• +

●INTERVIEW● SUPREME X AKIRA



The fashion brand SUPREME and Katsuhiro Otomo will collaborate in this fall winter collection that features original drawings from the manga AKIRA. Supreme has interviewed Otomo and he has share some insights on the creation of AKIRA. The collection will drop online and at Supreme’s New York, Brooklyn, LA, London and Paris locations November 2, and will hit Japanese stores on November 4. The collection will include T-shirts, pull overs, pants, hats, diverse accesories and skate boards featuring Tetsuo, Kaneda and company.  Today also, AKIRA was released  in the US in a brand new 35th ANNIVERSARY BOX-SET in english language.


Otomo's comments on AKIRA

How I got to do AKIRA is a very long story. I told the publisher I was doing a science fiction story. The publisher opposed but eventually ran my sci-fi piece. It had a good response. When I did Fire Ball I was given 50 pages. 50 pages was far from enough... I wanted to tell that story right and that became AKIRA.

In the story Tetsuo takes drugs. He becomes so self-destructive that he loses himself. Young people go berserk on impulse and eventually destroy themselves. It's about motorcycle gangs, rock musicians and punk rockers. You know how they all die young. I wanted it to be about the marginal members of society. It's society's outsiders, those who don't belong, who are more intriguing to draw.

Like we did, young people today should find their own way. It's not for us to say. They wound't listed to us anyway. That's how it goes.

●BOOK● THE MACH55GO WORKS 55x20




This book collects the graphic design works of the long time Katsuhiro Otomo collaborator Toshiaki Uesugi (上杉季明) from MATCH55GO. For 20 years he has work in projects such as AKIRA DVD and blu-ray releases, STEAMBOY, MEMORIES, Mobile Suit Gundam, Space Dandy, Gurren Lagan and with artist such as Katsuhiro Otomo, Takkyu Ishino (石野卓球) and Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra ( 東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ) among others.

You can follow Toshiaki Uesugi in his instagram account @mach55go and check his works in the official site of MACH55GO!

BOOK DETAILS

Publisher: Pie International (パイインターナショナル)
Release date: 2017-X-11
Language: Japanese
Number of pages: 176
Size: 25.7cm x18.2cm
Retail price: ¥3,400+tax
ISBN-10: 4756249930
ISBN-13: 978-4756249937

AVAILABILITY

Amazon JP: http://amzn.to/2knL9mv
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3rZOzLv
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3lFla8d
Amazon UK:
Amazon DE:
Amazon FR:
Amazon IT:
Amazon ES:
    ※We earn a commission from your purchases through these links.

    ●TALK● THE MACH55GO WORKS 55x20



    Photo via @amonnn777

    Katsuhiro Otomo has given a talk with Toshiaki Uesugi (上杉季明), who has work with him as graphic designer for over two decades now. The talk took place in the exhibition THE MACH55GO WORKS 55x20 which collets the work of Toshiaki Uesugi over 20 years. The exhibition opened its doors on september 23rd in Gallery X BY PARCO in Shibuya and will be open until October 1st, 2017.

    ●LP● AKIRA SYMPHONIC SUITE



    Milan Records has released today "AKIRA - Symphonic Suite", this version is is an analog record based on the master of the high resolution version "Symphonic Suite AKIRA 2016 Hyper High Resolution Edition" released in Japan in download only digital format in 2016. The soundtrack will be released as a double LP  in two different presentations, a  180 gram black vinyl and 150 gram transparent clear vinyl with red splatter. Both editions will include download cards for digital booklets that will feature  a commentary with the composer Shoji Yamashiro. Milan Records will also release a CD edition of the album as well as downloadable mp3 files.

    TRACK LIST

    Side A:
    A1. Kaneda
    A2. Battle Against Clown
    A3. Tetsuo

    Side B:
    B1. Shohmyoh
    B2. Dolls' Polyphony
    B3. Exodus From the Underground Fortress

    Side C:
    C1. Winds Over Neo-Tokyo
    C2. Illusion

    Side D:
    D1. Mutation
    D2. Requiem

    TRANSPARENT VINYL ALBUM DETAILS

    Label: Milan Records
    Release date: 2017-IX-29
    Format: Vinyl | LP | stereo
    Duration: 70 min 29s
    Reatil price: £36.99 | €38
    Catalogue number: MLN1-36845

    AVAILABILITY

    Amazon JP:
    Amazon US:
    Amazon CA:
    Amazon UK:
    Amazon DE:
    Amazon FR:
    Amazon IT:
    Amazon ES:

    BLACK VINYL ALBUM DETAILS

    Label: Milan Records
    Release date: 2017-IX-29
    Format: Vinyl | LP | stereo
    Duration: 70 min 29s
    Reatil price: £36.99 | €38
    Catalogue number: MLN1-36804

    AVAILABILITY
    Amazon JP: http://amzn.to/2fGZJns
    Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2xPA81U
    Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2xQqz2Z
    Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2yhn9I3
    Amazon DE: http://amzn.to/2fHSQ5h
    Amazon FR: http://amzn.to/2wsjoe1
    Amazon IT: http://amzn.to/2yBXLZl
    Amazon ES: http://amzn.to/2xJIVU9
    ※We earn a commission from your purchases through these links.

