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New Cyborg 009 Graphic Novel Coming from Archaia

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Date: 2013 July 12 16:45

Posted by Joe

The good people from Archaia Entertainment have sent us details of their new upcoming release an original hardcover graphic novel based on the manga classic Cyborg 009.

Produced directly in conjunction with Ishimori Production Inc. in Japan, this is version has clearly been produced with a more US Comic book feel that the original. The art has clearly been influenced by anime and manga, but it has a very western feel still.

Advance copies will debut at San Diego Comic-Con on July 19th, also known in Japan as Cyborg 009 Day, commemorating the date Ishinomori's original manga was published in Japan in 1964. For those not able to be at Comic-Con, the book goes on sale Sept. 11 2013.

Full Story

Press release as follows:

Written by F.J. Desanto & Bradley Cramp
Illustrated by Marcus To Colored by Ian Herring
Cover by Marcus To, Ian Herring & Jon Adams

UNITED THEY FIGHT.
Awakening in a futuristic military installation with no memory of who he is or how he got there, a young man known only as Cyborg 009 has been stripped by his captors of not only his freedom but his very humanity. His body augmented by cybernetic technology, Cyborg 009 joins forces with 8 others who have suffered the same fate he has, Cyborgs 001-008. United, they set off on a journey to learn the truth of why they were turned into weapons of mass destruction and to prevent a conflict perpetrated by the very organization that made them what they are: The Black Ghost. Fighting for their own futures and the world, they're thrown into a perilous fight that could very well be the start of World War III.

Cyborg 009 is a reimagining of and at the same time a tribute to the classic manga created by the "Jack Kirby of Japan," manga legend Shotaro Ishinomori. The creator of GoRenger, the Japanese precurser to Power Rangers, Ishinomori has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as having drawn more pages of art than any other comic book creator.

A sci-fi action adventure of epic proportions based on the world renowned manga series, Cyborg 009is a fresh take on the beloved classic by Shotaro Ishinomori. The original has achieved worldwide acclaim and writers F.J. DeSanto and Bradley Cramp bring it to life for modern readers with stunning artwork by Marcus To and Eisner Award-nominee Ian Herring, and featuring handdrawn sound effects and lettering by Eisner Award-nominee Deron Bennett. The universal themes of human nature and our preoccupation with war are as inescapable as they are timeless. While our cyborg heroes possess incredible powers and abilities, they are still real people with hopes and fears not unlike our own. Their humanity elevates Cyborg 009from simply being a tale of a cautionary future where power is valued above all to a story about the people who are willing to sacrifice all they have to do what is right.

Archaia Entertainment has collaborated with Ishimori Productions to create this beautifully crafted story that will appeal to old and new readers of any age.Continuing Archaia's tradition of pushing the boundaries of book design and production, the unique presentation by designer Jon Adams features a one-of-a-kind peel-away acetate dust jacket and two layers of vellum which align to give readers a gorgeous 4-layered diagram of the anatomy. Harkening back to original illustrations that Ishinomori created, this modern take on his intricate design is presented in full color transparency. To stay true to the book's manga roots, Eisner Award-winning letterer Deron Bennett hand-lettered each and every sound effect in the book, and drew by hand every word balloon in the book, a rarity in this day of digital lettering.

"I was completely mesmerized by Marcus
To's fantastic art."
-Bleeding Cool

"It's not everyday you get introduced to an
iconic concept with a publication history
nearly as long as Spider-Manor X-Men!"
-Den of Geek

Continuing Archaia's tradition of pushing the boundaries of book design and production, the unique presentation by designer Jon Adams features a one-of-a-kind peel-away acetate dust jacket and two layers of vellum which align to give readers a gorgeous 4-layered diagram of the anatomy. Harkening back to original illustrations that Ishinomori created, this modern take on his intricate design is presented in full color transparency. To stay true to the book's manga roots, Eisner Award-winning letterer Deron Bennett hand-lettered each and every sound effect in the book, and drew by hand every word balloon in the book, a rarity in this day of digital lettering.

About the Authors

Shotaro Ishinomori - Creator
Shotaro Ishinomori was a prodigy in the Japanese comics industry, submitting works to Mainichi Junior High School Newspaper and Manga Shonen magazine as early as 12 years old. His talent led to his first professional job in the industry as an art assistant to the legendary Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy. He made his professional manga debut in 1954 with Second Class Angel. Upon his debut, Shotaro took on the professional name of Ishinomori in homage to his beloved hometown, which today is the home of a museum built in his honor.

