and the panels and printing look really smooth. It's flipped, rather than the right-to-left I prefer, but apparently Tatsumi actually helped with these changes to make sure they were done right. Aside from being a collection of really masterful, twised and shocking tales, all the lettering was done by Adrian Tomine! Only 20 bucks! I want to take my time on digesting this one.
Doing Time by Kazuichi Hanawa: Okay, so this isn't new in the least, but I finally put it together in my brain that this is THE Kazuichi Hanawa (of previous monkey brain fame), and THE 'Doing Time' that was made into a Japanese movie a few years ago. Like David Choe's hilarious/depressing article about his weeks in a Japanese prison in Giant Robot a year or so ago, this book is a collection of true stories from Hanawa's time in prison. Read about what got the old man into jail in this review. Sounds (not to be totally lame here) really illuminating about some real post-war Japan, not more samurai and courtesan crud. Put out by a UK(?) publisher and sometimes hard to track down.
Scary Book Volume1: Shadows by Kazuo Umezu: FINALLY! Another English translation of Kazuo Umezu's stuff is going to be released. Guess they're going literal with this one-- SCARY BOOK! The drag is that it won't be out until early next year. I'm hoping that they don't follow the Orochi:Blood lead and only put out one book of a series. MORE UMEZU! YAY!
Black Hole by Charles Burns: It's not manga, but this is the one I'm MOST EXCITED ABOUT! Charles Burns' BLACK HOLE is finally being collected into a hardcover trade. I've read issues of this here and there (and being totally creeped out and floored by most everything) but purposefully avoided reading more because I had heard this would be coming out one day. And not that day has come (well, nearly). There isn't another book that I'm looking forward to more this fall! (except maybe this)
PS: Hellen is almost done with her night paralysis comic!! You can see a cellphone photo of one of the pages on her blog. Yay Hellen! Finish that damn thing, cuz we're DYING to read it!!!
PPS: NEW KOJI AIHARA STRIP GOING UP VERY SOON
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
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11 comments:
Woah, these look fabulous! Thanks for the leads.
-aaron k
I've actually been really curious about "Doing Time". I was paging through it at Kinokuniya and actually heard a little blurb about it on NPR. Should have bought it when I saw it.
-Evan
Doing Time sounds really great.
I was going to buy it a while ago before realizing "oh yeah, money..." Someday someday.
I don't remember if I ever mentioned him to you guys, but have you seen any Shinichi Abe stuff? His art is so great. I think he did stuff in Garo at some point.
http://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/ekatocato/diary/200310090000/
http://www.mandarake.co.jp/publish/abe/
THE BLACK HOLE BOOK IS (ALMOST) OUT?! I've got every single issue, plus an extra copy of the misprinted twelfth issue...MAN WHAT A FUGGIN AWESOME SERIES! I am totally getting the book too. I met Charles Burns at APE last last year and he drew me a picture of a dick with a face!!!!!!
also, thanks for the "shout-out"
I'm workin on it right nowwwwwww
UPDATE! : I bought THE PUSH MAN last night and just started reading a few stories. WHOA. they are really crisp and short tales, but really shocking, depressing and kindof lovely (except for the suicides, murders and attempted sex crimes). It feels like Stray Dog in the tone and details. very awesome so far.
TYLER: Thanks for the links! I do think you mentioned Shinichi Abe once before. I am really impressed by the little stuff I've seen online-- his lines and people are really exciting! Just a matter of time before I track something down at kinokuniya! Once I learn some more about abe, we'll do a post on him. also, anything available in english we can recommend to people?
hellen: i want charles burns to draw me a dick too. you are a lucky chicklet. Can't WAIT to get this book finally. More info (generic stuff) here: http://www.randomhouse.com/pantheon/graphicnovels/blackhole.html
-ryan
There isn't anything by Shinichi Abe available in English, unfortunately. No English information either as far as I know...
I first learned of him when I saw mention of his comic "Burai no omokage." I mentioned the title to a Japanese friend, who I knew would be interested in it. She researched it, gave me his name, and told me of his mental problems (schizophrenia.) The story ended up being in an issue of Garo as well as his book Miyoko Asagaya Kibun.
There's an unofficial page here, but of course it is in Japanese.
I don't know how available his material is, but Miyoko Asagaya Kibun can be found at ebookjapan.
You guys probably know Seiichi Hayashi already, but art is really gorgeous as well. He had some stuff in Garo throughout the 60s and 70s as well.
http://www.hayashi-seiichi.jp/
Did you ever see Electric Gublla before it went down?
It used to be here but it is gone gone gone.
He did completely amazing and bizarre nonsense comics in a Garo and 4-koma style. They were really really great.
Too bad his site is gone. There are still some available here, though.
I saw a Shinchi Abe book at Book-Off the other week, but passed it up as it cost $30 (its original price was something between 5000- 7000 Yen). His collections are always on the pricy side.
Has anyone read Abe's ero-manga from the late 70s/early 80s, done in the midst of his mental problems? The title story of this collection has a high cult reputation:
www.seirinkogeisha.com/book/130-0.html
Yoshiharu Tsuge is an Abe fan --high praise indeed. Abe's old pals Oji Suzuki and Masuzo Furukawa (of Mandarake fame) are also interesting figures. There was a brief English bio page on Abe & Suzuki on a defunct site run by the Gublla guy.
If you're looking for Abe books try YesAsia.
Went to Taco Che in Nakano (www.tacoche.com) last weekend, where they had about 8 different Abe Shinichi books. Picked up Miyoko Asagaya Kibun for 1800 Yen (as well as some Umezu and Mimiyo Tomozawa books). Haven't had time to read it yet, though it looks very promising.
I asked the clerk to recommend one of Abe's works, and he said this is his masterpiece in his opinion, although Abe fans are apparently divided into two camps: those who prefer his "silent world", 70s works (such as "Asagaya...") and those who like his 80s schizophrenic "crazy mysterious world".
I'll report back once I've read the book. Maybe I can scan a story then and send it to you.
Taco Che is an unbelievable shop, btw. o_O
Doing Time didn't really do anything for me. It's okay in an idle sort of way.
You've probably already read it by now.
Bit late to comment here, but we have just recently translated the first ever Abe stuff into English... as part of the forthcoming book from Top Shelf, called 'AX COLLECTION'. Its edited by myself and the editor of the original Japanese 'AX' anthology, Mitsuhiro Asakawa.
Watch out for it next year!
- Sean Michael Wilson
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