    ●PORTFOLIO● 20 REPRINTS OF CLASSIC POSTERS



    PIE International has published today a set of 20 Katsuhiro Otomo poster reprints. Eighteen of the 20 posters included in the folder will be reproduced in B3 (353 x 500 mm) size and the AKIRA 1 and ROCK MONSTER STRIKES BACK/EXTRA are B1 (707 x 1000 mm) size and folded. PIE will release next month an english version of the set with identical characteristics.

    LIST OF POSTERS

    ・Video "AKIRA" INTERNATIONAL VERSION (国際映画祭参加版)
    ・CD "AKIRA" ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK (オリジナルサウンドトラック)
    ・Comic "AKIRA" vol. 1 reader present (1巻 読者プレゼント)
    ・Comic "AKIRA" vol. 4 reader present (4巻 読者プレゼント)
    ・Comic "AKIRA" vol. 5 reader present (5巻 読者プレゼント)
    ・Comic "AKIRA" アメリカEpic comics社
    ・Movie "MEMORIES"
    ・Movie "MEMORIES"
    ・Movie "STEAMBOY"
    ・DVD BOX "STEAMBOY"
    ・Movie "SHORT PEACE"
    ・Comic "Short Peace"
    ・LP DŌMU IMAGE ALBUM (童夢 イメージアルバム)
    ・Book "大友克洋第一畫集KABA"
    ・Book Buki YŌ SARABA (武器よさらば)
    ・Magazine "YOUNG Magazine No.5-6"付録
    ・Fire-ball
    ・Atré Kichiyoji (アトレ吉祥寺)
    ・Yokohama Paradise (与太浜パラダイス)
    ・Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ) ROCK MONSTER STRIKES BACK/EXTRA


    EDITION DETAILS

    Publisher: PIE international (パイインターナショナル)
    Release date: 2017-IX-22
    Language: Japanese
    Number of pages: 20
    Size: 51.5 x 36.4 x 1.6 cm
    Retail price: ¥3,888
    ISBN-10: 4756249760
    ISBN-13: 978-4756249760

    AVAILABILITY

    Amazon JP: http://amzn.to/2hgvznX
    Amazon US:
    Amazon CA:
    Amazon UK:
    Amazon DE:
    Amazon FR:
    Amazon IT:
    Amazon ES:
    ※We earn a commission from your purchases through these links.


    ENGLISH EDITION

    Publisher: PIE international (パイインターナショナル)
    Release date: 2017-X-27
    Language: English
    Number of pages: 20
    Size: 51.5 x 36.4 x 1.6 cm
    Retail price: $49.95
    ISBN-10: 4756249779
    ISBN-13: 978-4756249777
    ※We earn a commission from your purchases through these links.

    ●CD● AKIRA SYMPHONIC SUITE



    Milan Records has released today a new version of "AKIRA - Symphonic Suite" based on the master of the high resolution version "Symphonic Suite AKIRA 2016 Hyper High Resolution Edition" released in Japan in download only digital format in 2016. Milan Records will also release a LP version of the album as well as downloadable mp3 files.

    TRACKLIST

    1. Kaneda (3:11)
    2. Battle Against Crown (3:37)
    3. Winds Over The Neo-Tokyo (2:48)
    4. Tetsuo (10:18)
    5. Dolls' Polyphony (2:55)
    6. Shohmyoh (10:11)
    7. Mutation (4:50)
    8. Exodus From The Underground Fortress (3:19)
    9. Illusion (13:57)
    10. Requiem (14:27)

    ALBUM DETAILS

    Label: Milan Records
    Release date: 2017-IX-15
    Format: Audio CD
    Duration: 70 min 29s
    Reatil price: $11.99
    Catalogue number: M2-36804
    Barcode: 731383680427

    AVAILABILITY

    Amazon JP: http://amzn.to/2A2WnR8
    Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2hrNEjD
    Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2gT14V7
    Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2zmr1ba
    Amazon DE: http://amzn.to/2A4aNAC
    Amazon FR: http://amzn.to/2A5umZ9
    Amazon IT: http://amzn.to/2A3W6xe
    Amazon ES: http://amzn.to/2hrOE7n
    ※We earn a commission from your purchases through these links.

