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I promised myself I would show proper love to Same Hat and post more in 2010. Here's me getting back to basics and down to brass tacks... it's time to talk about NEW COMICS! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention here, but a few weeks back I was the guest contributor for Robot 6's What Are You Reading? and talked about Moyasimon & Shintaro Kago's new book Fraction.
Anyway, I hadn't bought new comics for a few weeks, so I went sorta overboard this past Wednesday at my local shop. Here's what I've just read (or am about to read tonight):
+ Pluto vol.7 by Urasawa X Tezuka
It's hard to have new things to add about Pluto that hasn't already been laid out by jog, Ed Sizemore and many others comics bloggers. Pluto is an unwound Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead approach to a big ol' tree in the forest of Tezuka's greatness, and required contemporary manga reading for all fans.
I got weepy a few times in the early volumes, and as the finale in Volume 8 is coming, this series has already burrowed a place in my top comics of all time list. That said, I'm finding myself riding harder on the 20th Century Boys train right now. I've heard folks say many times that Pluto is the Watchmen of manga except even better... But I am wondering if given the structural, I dunno, quickness(?) of Urasawa's pacing will make this short series hold up to multiple re-reads the way Watchmen does? Regardless, it's breakneck awesomeness right now, a must-read for manga fans of all stripes. [link]
+ not simple by Natsume Ono
This is one of the books that I saw EVERYWHERE when I was in Japan last, in Spring 2008. It was featured at mainstream bookshops and also heavily at places like taco CHE and Mandarake in Nakano. And now, 2010 is looking to be the year of Natsume Ono over at Viz, with the planned release of four of her titles in English in the coming months: House of Five Leaves, Ristorante Paradiso, and Gente.
I haven't read beyond the first chapter yet, so I won't/can't take a stab at anything approaching a review. Ono's simple line style is unique among most of the manga I've read, which in not simple seems helpful for creating visual space while telling a tense, meta-fictional road story. I felt confused about the inter-personal relationships among the family members and strangers that fill out the first chapter of the book, but confused in a curious, compelled-to-read-further way-- rather than a "What is going on here, and why should I give a shit?" Secret paternity, fictional narratives, hitmen, and deception seem to await in the remainder of the book, and I can't wait to get knee-deep in this book tonight. [link]
+ King of RPGs by Jason Thompson & Victor Hao
Is it a graphic novel? Is it Original English Language (OEL) manga? Do I give a shit about that sort of categorization? WHO KNOWS! This book is the excellent debut publication from a longtime friend of mine, author Jason Thompson. Jason spent 10 of the most exciting years in manga publication (mid-90s to mid-00s) as an editor at Viz, working on projects like Dragon Ball, Uzumaki, PULP magazine and about a few dozen other radical books. He also wrote the totemic encyclopedia on manga, Manga: The Ultimate Guide-- the Elements of Style bible for any manga completist.
For his hilarious graphic novel debut in King of RPGs vol. 1, Jason penned an elaborated version of an old mini-comic of his, following the story of two college Freshman gamers. The dudes have their own vices (Online MMORPGs, Japanese console RPGs) and are navigating the dicey waters of identity and self-invention in their dorm when they get sucked into the word of tabletop RPGs. The book structure is a mix of Rumiko Takahashi's episodic unfolding of interpersonal relationships, and the EACH CHAPTER = A BATTLE format of Hikaru no Go or even Detroit Metal City. For the book, Jason teamed up with new illustrator Victor Hao. My only complaint is that Hao's page compositions and skill at cartooning the character's faces/body language (that is, simplifying down) starts out really static and awkward in the first half of the book's pages. That said, by the final chapter, I felt like Hao had figured out his characters and got looser with art, to solid comedic effect. I'm super stoked for the next book, and many congrats to Jason & Victor! [link]
+ RASL #6 by Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith forever has my D&D (dollars & devotion) after Bone. Though I read Bone (starting with issue #11?) in floppies as it came out sporadically over almost 10 years, subsequent re-reads of the collected volumes had dulled my memory of how frustrating it can be to wait for new issues of a fascinating serialized book. Thankfully, Smith has moved to a faster, near-bimonthly schedule for RASL in 2010.
