Congratulations to Keiji Nakazawa and Last Gasp Publishing, who this week completed the English-language release of the groundbreaking manga Barefoot Gen. Originally serialized beginning in 1973, the story is a the slightly-fictionalized biography of author Keiji Nakazawa and his experiences as a young man caught in the Hiroshima bombings of 1945. It’s a harrowing first-person account of the bombings and the tragedy, a powerful anti-war work and a must-read.
A very early English translation of Barefoot Gen Volume 1 was released in North America in 1976, making it one of the first manga to appear in English. Though the first 4 books of the series had seen print in various editions over the following 30 years, in 2005 Last Gasp committed to publishing the complete 10 volume series in English (in a matching trade-dress!), for the first time. This January they completed that goal, and English-language manga is richer for the experience.
All 10 volumes are currently in stock on the second floor, and priced at about $15, give or take the exchange rate.
– Chris @ The Beguiling
