Tag Archives: Ben Applegate

SDCC 2024: Scholastic Celebrates Unico: Awakening and Osamu Tezuka’s Legacy with a Panel

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The Eisner Award-winning artist team Gurihiru and the Eisner-nominated writer Samuel Sattin are reinventing creator Osamu Tezuka’s beloved character Unico for a new generation of readers. Beginning with Unico: Awakening, an all-new, 224 page manga with striking full color artwork, Gurihiru and Sattin are embarking on a multi-part adventure to be published by Scholastic.

Osamu Tezuka’s Unico tells the story of a fierce young unicorn who inspires with his hope and positivity. Unico is banished from the heavens by the envious goddess Venus and forgets all he once was, only to be saved from oblivion again and again by the kindhearted West Wind.

In Unico: Awakening, Unico awakens on Earth and is befriended by a resourceful cat named Chloe, who feels protective of the young unicorn. When they find themselves near a small village in the forest, they take refuge with a kind, but lonely, old woman. Chloe begs Unico to turn her into a human girl so she can help the old woman, but that act of kindness has unforeseen consequences: Unico’s use of his power alerts Venus to his location, and now she wants to destroy them both!

Unico: Awakening marks the first ever manga publication from Scholastic. The first volume of the highly anticipated, multi-volume publishing event will be released in 12 languages, reading left to right in the Western comics style to match the original manga.

To celebrate the release of Unico: Awakening, San Diego Comic-Con International 2024 will host a panel entitled “Discover the Magic of Osamu Tezuka: New Adventures for a New Generation!” The panel will celebrate the legacy of Osamu Tezuka, the creator of Astro Boy, who is known around the world as the God of Manga. Samuel Sattin will join  manga editor/journalist Deb Aoki (Mangasplaining and Comics Beat), and manga translator Ben Applegate at San Diego Comic-Con International for a discussion of Tezuka’s enduring legacy and share an exclusive first look at Unico’s next adventure. The panel will take place on Thursday, July 25 from 2:00PM – 3:00PM in Room 28DE. 

Unico: Awakening

Manga Monday: Attack on Titan Anthology

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aot_anthology_nycc-450x675The manga megahit Attack on Titan, reinterpreted by some of comics’ top talent! Featuring original stories by a long roster of comic superstars such as Scott Snyder, Gail Simone, Faith Erin Hicks, Michael Avon Oeming, Paolo Rivera, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr!

This unprecedented, full-colour collaboration between East and West will be released first in English, making it indispensable for Attack on Titan fans and curious comic fans.

When it comes to Attack on Titan my only real exposure to the series was watching the horrendous live action film that came out. I haven’t watched the anime and I haven’t read the manga, but when I heard the Attack on Titan Anthology was coming out, I made sure to grab a copy during New York Comic Con. If I was going to buy it, might as well go with the limited edition cover.

While this anthology isn’t a traditional way to be introduced, it was an interesting one as a who’s who of Western creators tackle this manga phenomenon. And what’s nicer is that each creator gave it their own spin sticking to their style of storytelling and moving the settings of the stories around for different situations and locations.

This is an eclectic mix in a good way with stories that seem to stick to a setting and story that you’d see in the manga series while other creators went with a complete break. There’s horror. There’s humor. There’s action. There’s a little of everything and it’s all enjoyable in its own way.

What’s really interesting to me is recognizing the creators based on their entries. I read the entire graphic novel in one sitting and played guess the creator as I went along creating a fun little game and each creator really does bring their own style. So, if you’re a fan of the folks’ work, you’re probably going to enjoy this.

I knew so little about the world and what to expect going in other than the creative talent lined up, but coming out of it, I want to check out more. If you’re interested in finding out a bit about Attack on Titan, but don’t want to take the chance on manga, this is a solid way to go to find out a bit more about what it’s all about.

Story and Art: Ray Fawkes, Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque, John Rauch, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, Bill Murdon, Afua Richardson, Genevieve Valentine, David Lopez, Faith Erin Hicks, Cris Peter, Michael Avon Oeming, Taki Soma, Paolo Rivera, Gail Simone, Phil Jimenez, Alonso Nunez, Elmer Santos, Sam Humphries, Damion Scott, Sigmund Torre, Rhianna Pratchett, Jorge Corona, Jen Hickman, Ben Applegate, Ronald Wimberly, Kevin Wada, Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, Babs Tarr, Jiji Knight, Si Spurrier, Kate Brown, Paul Duffield, Dee Cunniffe, Asaf Hanuka, Tomer Hanuka, Kate Leth, Jeremy Lambert
Story: 8.35 Art: 8.35 Overall: 8.35 Recommendation: Buy