Kitaro's Strange Adventures

Kitaro's Strange Adventures
Author: Shigeru Mizuki
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2021-03-17
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 1770464794

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
Total Pages: 402
Release: 2021-03-17
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 1770464832

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
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2021-03-17
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 1770464816

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.

The Birth of Kitaro

The Birth of Kitaro
Author: Shigeru Mizuki
Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2016-05-31
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 9781770462281

Meet one of Japan's most popular characters of all time-Kitaro, the One-Eyed Monster Boy The Birth of Kitaro collects seven of Shigeru Mizuki's early, and beloved, Kitaro stories, making them available for the first time in English, in an all-new, kid-friendly format. These stories are from the golden era of the late 1960s, when Gegege no Kitaro truly hit its stride as an all-ages supernatural series. Mizuki's Kitaro stories are both timelessly relevant and undeniably influential, inspiring a decades-long boom in stories about yokai, Japanese ghosts, and monsters. "Kitaro's Birthday" reveals the origin story of the yokai boy Kitaro and his tiny eyeball father, Medama Oyaji. "Neko Musume versus Nezumi Otoko" is the first of Mizuki's stories to feature the popular recurring character Neko Musume, a little girl who transforms into a cat when she gets angry or hungry. Other stories in The Birth of Kitaro draw heavily from Japanese folklore, with Kitaro taking on legendary Japanese yokai like the Nopperabo and Makura Gaeshi, and fighting the monstrous recurring villain Gyuki. With more than 150 pages of spooky and often funny comics about the titular yokai boy, The Birth of Kitaro is the perfect introduction to the award-winning author Mizuki's most popular series, seminal comics that have won the hearts of Japanese children and adults for more than half a century.

Kitaro and The Great Tanuki War

Kitaro and The Great Tanuki War
Author: Shigeru Mizuki
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2021-03-17
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 1770464786

Kitaro faces off against a swamp monster, a paper screen come to life, and an army of mythical raccoon dogs Kitaro and the Great Tanuki War features adventures of Shigeru Mizuki’s beloved yokai boy. In the epic title story, Kitaro battles the tanuki, a Japanese animal that features prominently in the country’s yokai legends. The furry beasts draw on the power of the blood moon to awaken the monstrous catfish that lives in the depths of the Earth. The twisting of the catfish causes earthquakes that threaten to destroy all of Japan. With his yokai allies captured, Kitaro is the only one left who can take on the great tanuki and his army. Will he be up for the challenge? This volume contains two additional stories about traditional folklore monsters as seen through Mizuki’s whimsical and genre-defining lens. In “Mokumokuren,” Kitaro faces off against a paper screen come to life, while “The Obebenuma Yokai” introduces a grisly swamp creature. Kitaro and the Great Tanuki War showcase the golden age of Gegege no Kitaro series from the 1960s – and have never appeared in English before. D+Q’s Kitaro series celebrates Mizuki’s expert blend of folklore, comedy, and horror, sharing the all-ages stories that made Kitaro one of Japan’s most beloved characters. This kid-friendly edition also features a “History of Kitaro” essay by award-winning series translator and Mizuki scholar Zack Davisson. Translated from the Japanese by Zack Davisson.

Kitaro The Vampire Slayer

Kitaro The Vampire Slayer
Author: Shigeru Mizuki
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2021-03-17
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 1770464808

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.

Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon

Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon
Author: Shigeru Mizuki
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2021-03-17
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 1770464778

The second in a seven volume series of the best of Shigeru Mizuki's Kitaro comics, designed with a kid-friendly format and price point! Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon is the second volume in the adventures of Shigeru Mizuki’s bizarre yokai boy Kitaro and his gaggle of otherworldly friends. These seven stories date from the golden age of Gegege no Kitaro, when Mizuki had perfected the balance of folklore, comedy, and horror that made Kitaro one of Japan’s most beloved characters. In “Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon,” Kitaro and his father Medama Oyaji face off against one of their most powerful enemies—the self-styled Yokai Supreme Commander known as Nurarihyon. Over the course of this volume, Kitaro takes on the swamp-dwelling Sawa Kozo, the mysterious Diamond Yokai, the sea giant called Umizato, and wages a double-feature of battles against the bizarre Odoro Odoro. Finally, Kitaro journeys to hell itself in the infamous and surreal story “Hell Ride.” In addition to more than 150 pages of Mizuki’s all-ages monster fun, Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon includes bonus materials: “Yokai Files” that introduce Japan’s folklore monsters and a “History of Kitaro” essay by translator Zack Davisson. If you found the world of yokai fascinating in The Birth of Kitaro, you will find even more to love in Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon! Translated from the Japanese by Zack Davisson.

Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths

Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths
Author: Shigeru Mizuki
Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
Total Pages: 372
Release: 2021-03-17
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 1770464301

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
Total Pages: 606
Release: 2021-03-17
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 1770464735

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
Total Pages: 534
Release: 2021-03-17
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 1770464700

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.