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43-493: Last Gasp published an English-language translation of Pure Trance in July 2005; the edition was produced by jaPRESS. Pure Trance takes place in the future, after World War III , which left the surface of the earth inhospitable to life. The humans able to escape underground now live underneath a dome in Tokyo, Japan , while those unable to become creatures resembling brains with eyes and

86-459: A mangaka ( Japanese : 漫画家 ), is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga . As of 2013, about 4,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan, plus thousands of part timers and amateurs. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist before entering the industry as a primary creator. More rarely a manga artist breaks into

129-770: A serial in the CD booklets of Avex Trax 's eponymous techno-compilation series, from May 8, 1996, to January 14, 1998. It was compiled into a bound volume and published by East Press in 1998. Last Gasp licensed Pure Trance for an English-language translation in North America, and published it in 2005. KidRobot released a series of merchandise based on Pure Trance , including clothing and vinyl figures. Paul Gravett listed Pure Trance on his recommended reading list. Jason Thompson , in Manga: The Complete Guide (2007), gave Pure Trance 3.5 of 4 stars, praising it as

172-482: A combination of Russ Meyer 's work and a science-fiction film from the 1970s. Writing that Mizuno drew influence from manga artist Osamu Tezuka , he praised the art as "dense and delirious". In a retrospective review of Mizuno's work, Thompson wrote that the "trippy, grindhouse" narrative contained "weak" places and had a tendency to wander; he compared the plot to an apocalyptic film from the 1970s . From March 13 to June 14, 2009, Pure Trance appeared at an exhibit by

215-558: A consequence, the company planned to lay off the bulk of its dozen employees by February 2017. Notable artists published by Last Gasp include Tim Biskup , Robert Crumb , Richard Corben , Ron English , Camille Rose Garcia , Justin Green , Bill Griffith , John Howard, Greg Irons , Shawna Kenney, Spain Rodriguez , Mark Ryden , Dori Seda , Larry Welz , Robert Williams , and S. Clay Wilson . Mangaka A manga artist , also known as

258-553: A demographic of manga consumers. For example, there are contests which prospective manga artist may enter, sponsored by manga editors and publishers. This can also be accomplished through producing a one-shot . While sometimes a stand-alone manga, with enough positive reception it can be serialized in a weekly, monthly, or quarterly format. They are also recognized for the number of manga they run at any given moment. The original Japanese word can be broken down into two parts: manga ( 漫画 ) and ka ( 家 ) . The manga corresponds to

301-492: A hospital. While walking around the city, Yuriko and Yuka spot the prison where the director is held, and Yuka—the dark haired woman from the directors nightmare—promptly kills her, right as the artificial nurses give birth to baby girls that resemble the director. Pure Trance is manga artist Junko Mizuno 's first major manga; previously, she had self-published a dojinshi , MINA animal DX , of which she printed only fifty copies of one black-and-white issue in 1996. Her work in

344-528: A lethal combination of medicines administered by the director. The director subsequently imprisons Kaori and subjects her to constant torture, and creates artificial nurses Umeko and Takeko to replace the human nurses working at the center. Meanwhile, the deceased women's fetuses are raised in an artificial womb and grow into healthy children— Yuriko, who is very strong and intelligent; shy and dainty Rika; and twins Miki and Yuki, who possess magical powers. The children are raised by robot nurse Kiyomi and Aiko, head of

387-427: A manga artist and their editor to that of the one between a music producer and a recording artist, specifically citing George Martin 's relationship with The Beatles . The editor may also function as a brand manager and publicist for a series. When a manga is the basis for a media franchise , the editor may also supervise the designs for anime adaptations, and similar products, though this duty may also fall to

430-427: A manga artist's art studio , but is most commonly used to refer to secondary artists. The number of assistant artists also varies widely between manga artists, but is typically at least three. Other manga artists instead form work groups known as "circles" but do not use additional assistants, such as the creative team CLAMP . A few manga artists have no assistants at all, and prefer to do everything themselves, but this

473-406: A manga artist, one would need to send their work into a competition held by various publishing companies. If they won their work would be published and they would be assigned an editor and officially "debut" as a manga artist. Nowadays there are many self-published manga artists on the internet posting their work on websites. It is possible for these manga artists' works to be officially picked up by

