Yasushi Nirasawa helped revitalize Kamen Rider in the ’00s, but could he have done it without the influence of Joel Schumacher?
Author: Renzo Adler
Renzo Adler spends much of his time scanning old magazines and trying to buy his weight in laserdiscs. He posts old anime magazine scans on his blog Spaceleech, and makes videos about comics on Beyond the Longbox. His twitter is @RenzoAdler.
Go Nagai’s Horror Zone
During the video boom of the late ’80s, manga legend Go Nagai was involved in a series of live-action horror compilations and and films.
Monthly Halloween: How American Horror was Translated for Shoujo Manga
At a glance it may seem like the intermingling of Japanese and American horror movie motifs with manga-literate millennial artists is a relatively new phenomenon. And yet, as is often the case, this is not the first time these flavors have mingled.
Hobby Japan’s Experimental Otaku Subculture Magazine Mark 1
Way back in 1985, Hobby Japan (the biggest name in hobby magazines) attempted to diversify with an all-new periodical focused on the broad spectrum of otaku subculture. The experiment lasted three issues.
The Book of Otaku Insects: 1980s Fandom Trapped in the Web of Loathing
A tongue-in-cheek taxonomical breakdown of otaku fandom circa 1985 from the pages of Monthly OUT.
Visual Horror Magazine V-Zone
The rise of video in the 1980s inspired plenty of new magazines dedicated to specific genres — particularly horror. Originally positioned as an otaku “jack-of-all-trades” magazine, V-Zone soon pivoted exclusively to horror.
Tokyo’s Paper Heart: A Short Guide to Jimbocho
Nestled in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward is an unglamorous and unassuming part of the city called Jimbocho (sometimes Jinbocho). It’s about 15 minutes by train from Shibuya and has the distinction of being the heart of Tokyo’s used book market.
Kaba and the Commercial Art of Katsuhiro Otomo
Renzo revisits the classic Otomo artbook ‘Kaba,’ highlighting the world-renowned director’s work outside of anime and manga.
SMH: The Magazine for Sex, Violence & Resin
Though it lasted for less than twenty issues, SMH gave artists and model builders the opportunity the flex their creativity outside the constraints of normal hobby magazines.
Making Monsters For My Friends: An Interview with Cory Privitera
Living in Japan, making sofubi toys, and Nakano Broadway.