Zack Davisson – författare

The beloved mangaka adapts one of his country - and the world’s - great works of supernatural literatureShigeru Mizuki—Japan’s grand master of yokai comics—adapts one of the most important works of supernatural literature into comic book form. The cultural equivalent of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, Tono Monogatari is a defining text of Japanese folklore and one of the country’s most important works of literature. This graphic novel was created during the later stage of Mizuki’s career, after he had retired from the daily grind of commercial comics to create personal, lasting works of art.Originally written in 1910 by folklorists and field researchers Kunio Yanagita and Kizen Sasaki, Tono Monogatari celebrates and archives legends from the Tono region. These stories were recorded as Japan’s rapid modernization led to the disappearance of traditional culture. This adaptation mingles the original text with autobiography: Mizuki attempts to retrace Yanagita and Sasaki’s path, but finds his old body is not quite up to the challenge of following in their footsteps. As Mizuki wanders through Tono he retells some of the most famous legends, manifesting a host of monsters, dragons, and foxes. In the finale, Mizuki meets Yanagita himself and they sit down to discuss their works.Translated and with additional essays by Mizuki scholar Zack Davisson, Tono Monogatari displays Mizuki at his finest, exploring the world he most cherished.

"A modern day Lafcadio Hearn is picking up his ghostly torch. Zack Davisson is the author, translator, and folklorist following in Hearn''s footsteps." --tofugu.comMysterious demons, ghosts and monsters have haunted Japan for centuries! The Ultimate Guide to Japanese Yokai presents 100 of the strangest creatures you have ever seen--from evil demons and terrifying monsters to mythical ghosts and enchanted beasts.In this book, Yokai expert Zack Davisson explains how Yokai are highly elusive, and yet without understanding them you will never truly know Japan. The Yokai profiled in this book include:Amabie: A mysterious half fish, half bird creature said to heal any affliction merely by gazing upon its imageTofu Kozo: A harmless Yokai that appears like a young child dressed in a fancy kimono with a straw hat carrying a plate of wobbly tofuKyokotsu: The pitiful spirit of a person who was thrown down a well and died--with pale skin and a shock of white hair growing from a bleached-white skullAkaname: A disgusting Yokai who skitters about licking the scum from filthy bathtubsKanibozu: Massive crabs, who shapeshift into human form, disguising themselves as monks asking riddles, but killing anyone who fails to answer correctly!And many more!Packed with interesting facts and entertaining stories, this book is richly illustrated with over 250 color woodblock prints and paintings that reveal the fascinating world of the Yokai.

Gods, myths, and magic on the streets of Tokyo, collected in its entirety for the first time in this new compendium! Rori Lane is trying to start a new life when she reunites with her mother in Japan, but ancient creatures lurking in the shadows sense something hidden deep within her, threatening everything she holds dear. Can she unlock the secrets of her power before it’s too late? Jim Zub (Conan the Barbarian) and Steven Cummings (Star Wars: Hidden Empire) unleashed a supernatural spectacle set against Japan's engaging culture and mythic monsters, and the story is now collected in a single stellar volume along with insightful cultural essays by Zack Davisson (Ultimate X-Men) and other development work and pin-ups by the creative team. Collects WAYWARD #1-30.

Sixteen mythical monsters and spirits from Japanese folklore take children on fantastical adventures in this first-ever children’s storybook about yokai. Young readers will meet baku the dream eater, mischievous kappa sprites, a ghost child who lives in a hotel, and many more. Yokai have a rich history dating back centuries in Japan, and today, they can be found in monstercatching video games and animated films. Yokai Stories is the first book to weave Japan’s monster mythology into English-language stories for children. Each tale is accompanied by a haunting, modern portrait of the yokai by Swiss artist Eleonora D’Onofrio.

Bookworm Akira has read about the conniving ways of Yokai, but when he trips over one along a forest path, he decides to help the creature back to its murky water home. A challenge ensues involving Akira’s beloved grandmother, a pizza-producing hammer, and a crunchy cucumber. Haunting illustrations of the Yokai accompany 17 original stories.

Seventy years after his death, Adolf Hitler remains a mystery. Historians, military tacticians, and psychologists have tried in vain to unravel his complex motivations for leading Germany into the Holocaust and World War II. With Shigeru Mizuki's Hitler, the manga-ka (Kitaro, NonNonba, Showa: A History of Japan) delves deep into the history books to create an absorbing and eloquent portrait of Hitler's life. Beginning with Hitler's time in Austria as a starving art student and ending with a Germany in ruins, Shigeru Mizuki's Hitler retraces the path Hitler took in life, coolly examining his charismatic appeal and his calculated political maneuvering. The Munich Beer Putsch, Hitler's ascent to chancellor, the sudden death of his half-niece Geli, the Battle of Stalingrad, his relationship with Eva Braun, and his eventual demise: all are given equal attention in this thorough and compelling biography. In Mizuki's signature style, which populates incredibly realistic backgrounds with cartoony characters, Japan's most famous living cartoonist has created an overview of Hitler's life that is as fascinating as it is informative.

