The shojo manga series was originally published in 1966, and reprinted as part of the Shogakukan Creative series. The two volumes went on sale 1/25/08 in Japan. More details here (And Google Translated broken English version here).
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Covers for Umezu's CRIMSON SPIDER
From Umezz's blog, here are the Japanese covers for the reissues of his classic 紅グモ (Crimson Spider).
The shojo manga series was originally published in 1966, and reprinted as part of the Shogakukan Creative series. The two volumes went on sale 1/25/08 in Japan. More details here (And Google Translated broken English version here).
The shojo manga series was originally published in 1966, and reprinted as part of the Shogakukan Creative series. The two volumes went on sale 1/25/08 in Japan. More details here (And Google Translated broken English version here).
Sunday, January 27, 2008
HEAVEN IS...
...Kazuo Umezu singing Paul Anka's You Are My Destiny (君はわが運命).
I've had this clip on my back burner to post on a rainy day-- Minerva posted it today in the comments, and it's time everyone else gets in on the goodness.
FUCK DUDES, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. HE IS MY FAVORITE FOR LIFE.
I've had this clip on my back burner to post on a rainy day-- Minerva posted it today in the comments, and it's time everyone else gets in on the goodness.
FUCK DUDES, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. HE IS MY FAVORITE FOR LIFE.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
VIZ TO RELEASE UMEZU'S CAT EYED BOY
We're happy to break the news that the next English language publication of Kazuo Umezu's work will be his 1967 series, Cat Eyed Boy! In Japanese the title is 猫目小僧 (Nekome Kozou). (EDIT: Now I see that Slightly Biased Manga sort of beat us to it last week. Damn you!)
I had informally heard this series kicked around as a next possibility, but recently saw it confirmed with the addition of listings on Amazon for Volume 1 and Volume 2!
From the Amazon description:
"Cat-Eyed Boy is a half-human, half-monster child who mostly resembles a human, and therefore cannot live in the demon world. He lives hidden in the shadows of the human world, hated by both demons and humans. But wherever he goes, awful events occur. Humans interact with demons, but for the most part the humans that appear to act more evil than the monsters.
Cat-Eyed Boy acts like Trickster, saving the innocent and helping the wicked receive the punishment that fate metes out. The stories are mostly tales of revenge and retribution for the evil acts people do. The series is broken into 11 individual stories, full of extremely grotesque and disturbing images."
Overgrown Nekome Kozou cosplayer.
It's still unclear exactly what the book will look like, but I'm assuming it'll be under the Viz Signature imprint (like the Gyo/Uzumaki reprints, and Drifting Classroom were). Amazon lists both volumes as being released on JUNE 18, 2008.
More interestingly, it shows Volumes 1 at a hefty 544 pages, and Volume 2 at 496 pages. Hot damn. This begs the question of if Viz is going to be moving toward presenting more titles (including Umezu classics?) in the Tekkon Kinkreet or Azumanga Daioh gigantic format.
All hail the cat king.
While unconfirmed, I've heard the editor will be Ian Robertson (who is a longtime Viz-er and also edited Tezuka's Phoenix series, among others). While it's slightly disappointing that the next Kazuo Umezu title isn't Fourteen or Left Hand of God, Right Hand of the Devil-- this more classic manga from Umezu is a welcome addition to an already impressive line-up for 2008. Nice work, Viz!
PS: For your further viewing pleasure, the opening & ending credits of the original Nekome Kozou anime:
I had informally heard this series kicked around as a next possibility, but recently saw it confirmed with the addition of listings on Amazon for Volume 1 and Volume 2!
From the Amazon description:
"Cat-Eyed Boy is a half-human, half-monster child who mostly resembles a human, and therefore cannot live in the demon world. He lives hidden in the shadows of the human world, hated by both demons and humans. But wherever he goes, awful events occur. Humans interact with demons, but for the most part the humans that appear to act more evil than the monsters.
Cat-Eyed Boy acts like Trickster, saving the innocent and helping the wicked receive the punishment that fate metes out. The stories are mostly tales of revenge and retribution for the evil acts people do. The series is broken into 11 individual stories, full of extremely grotesque and disturbing images."
Overgrown Nekome Kozou cosplayer.
