February 1991 Pt.5 Manga round-up

 Manga round-up, 

US imported Manga in a comic book style (flipped and read Left to Right).

We still had a few on-going Manga comic-books and Anime based comic-books that could be still found “On the racks” in December of 1990, such as:-

#43 of 'Lone Wolf and Cub'  (End of 1-45)

from First comics,

#26 of Outlanders. (1-33)

from Dark Horse Comics.

#29 AKIRA (1-38)

from Epic.

#7 of  Crying Freeman: Part Two (1-9)

#3 of Horobi: Book Two (1-7)

 from Viz Comics.

#8 of 2001 Nights  (1 – 10)

#5 of Lost Continent (1-6)

 from Viz Comics.

GRAPHIC-NOVELS STILL ON SALE IN THIS MONTH FROM THE YEAR PAST:

The Laughing Target (GN)

Shion – Blade of the Minstral  (GN) #1

What's Michael? (GN)

What's Michael? (GN)  BOOK #2

PINEAPPLE ARMY (GN) #1

The Legend of Kamui – the Island of Sugaru (GN)

LUM (Vol #1)  (GN)

Appleseed Book #1 (GN) Promethean Challenge

Appleseed Book #2 (GN) Prometheus Unbound

Dirty Pair – Biohazards (GN)

Hotel Harbour View (GN)

Crying Freeman – Portrait of a Killer Vol #1 (GN)

Crying Freeman – Portrait of a Killer Vol #2 (GN)

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Vol #2 (GN )

from Eclipse Comics, &  from Viz Comics.

October 1990 Pt. 9 Manga round-up

October's Manga overview and round-up.

We still had quite a few on-going Manga comic-books and Anime based comic-books that could be still found “On the racks” in October of 1990, such as:-

#25\26 of 'AKIRA' (1-38)

 from Epic Comics.

#39 of 'Lone Wolf and Cub' (1-40)

from First comics,

#22 of Outlanders. (1-33)

from Dark Horse Comics.

#4 Black Magic (1 – 4)

#1 Lost Continent (1-6)

from Eclipse Comics

#9 of COBRA (1-12)

#3 of Crying Freeman: Part Two (1-9)

#8 of HOROBI: Part One (1-8)

#4 of 2001 Nights (1 – 10)

from Viz Comics.

Trade Paperbacks and Graphic Novels:

Hotel Harbour View (GN) 
– a one off \stand-a-lone printing

Crying Freeman
 – Portrait of a killer Vol 1. (GN)

NON-Manga:

[Note: You still had comics inspired by Anime & manga]

#4 of Lensman: Galactic Patrol

#11 of 'Leiji Matsumoto's Captain Harlock',

#16 of 'Robotech II – The Sentinels Book One'

from Eternity Comics.

 #4 Dirty Pair III

from Eclipse Comics

Dirty Pair Book 3 – A plague of Angels (GN) 
-Adam Warren & Toren Smith  
from Eclipse Comics.

[NOTE: all images are taken from my own manga collection, that is still ongoing.]

[NOTE: it is quite difficult to date AKIRA by month, as each issue only has the Year, and finding other reliable sources to cross reference is very hard.]

July 1990 Pt.9 Manga Round-up overview

We still had a few on-going Manga comic-books and Anime based comic-books that still could be found “On the racks” in your local independent Comic-Book shop or store, in July of 1990.  

Such as:-

#22 of 'AKIRA' (1-38)

#35 of 'Lone Wolf and Cub' (1-40)

from First comics,

#19of Outlanders. (1-33)

from Dark Horse Comics.

#1 of 2001 Nights (1-10)

#6 of COBRA (1-12)

#8 of 'Baoh', (End of 1-8)

#5 of HOROBI: Part One (1-6)

from Viz Comics.

GRAPHIC-NOVELS ON SALE IN THIS MONTH:

The Legend of Kamui – the Island of Sugaru #1

from Viz Comics.

GRAPHIC-NOVELS STILL ON SALE IN THIS MONTH:

What's Michael?

Appleseed Book #1

Dirty Pair – Biohazards

from Eclipse Comics

LUM Vol #1

The Legend of Kamui – the Island of Sugaru 1 of 2.

from Viz Comics.

