March 11th, 2010
Three years ago New York publisher Vertical, Inc. sent a message to the comics world as they revealed what at the time was their ultimate weapon against mediocre manga. Developed by manga godfather Osamu Tezuka, Vertical’s MW hardcover was a revolution in localized manga design and narrative blowing away almost anything before it on its way to an Eisner nomination and multiple printings.
Now a new version of their MW is set to take on a more discerning and more sophisticated readership. Increasingly portable and more affordable than ever before this manga weapon is poised to fall in the hands of even more defiant readers desperate for change in what they consider to be a distorted comics culture.
Comic reporters and weekly publishers agree MW is manga at its darkest. The question here is…Will you succumb to it?
Tags: mw, osamu tezuka
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February 25th, 2010
Congratulations are in store as three Vertical authors were honored this year for their contributions to literature and culture! Adding to an already substantial list of award winners (including seven Naoki Awards, two Akutagawa Prizes and three Eisners) authors Joh Sasaki, Kenzo Kitakata, and Kaoru Kurimoto join Osamu Tezuka picking up prizes in 2009-2010.
This year the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Literature awarded Japan’s highest literary honor the Naoki Prize to Joh Sasaki for his latest book Asking the Ruin (Haikyo ni Kou). The author of Zero Over Berlin now joins an all-star cast of Vertical authors—Keigo Higashino, Kaori Ekuni, Hideo Okuda, Mariko Koike, Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Arimasa Osawa, Asa Nonami—to be recognized as one of the best scribes in Japan today.
Kenzo Kitakata was awarded the 13th Japan Prize for Mystery Literature. The award established by Japanese publisher Koubunsha honors Kitakata’s contributions to the development of mystery fiction. Selected by critics, fellow writers, and the press, Kitakata continues to be placed in high regard within the world of genre fiction.
On a more somber note, last December the Science Fiction Writers of Japan paid tribute to a legend in the field of fantasy and science-fiction when they honored the late Kaoru Kurimoto’s Guin Saga with the Japan SF Special Prize at the 2009 Japanese Science Fiction Awards. Kurimoto’s magnum opus has been a staple of fantasy fiction since the SF premiered in 1980 and has inspired a generation of authors and artists in the field worldwide with her larger-than-life characters and inspired narratives.
So while the rest of the world prepares for the Oscars to close out the award season, Vertical is polishing up its bronzes and making space for more awards to come.
Tags: award, joh sasaki, kaoru kurimoto, kenzo kitakata
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February 17th, 2010
Crosswords, mazes, jumbles… So much has changed in the world of logic gaming. Each has had their time to shine. And as an organization full of part-time puzzlers, we dread the day when the sun will eventually set on number placement games like Sudoku. However, with the advent of computer-generated puzzles such a time almost seems inevitable to the avid gamer.
Fortunately the art of puzzle making has not been lost to time. Masters like Tetsuya Nishio continue to slave over grids crafting deviously entertaining games infused with his unique sense of style and logic. And in his most recent release, Sudoku Plus Volume Five, Nishio takes logic gaming to new levels of precision and artistry. Gamers start off with 101 handcrafted Sudoku puzzles, and are then directed to a collection of Nishio’s True Arrow puzzles, each one so painfully pleasant gamers beg for more.
So while no one can accurately foresee the future of your typical number placement series, all signs point to double-happiness for puzzlers who continue to demand more from their Sudoku.
Tags: sudoku plus, tetsuya nishio
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February 2nd, 2010
It’s February, possibly the dreariest month of the year. The nights are long, days are cold. No wonder there are only twenty-eight days. And to add to the gloom, that furry old coot Punxsutawney Phil has cursed us with six more weeks of winter. But fear not, Vertical reader: St. Valentine’s Day is a little more than a week away, bringing with it hot nights filled with passion, ecstasy, and hopes for many a warm evening. Much like what our latest book will provide.
Oniroku Dan’s Season of Infidelity recalls four of the most titillating moments from the life of Japan’s BDSM master. Within these pages are sensual tales of debauchery and twisted romance only rivaled by those experienced in the days of Louis XV. And in true Vertical form, Dan’s Season not only seductively reveals his secrets from the world of Roman Porno, it allows readers to experience a side of this scribe’s life so deliciously devious they were practically made for fiction. So even in these coldest of days, these four tales—detailing naive nights of innocent Boys Love, secretive palaces of pleasure, and the rise of Dan’s masochistic muse Naomi Tani—will get pulses racing, juices flowing, and make even the most closeted masochist beg for more.
So make use of those long nights: snuggle up with a partner with some chocolate, a little rope, and a copy of Dan’s Season of Infidelity. Naughty has never been so nice!
Tags: oniroku dan, season of infidelity
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January 19th, 2010
It sure is not easy being the world’s most notorious medic. One day you are on the cover of all the medical journals, and the next you’re being hunted down by the underworld. In volume 9, Black Jack continues to crisscross the globe treating the politically-exiled and the environmentally-challenged, healing wounds and mending hearts along the way. But in one special chapter, Black Jack goes beyond the call of duty to treat a unique client who has signed up for a special lifetime coverage plan, paid in advance a million times over with affection.
