Showing posts with label Eclipse International. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eclipse International. Show all posts
Thursday, 23 July 2020
October 1990 Pt. 8a Manga
Lost Continent. Written and illustrated by Akihiro Yamada. Eclipse International , published in a monthly format for a total of 1 - 6 issues, from October 1990 to April 1991, English adaptation (Studio Proteus) Translated by Alan Gleason and Toren Smith ; lettered and retouched by Tom Orzechowski ; edited by Greg S. Baisden. Originally published as
'The Last Continent' copyright 1990 Akihiro Yamada and Tokyo Sanseisha.
From issue 1.
I am only guessing
here, but when it comes to style and art, many of Akihiro Yamada's
panels look as thou they have had the help of Edge Detection
software, either Prewitt, or Sobel (a common filter\effect found,
that you can apply to scanned photographs), possibly running on a
Silicon Graphics (SGI) Visual Workstation (I think at the time it may
have been either a IRIS Power Series or a Professional IRIS series
computer, as that would fit the bill for the early late 80's, early
90's)
This actually helps
with the 1950's style and look that the story flows through.
It all starts with the discovery of an abandoned Sea-plane, a year after its Polar Expedition, a newspaper reporter, and a mysterious woman... Find it and read on...!
From issue 1.
From issue 1.
From issue 1.
From issue 2.
From issue 3.
From issue 4
From issue 5.
From issue 6.
[NOTE: Nobu Shirase (a
army reserve lieutenant) privately funded the first expedition by a
non-European nation to the Antarctic 1910–12 (Antarctic, the South
Pole); Japan commenced its scientific activities in Antarctica in
1956, which was marked by the voyage of “Soya” with the 1st
Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) on board. Shirase
Glacier 1957–62 and Shirase Coast 1961 - thus two subsequent
Japanese icebreakers were named Shirase In 1990 'The Shirase
Antarctic Expedition Memorial Museum' was opened in Nikaho, Akita
Prefecture, Tohoku, Japan.]
[NOTE: The author Jules
Verne had written about a 'Hollow Earth' in his 1864 novel 'Journey
to the Centre of the Earth', and other fictional writers such as
Edgar Rice Burroughs were writing from 1914\1922 with 'At the Earth's
Core' the first of his set of seven novels located in the land of
Pellucidar, the last novel being 'Savage Pellucidar' printed in
1963.]
[NOTE: The 1942 horror
film produced for RKO by Val Lewton, with the French director Jacques
Tourneur 'CAT PEOPLE', may have been an inspiration to the manga, but
that is conjecture on my part.]
From issue 1.
Ad. taken from Mangajin.
[No more details have come to light regarding its serialised Japanese publication origins.]
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
March 1990 Pt.5b Manga
What's
Michael?. Written and illustrated
by Makoto Kobayashi. published by Eclipse Books (Eclipse
International) with translation by Dana Lewis & Toren Smith of
Studio Proteus,
Sold as a single issue Graphic
Album (about 110 pages), March
1990 . Originally serialized in Comic Morning
Magazine and published by Kodansha Ltd. From 1985 to 1990 (Nine
Volumes were published over this time.
“ The cat comic that
exploded onto the bestseller lists in Japan is now available in
America”
AWHAT'S
MICHAEL? Is a collection short stories
set in a multiverse about Michael
the cat, and his interactions with food providers\owners as well as
in an anthropomorphic Cat Vs Dogs world.
Toren
Smith of Studio Proteus,
said “it's a very funny comic.”
“WHAT'S
MICHAEL? Explores the foilbies and follies of cat-fanciers, and cats,
from every walk of life.!”
Toren
Smith was asked by Eclipse International to try and get the rights
WHAT'S
MICHAEL? From Kodansha Ltd. he very sceptical as they where a huge
company and that they already had a relationship with a major
American Comic-book publisher, Marvel. But they turned out to be very
approachable and professional.
[Note: on the
inside page of the Album there is printed “Special thanks to
Kodansha liaison Yuda Ando.”]
At
the time it was a big gamble for Eclipse and Studio Proteus to sell
though a chain of book stores in the USA a funny comic-book about a
cat, when one of those book store chains only bought 50 copies
initially, then only a few months later ordered 500! So volume was
also in the running, and all before these cute cats on the internet
too!