[Note: You still had Issues of Lensman (now Galactic Patrol #1 July 1990 (1-5) , 'Leiji Matsumoto's Captain Harlock', 'Robotech II – The Sentinels Book One'  (1-16), Robotech II The Sentinels The Malcontent Uprisings (1-12)  from Eternity Comics. on the shelves as the printing and overseas delivery were not always every month.]

[Note: Was there any more issues of Shuriken Cold Steel after  issues 1 to 6 by Reggie Byers & Neil Vokes (Kyoko Shidara ?) that finished in February of 1990 from Eternity Comics?]

July 1990 Pt.8 Manga (new releases)

2001 Nights. Written and illustrated by Yukinobu Hoshino. This flipped manga ran in 10 monthly issues from July 1990 to May 1991, and was published in North America by Viz Comics (now Viz Media). English adaptation by Fred Burke & Matt Thorn. Originally serialised in 'Super Action' Monthly in June of 1984, owned by Futabasha Inc. and later collected into 3 volumes and printed in '85 to '86.

As you can see '2001 Nights' made the front cover of the well known catalogue 'Advanced Comics', this would have been seen by every independent comic-book shop owner in America, Canada, and those in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, as well as their keen devotees that ordered comic-books, this must have helped to bring people's attention to the small niche publisher Viz Comics (now Viz Media), and an unknown writer and illustrator Yukinobu Hoshino I would think!

2001 Nights is a collection of short stories that focus on mankind's future exploration of space, using this framework to analyse how theories, and models mite be played out when the human-race venture out in to the deep black space of stars. Looking back I must have found VIZ's Tag-lines quite compelling “A space adventure for our generation...” & “where science collides with man's dreams of space conquest...” “ Yukinobu Hoshino's Masterpiece of Science Fiction comics!”, but with only having Issues 2. and 10. form this short run of 10 translated manga by Yukinobu Hoshino in my collection.

As I've hinted before US comic-book imports to UK comic-book shops were a bit hit and miss, as manga was such a small percent of what they would order, and not fully knowing British readers trends and consciousnesses. 

A new manga title could fly-off the shelves, or not get on to the shelves at all. It was such a small part of American imports!

I was thus compelled to dig a little deeper into this unusual example of Science Fiction defined by its intensity on scientific accuracy known as 'Hard SF', and of its author Yukinobu Hoshino, so off down the rabbit hole I went, the World Wide Web and its Internet let you tumble on down to a wealth of information (barely imagined back in the 1990's), that's not always directly connected, but gives you a spring-board to indulge your curiosity.

Three days later! With my own paper-based records, and a multitude of Web sources I was able to add to my Notes (see bellow) on English examples of Yukinobu Hoshino's work having been so impressed by '2001 Nights' I felt so obligated to find and share as much as I could.

The 19 short stories are a must see for their art style and for their insight, and philosophy of mankind's journey into the sea of stars. Search out Hoshino's earlier SF work 'Saber Tiger', and you may well find the odd issue of '2001 Nights' at a comic-book fair\market and out there in the internet, and I can point you to Dark Horse Comics' printing of 'The Two Faces of Tomorrow' as an accessible example for your Manga shelf or next to your SF novels, and I'll leave you with this quote from the respected Jonathan Clements on Hoshino. - “Japan’s mastermind of historical SF”.

[NOTE: other English adaptations of Yukinobu Hoshino's manga in published that you can look out for include; Saber Tiger (Science Fiction) published in North America by Viz Comics, in May of 1991 under their 'Viz Spectrum Edition' series of trade paperbacks as a one-off (this was an earlier work from 1980); The Two Faces of Tomorrow (Science Fiction) published in North America by Dark Horse Comics in 1997, and as a trade paperback in 2006 (originally published in Japan in 1993) an adaptation of the Science Fiction novel by James P Hogan; Professor Munakata’s British Museum Adventure (Modern day - Detective) published in United Kingdom by British Museum Press in October of 2011. A one-off trade paperback of a much larger Japanese serialisation.]

[NOTE: to this date (2018) 2 animated adaptations of Hoshino's '2001 Nights' manga have been produced; Space Fantasia 2001 Nights in 1987 directed by Yoshio Takeuchi ; T.O. - Elliptical Orbit & Symbiotic Planet in 2009 directed by Fumihiko Sori. UK release date September 2011.]

