March 1990 Pt.5a Manga

HOROBI. Written and illustrated by Yoshihisa Tagami. published by Viz Comics with translation by Len Wein & Matthew Allen Thorn, in 8 and then next in 7 monthly issues, form March 1990 to June 1991 (Part One 1 – 8 March 1990 to October 1990 & Part Two 1- 7 December 1990 to June 1991) . Originally serialized in Shonen Captain and published by Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co. Ltd. From 1987 to 1990.

Somehow I'd missed this Manga comic-book back in the 90's, its unmistakeable art style on the covers are a dead give away, as Yoshihisa Tagami's illustrations to any fan of 'GREY' his apocalyptic science fiction that had already been translated!

[Note: I was able to pick up the first six issues from one of my old local comic-book shops last year, only a few months ago, - sadly it too has now closed down!]

This Horror comic-book form VIZ's Preminere Comics – 'For mature readers only' shows the skill of the writer\artist in switching genres, covering such topics as; Dreams, Reincarnation, E.S.P., and of course the ubiquitous Japanese 'secret organization'.

I found VIZ's Tag-lines on each front cover quite compelling; “Enter the nightmare world of...Horobi”, “Ancint evil walk the Earth once more....”, “The terror begins when you close your eyes...”, “The time to be frightened has long since passed. Now it's time to die...”, “If he sleeps, he'll dream... If he dreams, you'll die...”, “His dreams can kill you...”

A lot story takes place at the Yobuno Biological Institute where Professor Zen Amako and his lab assistant Shuichi are involved in doing genetic experiments on amphibians, the over worked Professor is having some horrifying nightmares featuring sexually grotesque Demons that may have a connection with the deaths some local inhabitants!

As the plot progresses the legends of a 700 year old travelling poet Monk “Idari” become interwoven, in an era of great unrest from about the year 1335 these troubled times have been referred to as “the age of Demons”.

[Note: That in issue 4 it has a quick run-down of the main charters,] 

[UPDATE: Collection of issues 1 to 15 now complete.]

HOROBI 

Parts ONE and  TWO, Issues 1 to 8, and then Issues 1 to 7.

Genealogy of Manga;

"HOROBI". Written and illustrated by Yoshihisa Tagami.

"GREY". Also Written and illustrated by Yoshihisa Tagami.

Manga-in-80s-pt-4 GREY. 

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

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.]