Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Gengoroh Tagame, graphic novel, manga, our colors, Pantheon

Gengoroh Tagame Follows Up My Brother's Husband Manga With Our Colors

Published Sun, 12 Dec 2021 06:57:10 -0600

Our Colors by Gengoroh Tagame is a new manga novel translated by Anne Ishii, to be published by Pantheon in May. The follow up to his Eisner Award–winning My Brother's Husband, it's another queer drama set in contemporary Japan, featuring a closeted young painter with synesthesia.

A mesmerizing coming-of-age and coming-out graphic novel by the genius writer-artist of the breakout hit My Brother's Husband Set in contemporary suburban Japan, Our Colors is the story of Sora Itoda, a sixteen-year-old aspiring painter who experiences his world in synesthetic hues of blues and reds and is governed by the emotional turbulence of being a teenager. He wants to live honestly as a young gay man in high school, but that is still not acceptable in Japanese society. His best friend and childhood confidante is Nao, a young woman whom everyone thinks is (or should be) his girlfriend, and it would be the easiest thing to play along—she knows he's gay but knows, too, how difficult it is to live one's truth in his situation. Sora's world changes forever when he meets Mr. Amamiya, a middle-aged gentleman who is the owner and proprietor of a local coffee shop and is completely, unapologetically out as a gay man. A mentorship and platonic friendship ensues as Sora comes out to him and agrees to paint a mural in the shop, and Mr. Amamiya counsels Sora about how to deal with who he is. But it won't be easy. Mr. Amamiya paid a high price for his freedom of identity, and when a figure from his past suddenly appears, the situation becomes a vivid example of just how complicated life can be.

And while the big focus will be on this English-language launch, Fantagraphics has snuck in the month before, publishing two other volumes by Gengoroh Tagame containing his gay erotic manga comics also translated by Anne Ishii, with covers designed by Chip Kidd.

The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame: Master of Gay Erotic Manga Vol. 1

A classic comics collection from "The Tom of Finland of Japan," now in paperback! The often violent, visceral, and always provocative style of Japanese manga legend Gengoroh Tagame, one of the originators of Japanese bear culture, comes to life like never before in The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame, a new edition of the artist's first English-language collection. Known as "The Tom of Finland of Japan," Tagame is celebrated around the world for his groundbreaking work, noted for its masterfully crafted imagery and unbridled exploration of bondage, lust, passion, and romance. This first English paperback edition includes ten short stories dating from the late 1990s to the early 2010s, with an introduction by celebrated novelist and biographer Edmund White, as well as an essay and new jacket design by acclaimed novelist and graphic designer Chip Kidd. Featuring intense, explicit, over-the-top scenes of BDSM among hypermasculine men, The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame is a must-have for Tagame fans, as well as fans of bear cultures in general. Produced by veteran "Japanist" Anne Ishii and filmmaker Graham Kolbeins, the book also contains sixteen full-page color illustrations.

The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame: Master of Gay Erotic Manga Vol. 2

The long-awaited second English language anthology from the master of "bara" manga. Kings, monks, cops, athletes: no manly man is safe from the deliciously depraved fantasies of gay manga master Gengoroh Tagame. In this unabashedly adult collection of BDSM comics, Tagame serves up what his fans love best: elaborate, sensational, beautifully rendered erotica. The long-awaited follow-up to Tagame's breakthrough collection, The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame Vol. 2 features a treasure trove of long and short stories previously unpublished in English, accompanied by original essays and an exclusive new interview with the internationally renowned cartoonist. Featuring intense, explicit, over-the-top scenes of BDSM between hypermasculine men, The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame is a must-have for Tagame fans as well as fans of "Bara" manga (manga created primarily by gay men for a gay male audience) and bear cultures in general. Produced by veteran "Japanist" Anne Ishii and filmmaker Graham Kolbeins, with a jacket design by longtime Tagame fan and acclaimed graphic designer Chip Kidd.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!