    ●LOGO DESIGN● COMIC-DAYS BLOG


    Katsuhiro Otomo has designed two logos for the  official blog of the comic app "Comic DAYS" that features news related to Kodansha's publications: Young magazine, Morning, afternoon, evening, Kiss, BE · LOVE

    Blog's first post: https://comic-days.com/blog/entry/attouteki

    ●TALK● JIRO MATSUMOTO X KATSUHIRO OTOMO



    Katsuhiro Otomo has been participating for the last week in various events in the TRIBUTE TO OTOMO EXHIBITION. Today a  talk show by Jiro Matsumoto (松本次郎) and Katsuhiro Otomo took place in Tower Records Shibuya Store 8F Exhibition Hall. 

    ●SIGNATURE● TRIBUTE TO OTOMO exhibition




    Katsuhiro Otomo has been signing in the TRIBUTE TO OTOMO exhibition that is taking place until june 18th in the SpaceHACHIKAI on the eighth floor of the Tower Records Building in Tokyo. Here some of the signature illustrations he did for the attenders.

    ●TALK● KOSUKE KAWAMURA X KATSUHIRO OTOMO



    To celebrate the TRIBUTE TO OTOMO EXHIBITION, a talk show by Kosuke Kawamura (河村康輔  and Katsuhiro Otomo took place in Tower Records Shibuya Store 8F Exhibition Hali. Kawamura has collaborated various times with Otomo in recent years the last ne in the Shibuya PARCO construction site wall.

    via: http://towershibuya.jp/2017/06/03/99302 …

    ●TALK● KIM JUNG GI X KATSUHIRO OTOMO




    To commemorate the TRIBUTE TO OTOMO EXHIBITION, today a talk show took place in Tower Records Shibuya Store 8F Exhibition Hall between  Korean illustrator Kim Jung Gi and Katsuhiro Otomo. Image via: @OtomoTribute

    ●EXHIBITION● TRIBUTE TO OTOMO (トリビュート 大友克洋)




    Tower Records has organized an exhibition featuring the artwork collected in the book TRIBUTE TO OTOMO that pays omage to Katsuhiro Otomo's career. The book is an extended edition of the catalogue of the homonym exhibition that took place in the 'Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême' back in 2016. Artist such as Masamune Shirow, Masakazu Katsura, Tsutomu Nihei and Katsuya Terada pay tribute to Otomo in this exhibition and his illustrations can be purchased as t-shirt and as other kinds of merchandise too.

    The exhibition will take place from june 3 to 18, 2017 in the SpaceHACHIKAI on the eighth floor of the Tower Records Building ( タワーレコード渋谷店) in Tokyo. Entry will be 800¥.

    Follow Tribute to Otomo Exhibiton on Twitter: @OtomoTribute

    List of available products and prices:

    Main Visual T-shirt ¥5,400
    Main Visual Tote Bag ¥3,000
    Illustration T-shirts:
    · Hisashi Eguchi ¥4,800
    · Masamune Shirow ¥5,000
    · Sushio ¥4,800
    · Fumiko Takano ¥4,800
    · Katsuya Terada ¥4,800
    · Tsutomu Nihei ¥4,800
    · Jiro Taniguchi ¥4,800
    · Yoshida Sensha ¥4,800
    · Ludovic Debeurme ¥4,800
    Can batch set ① ~ ⑤ ¥6,480 each
    Original label beer ¥1,000
    Illustration poster ¥3,000 each
    · Masakazu Katsura
    · Masamune Shirow
    · Range Murata
    · Hiroyuki Asada
    · Mochizuki Minettaro
    · Akihiko Yoshida
    · Atsushi Kamijo  ¥2,000

    ●SIGNATURE● TRIBUTE TO OTOMO mural


    Katsuhiro Otomo made a signed selfportrait on the mural of the TRIBUTE TO OTOMO exhibition that opens its doors on june 3 in SpaceHACHIKAI on the eighth floor of the Tower Records Building.



    ●TV PROGRAM● NICHIYŌ BIJUTSUKAN 'BRUEGEL × KATSUHIRO OTOMO' (日曜美術館「ブリューゲル×大友克洋」)



    The 44th issue of NHK's Nichiyō Bijutsukan (日曜美術館) TV program focuses on 'A trip to feel Bruegel in Antwerp, Belgium' (ベルギー・アントワープへ ブリューゲルを感じる旅). Kastuhiro Otomo's contribution to the TOWER OF BABEL exhibition that is taking place in Tokyo, with the illustration INSDE BABEL is a central element of the 45 min long feature.