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516-512: A number of other comix with feminist themes, including It Ain't Me, Babe , Tits & Clits Comix , Twisted Sisters #1, and Good Girls . In 1972, Last Gasp published Justin Green 's seminal autobiographical comic Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary . Beginning in 1972, Last Gasp began publishing ongoing titles moving over from other companies; beginning with Young Lust , and then Rand Holmes ' Harold Hedd . In 1977,

559-504: A nurse themed hostess bar. Deconstruction of the dome over Tokyo begins and real food as well as the integration of the brain creatures and the various plants and animals become mainstream. Yuriko raises Yuka and teaches her to hunt on the surface. She grows up suddenly by shedding her skin and emerging as a mature woman. The pair are found by the dome deconstruction team, and come under the care of Professor Kajiwara and B-ko. The artificial nurses become spontaneously pregnant and are rushed to

602-435: A publishing company, such as Shueisha . For example, One-Punch Man started off as a webcomic before Shueisha began publishing a manga remake on Tonari No Young Jump. While Japan does have a thriving independent comic market for amateur and semi-professional artists, creating manga professionally is rarely a solo effort. Manga artists must work with an assortment of others to get their work completed, published, and into

645-466: A spine. The people living underground survive on Pure Trance, nutritional capsules which have caused overeating in females to become a serious issue. The plot of Pure Trance follows Kaori Suzuki, a kind and good-natured nurse at Overeaters Treatment Center 102, run by the drug-addicted and violently abusive director Keiko Yamazaki. Though normally docile in spite of the director's terrible treatment, Kaori lashes out after three expectant mothers die due to

688-528: A title published in bound volume in Japan. In a 2010 message Japan Cartoonists Association chairman, Takashi Yanase says: "[w]hile Japan is often said to be world's cartoon kingdom, not a few people will surely be wondering what exactly the Japanese mean by the term ' cartoon '. Unfortunately, there is no hard-and-fast definition that can be offered, since the members of this association lay claim to an extensive variety of works." Traditionally in order to become

731-453: Is considered exceptional. Assistants are commonly used for inking , lettering , and shading , though the predominance of black and white art in manga means that unlike in the western comic industry, a studio rarely employs a colorist . Some manga artists only do the sketchwork for their art, and have their numerous assistants fill in all of the details, but it is more common for assistants to deal with background and cameo art, leaving

774-456: Is later found by Professor Kajiwara, who restores an amnesiac Kiyomi into a new robotic body, naming her B-ko. On the surface, the group encounters Seiko, a popular idol singer who went missing years ago and who has adapted to the wilderness of the surface. Seiko leads the group to an abandoned park and educates them on the flora and fauna. Underground, the director is furious at Kaori and the children's escape, and has her security guard Kimiko and

817-531: The Japan Society in New York, Krazy! The Delirious World of Anime + Manga + Video Games . Critical reaction to the manga was positive. In his review of the exhibit, Ken Johnson of The New York Times highlighted Pure Trance as an example of "impressive" "draftsmanship, design and imagination" in a manga. Writing for About.com , Evan Minto wrote that Pure Trance was on display as an example of "the evolution of

860-420: The 'manga-style' that is now so synonymous with the medium", because of "its creation of 'hybrid forms' based on traditional manga style, Lolita fashions, and even pornography." Another guest reviewer for About.com, Scott VonSchilling expressed his happiness that one of Mizuno's works was on the display; according to him, Mizuno's works, which have an American cult following , are very recognizable: "Her mash-up of

903-401: The Holy Virgin Mary , and Weirdo , it also picked up the publishing reins of important titles—such as Zap Comix and Young Lust —from rivals who had gone out of business. Although Last Gasp no longer publishes "floppy" comics; the company continues to publish art and photography books, graphic novels , fiction, and poetry, producing 10–15 new titles per year. Last Gasp Eco Funnies

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946-504: The Japanese popular culture magazine H caught the attention of record label Avex Trax , which placed advertisements in the magazine. Mizuno explained: "They asked me to write a manga to appear with a series of CD compilations called Pure Trance that were introducing techno music to Japan. He wanted something like techno itself, a mixture of futuristic and primitive things." She drew inspiration for Pure Trance from Akira . Written and illustrated by Junko Mizuno, Pure Trance appeared as

