Kitaro's Strange Adventures
Kitaro's Strange Adventures

Author: Shigeru Mizuki

Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly

Published: 2021-03-17

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 1770464794

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More bizarre and hilarious adventures with everyone's favorite one-eyed boy! In the fourth installment of Shigeru Mizuki’s Kitaro series readers meet a whole new cast of yokai monsters, including a giant Cyclops, the villainous Blackbeard, and a malefic sea captain who attempts to summon hell on Earth. The lead adventure “Yokai Cloth,” follows Kitaro and his gang as they intercept a plot by Chinese yokai who want to enslave the Japanese population to turn the country into a yokai paradise, bringing forth the largest yokai battle yet! But anyone familiar with Kitaro knows that even the toughest yokai squad is no match for him. With the help of a few friends and some funky magic, Kitaro will do everything in his power to outwit and outplay all who challenge him. Drawn & Quarterly’s kid-friendly edition showcases stories from the golden age of Kitaro, now available for the very first time in English. It also features a bonus “History of Kitaro” essay and more yokai files by the award-winning series translator and Mizuki scholar Zack Davisson. Comedy, folklore, horror, and action meld in Kitaro’s Strange Adventures, epitomizing the whimsical all-age stories that make Kitaro one of Japan’s most celebrated and beloved characters. Translated from the Japanese by Zack Davisson.

Kitaro
Kitaro

Author: Shigeru Mizuki

Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly

Published: 2021-03-17

Total Pages: 402

ISBN-13: 1770464832

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Meet one of Japan's most popular characters of all time—Kitaro, the one-eyed monster boy Meet Kitaro. He’s just like any other boy, except for a few small differences: he only has one eye, his hair is an antenna that senses paranormal activity, his geta sandals are jet-powered, and he can blend into his surroundings like a chameleon. Oh, and he’s a yokai (spirit monster)! With all the offbeat humor of an Addams Family story, Kitaro is a lighthearted romp in which the bad guys always get what’s coming to them. Kitaro is bestselling manga-ka Shigeru Mizuki’s most famous creation. The Kitaro series was inspired by a kamishibai, or storycard theater, entitled Kitaro of the Graveyard. Mizuki began work on his interpretation of Kitaro in 1959. Originally the series was intended for boys, but once it was picked up by the influential Shonen magazine it quickly became a cultural landmark for young and old alike. Kitaro inspired half a dozen TV shows, plus numerous video games and films, and his cultural importance cannot be overstated. Presented to North American audiences for the first time in this lavish format, Mizuki’s photo-realist landscapes and cartoony characters blend the eerie with the comic. Translated from the Japanese by Jocelyne Allen.

Kitaro's Yokai Battles
Kitaro's Yokai Battles

Author: Shigeru Mizuki

Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly

Published: 2021-03-17

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 1770464816

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The spooky yokai boy Kitaro is back for his sixth book, and this time he has a pile of monsters to beat! Featuring seven stories by Japan’s beloved monster master Shigeru Mizuki, Kitaro’s Yokai Battles features some of Kitaro’s strangest foes yet—including his good pal Nezumi Otoko who decides that he should be the star of the comic! With friends like these...who needs enemies? But enemies seem to be all Kitaro has. He faces off against villains like the yokai Hoko—who has an evil scheme to corner the market on pickled daikon radish—and the Amifuri Tengu, who always brings the rain. Things get hairy in “The Great Hair Battle,” when Medama Oyaji’s friend Kemedama begs for Kitaro’s help against an attack of giant wigs. The massive mud monster Dorotabo gets down and dirty with Kitaro, and the red-tonged Akashita swoops down from above. These are just a few yokai from the hilarious cast of characters in Kitaro’s Yokai Battles! The seven stories in this 150+ page volume are collected from the late-60s golden age of Gegege no Kitaro. The stories appear in English for the first time in a kid-friendly edition; uncut and unedited, with translations by Mizuki-scholar Zack Davisson. In addition to all these pages of fun, there are bonus features like “Yokai Files,” which introduces the folklore of Japan’s monsters; and the sixth installment of the “History of Kitaro” essay by series translator Zack Davisson. Kitaro’s Yokai Battles is the perfect blend of humor and horror! Translated from the Japanese by Zack Davisson an award-winning translator, writer, and folklorist. He is the author of Yurei: the Japanese Ghost, Yokai Stories, Narrow Road, and Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan and translator of Shigeru Mizuki's multiple Eisner Award-winning Showa: a History of Japan and famous folklore comic Kitaro. He also translated globally renowned entertainment properties such as Go Nagai's Devilman and Cutie Honey, Leiji Matsumoto's Space Battleship Yamato and Captain Harlock, and Satoshi Kon's Opus. In addition, he lectured on manga, folklore, and translation at colleges such as Duke University, UCLA, and the University of Washington and contributed to exhibitions at the Henry Art Gallery, The Museum of International Folkart, Wereldmuseum Rotterdan, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Kitaro The Vampire Slayer
Kitaro The Vampire Slayer

