Fantagraphics Books is proud to launch its manga line with Moto
Hagio’s collection of short comics, A Drunken Dream and Other Stories.
Hagio is one of Japan’s most influential and critically lauded comics
innovators; she has been reinventing shojo manga (Japanese comics marketed at
10-18 year-old girls) since 1969. Unconstrained by boundaries of genre, she has
sculpted a career characterized by intellectual curiosity, psychological
authenticity, and an esthetic sense that has elevated the shojo genre into the
literary. In “Autumn Journey” (1971), a boy’s pilgrimage to
the home of his favorite author has more meaning than either the author or his
daughter can imagine. In “Marie, Ten Years Later” (1977), two
estranged friends learn too late how their actions had destroyed the balance of
a perfect triad of intimacy. In “A Drunken Dream” (1980), two
scientists—one a hermaphrodite, the other a tribal priest—meet on a
space station orbiting Io; but they have met before and are destined to meet
again. In “Iguana Girl” (1991), a girl who appears to her mother and
herself to be a hideous anthropoid iguana struggles to overcome her
mother’s rejection and find happiness ... but her mother has a secret.
Learn for yourself why the creator of They Were Eleven! (adapted into an anime
released on DVD in 2005) continues to garner international critical praise and
appeals to readers across ages and generations.
Moto Hagio helped reinvent and bring critical acclaim to shojo (aimed at 10--18-year-old girls) manga in the 1970s and beyond. A Drunken Dream and Other Stories collects short comics stories originally published in monthly magazines. It begins with 1970's "Bianca" and ends with 2007's "The Willow Tree." In between is "Marié, Ten Years Later" (1977), in which two friends destroy their perfect romantic and creative harmony. Also: the haunting "The Child Who Comes Home" (1998), "Autumn Journey" (1971), "Girl on Porch With Puppy" (1971), "Angel Mimic" (1984), and the conjoined twin tragedy "Hanshin: Half-God" (1984). In the titular title story, "A Drunken Dream" (1980), two scientists, one a priest, meet on a space station orbiting Io. But they have met before and are destined to meet again. In "Iguana Girl" (1991), a child appears to her mother and herself as a hideous anthropoid iguana who will never be able to fit into the human world...but her mother has a secret.
Manga scholar and translator Rachel Thorn also interviews Hagio, who discusses her art, her career, and her life with wit and candor. Lauded in Japan, she has an international following -- her work has been adapted into anime, television, theater, audio dramas, and more -- and appeals to readers across generations.