989-469: The art. Takeshi Obata of Death Note , Tetsuo Hara of Fist of the North Star , and Ryoichi Ikegami of Sanctuary are all successful manga artists who have worked with writers through the majority of their careers. Most manga artists have assistants who help them complete their work in a clean and timely manner. The duties of assistants vary widely, as the term incorporates all people working for

1032-421: The children's ward, but are constantly tormented by the two artificial nurses. When Aiko stands up to them one day, the director brutally chokes her to death and decides to take the children for herself to use as experiments. With the help of Kiyomi, Kaori escapes to the surface with the children via a ventilation shaft, but not before Kiyomi sacrifices herself, leaving only her robotic head at the entrance. The head

1075-417: The company picked up Joyce Farmer and Lyn Chevely 's Tits & Clits Comix , publishing that series until 1987. Last Gasp published the final three issues of San Francisco Comic Book in 1980–1983, and the latter half of Zap Comix ' run from 1982 to 2005. Last Gasp also published Weirdo from 1981 to 1993, and Cherry Poptart from 1982 to 1992. In the early 1980s Last Gasp published some of

1118-433: The director. When the children return home, the twins use their powers to locate Kaori, but unfortunately witness the director poisoning her to death. The incident leaves them very weak and their hair turns white. Meanwhile, a hole develops in the dilapidated dome covering Tokyo, and plants and animals from the surface begin creeping into the underground. A research team is formed by Professor Kajiwara to explore and determine

1161-712: The first books about the West Coast punk rock scene, including a number of titles by Peter Belsito. Last Gasp moved its headquarters from Berkeley to San Francisco in c. 1975. Starting in 1975, Ron Turner began hosting the annual "Burritos, Beer & Cheer" holiday party at the Last Gasp offices, which was also a fundraiser for the Martin de Porres House of Hospitality , a free soup kitchen located in San Francisco. Last Gasp hosted "Burritos, Beer & Cheer" for more than 30 years. In

1204-407: The habitability of the surface. The children, saddened by Kaori's death and frightened by the explorers, hide in the ruins of a love motel. The director however has a nightmare about the children and a mysterious dark haired woman, and upon waking forces Kimiko and the artificial nurses to venture once more to the surface, this time to kill the children. Rika, who is popular among the brain creatures of

1247-419: The hands of readers. Most professionally published manga artists work with an editor, who is considered the boss of the manga artist and supervises series production. The editor gives advice on the layout and art of the manga, vets the story direction and pace, ensures that deadlines are met, and generally makes sure that the manga stays up to company standards. Naoki Urasawa compared the relationship between

1290-418: The industry directly, without previously being an assistant. For example, Naoko Takeuchi , author of Sailor Moon , won a Kodansha Manga Award contest and manga pioneer Osamu Tezuka was first published while studying an unrelated degree, without working as an assistant. A manga artist will rise to prominence through recognition of their ability when they spark the interest of institutions, individuals or

1333-405: The manga artist or an agent. An example of a manga artist and their editor is Akira Toriyama and Kazuhiko Torishima . A manga artist may both write and illustrate a series of their own creation, or may work together with an author. The manga artist typically has a strong influence on dialog even when paired with a writer, as any conversation must fit within the physical constraints imposed by

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1376-539: The manga artist to focus on drawing and inking the characters. Assistants may also be employed to perform specialized artistic tasks. Go Nagai , for instance, at one time employed a specialist to draw helicopters and other military vehicles, Kaoru Mori employed a historical consultant for Emma , and series that incorporates photorealistic architecture , animals, computer-rendered imagery , or other technically demanding effects may employ or contract separate artists trained in those techniques. Assistants almost never help

1419-586: The manga artist with the plot of their manga, beyond being a sounding board for ideas. A manga artist's assistants might be listed in the credits for a manga tankōbon , and short interviews with or illustrations by assistant artists are a common form of bonus material in these collections, but they typically do not receive individual credits. Most manga artists started out as assistants, such as Miwa Ueda to Naoko Takeuchi, Leiji Matsumoto to Osamu Tezuka, Kaoru Shintani to Leiji Matsumoto, and Eiichiro Oda , Hiroyuki Takei and Mikio Itō to Nobuhiro Watsuki , who

