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!
