February 1990 Pt1.

Now moving into February bringing 'EastCon 90' that little bit closer, and with it putting faces to names.

In my quest to find more information I did write to the Embassy of Japan in London (I thought that this was quit brave of me at the time, as I was only a young Gaijin), and the reply was very quick, I found the three company addresses they did find for me was a start, but for the error of my gender in the letter, it was most satisfactory.

[Note: Getting a reply in six days from an Embassy was good going, of course now a days Internet search-engines get you more detailed information in six seconds! you lucky sods!!]

Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co.

Was one of the biggest entertainment publishers in the late 80's, with magazines such like 'Animage' & 'PC Engine Fan' which were known to me.

[Note: It has come to my attention that they were the parent company of an animation studio 'Studio Ghibli' quite well known in the West now.]

Kodansha

Is consider to be the largest publisher in Japan. In its repertoire of magazines, books, and Manga, many of the novels and manga published by Kodansha have gone on to be adapted to Animé.

Bandai

Now considered to be the third largest toy maker in the World, with toys, model kits, and Video games, as well as a producer (capital funding) and sponsor of Anime.

[Note: I remember it being said “that every household in Japan has at least one 'Gundam' model kit”, way to go Bandai.]

[Note: The power of such a large toy manufacture when sponsoring the production of an Anime series, point in case “Aura Battler Dunbine”.  Mecha (Giant robots) were added in to a fantasy setting, so toys and model kits could be sold as merchandise.]

I have yet to find any old letters to these companies, or their replies, but you never know what you might find in the bottom of a box.

Manga in the 80's Pt. 19

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Written and illustrated by Hayao Miyazaki . Viz Comics published in a monthly format broken down in to 5 parts with a total of 28 issues, from November 1988 to February 1996 . The manga was originally published between 1982 and 1994 by Tokuma Shoten. 

[Note: Toren Smith of Studio Proteus was credited as translator as a footnote for parts one and two, but not for parts three and four.]

Hear we see “the Valley of the Wind” a Kingdom of roughly 500 subjects untouched by the ever encroaching jungle forest of giant poisonous Fungi known as the “Sea of Corruption”. Its frailty only supported by the coastal sea breeze protecting the lush farmland and the people's way of life.

War rages between the Torumekla Empire and the Dorok Empire which threatens to spillover and remove the Valley of the Wind's autonomy, our virtuous and fearless Princess Nausicaä will discover that doing what is right thing evolves into, what is right for the 'Valley of the Wind', what is right for the Human race, what is right for the Ohmu (the giant insects that protect the earth's jungle forest), and what is right for the Planet. A warrior of great compassion, a warrior for peace!

Nausicaä is an epic story weaving Science Fiction with an ecological message set in a post apocalyptic world with ancient high technology, truly a masterpiece of literature that has a cinematic quality rarely seen.

This is an exceptional comic-book and one I always made a point of getting my hands on the next issue, even when it was that the months turned in to years of waiting!!

[Note: It was serialized sporadically and intermittently between Miyazaki's animated films from 1982 to 1994 in Japan.]

[Note: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Part One: #1-7 (Nov1988-May1989); Part Two: #1-4 (Sep 1989-Dec 1989); Part Three: #1-3 (Dec1992-Feb1992); Part Four: #1-5 (Jun1994- Oct 1994 ), Part 5: #1-8 (Jul 1995-Feb 1996.]

[Note: Viz Issue 1 had an exclusive fold-out Poster by French illustrator and comic-book writer Moebius, as well as a two page dialogue between Moebius and Miyazaki.]

[Note: Viz Issue 3 had a two page article written by Hayao Miyazaki on the character of Princess Nausicaä, translated from the Japanese magazine “Animage”.]

[Note: Viz Issue 7 had full two page article by Toren Smith entitled “ Nausicaä a labor of love” - To quote “The whole thing began when Yoshiko Saito of 'Starlog' magazine in Japan printed an article I'd written about the terrible English version of the animated Nausicaä movie. Miyazaki happened to read it and contacted the well-known Science Fiction translator Mikru Abo, asking him to bring me around for a talk”.]

[Note: by Viz Part two (issue 1) Jerry A. Novick had printed 2 fan letters under the title of “Out of the Miasma” such was the overwhelming positive correspondence for Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.]

[Note: When the Japanese manga was printed in book form, it was done so in Sepia to give it a more dream-like tone – the cover that was for Part 1 #3 (Viz comics) was the water colour print used for the free poster in Japanese Book 1 release.] 

