Manga Goddess and pioneer Keiko Takemiya’s space opera Andromeda Stories concludes this month with the third volume in the cosmic trilogy on sale now. Any fan of science fiction or Grand Guignol storytelling should rush out and pick up a copy. But I’m gushing, and I fear my love for Takemiya’s classic will sound like nothing more than the ranting of a company shill. So I’ll allow Katherine Dacey of PopCultureShock.com to speak for me:
Manga Pioneer Takemiya to make rare NA appearance
Thursday, September 13th, 2007
The Shojo legend and author of manga classics To Terra… and Andromeda Stories will be making the following West Coast stops to celebrate the 25th Anniversary and U.S. debut of Andromeda Stories #1.
September 15, 2007
Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 1201 3rd St. (3rd St. Promenade), Santa Monica, California from 3:00-4:00 PM
September 17, 2007
Powell’s Bookstore, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, Oregon from 7:00-9:00 PM
September 19, 2007
University of British Columbia (UBC) bookstore, 800 Robson St, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from 12:00-1:30 PM
September 20, 2007
Takemiya will give a lecture, “Shojo Manga Power! Girl Comics from Japan,” followed by a panel discussion featuring manga critic and editor Fujimoto Yukari and Professor Masami Toku at The Auditorium of the Asian Centre at UBC
September 21, 2007
Takemiya will give a lecture, “The Role of Manga in Contemporary Culture,” in the Main Theater at UBC’s Robson Square campus in downtown Vancouver, 800 Robson Street (near the Vancouver Art Gallery), followed by a panel discussion.
Don’t miss your chance to meet a true manga legend!
EXCLUSIVE: Andromeda Stories Preview
Monday, July 16th, 2007
Long before the Terminator and Matrix trilogies, the story of machines gaining sentience and subjugating humankind was told in Andromeda Stories, manga pioneer Keiko Takemiya’s thrilling space opera. Now you could wait until mid-September for Volume I to hit the stands or you could satisfy your craving for mind-blowing manga right this second with this exclusive sneak preview.
To Terra… Now Complete!
Monday, July 2nd, 2007
The third and final volume to the space-spanning saga is now on sale. Manga pioneer Keiko Takemiya’s exciting tale of a dystopian future where computers control the propagation of the human race, and an exiled society of telepaths’ struggle to return home concludes this month. Is Jomy the hero destined to save the Mu? Will Physis’s visions come to fruition? What of the future of the human race? What are you waiting for? Get your copy today!
Vertical Makes Big Splash at Renegade Craft Fair
Monday, June 25th, 2007
The Renegade Craft Fair held its 4th Annual event June 16-17 at McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn. Actually it took place in the pool. Originally opened in 1936, the public facility covers three Olympic-size swimming pools. Today, it no longer serves as a pool, but rather as a unique place at which events are held. Given the humidity and soaring temperatures of the two-day event, there were many at the Fair who wished the pool were filled, including Vertical Marketing Manager Stephen Vrattos, who showcased the Aranzi Aronzo craft/humor line and Higher Sudoku and O’Ekaki puzzle books. No surprise, the books were a hit, and many a happy customer walked away with their hands full of goodies, including To Terra… bookmarks, Aranzi Aronzo mini-posters, O’Ekaki samplers, and exclusive Vertical canvas bags and mechanical pencils.
To Terra… Is Now Available
Wednesday, February 21st, 2007
The much anticipated sci-fi manga classic To Terra… is out now, available wherever books are sold.
The Battle of Lepanto and Buddha 5 paperback now on sale!
Tuesday, January 23rd, 2007
Vertical is kicking off the New Year with the releases of the final installment to Nanami Shiono’s epic East Mediterranean Trilogy, The Battle of Lepanto and Buddha Volume Five: Deer Park in paperback. Find them at your local bookstore or online and keep your eye out next month for To Terra…, Aranzi Aranzo’s Cute Book, and more!
Talking with Takemiya
Tuesday, January 23rd, 2007
Attention all lovers of great manga! Shojo pioneer and To Terra… and Andromeda Stories creator Keiko Takemiya recently spoke with Deb Aoki of About.com concerning her life’s work. As one of the legendary seminal Magnificent 49ers—a women’s manga collective in the 1970s—the trailblazing Takemiya founded what is known today as yaoi. Her revolutionary ideas and themes influenced many of today’s foremost science fiction films, including The Matrix and The Terminator. Vertical published the 3-volume To Terra… in 2007 and a successful animated version of the trilogy ran in Japan in 2007 to great acclaim. Vertical began publishing Takemiya’s noteworthy Andromeda Stories toward the end of 2007, and the final volume of the 3-volume space-spanning soap opera is due in March. In the meantime, check out her enlightening interview.
Our Spring 2007 Catalog is Ready!
Wednesday, August 30th, 2006
Our Spring 2007 list has been finalized and includes some hot items like To Terra… by shojo-manga pioneer Keiko Takemiya, and J-Horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge and Beyond. Write to info@vertical-inc.com for a copy.