It's still unclear exactly what the book will look like, but I'm assuming it'll be under the Viz Signature imprint (like the Gyo/Uzumaki reprints, and Drifting Classroom were). Amazon lists both volumes as being released on JUNE 18, 2008.
More interestingly, it shows Volumes 1 at a hefty 544 pages, and Volume 2 at 496 pages. Hot damn. This begs the question of if Viz is going to be moving toward presenting more titles (including Umezu classics?) in the Tekkon Kinkreet or Azumanga Daioh gigantic format.
All hail the cat king.
While unconfirmed, I've heard the editor will be Ian Robertson (who is a longtime Viz-er and also edited Tezuka's Phoenix series, among others). While it's slightly disappointing that the next Kazuo Umezu title isn't Fourteen or Left Hand of God, Right Hand of the Devil-- this more classic manga from Umezu is a welcome addition to an already impressive line-up for 2008. Nice work, Viz!
PS: For your further viewing pleasure, the opening & ending credits of the original Nekome Kozou anime:
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
DRUNKARD CONDO SYNDROME by Shintaro Kago
As promised, we're happy to host and present the newest Shintaro Kago scanlation from our extremely productive friend, Anonymous K.
Anonymous K informs me that this is the last strip from this book of surrealist experimentalism he'll have for us. BUT! He is working on a new swatch of comics from a different Kago book.
With regard to its ambition and story, Drunkard Condo Syndrome is a slightly different beast; It takes a small and corny concept to it's logical conclusion (and horrifically beyond), but is less concerned with the limitations of formal comic storytelling than previous comics. This time, the core conceit is a drunken salaryman coming home to the wrong apartment, in one of those massive apartment complexes straight out of Otomo's Domu.
This comic is slightly more NSFW than previous Kago strips, but nothing too beyond the pale. Well, some of it is beyond the pale, but it's Shintaro Kago we're talking about! Don't say you weren't warned.
As usual, leave feedback/scorn/praise in the comments!
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Anonymous K informs me that this is the last strip from this book of surrealist experimentalism he'll have for us. BUT! He is working on a new swatch of comics from a different Kago book.
With regard to its ambition and story, Drunkard Condo Syndrome is a slightly different beast; It takes a small and corny concept to it's logical conclusion (and horrifically beyond), but is less concerned with the limitations of formal comic storytelling than previous comics. This time, the core conceit is a drunken salaryman coming home to the wrong apartment, in one of those massive apartment complexes straight out of Otomo's Domu.
This comic is slightly more NSFW than previous Kago strips, but nothing too beyond the pale. Well, some of it is beyond the pale, but it's Shintaro Kago we're talking about! Don't say you weren't warned.
As usual, leave feedback/scorn/praise in the comments!
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Monday, January 21, 2008
IT'S OFFICIAL: Red Colored Elegy by Seiichi Hayashi!
I read this weekend on comics212 the official confirmation that Drawn & Quarterly will be releasing Seiichi Hayashi's Red Colored Elegy. This is gonna be the perfect book to see given the deluxe D&Q treatment in 2008. Here are the cover and details:
Red Colored Elegy
By Seiichi Hayashi
24.95, 240 Pages, Hardcover
Shipping in April 2008
Since people are posting about it, I wanted to remind folks that I first "broke this story" back in June 2007, after hearing it from D&Q directly at BookExpo America. Don't believe me? See this post here for the first details I'd posted back then. SCOOP!
Congrats again, Drawn & Quarterly!
Red Colored Elegy
By Seiichi Hayashi
24.95, 240 Pages, Hardcover
Shipping in April 2008
Since people are posting about it, I wanted to remind folks that I first "broke this story" back in June 2007, after hearing it from D&Q directly at BookExpo America. Don't believe me? See this post here for the first details I'd posted back then. SCOOP!
Congrats again, Drawn & Quarterly!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
NEW COMICS DAY: DRAGONS, DOOM, SEX & MUSKETEERS
A short post to inform you of the latest in the manga/graphic novel form; Here are some books hitting the shops today!
DRAGON HEAD Vol. 9
+ Why you should buy: It's the pentultimate volume to this series, and we FINALLY get to see what's been happening in Tokyo, meet a community of "survivors" and see what's become of Teru's home. (HINT: IT'S ALL BAD NEWS).