Author: Shigeru Mizuki

Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly

Published: 2021-03-17

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1770464808

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Brit-pop meets Japanese folklore, Shigeru Mizuki summons equal parts humour, spookiness and sheer absurdity Kitaro the Vampire Slayer is the fifth volume in Shigeru Mizuki’s bizarre stories about a yokai boy and his entourage of otherworldly friends. One of the most popular Kitaro tales, the title story pits Kitaro and his family against a Beatles-inspired mop-topped, guitar-playing vampire named Erit and his castle of horrors. In an unexpected twist—spoiler alert!—Kitaro meets his demise, but even death is hardly enough to keep our favorite yokai boy down. Along with the villainous vampire, Kitaro faces a trio of monsters straight from Japanese folklore. Mizuki often pulled from classic Japanese folk tales for inspiration, as shown in these three stories. A certain serpent and temple bell appear in “The Phantom Steam Engine,” then it’s onto a bird-like creature with a big beak in “Ubume,” and Kitaro had better not look behind him when the Ushiro Gami comes to town. The four stories in this volume are collected from the late ’60s golden age of Gegege no Kitaro. Appearing in English for the first time, this kid-friendly edition is translated by Mizuki-scholar Zack Davisson and includes bonus features like “Yokai Files,” where we are introduced to Japan’s folklore monsters, and the fifth installment of the “History of Kitaro” essay by Davisson. For fans of quirky horror, Kitaro the Vampire Slayer is not one to miss! Translated from the Japanese by Zack Davisson.

Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths
Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths

Author: Shigeru Mizuki

Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly

Published: 2021-03-17

Total Pages: 372

ISBN-13: 1770464301

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A landmark publishing event of one of Japan's most famous cartoonists Shigeru Mizuki is the preeminent figure of gekiga/manga and one of the most famous working cartoonists in Japan today — a true living legend. Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths is his first book to be translated into English and is a semi-autobiographical account of the desperate final weeks of a Japanese infantry unit at the end of World War Two. The soldiers are instructed that they must go into battle and die for the honor of their country, with certain execution facing them if they return alive. Mizuki was a soldier himself (he was severely injured and lost an arm) and uses his experiences to convey the devastating consequences and moral depravity of the war. Mizuki's list of accolades and achievements is long and detailed. Currently in Japan, the life of Mizuki and his wife has been made into an extremely popular television drama that airs daily. Mizuki is the recipient of many awards including Best Album award for his book NonNonBa (published in 2012 by Drawn & Quarterly) and Heritage Essential award for Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, at the Angouleme International Comics Festival, the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Special Award, Kyokujitsu Sho Decoration, Shiju Hosho Decoration and the Kodansha Manga Award. His hometown of Sakaiminato honored him with the Shigeru Mizuki Road, a street in his town decorated with bronze statues of his Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro characters and the Shigeru Mizuki International Cultural Center. Translated from the Japanese by Jocelyne Allen.

Showa 1953-1989:
Showa 1953-1989:

Author: Shigeru Mizuki

Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly

Published: 2021-03-17

Total Pages: 606

ISBN-13: 1770464735

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The final volume in the Eisner-Nominated history of Japan Showa 1953–1989: A History of Japan concludes Shigeru Mizuki’s dazzling autobiographical and historical account of Showa period Japan, a portrait both intimate and ranging of a defining epoch. The final volume picks up in the wake of Japan’s utter defeat in World War II, as a country reduced to rubble struggles to rise again. The Korean War brings new opportunities to the nation searching for an identity. A former enemy becomes Japan’s greatest ally as the US funnels money, jobs, and opportunity into the country, hoping to establish it as a bulwark against Soviet communist expansion. Japan reinvents itself, emerging as an economic powerhouse. Events like the Tokyo Olympiad and the World’s Fair introduce a new, friendly Japan to the world, but this period of peace and plenty conceals a populace still struggling to come to terms with the devastation of World War II. The original Japanese edition of the series Showa: A History of Japan won Mizuki the prestigious Kodansha Manga Award; the English translation has been nominated for an Eisner Award. Translated from the Japanese by Zack Davisson.

Showa 1926-1939:
Showa 1926-1939:

Author: Shigeru Mizuki

Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly

Published: 2021-03-17

Total Pages: 534

ISBN-13: 1770464700

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A fascinating period in Japanese History explored by a master of manga Showa 1926-1939: A History of Japan is the first volume of Shigeru Mizuki’s meticulously researched historical portrait of twentieth century Japan. This volume deals with the period leading up to World War II, a time of high unemployment and other economic hardships caused by the Great Depression. Mizuki’s photo-realist style effortlessly brings to life Japan of the 1920s and 1930s, depicting bustling city streets and abandoned graveyards with equal ease. When the Showa Era began, Mizuki himself was just a few years old, so his earliest memories coincide with the earliest events of the Era. With his trusty narrator Rat Man, Mizuki brings history into the realm of the personal, making it palatable, and indeed compelling, for young audiences as well as more mature readers. As he describes the militarization that leads up to World War II, Mizuki’s stance toward war is thoughtful and often downright critical – his portrayal of the Nanjing Massacre clearly paints the incident (a disputed topic within Japan) as an atrocity. Mizuki’s Showa 1926-1939 is a beautifully told history that tracks how technological developments and the country’s shifting economic stability had a role in shaping Japan’s foreign policy in the early twentieth century. Translated from the Japanese by Zack Davisson.

