The Art Of Porco Rosso
2002. Tales of chivalry, with epic sweep, in the skies above an Italy of the 1920s. In a style somewhat similar to Tintin, our hero Porco Rosso fights the infamous sky pirate Donald Curtis. An original Japanese edition of the animated series with some English language sections.

Contains numerous scenes, plus sections on the major characters. 210 pages. Soft Cover Full Colour 9" x 12" (23cm x 30cm) Dust Jacket ISBN: 4198121001
List Price: £39.99 SAVE £14.99

Our Price: £25.00 ($37.50) (€27,50)      

The Building Opposite
Vanyda. Fanfare / Ponent Mon, 2006. A delightful 'slice of life' view of the occupants of a regular 3-storey apartment block and their interactions in daily life. Claire and Louis the 20 somethings on the top floor, below them Fabienne and Jacky with Gypsy and then Beatrice, the single (and pregnant) mother of Remi.

Vanyda brilliantly adopts many designs and story codes from manga and cooks them up in a French sauce to create her own piece of "Nouvelle Manga". 168 pages. Soft Cover Black & White 6" x 9" (165mm x 240mm) (ISBN-13: 9788493399283)

Our Price: £9.99 ($14.99) (€10,99)      

Click for larger cover picture!

Disappearance Diary (Shissou Nikki)
Hideo Azuma. Fanfare / Ponent Mon, 2008. Hideo Azuma was born in 1950 in Hokkaido. He moved to Tokyo where he was an assistant to Rentaro Itai and debuted in manga in 1969. Throughout the 70s and 80s he produced a large body of work in many genres including the comedies FUTARI TO GONIN (Two People and Five) and YAKEKUSO TENSHI (Desperate Angel), the Science Fiction Seiun (Japanese Hugo) Award winning FUJOURI NIKKI (Absurd Diary) and is also known as the father of Lolicon manga.

But the pressures told and, in 1989, he ran away from his responsibilities and went homeless. After this experience and his eventual return to normal life, he then repeated the cycle in 1992, this time becoming a gas pipe layer in another town. Later, in 1998, his alcoholism was so bad that he was forced into rehab.

This book is his expression of those three periods of his life told, not in a deep or depressed way but, as befits his nature, in a buoyant and cheerful cartoon art and is a welcome addition to the "personal manga" genre.

In 2005 'Shissou Nikki' was awarded the Grand Prize from the 9th Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division and the Excellence Price at the 34th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards. 200 pages. Soft Cover Black & White 6" x 8" (155mm x 210mm) (ISBN-13: 9788496427426)

Our Price: £11.99 ($17.99) (€13,19)      

Click for larger cover picture!

Doing Time
Kazuichi Hanawa. Fanfare / Ponent Mon, 200. Up to now Kazuichi Hanawa expressed himself through works of fiction. The fantastic world of tales from the Middle Ages were his favorite setting. A twist of fate caused him to be locked away for three years in jail, which is a very real place.

There too, this genius conjured his amusement and loneliness through his works. And that is how this exceptional record of life in prison was achieved. I asked them, “Are you going to arrest me today?” and they answered, “No, not yet”.

THIS BOOK WAS PUBLISHED IN ITS ORIGINAL JAPANESE FORM THEREFORE SHOULD BE READ FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. 240 pages. Soft Cover Black & White 7" x 9" (170mm x 240mm) (ISBN-13: 9788493340902)

Our Price: £12.99 ($19.49) (€14,29)      

Click for larger cover picture!

The Ice Wanderer and other stories
Jiro Taniguchi. Fanfare / Ponent Mon, 2007. Lost in the Great North, two men are saved by the appearance of an old hunter who divulges a strange legend to them. Surrounded by wolves and fighting for their survival two explorers head for Alaska to bury their companion...A marine biologist begins a quest to find the mythical graveyard of whales.

In total six shorts with as many stories of men confronted by savage nature, which is sometimes cruel, sometimes forgiving but always vast. Through tales filled with respect for animal life, this splendid collection, which lies at the crossroads of poetry and adventure, shows master story imager Taniguchi at his award winning best.

THIS BOOK IS PUBLISHED IN ITS ORIGINAL JAPANESE FORM THEREFORE SHOULD BE READ FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. 240 pages. Soft Cover Black & White 6" x 8" (155mm x 210mm) (ISBN-13: 9788496427334)

Our Price: £11.99 ($17.99) (€13,19)      

Click for larger cover picture!

Japan As Viewed by 17 Creators
Various writers and artists. Fanfare / Ponent Mon, 2005. (Second Printing 2007.) Seventeen authors (nine from France or French-speaking countries, eight from Japan) brought together in the same book, a succession of freely created short stories about the same universe : Japan.

