I read the first one and really liked it, and I've bought the others but haven't read them yet. Story of my life, there's never enough time to read all the books you want. Tbr, indeed ...
Slum Wolf and Trash Market by Tadao Tsuge Contributor to avant-garde Japanese comics magazine Garo in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Gritty, adult oriented, character-driven stories about life in post–World War II Japan. Life in the Tokyo slums, dysfunctional families, for profit blood banks, punks, pimps, and drunks. Known for Gekiga (劇画, lit. 'dramatic pictures') a style of Japanese comics aimed at adult audiences. Aesthetically defined by sharp angles, dark hatching, and gritty lines, and thematically by realism, social engagement, maturity, and masculinity.
Yeah, i've got a fair bit of Gekiga. I've read some of his older brothers stuff (Yoshiharu Tsuge) but i've never got round to buying any Tadao. Recent pick-ups
Just read "Goodbye, Eri" by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the author of Chainsaw Man. It was a great one-off about a would be movie-maker. Clever style.
Recent mail day. Vol. 3 of D+Q's Yoshiharu Tsuge's collection and 'Working Kappa' by Imiri Sakabashira. Working Kappa has never been translated to English so i just bought a Japanese copy, which i believe is an extended version of the book with an extra 8 full colour pages etc. I already had the main story for Nejishiki (Screw Style) translated in a 2003 edition of the Comics Journal, but this is a new translation with a bunch of other stories and the usual essay from the translator. More random pages from 'Working Kappa' ...
I’ve been going through the catalogue of Kazuo Umezz. Recently finished The Drifting Classroom and was fucken blown away by how great it was. I’m debating between starting Cat Eyed Boy, or Orochi which one would y’all recommend I start with next?
They're both similar, in that they're episodic manga. The phenomena in Cat Eyed Boy is focused on folklore and legends, where Orochi is more about human nature. I'd personally choose Cat Eyed Boy, because chronologically it came first. I'm planning on picking it up myself. It's had good reviews, and people I trust on FB have reported enjoying it. It sounds like a subtle manga, with a simple story. Not about the day-to-day mechanics of Manga publishing, but about the editors and mangaka, the people who struggle to make a living from it.
It is indeed. I read it and enjoyed it quite a bit. If I am not mistaken there are at least two more volumes. I fairness, I am quite a fan of most of his work though so your mileage may vary.
Goku Midnight Eye (1992) translated by ComicsOne in 2001. ComicsOne went bust in 2005 and most of their output is out of print. I've been collecting certain titles since then, and getting closer to finding them all. This set took years to find for a reasonable price, living in the UK doesn't make it easy to collect certain types of Manga. I would describe this sort of trilogy as having nonsensical plots, excessive nudity and lots of violence. This artist is kind of like a lower-rent Ryoichi Ikegami.
Ikegami is still working and receiving awards, unfortunately Buichi died recently in 2023. He studied under Osamu Tezuka as a young man. I didn't know his sci-fi manga and anime (especially 'Cobra') are very popular in France, and his work directly influenced Luc Besson.
Recent purchase. Published Spring 2024 by Smudge. Translated and edited by Ryan Holmberg. Essay by Kawakatsu Tokushige.
Recent pick-up. These are the kind of quality published Manga books that make me glad i never went digital.
I wish I could do all physical as well but my shelf space won’t allow it lol. I have the Shonen Jump and Viz manga apps and whatever I read on there that I really like I try to grab physical!
'Tokyo These Days' by Taiyo Matsumoto Taiyo is probably best known for Tekkonkinkreet and other stories that focus on young people. With this three book series he decided to tell a story about middle-aged people working in the Manga industry. There are younger people involved, but the main characters are either retired or getting near retirement age. I absolutely loved these books, the story and artwork are just perfectly done and they're very nice quality (if slightly expensive) hardbacks. Blurb: Having been a manga editor for 30 years, Kazuo Shiozawa decided to resign and leave everything behind. But would it be that easy if all facets of his life are entangled with the manga world? The story showcases the ups and downs of hustling as an accomplished editor and manga artist. Releasing a big hit manga isn’t all fun and games, but if you don’t, you are getting dropped by the publisher. For lovers of manga as well as people in the comic industry, Tokyo These Days is a heartfelt (albeit melancholic) manga that will speak to you.
I loved this series (as I do Matsumoto's work in general) and these three volumes are so pretty. These were made with love. As a creative who is closing in on retirement myself, I related to the story. Highly recommend these.
A couple more recent pick-ups. I caught up with Ryan Holmberg's SMUDGE imprint for 70's horror, pulp and dark fantasy. I can't wait to see what will be next and I imagine these aren't huge print-runs so grab 'em while they're hot, or pay steep prices later on. They're nicely printed and translated, with a fair bit of extra material in each book, including a colour reproduction of the original cover and other 70's horror/fantasy book covers. 1976 1975
I bought and read this one on the weekend. Good stuff, i was expecting it to be heavy on the trippy visuals and light on story, but i was happy to find the story and characters are quite compelling. There is a bit of Katsuhiro Otomo influence and also artists like Philippe Druillet, with unusual panel layouts and big trippy splash pages. The book is oversized for Manga, to show off the intricate artwork. Blurb: In the future, any mood you want is just a pump away. People flock to legal 'pump bars', where licensed medical professionals, known as bar doctors, prescribe their customers the perfect pharmaceutical blend. But when the standard dosage isn’t enough, our protagonist, Cub, turns to an unauthorized source. The results have to be seen to be believed. Rendered in a richly-detailed, clear-line style, this psychedelic sci-fi manga tears apart the basic fabric of reality. What is the truth and what is a dream?
Yep, maybe more of his work'll be translated at some point. Meanwhile I'm looking for a Japanese version of 'Red Tights Man' ...
I need to see if I have that one already... I looked it up, and cover looks familiar, but don't remember.
I just ordered Mansect recently from a local shop, should come in soon. Looking fwd. I wasn't aware of the new Koike, that looks great. I picked up Heaven's Door when it came out from Last Gasp and loved the art, but wasn't much moved by the stories. I'll likely grab the new one given your thumbs-up for the story, Moog.
Maybe because it's a full length story and not short stories like in Heavens Door, he put a bit more effort into Ultra Heaven. Saying that though, it's still unfinished after 3 volumes. It's been over 10 years since volume 3 was published.