[Note:
The above information about Studio Proteus involvement was gleaned
from an Interview published in Issue 22 of 'The Rose' July 1990,
Anime Hasshin's club-zine – Lorraine Savage interviewed Toren
Smith.]
[Note:
it took some considerable time to pinpoint the month of this album's
printing.]
Monday, 27 January 2014
Fledgeling Comic Books Pt. 26
In the US Americanised
Anime had, had some success on the television networks, and had
spawned a few comic books paying tribute in the likes of - Speed
Racer, The Original Astro Boy 12, Leiji Matsumoto's Captain Harlock,
and Star Blazers (and to this day, generations fondly remember
the TV shows, including the edited and Americanised Robotech series).
The primordial imported
comic-books of translated manga from the US in the late 80's were
instantly recognised by their name when they became an Anime.
[UPDATE: The first Manga to be taken from an existing Cinematic Intellectual Property was based on the Toho Company's film; Gojira 1984 (English Release “Godzilla 1985”), and not a published Manga first.]
Gojira the manga was first published in Japan by; Shogakukan, Inc. and with story and art by Kazuhisa Iwata. This IP was licensed to Dark Horse Comics in 1987, and was advertised to be published and printed for April 1988, as a Six Issue 'Black and White' comic-book Mini-series.
After looking into the history of Godzilla comic-books published by Dark Horse, only this manga was ever translated into English, the other stories, of Godzilla were written by Dark Horse's American staff, but oddly enough this first Manga for Dark Horse did have a Trade Paperback\Graphic Novel that had three printings (1st. Printing January 1990, 2nd May 1995, 3rd May 1995.), there was also a Re-Printing (and renaming) of the mini-series in 1998, in colour - no less!; “DARK HORSE CLASSICS TERROR OF GODZILLA” . The Fourth printing was in the British Anthology comic-book magazine 'Manga Mania' published by Dark Horse International in 1993.
'GODZILLA'
Godzilla #5 (December 1988) & Terror of Godzilla #5 (December 1998).
CLODZILLA ( )
CLODZILLA ( )
CLODZILLA ( )
These
heavily influenced the UK Fandom (go with what you know), and when so
few of us could translate Japanese, and have access to Sub-titling
equipment the comic-books provided the familiar stories and plots, so
that you could enjoy the Anime even more.
LONE WOLF and CUB.
MAZINGER.
AKIRA.
Some of these
comic-books would stand the test of time (still selling enough for
reprints every few years or so) Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,
AKIRA, Lone Wolf and Cub as
their Copy-rights changed hands, or the licence holder was bought-out
by a bigger producer or Publisher!
What early UK Anime Fan
would not have in their collection of OVAs, TV episodes and films of
:- Baoh, Dirty Pair, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, AKIRA,
Crying Freeman, Appleseed, Kamui (Dagger of), Outlanders, Grey
(Digital target), Fire Tripper, Dominion (Tank Police), Lum, Justy
(Cosmo Police), Fist of the North Star, and Area 88.
[Note: By the arrival
of the mid 90's the Japanese manga style, and its genres where being
imitated by Western cartoonist and comic-book artists.]
This
comic-book influence would continue in to the 90's as more fans
gravitated towards Manga for its more mature reader. The
sensationalistic violence (sometimes graphically depicted on the side
of gratuitous), and horrific portrayals of cause and effect, as well
as semi nudity may have enticed many, but good storytelling with
protagonists that you had infested in emotionally sold well.
Just looking at the
artwork of a still of an animated cel, you began to recognise the
Artist and the Animation Studio and then you are well and truly
hooked!
[Note: comic-books
where a jumping off point for sources of information on Japanese pop
culture, as mini articles by the Editors, Translators, and the
Writers themselves would sporadically appear. Even the humble
'Letters page' would give us some insight in appreciating this new
wave of comic-books, and after all many a Fan Club & Pen Pals was
the catalyst that unite us.]
Saturday, 12 October 2013
Manga in the 80's Pt. 9
Dominion. Written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. Published by Eclipse International & Studio Proteus in 6 issues in a Monthly format from December 1989 to May 1990. The manga was originally published by Hakusensha 1986.
A highly enjoyable Science Fiction comedy!
