Archive for the ‘News’ Category

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Preview: Countdown to Twin Spica’s Launch Begins

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

Twin Spica, the thoughtful manga by renowned comic artist Kou Yaginuma, is getting ready for liftoff later this spring, and Vertical, Inc. wants readers to join in on the countdown to launch as we unveil one of the stories that helped start it all nearly a decade ago. Starting today manga readers can preview Yaginuma’s 30-page-long short story “Asumi” at Vertical’s official Twin Spica webpage.

Published originally in 2000, the “Asumi” short reveals many secrets of the world of Twin Spica.  This touching story sheds light on the bittersweet past of Twin Spica’s main character Asumi Kamogawa, taking readers to when our heroine first met her guardian astronaut.

Asumi supporters can then count down the days to the Twin Spica launch as Volume 1 of the English edition of this heart-warming manga series will go on sale worldwide on May 4th. Endorsed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA, Japan’s version of NASA), the sixteen-volume manga series has spun off animated and live-action TV series each broadcasted by NHK (the Japanese PBS). Click here to preview “Asumi” and read what critics have to say about Twin Spica.

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Leading the Manga Evolution

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

40 years ago the manga industry went through a tremendous change. Experimentation from a score of artists sent the Japanese comics scene through a Golden Age that would last for nearly a decade. And among those leading this new wave was manga’s godfather Osamu Tezuka, with a property that would shake the foundations of comics and open up the medium to the tremendous diversity and quality we see today.

Decades later Tezuka’s Ode to Kirihito has proven that manga excellence can have the same impact in the US. This timeless tale of the human condition has won over a new generation of manga readers. Ode to Kirihito almost single-handedly cured the American manga scene of its malaise in the eyes of many young readers desperately in need of insightful, well-drafted visual entertainment.

Now reformatted, there is seemingly no reason to pass this piece of manga history up. Each volume in this new two-part edition provides more than 350 pages of ground-breaking medical drama at an affordable price. By ordering copies of Ode to Kirihito, you can contribute to a change in America’s manga consciousness; expanding the comics culture beyond the tired constructs of simple boys’ and girls’ comics. Embrace evolution, as it is what separated man—and woman—from the beasts.

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Black Jack vs. HCR

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Health care reform is on its way and apparently the country is torn…possibly for good reason.  While the President’s bill provides health insurance to millions of Americans, it does not cover nearly as much as the basic plan rogue surgeon Black Jack offers. For a paltry $16.95 anyone, citizen, immigrant or alien, can get Osamu Tezuka’s full-service manga coverage regardless of age or pre-existing condition.

In this 10th volume of Black Jack, our doctor adds a psychological and physical therapy program to his already extensive post-op recovery program. House calls are already a luxury in the medical world, but BJ’s own plan covers not only the tenants but the home itself. And while HCR might cover cosmetic surgery under certain cases, Black Jack will not only cover you and your family in the homeland, but he will also treat loved ones overseas as well.

So while pundits debate over death panels and socialism, we ask Americans to read our text-bubbles as we confirm that no new taxes will be needed to pay for your medical manga coverage.

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Vertical Unleashes New MW on American Public

Thursday, 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?

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And the Ballots are In!

Thursday, 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.

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A New Direction for Sudoku

Wednesday, 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.

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Tis the Season to Be Naughty

Tuesday, 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!

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Healthy Families Read Black Jack

Tuesday, 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!

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Taking Sudoku to New Heights

Tuesday, 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.

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The Party Isn’t Over

Tuesday, 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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