The French, of course, journeyed to Japan for the occasion. Each cartoonist was sent for two weeks to a different city in the archipelago (Joann Sfar in Tôkyô, Emmanuel Guibert in Kyôto, Nicolas de Crécy in Nagoya, etc.) to bring back an original creation.

The Japanese tell us about their district, the city where they live or where they originally come from (Kazuichi Hanawa's story being about the northern island of Hokkaido, Jiro Taniguchi's about the town of Tottori, etc.)

The result is often inspired, always surprising: Japan through new eyes. "Japan" will appear simultaneously in French, Japanese, Spanish, Italian and English. Along with "A Patch Of Dreams" by Hideji Oda, it is the first step in a series of international creations with left-to-right reading direction, created for us by some of the best European and Japanese comic book artists.

Participating (in alphabetical order) : Moyoko Anno, Aurélia Aurita, Frédéric Boilet, Nicolas de Crécy, Étienne Davodeau, Little Fish, Emmanuel Guibert, Kazuichi Hanawa, Daisuke Igarashi, Taiyo Matsumoto, Fabrice Neaud, Benoît Peeters, David Prudhomme, François Schuiten, Joann Sfar, Kan Takahama, Jiro Taniguchi. 256 pages. Soft Cover Black & White 7" x 9" (170mm x 240mm) (ISBN-13: 9788496427167)

Our Price: £13.99 ($20.99) (€15,39)      

Click for larger cover picture!

Kinderbook (English Edition)
Kan Takahama. Ponent Mon. Kan Takahama's scripts are very clever, very subtle - even when her words are very direct. These are complemented by a range of art which twists and turns with the dialogue adding an extra dimension to the stories. She tackles subjects as diverse as suicide pacts, mermaids and bar room chat with a robust yet delicate grace. Born in Amakusa, Japan in 1977, Kan's debut in comic art came when her story, 'The Women Who Stay' won first prize in a competition and was published by the famous alternative magazine 'Garo' in 2001. Further stories followed and her first collection 'Yellowbacks' was published by Seirindo in 2002. Soon after she met and collaborated with Frederic Boilet as part of the 'Nouvelle Manga' and they published their first graphic novel 'Mariko Parade' this January in Japan. This collection of 10 stories is taken from this productive opening period in the creator's career and has been adapted by Kan herself to accommodate western script. 212 pages. Soft Cover Black & White 6" x 8" (15cm x 20cm) ISBN: 8493309397

Our Price: £10.99 ($16.49) (€12,09)      

Manga Sixty Years of Japanese Comics
Paul Gravett. Laurence King Publishing, 2004. Manga accounts for a truly staggering forty percent of everything published each year in Japan. There has been a global boom in sales, with the manga aesthetic spreading from comics into all areas of Western youth culture through film, computer games, advertising and design. This book presents an accessible, entertaining and highly illustrated introduction to the development and diversity of Japanese comics from 1945 to the present. With striking graphics and extracts from a wide range of manga, it covers such themes as manga compared to American and European comics; the life and career of Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy and the originator of story manga; boys' comics from the sixties to the present; the genres and genders of girls' and women's comics; the darker, more realistic themes of gekiga - the violent samurais, disturbing horror and apocalyptic science fiction; censorship and protest; and manga's role as a major Japanese global influence. 176 pages. Soft Cover Full Colour 9" x 11" (23cm x 28cm) ISBN: 1856693910

Our Price: £19.95 ($29.93) (€21,95)      

Click for pages 114-115
More pages from the book.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 Vol.1
Kakuhisa Kondo. Viz Communications, 2000. In a not-so-far-off future, a war is occurring between earth & its rebellious space colonies. A new weapon is called for, a mobile-suit, which could be a deciding factor in the battle for liberation. Classic Japanese storytelling in the Manga style is presented, in this English language translation, from Viz Communications. 200 pages. Soft Cover Black & White 6" x 8" (15cm x 20cm) ISBN: 1569314667
List Price: £11.99 SAVE £9.30

Our Price: £2.69 ($4.04) (€2,96)      

Click for larger cover picture!

Mariko Parade
CONTAINS ADULT MATERIAL. Kan Takahama & Frederic Boilet. Fanfare / Ponent Mon, 2004. She read Yukiko's Spinach for the hundredth time. Was that really her looking so young? In the four years since then she had been the mangaka's only model and love. This trip to the beautiful island of Enoshima was typical. They would find the best shooting locations, of course, but also enjoy each other.

It's the rainy season and the hydrangeas are in full bloom. He knew she would leave soon. A poignant, often droll tale from two of the most exciting creators in the medium today. 192 pages. Soft Cover Part Colour 7" x 9" (170mm x 240mm) ISBN: 849333091X

Our Price: £10.99 ($16.49) (€12,09)      

Click for larger cover picture!