    ●INTERVIEW● OLLIE BARDER X KATSUHIRO OTOMO



    The Forbes magazine contributor Ollie Barder has interviewed Otomo extensively at his studio.

    Read the full interview here: https://goo.gl/LzDSLh

    Ollie Barder covers gaming and pop-culture in japan. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. He has also founded and continue to manage the mecha gaming site, Mecha Damashii. He also does toy reviews for http://HobbyLink.tv

    ●ILLUSTRATED ESSAY● MUSICA NOSTRA (ムジカ・ノストラ) #46

    MUSICA NOSTRA (ムジカ・ノストラ) #46Published in Shueisha's GRAND JUMP (グランドジャンプ) no. 12 magazine in 2017-V-17.
    2 pages | B&W.

    MAGAZINE DETAILS

    Publisher: Shueisha (集英社)
    Release date: 2017-V-17
    Issue date: 2016-XI-2
    Language: Japanese
    Size: 26 x 18 x 2 cm
    Retail price: ¥350

    Available in Amazon JP:
    Paperback: http://amzn.to/2roT19z
    ※We earn a commission from your purchases through these links.

    ●EVENT● SHIBUYA PARCO


    Kosuke Kawamura (河村康輔) and Katsuhiro Otomo will collaborate once again, this time covering with art the Shibuya PARCO Construction site, in Tokyo. Starting today and until the end of construction works in the summer 2019, Otomo's images collaged by Kawamura will cover the whole construction site wall. The events in AKIRA are set in a future Neo-Tokyo in the year 2019.

    ●MAGAZINE● GEIJUTSU SHINCHO 5 [May 2017]



    This May issue of Geijutsu Shincho (芸術新潮) magazine features a exclusive report on the production process of Katsuhiro Otomo's last illustration "INSIDE BABEL" created for the exhibition BABEL that opened it's doors last week in the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (東京都美術館). Along with articles and talks with art historian Yoko Mori (森洋子) this issue covers various historical aspects of Brueghels painting as well as Otomo's new approach, his tour to Netherlands and the challenges of the process.

    MAGAZINE DETAILS

    Publisher: Shinchosha (新潮社)
    Release date: 2017-IV-25
    Language: Japanese
    Number of pages:
    Size: 28.2 x 20.6 x 1 cm
    Retail price: ¥1,440

    AVAILABILITY

    Amazon JP: http://amzn.to/2oUtWBt
    Amazon US:
    Amazon CA:
    Amazon UK:
    Amazon DE:
    Amazon FR:
    Amazon IT:
    Amazon ES:
    ※We earn a commission from your purchases through these links.

    ●MAGAZINE● SHUKAN SHINCHO 17 (週刊新潮) [4/27]



    This week's Shukan Shincho (週刊新潮) magazine features a 4 page report on Otomo's latest illustration work: INSIDE BABEL.

    MAGAZINE DETAILS

    Publisher: Shinchosha (新潮社)
    Release date: 2017-IV-20
    Language: Japanese
    Number of pages:
    Size: 25.8 x 18 x 0.5 cm
    Retail price: ¥400





    AVAILABILITY

    Amazon JP: http://amzn.to/2pyg8xQ
    ※We earn a commission from your purchases through these links.

    ●EVENT● 'THE TOWER OF BABEL' EXHIBITION



    Today opened its doors the exhibition "The Tower of Babel" and the 16th masters - Beyond the Boss (ボイマンス美術館所蔵 ブリューゲル「バベルの塔」展 16世紀ネーデルラントの至宝 ― ボスを超えて ―)  in the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (東京都美術館) and will be opened to public until July 2, 2017.

    Official website: http://babel2017.jp



    Katsuhiro Otomo's INSIDE BABEL collaborative reinterpretation of the classic painting THE TOWER OF BABEL painted by Pieter Brueghel will be on display in the entrance. Otomo's work is a cross-section of the tower imagining how it would be from the inside. Two versions of the digital illustration are presented in the exhibition, one respecting the overall mood of the painting and the other one enhancing the cut-out section to highlight  the interior for better appreciation of details.



    Otomo's hand drawn work-in-progress illustrations are  also on display at the exhibition. Both the digital painting and the hand drawn illustrations reproduction, as well as t-shirts (¥2.800) and tote bags (¥4.500) will be available at the museum store during the exhibition period and online at the Asahi Store.

    A limited to 150 signature edition of the illustration signed by Katsuhiro Otomo and Kosuke Kawamura is also available in the Asahi Store with a retail price of ¥85,000.