1462-457: The medium of art the artist uses: comics , or Japanese comics, depending on how the term is used inside or outside Japan . The - ka (家) suffix implies a degree of expertise and traditional authorship. For example, this term would not be applied to a writer creating a story which is then handed over to a manga artist for drawing. The Japanese term for such a writer of comics is gensakusha ( 原作者 ) . In 2009, 5,300 mangaka were honored with

1505-510: The period 2004–2010, Last Gasp published English-language compilations of popular manga titles, including Fumiyo Kouno 's Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms ; Junko Mizuno 's Pure Trance ; and Keiji Nakazawa 's Barefoot Gen . In early December 2016, Last Gasp announced it was ending its comics distribution business to focus solely on book publishing. (As one of the last independent distributors, they handled comics distribution from more than 100 small comics publishers.) As

1548-417: The surface, gets pregnant from one of her boyfriends, while the twins have a vision that they will die soon and Rika will die in childbirth. They suggest combining their powers with Yuriko, and perform a ritual that transfers their souls into her body. Rika gives birth to a daughter, Yuka, but dies in the process and becomes one of the brain creatures. At Center 102, a patient spots a bird that flies in through

1591-597: The time period 1971–1973, Last Gasp published Air Pirates Funnies #1–2 and a number of other Air Pirates -related titles, including The Tortoise and the Hare , Dopin' Dan #1–3, and Merton of the Movement . (Turner insists that he only served as an advisor to the Air Pirates collective, despite them crediting his company as "publisher.") Considered to be an "enabler" of the Air Pirates infamous Walt Disney parodies, Turner's name

1634-435: The two artificial nurses pursue them on the surface, much to their chagrin. After several years of living on the surface, Kaori's health deteriorates as she cannot stomach real food, only Pure Trance, whereas the children thrive and grow into adults. While the children are out tripping on hallucinogenic mushrooms one day, Kimiko and the nurses encounter Seiko, who unwittingly leads them to Kaori, whom they capture and take back to

1677-434: The ultra-cute with dirty and grotesque imagery catches your eye and hooks you in. It initially looks like family-friendly kiddie-fare, but viewers quickly realize that it's some of the most adult material on display." Last Gasp (publisher) Last Gasp is a San Francisco –based book publisher with a lowbrow art and counterculture focus. Owned and operated by Ron Turner , for most of its existence Last Gasp

1720-428: The window and eats it, causing her to recover from her overeating illness quickly. The few remaining human nurses utilize this information to create a cheap and effective cure for overeating, causing the center to be shut down and the director to be arrested. They then open a successful pachinko parlor in the building. With the director gone, Kimiko becomes a female wrestling star while the artificial nurses are taken in at

1763-421: Was a publisher, distributor , and wholesaler of underground comix and books of all types. Last Gasp was established in 1970. Although the company came onto the scene a bit later than some of the other underground publishers, Last Gasp continued publishing comics far longer than most of its competitors. In addition to publishing notable original titles like Slow Death , Wimmen's Comix , Binky Brown Meets

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1806-799: Was added to Disney's lawsuit against the collective. Turner quickly settled with Disney, but Air Pirates Dan O'Neill , Bobby London , and Ted Richards continued fighting, in a case that dragged on for years. The company's success with Slow Death and It Ain't Me, Babe enabled Last Gasp to expand into distribution, in addition to publishing. The company soon became a major part of the underground comix movement. Sociopolitical themes were explored in Last Gasp series such as Guy Colwell 's Inner City Romance (1972–1979), which portrayed gritty urban tales; Armageddon (1973), which focused on anarcho-capitalism ; and Anarchy Comics (1978), which focused on left-wing politics . In addition to publishing Wimmen's Comix for much of its run, Last Gasp published

1849-503: Was founded in Berkeley, California , in 1970 by San Francisco State University graduate student Ronald E. Turner , with the help of Gary Arlington , to publish the ecologically-themed comics title Slow Death Funnies (in conjunction with the first Earth Day ). Last Gasp followed Slow Death Funnies with the all-female anthology It Ain't Me, Babe , spearheaded by Trina Robbins . Last Gasp incorporated on September 11, 1971. In

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