This installment is all Tesla, all the time. This issue uses our narrator recounting of his grade school fascination with uber-genius inventor Nikola Tesla as a frame for schooling the reader on Tesla's meteoric rise (and fall) to prominence. I already knew this stuff, but it was exciting to see the chronology depicted by Smith's inky and smooth lines here. Tesla energy, parallel universe art thievery, sex scenes, and freakish mutant corporate assassins. I'm definitely on board with this book for the long haul. [link]
+ The Unwritten: by Mike Carey & Peter Gross
I just got this and haven't had a chance to dive in yet. I've heard really solid things about this new-ish Vertigo Fantasy-meets-noir series. I haven't been into a Vertigo book for a long time (Unknown Soldier and Air both left me apathetic about further installments) so I'm hopeful that The Unwritten delivers. If I like the trade, I plan on grabbing issues 6-9 at the store and following along monthly. Has anyone read this one? [link]
So... What stuff have you guys been reading and enjoying lately? Manga, indie comics, zines, European comics?
I promised myself I would show proper love to Same Hat and post more in 2010. Here's me getting back to basics and down to brass tacks... it's time to talk about NEW COMICS! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention here, but a few weeks back I was the guest contributor for Robot 6's What Are You Reading? and talked about Moyasimon & Shintaro Kago's new book Fraction.
Anyway, I hadn't bought new comics for a few weeks, so I went sorta overboard this past Wednesday at my local shop. Here's what I've just read (or am about to read tonight):
+ Pluto vol.7 by Urasawa X Tezuka
It's hard to have new things to add about Pluto that hasn't already been laid out by jog, Ed Sizemore and many others comics bloggers. Pluto is an unwound Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead approach to a big ol' tree in the forest of Tezuka's greatness, and required contemporary manga reading for all fans.
I got weepy a few times in the early volumes, and as the finale in Volume 8 is coming, this series has already burrowed a place in my top comics of all time list. That said, I'm finding myself riding harder on the 20th Century Boys train right now. I've heard folks say many times that Pluto is the Watchmen of manga except even better... But I am wondering if given the structural, I dunno, quickness(?) of Urasawa's pacing will make this short series hold up to multiple re-reads the way Watchmen does? Regardless, it's breakneck awesomeness right now, a must-read for manga fans of all stripes. [link]
+ not simple by Natsume Ono
This is one of the books that I saw EVERYWHERE when I was in Japan last, in Spring 2008. It was featured at mainstream bookshops and also heavily at places like taco CHE and Mandarake in Nakano. And now, 2010 is looking to be the year of Natsume Ono over at Viz, with the planned release of four of her titles in English in the coming months: House of Five Leaves, Ristorante Paradiso, and Gente.
I haven't read beyond the first chapter yet, so I won't/can't take a stab at anything approaching a review. Ono's simple line style is unique among most of the manga I've read, which in not simple seems helpful for creating visual space while telling a tense, meta-fictional road story. I felt confused about the inter-personal relationships among the family members and strangers that fill out the first chapter of the book, but confused in a curious, compelled-to-read-further way-- rather than a "What is going on here, and why should I give a shit?" Secret paternity, fictional narratives, hitmen, and deception seem to await in the remainder of the book, and I can't wait to get knee-deep in this book tonight. [link]
+ King of RPGs by Jason Thompson & Victor Hao
Is it a graphic novel? Is it Original English Language (OEL) manga? Do I give a shit about that sort of categorization? WHO KNOWS! This book is the excellent debut publication from a longtime friend of mine, author Jason Thompson. Jason spent 10 of the most exciting years in manga publication (mid-90s to mid-00s) as an editor at Viz, working on projects like Dragon Ball, Uzumaki, PULP magazine and about a few dozen other radical books. He also wrote the totemic encyclopedia on manga, Manga: The Ultimate Guide-- the Elements of Style bible for any manga completist.