Showa 1939-1944:
Showa 1939-1944:

Author: Shigeru Mizuki

Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly

Published: 2021-03-17

Total Pages: 550

ISBN-13: 1770464719

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A master cartoonist and war vet details Japan's involvement in World War II Showa 1939-1944: A History of Japan continues award-winning author Shigeru Mizuki’s autobiographical and historical account of Showa era Japan. This volume covers the final moments of the lead-up to World War Two and the first few years of the Pacific War; it is a chilling reminder of the harshness of life in Japan during this highly militarized epoch. In Showa 1939-1944, Mizuki writes affectingly about the impact on the Japanese populace of world-changing moments including the devastating Second Sino-Japanese War, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the first half of the Pacific War. On a personal level, these years mark a dramatic transformation in Mizuki’s life, too – his idyllic childhood in the countryside comes to a definitive end when he’s drafted into the army and shipped off to the tiny island of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea. His life becomes a constant struggle for survival, not only against the constant Allied attacks but because he must face the harsh discipline of the Japanese army officers. During his time in Rabaul, Mizuki comes to understand the misery and beauty of the island itself—a place that will permanently mark him and haunt him for the rest of his life. Translated from the Japanese by Zack Davisson.

Showa 1944-1953:
Showa 1944-1953:

Author: Shigeru Mizuki

Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly

Published: 2021-03-17

Total Pages: 542

ISBN-13: 1770464727

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A sweeping yet intimate portrait of the legacy of World War II in Japan Showa 1944–1953: A History of Japan continues award-winning author Shigeru Mizuki’s autobiographical and historical account of the Showa period in Japan. This volume recounts the events of the final years of the Pacific War, and the consequences of the war's devastation for Mizuki and the Japanese populace at large. After the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, Japan and the United States are officially at war. The two rival navies engage in a deadly game of feint and thrust, waging a series of microwars across the tiny Pacific islands. From Guadalcanal to Okinawa, Japan slowly loses ground. Finally, the United States unleashes the deathblow with a new and terrible weapon—the atomic bomb. The fallout from the bombs is beyond imagining. On another front, Showa 1944–1953 traces Mizuki’s own life story across history’s sweeping changes during this period, charting the impact of the war’s end on his life choices. After losing his arm during the brutal fighting, Mizuki struggles to decide where to go: whether to remain on the island as an honored friend of the local Tolai people or return to the rubble of Japan and take up his dream of becoming a cartoonist. Showa 1944–1953 is a searing condemnation of the personal toll of war from one of Japan’s most famous cartoonists. Translated from the Japanese by Zack Davisson.

Tono Monogatari
Tono Monogatari

Author: Shigeru Mizuki

Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly

Published: 2021-03-17

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 1770464875

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The beloved mangaka adapts one of his country—and teh world's—great works of supernatural literature Shigeru Mizuki—Japan’s grand master of yokai comics—adapts one of the most important works of supernatural literature into comic book form. The cultural equivalent of Brothers Grimm’s fairy tales, Tono Monogatari is a defining text of Japanese folklore and one of the country’s most important works of literature. This graphic novel was created during the later stage of Mizuki’s career, after he had retired from the daily grind of commercial comics to create personal, lasting works of art. Originally written in 1910 by folklorists and field researchers Kunio Yanagita and Kizen Sasaki, Tono Monogatari celebrates and archives legends from the Tono region. These stories were recorded as Japan’s rapid modernization led to the disappearance of traditional culture. This adaptation mingles the original text with autobiography: Mizuki attempts to retrace Yanagita and Sasaki’s path, but finds his old body is not quite up to the challenge of following in their footsteps. As Mizuki wanders through Tono he retells some of the most famous legends, manifesting a host of monsters, dragons, and foxes. In the finale, Mizuki meets Yanagita himself and the two sit down to discuss their works. Translated with additional essays by Mizuki scholar and English-language translator Zack Davisson, Tono Monogatari displays Mizuki at his finest, exploring the world he most cherished. Tono Monogatari was translated by Zack Davisson, an award-winning translator, writer, and folklorist. He is the author of Yurei: the Japanese Ghost, Yokai Stories, Narrow Road, and Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan and translator of Shigeru Mizuki's multiple Eisner Award-winning Showa: a History of Japan and famous folklore comic Kitaro. He also translated globally renowned entertainment properties such as Go Nagai's Devilman and Cutie Honey, Leiji Matsumoto's Space Battleship Yamato and Captain Harlock, and Satoshi Kon's Opus. In addition, he lectured on manga, folklore, and translation at colleges such as Duke University, UCLA, and the University of Washington and contributed to exhibitions at the Henry Art Gallery, The Museum of International Folkart, Wereldmuseum Rotterdan, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.