A Patch of Dreams
Hideji Oda. Fanfare / Ponent Mon, 2006. Renei thinks she´s going crazy. After many years, she has begun to dream about "Ku´s World" all the time, a place beneath the shadow of the mysterious Mount Babiranma which is inhabited by fantastic creatures - Nagizari, God, the little Rey, the lethal teppas- which is where her dead brother, who is going through an identity crisis, may be, as well as her best friend, who committed suicide some time ago and has now returned for her.

As she muses on the sense of life, things in the real world do not seem to be going her way either and when the inhabitants of "Ku´s World" begin to reveal themselves to her and try to persuade her to go along with them, she no longer knows if her life is a dream or a nightmare. Will they find the answer to the mystery Mt. Babiranma conceals? And more importantly, will they all escape with their lives? 192 pages. Soft Cover Black & White 7" x 9" (170mm x 240mm) (ISBN-13: 9788496427235)

Our Price: £12.99 ($19.49) (€14,29)      

Click for larger cover picture!

The Quest for the Missing Girl
Jiro Taniguchi. Fanfare / Ponent Mon, 2008. Mountaineer Shiga made a promise to his best friend following his tragic death in the Himalayas. Twelve years later and he is called upon to honour that promise.

When 15 years old high school student, Megumi, fails to arrive home one evening from school her mother calls on her dead husbands best friend for help. Shiga abandons his refuge in the mountains and descends to the city to look for the girl.

With the police investigation at a standstill, Shiga has to go it alone. But the metropolis can be a much more hostile and dangerous ground than the mountains. What has happened to the youngster and will Shiga find her before it is too late?

THIS BOOK IS PUBLISHED IN ITS ORIGINAL JAPANESE FORM THEREFORE SHOULD BE READ FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. 336 pages. Soft Cover Black & White 6" x 8" (155mm x 210mm) (ISBN-13: 9788496427471)

Our Price: £13.99 ($20.99) (€15,39)      

Click for larger cover picture!

Tokyo Is My Garden
Frederic Boilet & Benoit Peeters with Jiro Taniguchi. Fanfare / Ponent Mon, 2007. David Martin is sent as the sales representative to Japan for Heurault Cognac of France. However, he has spent the last few months discovering Japanese culture and the nightlife of Tokyo. Then his boss announces an imminent visit to check up on his progress.

He must turn the situation around quickly or risk losing his job, his visa and the woman he loves. So starts an amusing and exciting chase as David attempts to chaperone his boss and seduce his lover through a bustling life that is Tokyo. 152 pages. Soft Cover Black & White 7" x 9" (170mm x 240mm) (ISBN-13: 9788496427075)

Our Price: £9.99 ($14.99) (€10,99)      

Click for larger cover picture!

Tsunami Graphix #2 - Fantasy Dojinshi
Modern Graphics. Save us from amateurs - except in this case! The start of a great new series of books of amateur (dojinshi) fan drawings of their favourite (female) characters in various states of (un)dress. When that state is very UN the Japanese call it 'Hentai' (perverse). When the ladies retain their clothing we call it 'Fantasy'. No words get in the way of sheer enjoyment. 128 pages. Soft Cover Full Colour 7" x 10" (18cm x 25cm) ISBN: 3936882851

Our Price: £8.99 ($13.49) (€9,89)      

You might also be interested in:

Tsunami Graphix 3D Modern Graphics. It does what it says on the impressive 3D cover. This is a stunning catalogue of those 3D models of animeland which are lovingly ...more...

Tsunami Graphix 3D
Modern Graphics. It does what it says on the impressive 3D cover. This is a stunning catalogue of those 3D models of animeland which are lovingly sculpted by true artists in their field. Each figurine is fully painted before being photographed in various poses from different angles to bring out their true beauty. The attention to detail will take your breath away. 128 pages. Soft Cover Full Colour 8" x 12" (20cm x 30cm) ISBN: 3936882827

Our Price: £14.99 ($22.49) (€16,49)      

You might also be interested in:

Tsunami Graphix #2 - Fantasy Dojinshi Modern Graphics. Save us from amateurs - except in this case! The start of a great new series of books of amateur (dojinshi) fan drawings of ...more...

The Walking Man
Jiro Taniguchi. Fanfare / Ponent Mon, 2004. Who takes the time these days to climb a tree in bare feet to rescue a child's toy? To stop and observe the birds? To play in the puddles after a storm? To go down to the sea to put a shell back?

The Walking Man does as he strolls at random through urban Japan – often silent, often alone – with his vivid dreams that let time stand still. 152 pages. Soft Cover Black & White 7" x 9" (170mm x 240mm) (ISBN-13: 9788493340995)

Our Price: £9.99 ($14.99) (€10,99)      

Click for larger cover picture!