+ Ryan says, I got this on Sunday at Kinokuniya but stalled for hours before reading it because I don't really want the series to end. While it's not the strongest possible entry (as second-to-last, it doesn't have the luxury of answering any big questions), it succeeded in convincing me that Dragon Head is NOT going to have a happy ending (DUH) but will end with a bang. Only three more months until Volume 10!
MANGA SUTRA Futari H Vol. 1
+ Why you should buy: It's a romantic comedy about newlyweds learning how to please eachother. It's a manga-style sexual self-help guide. And it's the closest thing you can get to hentai without having to head to that "special section" of the comic store, in the back beyond a beaded curtain.
+ Ryan says, I saw this at Kinokuniya but passed (for now) because of the huge size-- it's large and in a box that is also shrinkwrapped-- and the huge price ($20). That said, I'm gonna check it out next week, if only to see if it fills the hole left when Dance 'Til Tomorrow was died alongside Pulp magazine.
THE LAST MUSKETEER
+ Why you should buy: It's another tiny masterpiece by Jason. This time we get the story of Athos, last of the Musketeers, finding himself increasingly irrelevant and annoying until Martians attack Earth. Nested in the adventurer frame story are some really brilliant conversations and small jokes. Oh, and the coloring by Hubert is meticulously great, especially for the Mars scenes.
+ Ryan says, I read this today on my lunch break, and I really, really enjoyed it. Once you get over paying 13 bucks for what should cost around $8. Jason's lastest comics are getting the formula just right for mixing nostalgia, genre tropes and deadpan humor-- it's the kind of comic I wish I could pull off. My favorite bits were the not-too-subtle bits about Mars being like a pre-colonial Renaissance Fair and that every chatterbox (in this case, Athos) thinks that they're really a thoughtful, taciturn guy.
DOOM PATROL Vol. 6
+ Why you should buy: The final volume of Grant Morrison's infamous run on this series. Includes the original covers by Simon Bisley and Mike Mignola, along with a one-shot special title DOOM FORCE-- a really offensive Liefeld parody with lots of huge thighs and SO MANY POUCHES.
+ Ryan says, I'm a loser and still stuck back reading volume 3. That said, based on my GF talking nonstop about how fucking rad this last volume is gonna be, I'm planning a Morrisonathon this weekend to get up to speed.
New scanlations tomorrow, I promise!
DRAGON HEAD Vol. 9
+ Why you should buy: It's the pentultimate volume to this series, and we FINALLY get to see what's been happening in Tokyo, meet a community of "survivors" and see what's become of Teru's home. (HINT: IT'S ALL BAD NEWS).
+ Ryan says, I got this on Sunday at Kinokuniya but stalled for hours before reading it because I don't really want the series to end. While it's not the strongest possible entry (as second-to-last, it doesn't have the luxury of answering any big questions), it succeeded in convincing me that Dragon Head is NOT going to have a happy ending (DUH) but will end with a bang. Only three more months until Volume 10!
MANGA SUTRA Futari H Vol. 1
+ Why you should buy: It's a romantic comedy about newlyweds learning how to please eachother. It's a manga-style sexual self-help guide. And it's the closest thing you can get to hentai without having to head to that "special section" of the comic store, in the back beyond a beaded curtain.
+ Ryan says, I saw this at Kinokuniya but passed (for now) because of the huge size-- it's large and in a box that is also shrinkwrapped-- and the huge price ($20). That said, I'm gonna check it out next week, if only to see if it fills the hole left when Dance 'Til Tomorrow was died alongside Pulp magazine.
THE LAST MUSKETEER
+ Why you should buy: It's another tiny masterpiece by Jason. This time we get the story of Athos, last of the Musketeers, finding himself increasingly irrelevant and annoying until Martians attack Earth. Nested in the adventurer frame story are some really brilliant conversations and small jokes. Oh, and the coloring by Hubert is meticulously great, especially for the Mars scenes.
