In 1982, Kodansha published the first chapter of Akira, a dystopian saga set in Neo-Tokyo, a city recovering from thermonuclear attack where the streets have been ceded to motorcycle gangs and the rich and powerful run dangerous experiments on destructive, supernatural powers that they cannot control.
Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira changed the medium of manga and comics when it was released 38 years ago, and now Kodansha Comics has announced that this influential work is receiving it's 100th printing. Returning in Japan this October, the announcement for the 100th printing was made via Crunchyroll.
From Crunchyroll:
Kodansha announced today that the first volume of Katsuhiro Otomo's internationally popular sci-fi action manga AKIRA will get its 100th additional printing on September 25, 2020. The manga was serialized in the publisher's Weekly Young Magazine from 1982 to 1990 and compiled in six volumes. It has become the first of the publisher's manga series to reach the 100th printing.
36 years have passed since its first volume was published in Japan on September 14, 1984. While the price of many Japanese manga books has risen significantly over the past 36 years, all six volumes of AKIRA have been still sold for the same price as when they were released.
The author Otomo gave a short message, "Thank you for reading for such a long time." The first volume of the 100th printing is expected to be in stores in early October.
The site also provided a brief publication of Akira.
For those of you that still have not read Otomo's masterwork, Akira's volume 1-6 are readily available at comic shops everywhere. In addition, you can still find the impressive 35th Anniversary Box Set (AUG171816), which features hardcovers of all six volumes of the manga in the original left-to-right reading format. Packaged with the hardcover Akira Club art book and an exclusive patch featuring the iconic “Good for Your Health” pill design, this collector’s item is a must own for any fan of Akira or for any fan of the comics medium.
For more from Kodansha, keep an eye on PREVIEWSworld.com's Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram.
KODANSHA COMICS
(W) Katsuhiro Otomo (A/CA) Katsuhiro Otomo
In 1982, Kodansha published the first chapter of Akira, a dystopian saga set in Neo-Tokyo, a city recovering from thermonuclear attack where the streets have been ceded to motorcycle gangs and the rich and powerful run dangerous experiments on destructive, supernatural powers that they cannot control. An all-new, complete 35th anniversary hardcover box set of one of the most acclaimed and influential comics of all time, with the original Japanese art and right-to-left reading format for the first time! The science fiction epic that changed anime and manga forever is presented in six beautiful hardcover volumes, plus the hardcover Akira Club art book and an exclusive patch with the iconic pill design.
In Shops: Nov 08, 2017
SRP: $199.99
PREVIEWS Page #382
KODANSHA COMICS
(W) Katsuhiro Otomo (A/CA) Katsuhiro Otomo
The post-apocalyptic science-fiction saga Akira, with its thought-provoking themes and kinetic artwork, introduced the world to the power of manga. Now available again, this classic adventure is ready to be discovered by a new generation of readers!
In Shops: Oct 14, 2009
SRP: $24.99
PREVIEWS Page #286
KODANSHA COMICS
(W) Katsuhiro Otomo (A/CA) Katsuhiro Otomo
The Kodansha Comics editions of the groundbreaking post-apocalyptic manga series continues.
In Shops: Jun 09, 2010
SRP: $24.99
PREVIEWS Page #269
KODANSHA COMICS
(W) Katsuhiro Otomo (A/CA) Katsuhiro Otomo
Kodansha Comics' reissue of one of the true classics of manga continues, as Neo-Tokyo's resistance agents and government forces race against the clock to find the child with godlike powers before his destructive abilities are unleashed.
In Shops: Jul 14, 2010
SRP: $24.99
PREVIEWS Page #312
KODANSHA COMICS
(W) Katsuhiro Otomo (A/CA) Katsuhiro Otomo
Regarded by many as the finest work of graphic fiction ever produced, Akira is a bold and breathtaking epic of potent narrative strength and astonishing narrative skill. Set in the post-apocalypse Neo-Tokyo, the lives of two streetwise friends change forever when dormant paranormal abilities awaken in one, who becomes the target of a shadowy government agency.
In Shops: Oct 13, 2010
SRP: $27.99
PREVIEWS Page #294
KODANSHA COMICS
(W) Katsuhiro Otomo (A/CA) Katsuhiro Otomo
Regarded by many as the finest work of graphic fiction ever produced, Akira is a bold and breathtaking epic of potent narrative strength and astonishing illustrative skill. The lives of two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, change forever when dormant paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, who becomes a target for a shadowy government operation, a group who will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like that which leveled Tokyo.
In Shops: Mar 09, 2011
SRP: $27.99
PREVIEWS Page #289
KODANSHA COMICS
(W) Katsuhiro Otomo (A/CA) Katsuhiro Otomo
Regarded by many as the finest work of graphic fiction ever produced, Akira is a bold and breathtaking epic of potent narrative strength and astonishing illustrative skill. The lives of two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, change forever when dormant paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, who becomes a target for a shadowy government operation, a group who will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like that which leveled Tokyo.
In Shops: Apr 20, 2011
SRP: $29.99
PREVIEWS Page #292
THIRD EDITION
(W) Remi Lopez
A global manga phenomenon in the early 1990s, Akira is a futuristic depiction with apocalyptic elements set in a Neo-Tokyo on the brink of civil war. Katsuhiro Otomo's work is a graphical and narrative treasure trove, confronting the revolutionary views of a disillusioned youth with the danger of scientific progress spiraling out of control. This book provides the social and historical context of Katsuhiro Otomo's manga, which is reflected in its themes, and is intended to help the Western reader get a better grasp of this major Japanese comic book's essence.
In Shops: Feb 24, 2021
SRP: $29.95
PREVIEWS Page #385
KODANSHA COMICS
With the manga and anime Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo changed art and pop culture worldwide. Now some of the most admired illustrators and comics artists in the world have come together to pay tribute to this master, in a beautiful tribute art book.This 168-page collection began life as a limited-edition tribute to Otomo given only to attendees of the prestigious Angouleme International Comics Festival, where Otomo was recipient of the Grand Prize in 2015. It's now available to readers and collectors around the world, with additional content from a list of more than 80 fine artists, illustrators, and comics legends, including Stan Sakai, Jiro Taniguchi, Tomer and Asaf Hanuka, and many others.
In Shops: Mar 29, 2017
SRP: $29.99
