A Drunken Dream and Other Stories

Fantagraphics Books' first volume of manga is a collection of short stories by one of Japan's most influential and critically lauded comics innovators. Moto Hagio has been reinventing shojo manga (Japanese comics marketed at 10-18 year-old girls) since 1969. Unconstrained by boundaries of genre, she has sculpted a career characterized by intellectual curiosity, psychological authenticity, and an aesthetic sense that has often been at odds with a shojo manga mainstream littered with Sailor Moon knockoffs and sub-Harlequin-romance clichés. Now, for the first time in English, we offer a Hagio primer, a selection of short stories spanning four decades of groundbreaking work -- 1971-2007 -- by an artist who is working at the peak of her creative powers. In "Autumn Journey" (1971), a boy's pilgrimage to the home of his favorite author has more meaning than either the author or his daughter can imagine. In "Marié, Ten Years Later" (1977), two estranged friends learn too late how their actions had destroyed the balance of a perfect triad of intimacy. In "A Drunken Dream" (1980), two scientists--one a hermaphrodite, the other a tribal priest--meet on a space station orbiting Io; but they have met before and are destined to meet again. In "Iguana Girl" (1991), a girl who appears to her mother and herself to be a hideous anthropoid iguana struggles to overcome her mother's rejection and find happiness ... but her mother has a secret. Learn for yourself why the creator of ! (adapted into an anime) and has influenced the careers of countless other creators, both within and outside the manga industry, and continues to garner international critical praise and appeal to readers across ages and generations.

"[A] gorgeously-produced best-of collection from shojo manga creator Moto Hagio... On the face of the evidence there was very little she could not do, some things she did well, and a few things she did magnificently." NOVI Magazine

"[A]n excellent introduction to one of the most literary and original voices working in comics today. Highly recommended." Serdar Yegulalp Genji Press

"Starred Review. ...Hagio forever changed the landscape of comics for girls and started a creative industry for women outside of the domicile.... Her craftsmanship reflects wisdom and exercises the creative strength necessary to unravel and tie together the range of narrative threads that make up the tragedies and slow recoveries of life.... The consistency of her work is evidence of why she's finally being translated into English and why that was long overdue." Katherine Dacey The Manga Critic

"...Moto Hagio has more on her agenda than simply trotting out tired 'girly' storylines. Her protagonists struggle with loss, rejection, and insecurity in a manner sure to strike readers as honest and familiar, never reductive or patronizing.... [] span[s] 31years of Hagio's career and, while the later stories do seem a bit looser and more confident, the earlier stories certainly don't suffer by comparison." Andrew Fuerste-Henry

"[] lays the groundwork for measuring all of the wonderful components of girls' comics. It's impossible to read through these panels and not feel your own life in them . . . [Hagio is] THE EMPRESS OF FEELINGS.... I want to buy three copies of it so that I can loan 2 to new people and have a back up loan copy for the eventual time when one of them gets stolen." No Flying No Tights

Moto Hagio has been reinventing shojo manga (Japanese comics marketed at 10-18 year-old girls) since 1969. Unconstrained by boundaries of genre, she has sculpted a career characterized by intellectual curiosity, psychological authenticity, and an aesthetic sense that has often been at odds with a shojo manga mainstream littered with Sailor Moon knockoffs and sub-Harlequin-romance cliches. Now, for the first time in English, we offer a Hagio primer, a selection of short stories spanning four decades of groundbreaking work 1971-2007 by an artist who is working at the peak of her creative powers. In Autumn Journey (1971), a boy s pilgrimage to the home of his favorite author has more meaning than either the author or his daughter can imagine. In Marie, Ten Years Later (1977), two estranged friends learn too late how their actions had destroyed the balance of a perfect triad of intimacy. In A Drunken Dream (1980), two scientists one a hermaphrodite, the other a tribal priest meet on a space station orbiting Io; but they have met before and are destined to meet again. In Iguana Girl (1991), a girl who appears to her mother and herself to be a hideous anthropoid iguana struggles to overcome her mother s rejection and find happiness ... but her mother has a secret Learn for yourself why the creator ofThere Were Eleven (adapted into an anime) and A, A has influenced the careers of countless other creators, both within and outside the manga industry, and continues to garner international critical praise and appeal to readers across ages and generations. "

Fantagraphics Books is proud to launch its manga line with Moto Hagio's collection of short comics, A Drunken Dream and Other Stories. Hagio is one of Japan's most influential and critically lauded comics innovators; she has been reinventing shojo manga (Japanese comics marketed at 10-18 year-old girls) since 1969. Unconstrained by boundaries of genre, she has sculpted a career characterized by intellectual curiosity, psychological authenticity, and an esthetic sense that has elevated the shojo genre into the literary. In "Autumn Journey" (1971), a boy's pilgrimage to the home of his favorite author has more meaning than either the author or his daughter can imagine. In "Marie, Ten Years Later" (1977), two estranged friends learn too late how their actions had destroyed the balance of a perfect triad of intimacy. In "A Drunken Dream" (1980), two scientists--one a hermaphrodite, the other a tribal priest--meet on a space station orbiting Io; but they have met before and are destined to meet again. In "Iguana Girl" (1991), a girl who appears to her mother and herself to be a hideous anthropoid iguana struggles to overcome her mother's rejection and find happiness ... but her mother has a secret. Learn for yourself why the creator of They Were Eleven (adapted into an anime released on DVD in 2005) continues to garner international critical praise and appeals to readers across ages and generations.

Moto Hagio helped reinvent and bring critical acclaim to shojo (aimed at 10--18-year-old girls) manga in the 1970s and beyond. A Drunken Dream and Other Stories collects short comics stories originally published in monthly magazines. It begins with 1970's "Bianca" and ends with 2007's "The Willow Tree." In between is "Mari , Ten Years Later" (1977), in which two friends destroy their perfect romantic and creative harmony. Also: the haunting "The Child Who Comes Home" (1998), "Autumn Journey" (1971), "Girl on Porch With Puppy" (1971), "Angel Mimic" (1984), and the conjoined twin tragedy Hanshin: Half-God" (1984). In the titular title story, "A Drunken Dream" (1980), two scientists, one a priest, meet on a space station orbiting Io. But they have met before and are destined to meet again. In "Iguana Girl" (1991), a child appears to her mother and herself as a hideous anthropoid iguana who will never be able to fit into the human world...but her mother has a secret.

Manga scholar and translator Rachel Thorn also interviews Hagio, who discusses her art, her career, and her life with wit and candor. Lauded in Japan, she has an international following -- her work has been adapted into anime, television, theater, audio dramas, and more -- and appeals to readers across generations.

A decades-spanning collection from the "founding mother" of modern shōjo manga.

Moto Hagio was born in 1949 and lives in Japan. She is widely considered the most beloved shōjo manga artist of all time. Her graphic novel A Drunken Dream was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2011.