+ Ryan says, I read this today on my lunch break, and I really, really enjoyed it. Once you get over paying 13 bucks for what should cost around $8. Jason's lastest comics are getting the formula just right for mixing nostalgia, genre tropes and deadpan humor-- it's the kind of comic I wish I could pull off. My favorite bits were the not-too-subtle bits about Mars being like a pre-colonial Renaissance Fair and that every chatterbox (in this case, Athos) thinks that they're really a thoughtful, taciturn guy.
DOOM PATROL Vol. 6
+ Why you should buy: The final volume of Grant Morrison's infamous run on this series. Includes the original covers by Simon Bisley and Mike Mignola, along with a one-shot special title DOOM FORCE-- a really offensive Liefeld parody with lots of huge thighs and SO MANY POUCHES.
+ Ryan says, I'm a loser and still stuck back reading volume 3. That said, based on my GF talking nonstop about how fucking rad this last volume is gonna be, I'm planning a Morrisonathon this weekend to get up to speed.
New scanlations tomorrow, I promise!
Monday, January 14, 2008
RENEGADE RHOMBUS by Shunga
To start off this week, I'm excited to share a new comic by one of my favorite cartoonists, Shunga! Shunga is the latest moniker of artist/musician Aaron K, who previously ran an awesome lo-fi site from out in Hawaii where posted his fucked-up comics. We blogged about those comics back here, and the lucky ones may remember some of them, including 20,000 Leagues Under Nebraska, Hyperco, Martian Flaneur and the infamous Vacuum Horror. (SPOILER ALERT: Vacuum Horror ends with Abraham Lincoln's decapitated head floating in space!)
Not one to dwell on the past, dude took down all his old comics a while back, and has relaunched a new site here. Since moving out to SF, we've had the luxury of becoming buddies with Aaron and hanging out with him while he's been working on his latest stuff. The easiest way to describe these comics is like if the spiritual grandson of Burroughs and Maruo played surrealist memetic games on paper made of human flesh with Cronenberg and Jun Hayami (That makes sense, right?). Anyone who's enjoyed the Shintaro Kago scanlations lately owes it to themselves to read on.
In addition to cartooning, Aaron K plays in a bunch of different bands. Previous projects include a noise thing called PEARL JAM II, but you can check out his most recent stuff here:
SHUNGA: Sounds Like "knitted shawls made of rotten hair throwing up plasma."
CASTRO STRETCH: Sounds Like "Muhammed Ali teaming up with Crass, what you know about Gremlins 2: the videogame music?"
As I've mentioned here before, Aaron K is also responsible for Love Entity, the 15-page feature comic for Electric Ant #1. It's a beautiful mind-bender baling together kamikaze pilots and dustbowl sharecroppers with inter-dimensional sexual overtures. At least, that's how I read it. It's fucking great, and will be available this Spring in the zine's first issue.
In the meantime, we are happy to present here the first of hopefully many more amazing Shunga comics by Aaron K. His next comic is already well underway, it's a Running Man-meats-gay Kafka epic titled BULLSHIT MOUNTAIN and featuring the death of Chris Ware on page 2-- It's another winner, I do believe.
Click here for more details on ordering comics from him. He's running a sliding scale, and will be upping the price of the book as he adds more comics to it. If I heard right, the end game is to have a Shunga book with 5-6 comics in it ready for Alternative Press Expo in November. (And I'm gonna try to convince him to reprint Vacuum Horror maybe too).
CLICK BELOW TO READ. ENJOY!
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Send love letters and orders to Aaron K at atkaneshATgmailDOTcom
Not one to dwell on the past, dude took down all his old comics a while back, and has relaunched a new site here. Since moving out to SF, we've had the luxury of becoming buddies with Aaron and hanging out with him while he's been working on his latest stuff. The easiest way to describe these comics is like if the spiritual grandson of Burroughs and Maruo played surrealist memetic games on paper made of human flesh with Cronenberg and Jun Hayami (That makes sense, right?). Anyone who's enjoyed the Shintaro Kago scanlations lately owes it to themselves to read on.
In addition to cartooning, Aaron K plays in a bunch of different bands. Previous projects include a noise thing called PEARL JAM II, but you can check out his most recent stuff here:
SHUNGA: Sounds Like "knitted shawls made of rotten hair throwing up plasma."
CASTRO STRETCH: Sounds Like "Muhammed Ali teaming up with Crass, what you know about Gremlins 2: the videogame music?"
