Warning : The following post contains nudity/adult content.

Update May 2022 : A newer edition of this manga is now available. Read my review.

Boogie Woogie Waltz is an omnibus collection of short comics by famed manga artist Katsuhiro Otomo, creator of Akira. Published in 1982, this book includes 10 short stories that Otomo drew between 1974-1976, and is likely the first compilation of his works ever released.

Browsing through the preview images on this page fans of Otomo will quickly notice the markedly different look of the drawings as compared to later masterpieces like Domu and Akira. Just like many other celebrated manga artists like Toriyama Akira ( Dragonball ) and Takehiko Inoue ( SlamDunk, Vagabond ) Otomo’s art style has evolved over the course of his career.

It would be a mistake to assume that his earliest works were in anyway inferior or even amateurish; – any artist who has attempted to draw comics will tell you it is quite the monumental task to create engaging panels; and Otomo’s work even in his early days already display amazing competence and technical excellence.

Boogie Woogie Waltz is a rare opportunity to enjoy and study the work of Otomo during the earliest days of his manga career, before Akira came along and Neo-Tokyo exploded.

Availability : Very rare. Some used copies are available from Amazon ( Japan, US, UK all carry it – see purchase links below ), and if you’re lucky a copy might be on sale at the Mandarake bookstore in Nakano Broadway, Tokyo.

Update May 2022 : A newer edition of this manga is now available. Read my review.

“”Boogie Woogie – Katsuhiro Otomo Manga 大友克洋” details :

– Dimensions – 21 x 14.8 x 1.6 cm
– softcover, 262 pages.
– Black & White, in Japanese

Buy From Amazon.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Amazon DE | Amazon ES

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