The Birth Of Kitaro collects seven of Shigeru Mizuki's early, and beloved, Kitaro stories, making them available for the first time in English, in an all-new, format. These stories are from the golden era of the late 1960s, when Gegege no Kitaro truly hit its stride as an all-ages supernatural series. Mizuki's Kitaro stories are both timelessly relevant and undeniably influential, inspiring a decades-long boom in stories about yokai, Japanese ghosts and monsters. Kitaro's Birthday reveals the origin story of the yokai boy Kitaro and his tiny eyeball father, Medama Oyaji. Neko Musume versus Nezumi Otoko is the first of Mizuki's stories to feature the popular recurring character Neko Musume, a little girl who transforms into a cat when she gets angry or hungry. Other stories in The Birth of Kitaro draw heavily from Japanese folklore, with Kitaro taking on legendary Japanese yokai like the Nopperabo and Makura Gaeshi, and fighting the monstrous recurring villain Gyuki. The Birth of Kitaro is the perfect introduction to award-winning author Shigeru Mizuki's most popular series, seminal comics that have won the hearts of Japanese children and adults for more than half a century.

Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon is the second volume in the adventures of Shigeru Mizuki s bizarre yokai boy Kitaro and his gaggle of other- worldly friends. These seven stories date from the golden age of Gegege no Kitaro, when Mizuki had perfected the balance of folklore, comedy, and horror that made Kitaro one of Japan s most beloved characters. In Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon, Kitaro and his father Medama Oyaji face off against one of their most powerful enemies the self-styled Yokai Supreme Commander known as Nurarihyon. Over the course of this volume, Kitaro takes on the swamp-dwelling Sawa Kozo, the mysterious Diamond Yokai, the sea giant called Umizato, and wages a double-feature of battles against the bizarre Odoro Odoro. Finally, Kitaro journeys to hell itself in the infamous and surreal story Hell Ride. In addition to more than 150 pages of Mizuki s all-ages monster fun, Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon includes bonus materials: Yokai Files that introduce Japan's folklore monsters and a 'History of Kitaro' essay by translator Zack Davisson.If you found the world of yoki fascinating in the The Birth of Kitaro, you will find even more to love in Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon!

Kitaro and the Great Tanuki War features adventures of Shigeru Mizuki s beloved yokai boy. In the epic title story, Kitaro battles the tanuki, a Japanese animal that features prominently in the country s yokai legends. The furry beasts draw on the power of the blood moon to awaken the monstrous catfish that lives in the depths of the Earth. The twisting of the catfish causes earthquakes that threaten to destroy all of Japan. With his yokai allies captured, Kitaro is the only one left who can take on the great tanuki and his army. Will he be up for the challenge? This volume contains two additional stories about traditional folklore monsters as seen through Mizuki s whimsical and genre-defining lens. In Mokumokuren, Kitaro faces off against a paper screen come to life, while The Obebenuma Yokai introduces a grisly swamp creature. Kitaro and the Great Tanuki War showcase the golden age of the Gegege no Kitaro series from the 1960s and have never appeared in English before.D+Q s Kitaro series celebrates Mizuki s expert blend of folklore, comedy, and horror, sharing the all-ages stories that made Kitaro one of Japan s most beloved characters. This kid-friendly edition also features a History of Kitaro essay by award-winning series translator and Mizuki scholar Zack Davisson.

The final showdown for the legendary yokai!In the seventh volume of Shigeru Mizuki’s defining series, our beloved hero Kitaro stands accused of exposing the secret yokai world on television. He is put on trial for crimes against yokai. Witnesses are called from both sides, but when Nezumi Otoko takes the stand, all bets are off. Will Nezumi Otoko be for Kitaro or against him? Only the biggest bribe will tell!The Trial of Kitaro features five bizarre and amusing adventures. In every story, Kitaro has his hands full. He faces off against Kasha, a vicious demon cat; tries to quell a magical cooking pot; battes a sea monster; and solves the mystery of a three-eyed bird.This volume features comics from the late 1960s, which was the golden age of GeGeGe no Kitaro. These stories appear in English for the first time in a kid-friendly edition, with translations by the Mizuki scholar and series translator Zack Davisson. The Trial of Kitaro also concludes Davisson’s “History of Kitaro” essay and offers another round of “Yokai Files,” which introduce the folklore of Japan’s monsters and supernatural beings. This final volume of Mizuki’s renowned Kitaro series is not to be missed!

With a "ghostly torch" passed down from Lafcadio Hearn, Davisson, accomplished author, translator, and folklorist delves into the depths of Japanese folklore to unearth 100 of the most bizarre and haunting creatures to ever grace myth and legend.In this book you'll encounter a vast range of mysterious beings, from malevolent demons and chilling monsters to spectral ghosts and enchanted beasts. Davisson skillfully navigates the elusive realm of Yokai, shedding light on their mysteries and revealing their significance to the cultural tapestry of Japan.Featuring iconic Yokai such as the enigmatic Amabie, the endearing Tofu Kozo, and the pitiful Kyokotsu, alongside lesser-known entities like the repulsive Akaname and the never before catalogued Kaiju, this book offers a comprehensive exploration of Japan's supernatural pantheon.Modern Yokai art by esteemed artists such as Lili Chin, Emi Lenox, and Peach Momoko breathe new life into the age-old legends shared within. Illustrated with over 250 color woodblock prints and paintings, and packed with interesting facts and entertaining stories, this book transports readers into a realm where the line between myth and reality blurs."A modern day Lafcadio Hearn is picking up his ghostly torch. Zack Davisson is the author, translator, and folklorist following in Hearn's footsteps." —tofugu.com