[Note. Like so many translated manga of its time only a short number of issues where produced to show the verity and style form Japan, and then where gone! Easily missed at your local comic-book store.][Note. So popular was this series that over the years, 3 sets of OVAs have been animated (Dominion Tank Police, New Dominion Tank, and TANK S.W.A.T. 01).]
[Note. Masamune Shirow is best known in the West by his seminal work “Appleseed”.]
[UPDATE: Collection of issues 1 to 6 now complete]
Dominion #1 to #6 from Eclipse Comics.
[NOTE: When I was missing issues 4,5, & 6, at the time I also missed out on adverts and articles too.]
The Promethean Challenge.
Graphic Album
Shipping in Spring of 1990.
[UPDATE: From Dark Horse comics; Collection of 7 manga comic books would be printed in 1996 (March to August, and ) 'Masamune Shirow's DOMINION Conflict 1 - No more noise' #1 to #6.
#1to #3
#4 to #6
[NOTE: these last 7 manga comic-books were added to my collection, in April of 2021.]
Saturday, 21 September 2013
Manga in the 80's Pt. 5
Heavy Metal Warrior XENON. Written and illustrated by Masaomi Kanzaki. Ran for 23 Biweekly Issues from December 1987 to November 1988 by Eclipse International\Viz Comics completing the story arc. Taken from serialization in Shonen Big that started in1985.
Heavy Metal Warrior XENON.
[reprinted in volumes (1 to 4) and
owned by Viz Communications in 1992]
This is our first foray in to a
technological World of Science Fiction, when after missing for three
months the17 year old Asuka Kano having been kidnapped by the
organisation of the “Bloody Sea”, and against his will made into
a weapon, a Cyborg no less! The trauma of which has given him
amnesia, so he does not know that he has been transformed!!
Now the deemed the 'ultimate project'
and labelled 'Xenon', Asuka has become two fully integrated
creatures, one mechanical, and one Human, and after his escapee from
the Bloody Sea's laboratory, he is hunted by those employed with a
psyche found in nature of violence, bloody violence (volunteers to be
man-machines), all is not lost as his High School friends try and
help him regain his identity and memories, and as luck would have it
the girl with the schoolgirl crush on him has a Grandfather who is a
scientist (a little off his rocker...you could say) with a fully
equipped mansion laboratory.
The action of blood and oil, wires and
sinew took place over comic-book panels where the art replaced the
dialogue in telling the story (the Manga style).
[You will find this a reoccurring theme
of “man and machine” is part of the Japanese national Psyche. In
understanding industrialisation, and a hope for a better tomorrow.]
[ In issue 3 a two page article written
by the author of 'Manga, manga: the World of Japanese comics'
Frederik L. Schodt was entitled 'Japan – A land in love with
Robots'. From a child android and remote controlled brutish robot,
to the piloted warrior robots, and Cyborgs, to the machine known as a
Mobile Suits, Japan was indeed in love with Robots, and so it was in
the West in the 1980's too!]
[A forthcoming book in January of 1988
from the pen of Frederik L. Schodt entitled 'Inside the robot
Kingdom: Japan, Mechatronics and the coming Robotopia' would give us
all an insight into this fascination of Japanese obsession with Mr.
Robotto!]
[Later in 5 Issue had another two page
article appeared, this time written by Abra L. Numata from the Viz
Communication Inc.'s editorial team. It was all about the Manga
industry and the Japanese art style that has a storyboard\cinematic
look and feel to it, and the up and coming emergence in1983\1984 of
leaders progressing the Japanese Manga comic-book to new levels,
(Translated examples of this 'new wave' of comics are given as AKIRA
& GREY), and the article explained how they were editorially put
together for a English readership (very interesting).]
[NOTE: Masaomi Kanzaki's only other manga printed in English was " STREET FIGHTER II", and published in 1994 (April to September).]
[UPDATE: Collection of issues 1 to 23 now complete, including all four Trade paperbacks.]
Heavy Metal Warrior XENON.
Issues 1 to 23.
Heavy Metal Warrior XENON.
Volumes ONE to FOUR.
STREET FIGHTER II.
Issues 1 to 8.
[As of AUGUST 2022, I have yet to find any issues of "STREET FIGHTER II", nor a TPBs of this Manga, that is attributed to Masaomi Kanzaki.]
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