Pirates! Comics! And Manga!
Pirates! Comics! What more could a Johnny Depp-adoring Japanese girl ask for? (I bet you didn't know that fully 1/3 of the publishing industry in Japan is dedicated to comics! I was raised on that stuff, my friends.) El Pacifico features the work of three L.A.-based artists who are executing "comic book improvisation." What's fascinating is that they each produce great work but with a very distinct style. I have such deep respect for comic book artists because the good ones must provide a vivid, (usually) hand-drawn, visual representation of the story in addition to the already-difficult task of producing a complex plot with engaging characters and believable dialogue.
And, I simply could not post on comic books without sharing some of my favorite Japanese manga:
Dragonball: The all-time, number-one, hands-down- most-influential- to-my-growing-up favorite by world-class cartoonist Akira Toriyama. And it really is a shame that most people only know it in its anime version, because I personally find the comics much more compelling. And by compelling, I mean incredibly addictive. A must-read for anyone who wants to know anything about recent Japanese pop culture, in my opinion anyway.
Ranma 1/2: The plot for this series runs a bit on the bizarre side, but it's still fantastic. The author, Rumiko Takahashi, is one of the most prolific Japanese comic book artists--and for good reason. Her comics often appeal to both boys and girls, by combining teenage love, angst, and martial arts in pretty much equal proportions. Good times.
Yuu Yuu Hakusho: Slightly darker than the above two, as this series starts off with the main character's death and his turning into a 'ghost fighter' (for lack of a better word) to avoid the less appealing path of going to hell. Definitely a boy's comic filled with martial arts, gory images, and very crass jokes, but that never bothered me. The inconsistency of the drawing style, a uniquely Japanese trait in comic books, manifests itself in droves.
There are so many more! But I'll stop there before I scare y'all away. Some time this summer when I'm back home in Tokyo, I'll post about comic books geared for adults, which is a whole separate ball of wax--but is also a very interesting cultural phenomenom.
And, I simply could not post on comic books without sharing some of my favorite Japanese manga:
Dragonball: The all-time, number-one, hands-down- most-influential- to-my-growing-up favorite by world-class cartoonist Akira Toriyama. And it really is a shame that most people only know it in its anime version, because I personally find the comics much more compelling. And by compelling, I mean incredibly addictive. A must-read for anyone who wants to know anything about recent Japanese pop culture, in my opinion anyway.
Ranma 1/2: The plot for this series runs a bit on the bizarre side, but it's still fantastic. The author, Rumiko Takahashi, is one of the most prolific Japanese comic book artists--and for good reason. Her comics often appeal to both boys and girls, by combining teenage love, angst, and martial arts in pretty much equal proportions. Good times.
Yuu Yuu Hakusho: Slightly darker than the above two, as this series starts off with the main character's death and his turning into a 'ghost fighter' (for lack of a better word) to avoid the less appealing path of going to hell. Definitely a boy's comic filled with martial arts, gory images, and very crass jokes, but that never bothered me. The inconsistency of the drawing style, a uniquely Japanese trait in comic books, manifests itself in droves. There are so many more! But I'll stop there before I scare y'all away. Some time this summer when I'm back home in Tokyo, I'll post about comic books geared for adults, which is a whole separate ball of wax--but is also a very interesting cultural phenomenom.
posted by the Assistant at 1:34 AM
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