As I've mentioned here before, Aaron K is also responsible for Love Entity, the 15-page feature comic for Electric Ant #1. It's a beautiful mind-bender baling together kamikaze pilots and dustbowl sharecroppers with inter-dimensional sexual overtures. At least, that's how I read it. It's fucking great, and will be available this Spring in the zine's first issue.
In the meantime, we are happy to present here the first of hopefully many more amazing Shunga comics by Aaron K. His next comic is already well underway, it's a Running Man-meats-gay Kafka epic titled BULLSHIT MOUNTAIN and featuring the death of Chris Ware on page 2-- It's another winner, I do believe.
Click here for more details on ordering comics from him. He's running a sliding scale, and will be upping the price of the book as he adds more comics to it. If I heard right, the end game is to have a Shunga book with 5-6 comics in it ready for Alternative Press Expo in November. (And I'm gonna try to convince him to reprint Vacuum Horror maybe too).
CLICK BELOW TO READ. ENJOY!
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Send love letters and orders to Aaron K at atkaneshATgmailDOTcom
Friday, January 11, 2008
WHAT I'M READING
Since the holidays (and partially due to having less free time lately), I have amassed a big reading list of comics and manga. Here's the stuff I'm working on getting through right now:
+ 20TH CENTURY BOYS Vol. 1 by Naoki Urasawa (Shogakukan)
Viz apparently has an agreement with Urasawa to wait on publishing this series until Monster has been completed. I couldn't wait for that, so I started reading it in Japanese this past week. It's dense and deftly scripted, and even within the first few chapters the dread has started building. I'm dying to see what happens over the course of the 20+ volumes. link
+ THE DRIPS by Taylor McKimens (PictureBox)
I'm not so much reading this book, as trying to decipher McKimens' melted popsicle stew of amorphous podunks. Another visually impressive and sortof experimental title from PictureBox. link
+ PLASTIC GIRL by Usamaru Furuya (河出書房新社)
For our anniversary, I received Plastic Girl and Palepoli from my GF. Along with Lychee Hikari Club (which I borrowed from Mangacast's Ed), these two books have helped cement my belief that Furuya is the most creative dude currently working in Japan. Each page of Plastic Girl is painted/drawn/sculpted out of a different medium, each like a more ambitious Sandman cover by Dave McKean. It's gonna take a while to fully digest this one. link
+ NANA Vol. 2-8 by Ai Yazawa (Viz)
I'm a loser for not keeping up with Nana. I've borrowed all 8 volumes from my GF and getting heavily engrossed in the twisting lives of the two Nana's. I ain't afraid to admit I'm already heavily emotionally invested in this one. So damn good. link
+ PRESENTS Vol. 2 by Kanako Inuki (CMX)
More twisted retribution tales from horror manga queen Inuki. Like Volume 1, there's not much in terms of complexity or surprises, but each tale is brief, funny and violent, all with a morally jagged twist. I'm loving this short series. link
+ BAPTISM Vol. 3 by Kazuo Umezu (Shogakukan)
Just when you thought Umezu couldn't get any better. I'm reading his entire Baptism series now (had the books sent over to the Kinokuniya in SF) and it's probably my favorite thing by him. Fucked up brain transplants, Elektra complex done deadly, and statutory romance. It's everything horror manga should aspire to do (and more!) link
+ WEBCOMICS by Kate Beaton
I'd never heard of Kate's webcomics, but thanks to comics212 for recommending her. Recent gems include tales of hanging out with family back home for the holidays, and historical pope comics! Plus her line work reminds me of Hellen Jo (if she was a white Canadian girl)! Check out the archives! link
+ DRUNKARD CONDO SYNDROME by Shintaro Kago (Scanlation by Anonymous K)
I've been reading over the newest scanlation by Anonymous K-- wrong address sexcapades and improper couplings. You guys will love it. Check back on Sunday to read it!
Also trying to get through non-comics:
+ Erotic Grotesque Nonsense: The Mass Culture of Japanese Modern Times by Miriam Silverberg
+ The Portable Atheist, edited by Christopher Hitchens
+ The Book of Other People, edited by Zadie Smith
So, what are you reading? Any recommendations?
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