Issue 10 May 1991 (final issue).

[NOTE: Viz Comics (now Viz Media) reprinted 2001 Nights in a Deluxe Hardcover in January of 1996 priced at $21.95, and by June\July of 1996 3 Softcover volumes were printed entitled; 2001 NIGHTS, and 2001 NIGHTS: Journey Beyond Tomorrow and 2001 NIGHTS: Children of Earth. Each volume was priced at $16.95.]

Issue 10 May 1991 back cover (final issue).

[NOTE: English Viz Comics story titles - Issue #1;Night 1: "Earthglow", Night 2: "Sea of Fertility", Night 3: "Maelstrom III", Night 4: "Posterity"; Issue #2 Night 5: "Rendezvous", Night 6: "Discovery", (page 21 – 40), Night 7: "Lucifer Rising-part 1"; Issue #3 Night 7: "Lucifer Rising-part 2"; Issue #4 Night 8: "The Lights of Heaven", Night 9: "Journey Beyond Tomorrow part 1: I Am Rocket, part 2: A Gift From Earth" ; Issue #5 Night 10: "Medusa's Throne", Night 11: "A Stranger's Footsteps" ; Issue #6 Night 12: "Symbiotic Planet", Night 13: "Final Evolution" ; Issue #7 Night 14: "Elliptical Orbit", Night 15: "An Hour's Song in a Birdless Sky"; Issue #8 Night 16: "Colony", Night 17: "So Brief, So Lasting a Love"; Issue #9 Night 18: "Odyssey in Green-part 1"; Issue #10 Night 18: "Odyssey in Green-part 2", The Final Night: "Children of Earth".] 

SABER TIGER  May 1991 (an earlier work from 1980).

That's what was new in july of 1990.

Blog update 85

Blog update 85 or a retrospective on 2017's work.

I was a little bit distracted ( See Below) with collecting and cataloguing in 2017; cataloguing the Flipped Manga comic-books from 1987 to the early 90's; with some of these replace lost or sold copies that I had at the time, or just to get examples ready for the coming years of blogging (as I thought that this would save time in the long run!). As the UK Anime Fandom and the Retail industry are in their infancy from the early 90's to the mid 90's, my task only gets bigger, as the “Explosion” of Anime takes off, my collection of Retail paraphernalia, and that of early Anime conventions dwarf that of my Japanese Anime magazines (well my NewTypes end after 95).

So to2018 and its depiction of 1990 and 1991, before the Old Guard all gets dementia, and before the new generation of Fans can not avert their eyes from Video clips to find and explore the past.

THANKS for scrolling down this far....

Even from these Thumbnails the cover art leaps out at you!

[The collection of Covers; and Editor's notes; letters page; as well as Adverts of the time will help give insight and put down the chronological facts.]

June 1990 Pt.4 Manga Round-up \ overview

We still had a few on-going Manga comic-books and Anime based comic-books that could be found “On the racks” in June of 1990, such as:-

from Epic comics,
#21 of 'AKIRA' (1-38)

from First comics,
#34 of 'Lone Wolf and Cub' (1-40)

from Dark Horse Comics.
#18 of Outlanders. (1-33)
#2 Black Magic (1 – 4)










from Viz Comics,
#5 of COBRA (1-12)
#7 of 'Baoh', (1-8)
#4 of HOROBI: Part One (1-6)

from Eclipse Comics,
#8 Cyber 7 Book two (8-17)











GRAPHIC-NOVELS STILL ON SALE IN JUNE:

from Eclipse Comics,
What's Michael?
Appleseed Book #1
Dirty Pair – Biohazards
              
from Viz Comics,
LUM Vol #1                              









And you still had from Eternity Comics,
#5 of Lensman (1-5)
#4 of 'Leiji Matsumoto's Captain Harlock',
#15 of 'Robotech II – The Sentinals Book One'












[NOTE:As it says “on the shelves”, via the printing, but as overseas delivery was not always every month to the UK guaranteed for each issue.]