For his hilarious graphic novel debut in King of RPGs vol. 1, Jason penned an elaborated version of an old mini-comic of his, following the story of two college Freshman gamers. The dudes have their own vices (Online MMORPGs, Japanese console RPGs) and are navigating the dicey waters of identity and self-invention in their dorm when they get sucked into the word of tabletop RPGs. The book structure is a mix of Rumiko Takahashi's episodic unfolding of interpersonal relationships, and the EACH CHAPTER = A BATTLE format of Hikaru no Go or even Detroit Metal City. For the book, Jason teamed up with new illustrator Victor Hao. My only complaint is that Hao's page compositions and skill at cartooning the character's faces/body language (that is, simplifying down) starts out really static and awkward in the first half of the book's pages. That said, by the final chapter, I felt like Hao had figured out his characters and got looser with art, to solid comedic effect. I'm super stoked for the next book, and many congrats to Jason & Victor! [link]
+ RASL #6 by Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith forever has my D&D (dollars & devotion) after Bone. Though I read Bone (starting with issue #11?) in floppies as it came out sporadically over almost 10 years, subsequent re-reads of the collected volumes had dulled my memory of how frustrating it can be to wait for new issues of a fascinating serialized book. Thankfully, Smith has moved to a faster, near-bimonthly schedule for RASL in 2010.
This installment is all Tesla, all the time. This issue uses our narrator recounting of his grade school fascination with uber-genius inventor Nikola Tesla as a frame for schooling the reader on Tesla's meteoric rise (and fall) to prominence. I already knew this stuff, but it was exciting to see the chronology depicted by Smith's inky and smooth lines here. Tesla energy, parallel universe art thievery, sex scenes, and freakish mutant corporate assassins. I'm definitely on board with this book for the long haul. [link]
+ The Unwritten: by Mike Carey & Peter Gross
I just got this and haven't had a chance to dive in yet. I've heard really solid things about this new-ish Vertigo Fantasy-meets-noir series. I haven't been into a Vertigo book for a long time (Unknown Soldier and Air both left me apathetic about further installments) so I'm hopeful that The Unwritten delivers. If I like the trade, I plan on grabbing issues 6-9 at the store and following along monthly. Has anyone read this one? [link]
So... What stuff have you guys been reading and enjoying lately? Manga, indie comics, zines, European comics?
Things are getting busier and busier, with a big deadline coming up, and my Japan vacation now less that 2 weeks away (YES!). Things with the secret project are coming along swimmingly, with final proofreading this weekend and our back cover blurbs all lined up. We'll be able to tell you more about it very soon.
Aside from all that business, it was an awesome week for comics: a new entry in both my favorite manga series and favorite comic series? FUCK YES:
+ Phoenix Vol. 12(of 12): Early Works
The final installment of all things Phoenix. The real meat of Tezuka's favorite project concluded in Volume 11, but this addendum book brings us back to his first stab at weaving the Phoenix mythos.
As noted in the Author afterword, Tezuka created these short stories on the heels of the success of Princess Knight, for a similar female readership. The noted influence of American films like Helen of Troy, and his hometown Takarazuka Revue are palpable in these sweeping but light tales, each which takes place in a different ancient civilization (Egypt, Greece, etc).
While it's just a snapshot, it's great to glimpse Tezuka's skills in the shojo genre, which he also helped pioneered. This book is not an viable entry point for checking out Phoenix (or Tezuka) and more for the completist fan. That said, it's just a shame that so few manga fans have actually bothered to read Tezuka's Phoenix.
+ Dungeon Monstres Vol. 1: The Crying Giant
Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim's Dungeon series are everything good about European comics. But more than that, they're a summation of everything that is awesome about fantasy, as a device/genre/whatever. Without resorting to mere parody or satire of the genre, Dungeon employs all the fantastical action, monsters, tropes of fantasy adventure, with dashes of slapstick, buddy comedy humor, and really poignant romanticism. Not to get hyperbolic, but this dorky ass comic works you over, in a ton of really happy ways.
The newest batch of volumes (Monstres) is drawn by guest artists, and tells the side stories of other monsters and secondary characters in the Dungeon. This book includes art by French cartoonists Mazan and Jean-Christophe Menu.
The main complaint about Dungeon (and it's a totally fair one) is that the numbering of editions and non-linear volumes don't make it easy for new readers to figure out where the hell to start. But as a standalone read, Monstres Vol. 1 totally works on its own; However, Sfar and Trondheim pepper in tons of fan service-y connections for longtime readers. You can check out a preview on NBM's site.
Things are getting busier and busier, with a big deadline coming up, and my Japan vacation now less that 2 weeks away (YES!). Things with the secret project are coming along swimmingly, with final proofreading this weekend and our back cover blurbs all lined up. We'll be able to tell you more about it very soon.
