Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Vol. 8
Born in Tokyo in 1960, Naoki Urasawa's career as a manga artist spans three decades and has firmly established him as one of the true manga masters of his generation. A graduate of Meisei University, Urasawa debuted withReturn!in 1981 and hasn't stopped his impressive output since. Well-versed in a variety of genres, Urasawa's oeuvre encompasses a multitude of different subjects, such as romantic comedies (Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl), gritty urban dramas (Pineapple ARMY), swashbuckling detective stories (Master Keaton), captivating psychological thrillers (Monsterand20th Century Boys) and modern reinterpretations of the work of the God of Manga, Osamu Tezuka (Pluto: Urasawa × Tezuka). Many of his books have spawned equally popular animated series, and 2008 saw the theatrical release of the first of three live-action Japanese films based on20th Century Boys.No stranger to accolades and awards, Urasawa has received the Kodansha Manga Award, and is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award and a two-time recipient of the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize.Similarly,Monsterhas been nominated twice for the Eisner Award in America. Urasawa has also become involved in the world of academia, and in 2008 accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University, where he teaches courses in, of course, manga. Combining a breathtaking cinematic visual style with stories known for their penetrating psychological depth and maturity, Naoki Urasawa remains one of the most exciting creators working in the medium of comics today.