Nausicaa of the valley of the wind;

Nausicaa of the valley of the wind, 

Part ONE, issues 1 to 7

From November 1988 to May 1989.

Nausicaa of the valley of the wind, 

Part TWO, issues 1 to 4

From September 1989 to December 1989.

Nausicaa of the valley of the wind, 

Part THREE, issues 1 to 3

From December 1992 to February 1993.

Nausicaa of the valley of the wind, 

Part FOUR, issues 1 to 5

From June 1994 to October 1994.

Nausicaa of the valley of the wind, 

Part FIVE, issues 1 to 8

From July 1995 to February 1996.

English translation printed in a total 5 parts, and 28 issues from 1988 to 1996.

English translation printing of TPB's (graphic novels) is still in SIX Volumes in B&W.

Japanese printing of TPB's (graphic novels) is in FOUR Volumes in Sepia .

Manga in the 80's Pt. 12

Grey. Written and illustrated by Yoshihisa Tagami. Viz Comics published 9 issues in a monthly format, from October 1988 to June 1989 . The manga was originally published by Tokuma Shoten in the mid to late 80's.

One of my fondest memories was seeing a poster on the wall of the 'Final Fronter' comic-book shop (sadly no longer with us) this film size poster of Grey death with the iconic two legged flying machines in the background, just looked like the coolest Science fiction I'd ever seen (back in 1989)!

Set in the future when man's lust for war has reduced the human population to small pockets of scattered villages and the occasional town, with most of the high technology lost or restricted to the general populous. Life is hard, living in what for most is a ghetto, feeding from what others throw away. There is endless war and the threat of attack from the next village or even from your own 'Troopers' who defend the settlements and strike back, because in this class system of society, if you're not a 'Trooper' you're scum (class “F”)! There are even classes of troopers class “E” up to class “A” (50% of all who start never make it to a class ”D” trooper), with the promise of food, shelter and safety from invaders in 'the City' being a class “A” entitles you to become a citizen, and you are set for life! Killing the enemy and destroying vehicles and machines of war advances you up the ranks!

We follow the chronicles Grey as he becomes determined to survive after the death of his girlfriend called Lips, carrying her dream of becoming citizen and living in the city, is his relentless drive. As a trooper he is sent on mission after mission, each one harder than the last. His uncanny survival and being the sole trooper out of his squad to return from many a mission marks him with the nick-name Grey Death as we witness him becoming a ruthless killing machine focused on the next class rank! From retro fitted WWII tanks and vehicles to power amour and Mecha, and the realisation that humanity's fate is not their own, and that there is a group fighting a resistance, Grey now seeks answers to the endless battles.

[Note. The American author Harlan Ellison mentions in his introduction to the manga of Grey, “it is an important comment on how a society mad for war can debase and chill its citizens. Grey is also a powerful statement about the demeaning caste systems we create to keep others in their place.”]

[UPDATE: Collection of issues 1 to 9 now complete.]

GREY.

Issues 1 to 9.

GREY.

 Volume ONE and Volume TWO.

A look back at GREY.

Gerard Jones Writer, "Confessions of a rewriter".

Gerard Jones Writer, "Confessions of a rewriter".

GREY, THE END AND THE BEGINNG.

[Note. The three page article at the back of volume one entitled “Confessions of a rewriter by Gerard Jones, can be quoted as saying “Ultimately, the story of Grey springs not from the characters but from the machine-dominated world in which they function.”]

Genealogy of Manga;

"GREY".  Written and illustrated by Yoshihisa Tagami.

"HOROBI". Written and illustrated by Yoshihisa Tagami.

March-1990-pt5a-manga HOROBI

"FRONTIER LINE"  Also Written and illustrated by Yoshihisa Tagami.

Notable adaptations in to animation;

Anime entitled; GREY: Digital Target. (December 1986, 75\80 minutes, Director Satoshi Dezaki).

GREY: Digital Target, Released in the UK by .

[NOTE: On the 12th.September 1994, in the UK 'WESTERN CONNECTION - Film and Video Distribution'  released a PAL VHS tape, with Japanese Dialogue and English subtitles of GREY: Digital Target.] 

 

GREY Illustrations ART BOOK. 

(with THANKS to Brain F. for finding this book for me.)

[NOTE: 1984's TV Series 'Super High Speed Galvion' sees Yoshihisa Tagami credited with the character designs. - a keen eye can see this, by the distinct style and shape of the characters noises.]

[What follows, are snap-shots of the Japanese Volume, taken at the  Kyoto Manga Museum  on Saturday 20th. June 2026.]

[Translations, may be of interest... ]