In honor of this latest edition of Tezuka’s Black Jack we are now adding a new plan for readers to enjoy. Now available with every volume is full family coverage, at no additional cost! For a simple bi-monthly co-pay of $16.95, readers worldwide can gain access to the best medicine and science-fiction manga has to offer. Improve your reading skills and gain peace of mind with a classic from the most skillful manga Ph.D. Sign up today!
Tags: black jack, osamu tezuka
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January 12th, 2010
Are you one of the many Americans today suffering from Sudden Sudoku Anxiety? Too much exposure to computer-generated number placement puzzles can leave gamers itching, almost longing for new more challenging variations of their favorite pen and pencil pastime.
Why settle for soulless grids that offer little motivation or stimulation? With his latest release grand master puzzler Tetsuya Nishio dazzles gamers with a collection of skillfully hand-crafted puzzles designed to delight even the most disillusioned puzzler. Inside the inspired cover of Sudoku Plus, Volume Four await 101 Sudoku puzzles followed by ten brand new Skyscraper games that will leave gamers reaching for the stars.
Tags: sudoku, sudoku plus, tetsuya nishio
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December 8th, 2009
In his most ambitious book yet, the fifth and final installment of the award-nominated Easy Japanese Cooking series, Kentaro Kobayashi’s Appetizer Rex reveals a selection of finger foods rarely seen outside of the trendiest pubs and parties. Never one to limit his palette to geographics, our globetrotting cook covers everything from Japanese izakaya fare and Spanish tapas to Irish pub treats, revealing a world of aperitifs. Corned beef and cabbage mingle with tomato and olive bruschetta; fried mochi dance with chili beef tips; as Kentaro shares his take on dozens of delectable dishes destined to be the stars of every party.
Kentaro’s favorite hors d’oeuvres recipes are presented through mouth-watering full-color spreads. And his easy-to-follow instructions are simple enough to turn any meal into a party in minutes. So grab a copy of Appetizer Rex, call over some friends, and crack open a bottle or two, ’cause the year might be coming to an end, but the party season is just getting started.
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December 8th, 2009
At Vertical, our puzzles are made from 100% pure mind mass, not from concentrate. Hand-crafted by the number placement master himself, Tetsuya Nishio’s Sudoku Plus: Volume 3 is the newest in our line of pocket puzzle books. Walk the fine line between fun and frustration, ABCs and 123s, with 101 more sudoku puzzles followed by ten of Nishio’s newly-minted linear logic stumpers: Alconne.
The Sudoku Plus series has been designed to strike the perfect balance between difficulty, price, and portability. Practical and presentable, both commuters and puzzle aficionados alike will get mileage from the variety of problems to solve. Challenge boredom by picking up Sudoku Plus: Volume 3 now.
Tags: sudoku plus, tetsuya nishio
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November 29th, 2009
Decades ago, Osamu Tezuka changed the way people read comics. His unique cast of characters and a limitless imagination became the genesis for hundreds of stories that helped create a manga industry and defined a social climate for a generation of Japanese readers. Titles like Astro Boy, Dororo, Black Jack, and Buddha have touched countless lives. And now with an increasing number of his titles becoming available worldwide, Tezuka is making an impact on a new, increasingly globalized generation of comics enthusiasts.
And as our lives become increasingly digitized and mobile, Tezuka Productions have devised a way to provide the best of Tezuka to readers on-the-go. While nothing will ever replace the experience of reading a manga on paper, Weekly Astro Boy Magazine will provide an opportunity for readers to enjoy Osamu Tezuka’s works wherever and whenever, as long as they have access to their iPhones. With little more than a couple of taps of a quick finger flick, the pages of Tezuka’s most popular titles come to life guiding readers through the godfather of manga’s beautifully-illustrated worlds.
Now available for download on the iTunes App Store, Weekly Astro Boy Magazine combines easy-to-use iPhone touchscreen technology with Osamu Tezuka’s award-winning comics to create a functional and enjoyable reading experience. Every week, for a mere 99 cents, readers can download up to 100 pages of officially translated Tezuka works. Along with the three to four chapters of comics, Weekly Astro Boy also provides Tezuka-related event information, publisher news, and more. The first issue features two Vertical translations—Black Jack and Dororo—and is free of charge for iPhone and iPod Touch owners in North America. The app will be available in English-speaking European markets in 2010.
Tags: digital, manga, osamu tezuka
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November 18th, 2009
After dozens of operations it seems as if manga’s most trusted medic Black Jack can treat just about anything with his scalpel. But there might be one thing his god-like hands cannot cure—broken hearts.
Now at the halfway point of Osamu Tezuka’s masterwork, his titular character Black Jack must not only treat the pain and suffering felt by the bodies of his patients, but he will have to just as deftly diagnose and cure their emotional, and often mental, trauma as well. In such cases, sometimes the procedures used may not be endorsed by regional medical associations. Then again, would you turn to our rogue medic if your HMO could provide comparable medical care? Not if your love life depended on it.
Tags: black jack, osamu tezuka
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