BY KATSUHIRO OTOMO

7
BOOK ONE
This is number it-m of one thousand five hundred
in the limited hardcover edition of

KATSUHIflO OTOMO'S AKIRA: BOOK ONE

 with fantasy and science-
AKIRA fiction themes, many with
& slice-of-tife contemporary
drama; had a
OTOMO all

and rhythm that reflected

visual spirit

Dtomo's feelings for new

wave cinema and modern \an
With the publication of

1970, Japan's comic Domu in 1 9B3, Otomo enjoyed

Inmagazine industry was his greatest success. This 230
drvided roughly into two page comic which centers
types d[ publications. One was upon a conflict between two
lor luvenile readers, from dwellers modern day high
in a
children jp to middle teens. rise apartment complex, an old
The other was lor an adjil man and young girl, each
audience consisting mainly ol possessing deadly psychic
young salaried workers. powers became a best seller
Kodansha, Ltd., one of the and went on to win Japan
country's largest publishers, science-fiction Grand Pnx for

lelt that there was an mter- story of the year (previously

mediate group being missed: this prize had only been

high school and college awarded to novels]

;tu dents, a readership The success of Domu and

.ensitivB to new trends reactions to an earlier work
developing in film, music, the still to be completed
lashion, all forms of the arts series. Fireball- dealing
and entertainment. with a human versus mega-
Voung Magazine, a 300 computer theme, led Otomo to
lage biweekly, was designed consider doing an even larger
tor this potential audience. But scale science -fiction story.
finding exactly the right The story was Akira. And
material to capture the ecause he liked the new

imagination of a new reader- direction it was taking, Young

ship proved difficult. For two Magazine was where Otomo

years Young Magazine chose to present this major
struggled. During this time, it work, which, when complete,
attracted the m teres t of would be a six volume graphic
rli St -writer Katsuhiro novel.
Otomo. Reader reaction to the first

Since the publication of his 25 page segment of the series

first work in 1973 adapting to appear m Voung Magazine

the short novel Mateo was overwhelming. The

Falcone by Prosper material broke with tradition
MerimeeOtomo'srepu ta- and touched a nerve. Circula-
rn had steadily grown, based tion began to rise. The new
1 a number of unique aed audience had been found
Today there are about half a
(20 to 3D pages in length rather dozen titles like Young
than the hundreds, sometimes Magazine. Young Magazine
thousands, that an ongoing and two others have a
circulation of over one millior

mics) Some of these dealt Traditionally in Japan, a

comics series first appears ir And that's not really the

irstallmerts in a weekly or
biweekly magaiine. When Otomo. m addition to his
sufficient material has been comics work is a designer of
pjblislied, the series is then TV commercials for clients

cnllecled into a book ediiion such as Suntory, Canon, and

Usually this waiild he about Honda, and acted as director,

240 pages and in a format thai scenarist, designer, and

is a little bit larger but still illustrator on an animated film

similar in size to an American of Akira that has been playing

paperback book. Here toe, the United States this year.
Akira broke with tredition. Olomo has also been very
The first Japanese book involved in the production of
edition was n a format closer the English language version
in dimension to the magazine ofAkirBsincethis IS the first

size (about the height and time that tiis work has
width of one of ojr comic appeared in the United States
books] and contained 360 in translation and also the first

pages. The title and author's time It has appeared com-

name appeared on the cover m pletely in color His own
English; no Japanese lettering studio, IVIASH ROOIVI Co.,
was used. The formal and Ltd., prepares the adjusted
style grew out of Otomo's own artwork from which we
concept ot making the book reproduce (Japanese comrcs
ediiion similar in feeling to are onginally done to read
American comics Book from right to left and their

designer Akira Saito worked dialogue balloons and sound

closely with Olomo to achieve effects are designed for
this goal. Initial fears from lettering that reads veriicallyl.
Kodansha's Sales Division Through Kodansha's editors m
over the wisdom of the design New York and Tokyo with
and packaging of the book whom we work, Otomo sees
faded as advance orders the material at each stage of
began to pour in. What was development, providing notes
originally slated to beaSO.DOO on the scnpt adaptation by Jo
print run eventually shot up to Duffy and furnishing color
nearly 300,000 copies. The guides to Steve Oliff, who
first book edition of Ahifa was his personal choice for
became 3 number one colorist on the proieci.
bestseller. This concern lor all pfiases
That was in September of in the production of his work is

1984. Three other volumes certainly one of the factors in

have come out each year since making Akira the phenome-
then. All have had the same non that it was for Japanese
sort of phenomenal reception. readers. The other factors are
The fifth volume is complete, surely the artistry and excite-
and will shortlysee print. With ment that is brought to the
print runs now at about half a telling of the story. Now,
million copies each, the thanks to Katsuliiro Otomo
completed saga of Akira will and Kodansh^ LM, American
have a total of two and a fialf readers can at long last share
million copies in print. in that phenomenon
^BYKATSUHIROOTOMO

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Berlin, Hamburg, Warsaw,
London, Birmingham,
Paris, New Delhi.,.

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MANGA-SKETCHBOOK@DALNET SCANNED AND EDITED BYFINNPEST