F.J. Desanto - Writer
F.J. Desanto is a producer, writer and creator whose recent projects include films such as The Spirit, the animated Turok: Son of Stone, documentaries on Grant Morrison and Warren Ellis, and the critically acclaimed Smuggler's Gambit, a live Star Wars radio drama. He has written for DC Comics, Archaia, Moonstone, Tokyopop and Lucasfilm and his first creator-owned series Insurgentwas published in 2013

Bradley Cramp - Writer
Bradley Cramp is a writer and producer living in Los Angeles. His feature credits include work on such films as Gattaca, The Truman Show, Simone, Lord of Warand the upcoming Invertigo

Marcus To - Illustrator
Marcus To is a Canadian artist and illustrator whose credits include Red Robin, Huntress, Soulfire,and The Flash. Born in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, he has been a part of the American comic book industry since 2004. To lives in Toronto, Ontario and is a member of the Royal Academy of Illustration and Design.

Ian Herring - Colorist
Ian Herring is an Eisner-nominated colorist. Splitting his youth between small town Ontario and smaller town Cape Breton, Ian was raised on Nintendo and reruns of The Simpsons. Somewhere during this time he learned to color. Now based in Toronto, Ian has worked on various titles including Archaia's Jim Henson's Tale of Sand, DC's The Flash, and IDW's TMNT

A few words with F.J. Desanto

What led you to recreate the story of 009? What resonates about the tale now? How do you adapt a 60's Cold War story to a modern setting? What choices do you make to make the adaptation appropriate today's world and readers? What sacrifices does that involve? What do you gain?

F.J. DESANTO: What led to this was Ishimori Production's and my desire to bring the creator's wonderful legacy and properties to a wider audience and hopefully build a new generation of fans. We chose to start with Cyborg 009because its international cast would be great to adapt for a modern audience while also being attractive to those fans who have a long history with the characters.

The manga's Cold War setting is eerily similar to the world we live in today. Thus, it didn't take too much to adapt for a graphic novel reader in 2013. For us, it's more about cherry picking as many fantastic elements from the source material as we can to create an exciting 105-page story. Obviously, when you are dealing with manga, there are a lot of things you can't initially bring over, in particular the extended origins of each character, but I believe we have been able to really give readers the absolute best of what Cyborg 009has to offer.

How long is the initial 009 arc going to be? How closely do you follow the original arc?
F.J. DESANTO:This volume is a self-contained story that has a beginning, middle, and end. Of course, it leaves room for a sequel but our initial story parallels the original volumes of the manga, while also utilizing different moments throughout Cyborg 009's rich history to create as strong a story as possible.

What do you think is the core of the story?
F.J. DESANTO:I think the core of the story is very much still the central theme of the entire series: people from different races overcoming adversity to bring hope to humanity. It's always about the heart and soul over the technology.

What are the pitfalls in recreating popular work? What makes it attractive?
F.J. DESANTO:The pitfalls are not honoring the original work or letting down the core audience, which is why we have worked extremely closely with Ishimori Production Inc. to ensure we retain the spirit of the manga. That's a big responsibility. The most attractive element is getting to work with such classic characters that very few people have been allowed to touch.

Why Shotaro Ishinomori? What draws you to his work in particular?
F.J. DESANTO:His work resonates with me personally because he was one of the few creators from his era to create stories that a person from any part of the world can read and get something from it. He had a genuine understanding of the human spirit and truly believed in our ability to come together.

Though anime-influenced, the art in your new Cyborg 009 graphic novel is much more realistic than Ishinomori's original art. How and why did you decide to move in this direction?
F.J. DESANTO:There was lot of discussion about this. We knew we had to figure out a way to create a look that honored the source material while also being contemporary. We needed a balance. When Marcus and Ian came onboard, we realized immediately that there was no better team for this book. I can't even imagine anyone else doing this book. No one has ever done this kind of project before, and I think we've succeeded on every level from the art, to the lettering and the design. I can't give away too many secrets yet, but when they see how the final book is produced, people are going to flip out

Original Graphic Novel Hardcover
120 Pages
6.625" x 10.25"
Full Color
Fantasy
Carton Quantity: 20
Title Rights: N/A

$24.95 US
ISBN: 1-936393-94-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-936393-94-7

Archaia titles are available for sale at comic book shops, online comic retailers, wherever books are sold, and at the Archaia Web store. For more information, go to Archaia.com/Buy.

Source: Archaia Entertainment

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