Best known as the creator of Akira, as mangaka to the manga and director of the animated movie, Katsuhiro Otomo is a man of many hats. As a director, his other works include such hits as Steamboy and Mushishi (live-action). On top of his professions of mangaka and director, Otomo-sensei is also a screenwriter. having written the screenplays for the mentioned films, along with the screenplay for Metropolis.

What eventually became a landmark film in Japanese animation started off as this, the Akira manga by Katsuhiro Otomo.  Needless to say, this is a manga classic. 

Akira features a world after World War III.  The Japanese government becomes obsessed with funding research into espers, humans who have psychic powers.  Their research proves successful with the awakening of a number of espers.

Enter Tetsuo Shima. After getting injured by an explosion caused by an escaped esper he starts to develop powers himself.  His powers change him into a cold killer whose gripes with his once friend, Shotaro Kaneda, become magnified into hate.  Now the both of them become tangled in a fight between not just two teenagers, but the government and the resistance, esper verses human.

This was the winner of the 1984 Kodansha Manga Award for best general manga.

In a special feature in the latest issue of Geijutsu Shinchou, Akira’s author Otomo Katsuhiro was interviewed regarding his latest work.

Otomo-sensei answered in the interview: “It [his latest work] will be serialized in a Shouen magazine. I’m already starting on my first shouen-genre work and I’m still in the middle of preparation and gathering materials for it.” 

The mystery work that Otomo-sensei talked about is going to take stage in the Meiji era.

[Comic Natalie]

The official San Diego Comic-Con website announced that Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo will be attending this year’s event.

More details at the break.