May 1990 Pt.2b Special Correspondence

By the end of May, once again a thrust for knowledge, and the feeling to connect with a force that for Me drove part of Anime & Manga Fandom especially from over here in England (UK), it was a delight to receive a letter from 'Studio Proteus' sign by Toren Smith.

For those of a later generation of Fans Toren Smith of 'Studio Proteus' scouted Manga in Japan for a north American English speaking audience back in the 80's and 90's, His company translated the Manga and then in conjugation with comic-book publishers & distributors brought them to a wider western market. Companies like 'Dark Horse', 'Eclipse Comics', and 'Viz International'

Having someone hand pick a wide selection of Manga gave us the mark to set other manga by, and by chance or design many of them were made in to Anime OVAs and films too (greatly helped viewing all those raw Un-subtitled Japanimations that we all had acquired!

 

[NOTE: 'The Venus Wars' was published from April 1991 – May 1992 The Venus Wars issues 1 – 14 and The Venus Wars II 1 – 15 from June 1992 to August 1993.]

[NOTE: 'Lost Continent' was published I believe from September 1991 over to May 1992 - Lost Continent #1-6 , but I would need copies of these comic-books\manga to prove these dates.]

[NOTE: 'Dirty pair – A Plague of Angels' was published was published I believe trimonthly from August 1990 to August 1991 Dirty Pair III A Plague of Angels 1-5 but I would need copies of these comic-books\manga to prove these dates.]

[Special Note: Does anyone know of the projects in England that Studio Proteus was involved in?]

Having the power of the Pen has given Me another unique memento that I will always treasure, and even thou I never met him Toren is sorely missed from over this side of the pond.

TorenSmith (April 12, 1960 to March 4, 2013)

May 1990 Pt.2a Special Correspondence

Special Correspondence.

 

It was not my intention to mimic the speed of witch information travelled in the 80's and 90's, with Newsletters, Fanzines, Magazines, and Journals, that only took a few months to make there way across from North America and Canada to the UK (as so much printed martial was Bi-monthly\Trimonthly), it was also the age of Letter writing by post to other Fans and Businesses.

The Blog continues....

Taking the addresses that the Japanese Embassy had given me I must have sent out a couple of Letters, and now years later (about 25 or so) I find to my astonishment a reply from KODANSHA Ltd.

  Not only was this a reply from Japan's big publishing house KODANSHA Ltd, in relation to my inquiries about the animated feature film AKIRA, but a reply from Ken Tsunoda (Associate Producer of the AKIRA Committee).No doubt fuelled by my love of the manga AKIRA by Katsuhiro Otomo.

 

 

Sometimes we make our own unique mementos, with little thought of the future, having at the time only a thrust for knowledge.

[NOTE: May 7^th.1990 “in the near future, you can see the movie AKIRA,” - “in English theather”, it would be London a première January 25^th. 1991 and then the rest of the UK – Edinburgh April 24^th. - 27^th. - May 16^th. - 17^th. Leicester]

[NOTE: That as of 24/05/2016, I have as yet to find more details on Channel 4's ' The Media Show' introduction to Japanese comics and animation in and around June or July of 1990.]

[NOTE: I did get the VHS video of the 'AKIRA Production Report' from the American distributor of the AKIRA movie STREANLINE PICTURES, but that is for another time.]

March 1990 Pt.6 Manga round-up

We still had a few on-going Manga comic-books and Anime based comic-books that could be still found “On the racks” in March of 1990, such as:-

#15 of Outlanders.

from Dark Horse Comics.

#5 of Appleseed: Book3, (End of Book3)

#6 of 'Cyber 7: Book Two',

#5 of Dirty Pair II, (End of DP II)

#4 of Dominion.

from Eclipse Comics.

#2 of Lensman

#4 of 'Leiji Matsumoto's Captain Harlock',

#15 of 'Robotech II – The Sentinals Book One'

from Eternity Comics.

#2 of COBRA

#6 of Crying Freeman: Part One

#4 of 'Baoh',

#1 of HOROBI: Part One

from Viz Comics.

GRAPHIC-NOVELS ON SALE IN THIS MONTH:

What's Michael?

from Eclipse Comics

[Note: You still had some of the issues of 'Lone Wolf and Cub' from First comics, and 'AKIRA' from Epic Comics, on the shelves as the printing and overseas delivery were not always every month.]