Aside from all that business, it was an awesome week for comics: a new entry in both my favorite manga series and favorite comic series? FUCK YES:
+ Phoenix Vol. 12(of 12): Early Works
The final installment of all things Phoenix. The real meat of Tezuka's favorite project concluded in Volume 11, but this addendum book brings us back to his first stab at weaving the Phoenix mythos.
As noted in the Author afterword, Tezuka created these short stories on the heels of the success of Princess Knight, for a similar female readership. The noted influence of American films like Helen of Troy, and his hometown Takarazuka Revue are palpable in these sweeping but light tales, each which takes place in a different ancient civilization (Egypt, Greece, etc).
While it's just a snapshot, it's great to glimpse Tezuka's skills in the shojo genre, which he also helped pioneered. This book is not an viable entry point for checking out Phoenix (or Tezuka) and more for the completist fan. That said, it's just a shame that so few manga fans have actually bothered to read Tezuka's Phoenix.
+ Dungeon Monstres Vol. 1: The Crying Giant
Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim's Dungeon series are everything good about European comics. But more than that, they're a summation of everything that is awesome about fantasy, as a device/genre/whatever. Without resorting to mere parody or satire of the genre, Dungeon employs all the fantastical action, monsters, tropes of fantasy adventure, with dashes of slapstick, buddy comedy humor, and really poignant romanticism. Not to get hyperbolic, but this dorky ass comic works you over, in a ton of really happy ways.
The newest batch of volumes (Monstres) is drawn by guest artists, and tells the side stories of other monsters and secondary characters in the Dungeon. This book includes art by French cartoonists Mazan and Jean-Christophe Menu.
The main complaint about Dungeon (and it's a totally fair one) is that the numbering of editions and non-linear volumes don't make it easy for new readers to figure out where the hell to start. But as a standalone read, Monstres Vol. 1 totally works on its own; However, Sfar and Trondheim pepper in tons of fan service-y connections for longtime readers. You can check out a preview on NBM's site.
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!
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!
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?
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?
I'll be blogging later in the week about other bits of manga/comics news, but first and foremost...
GUESS WHAT CAME OUT TODAY?
MW by OSAMU TEZUKA!!
I've been basically panting for this release for a few months now, and am now about to sit down and read it. 583 pages of raw Tezuka power, here I come! Also, not only is the cover of the book great, the inside hard cover (under the book jacket) is crazy scenes of riots and gas masks wrapped around the spine. Very cool.
If you haven't tracked the book down just yet, you can get a nice preview of the first chapter via Vertical's site. Or just catch the preview pages directly:
Chapter 1, pages 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15, 16-17, 18-19
20-21, 22-23, 24-25, 26-27, 28-29, 30-31, 32
In other news, the battery on my Mac (the one with all the pictures from Germany) died recently so I'm way behind on my Frankfurt Book Fair post-- big surprise, right? Meanwhile, I'm also working on posts about Kago and Umezu toys, some details about a new contributor to Same Hat and some pics and finds from the SF ZineFest a few weeks back.
Finally, Evan just got back from a 8-day trip to Japan! Once he recovers from his jet lag, I'll have him post manga news here! Evan was visiting some friends, eating MOS Burger and taking photos at the Tokyo Auto Show. It's good to have him back!
I'll be blogging later in the week about other bits of manga/comics news, but first and foremost...
GUESS WHAT CAME OUT TODAY?
MW by OSAMU TEZUKA!!
I've been basically panting for this release for a few months now, and am now about to sit down and read it. 583 pages of raw Tezuka power, here I come! Also, not only is the cover of the book great, the inside hard cover (under the book jacket) is crazy scenes of riots and gas masks wrapped around the spine. Very cool.
If you haven't tracked the book down just yet, you can get a nice preview of the first chapter via Vertical's site. Or just catch the preview pages directly:
Chapter 1, pages 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15, 16-17, 18-19
20-21, 22-23, 24-25, 26-27, 28-29, 30-31, 32
In other news, the battery on my Mac (the one with all the pictures from Germany) died recently so I'm way behind on my Frankfurt Book Fair post-- big surprise, right? Meanwhile, I'm also working on posts about Kago and Umezu toys, some details about a new contributor to Same Hat and some pics and finds from the SF ZineFest a few weeks back.
Finally, Evan just got back from a 8-day trip to Japan! Once he recovers from his jet lag, I'll have him post manga news here! Evan was visiting some friends, eating MOS Burger and taking photos at the Tokyo Auto Show. It's good to have him back!
