Publications

Softcover, 126 pages, 6.5 x 9/25 inches.

This book is full of high quality historical photos of Sawtelle Japantown, Giant Robot's home, paired with informative written captions for each image.

Written on the back cover:

A 1.48-square-mile piece of unincorporated Los Angeles County when it was annexed by the City of Los Angeles in 1922, tiny Sawtelle has lived very large in the hearts and minds of Japanese Americans. Their homes, livelihoods, religions, businesses, language, and other ethnocentric and social involvements are rooted in the area, with the Japanese Institute of Sawtelle as the cultural nexus. Bisected by Sawtelle Boulevard, this particular Japantown flourished through a close-knit network of immigrants who were denied citizenship until 1952 and were excluded by law from land ownership. Only through second-generation, American-born children could they buy real property. These vintage images--collected from local families, businesses, and organizations--provide rare glimpses into the Japanese immigrant experience in Los Angeles.

21 pages, measures 5.5 x 8.5 inches.

This modest and beautifully executed booklet is an affectionate glimpse into the people, places and pets that surround the daily life of Giant Robot's own Eric Nakamura. See such familiar faces such as Hellen Jo, Barry McGee, Mike Choi bound in alongside more intimate scenes of family life.

From the inside page:

"This is a collection of photos shot in early 2017. I re-started photography to capture my parents and it has since spread into things related to Giant Robot and beyond. My photos are often personal, yet with the context I've added, I hope they resonate."

-Eric Nakamura, 2019

24 pages, measures 5.5 x 8.5 inches.

This modest and beautifully executed booklet is an affectionate glimpse into the people, places and pets that surround the daily life of Giant Robot's own Eric Nakamura. See such familiar faces such as James Jean, Katsuya Terada, David Choe bound in alongside more intimate scenes of family life.

From the inside page:

"This is a collection of photos shot at the end of 2016 and early 2017. I have the need to say that it was shot on 35mm Tri-X film, and it is also a restart of my film photography work which began in 1986 until around 1996 when my entirety of camera gear was burglarized. Of course I used film for the earlier days of Giant Robot, but those were quick jobs and often not memorable. With digital photography and cellphones being so easy to use, I never thought I'd go back to film. My favorite subjects are starting to become evident, and there are days when I shoot a lot and then there are weeks in between touching the camera. I'll admit I've witnessed plenty of moments pass by and that's how it goes."

-Eric Nakamura, 2019

Softcover, 104 pages, two color, measures 7.9 x 6.1 inches.

A death throws a family's life into turmoil in one of the most anticipated graphic novel releases of 2021.

In this graphic novel, Charlene is a divorced mom, has a young son named Brandon, and works full-time as a nurse while also caring for her infirm father. She is barely holding their lives together when tragedy strikes and leaves Charlene and Brandon on their own. Charlene, who has put everyone but herself first for years, sees it as an opportunity for a new start of sorts. That is, at least, until her easy-come, easy-go brother, Robbie — a well-intentioned but unserious semi-professional musician — rolls back into town after a long absence. Brandon, a good kid who aches for his absent father, focuses his grief on his cat, Batman, who hasn't been seen for a few days since he ran into the sugar cane fields that lie on the edge of their housing tract.

No One Else is a graphic novel of great tender truth, as Charlene, Brandon, and Robbie learn to navigate life day to day with their plans, fears, and desires. Gorgeously drawn and set in the author's hometown on the Hawaiian island of Maui, it is the long-awaited follow up to Johnson's acclaimed debut graphic novel, Night Fisher, and a mature work of literary fiction that is certain to be one of the most talked-about books of 2021.

Hardcover, 380 pages, black and white, measures 8.3 x 11.7 inches.

35 years in the making, the most anticipated graphic novel in recent comics history!

The year is 1964. Bobby Bailey doesn't realize he is about to fulfill his tragic destiny when he walks into a US Army recruitment office to join up. Close-mouthed, damaged, innocent, trying to forget a past and looking for a future, it turns out that Bailey is the perfect candidate for a secret U.S. government experimental program, an unholy continuation of a genetics program that was discovered in Nazi Germany nearly 20 years earlier in the waning days of World War II. Bailey's only ally and protector, Sergeant McFarland, intervenes, which sets off a chain of cascading events that spin out of everyone's control. As the titular monsters of the title multiply, becoming real and metaphorical, literal and ironic, the story reaches its emotional and moral reckoning. Monsters is the legendary project Barry Windsor-Smith has been working on for over 35 years. A 360-page tour de force of visual storytelling, Monsters' narrative canvas is both vast and deep: part familial drama, part political thriller, part metaphysical journey, it is an intimate portrait of individuals struggling to reclaim their lives and an epic political odyssey across two generations of American history. Trauma, fate, conscience, and redemption are just a few of the themes that intersect in the most ambitious graphic novel of Windsor-Smith's career. Monsters is rendered in Windsor-Smith's impeccable pen-and-ink technique, the visual storytelling with its sensitivity to gesture and composition is the most sophisticated of the artist's career. There are passages of heartbreaking tenderness, of excruciating pain, and devastating violence. It is surely one of the most intense graphic novels ever drawn.

Softcover, 132 pages, full color, measures 7.3 x 9.3 inches.

This collection of seven short graphic stories by Martin Cendreda (Bojack Horseman, South Park) leads the reader on visual journeys. Printed in red, white, and black, The Hand of Black and Other Stories collects seven mostly-silent, short stories (most of which have never been published) that are each a chiseled, mini-masterpiece of dark humor and horror, and will resonate with fans of the Twilight Zone or the works of Daniel Clowes.

Hardcover, 64 pages, full color, measures 7.4 x 9.6 inches.

A science-fiction graphic novella grounded in a familiar experience for most: spending an afternoon with our best pals over a burger and fries. But this joint has something more special than a Happy Meal: the "Once Party" menu.

The "Once Party" menu, for ages 11 and up, can only be ordered once (of course). But there's a catch: not everyone who does gets the special prize. Those who do, go to a room where they can view five minutes of one of three moments in their future. Galvan manages to create a vivid world that is both a recognizable and alien depiction of adolescence. There are mean girls, and fast food, and BFFs with crappy older brothers, as well as familiar hints of 1990s design and fashion. Yet, it's also rife with futuristic flourishes like little robotic eggs that walk and talk, like anthropomorphic Alexas.

At its heart, however, Afternoon at McBurger's is a timeless story about friendship and innocence and the discoveries of adolescence (both good and bad), with layers to be revealed only through multiple readings. And Galvan's visual style, anchored by a mastery of pastel and primary colors, will make you want to do so immediately.

Softcover, 192 pages, 10.16 x 9.76 inches.

This book is a large-format anthology that introduces 32 contemporary artists and their works depicting near-future and imaginary worlds with a variety of illustration styles and outstanding techniques.

Inside you will find a devastated apocalyptic world, a society with advanced science, humans and cities that are a fusion of machines and advanced technology, characters traveling through an infinite universe, novel gadgets with huge potential, and the future that we may have dreamt of during childhood. Enjoy these highlights from the world of science fiction illustration printed in full color and with a beautiful binding. Also, at the end of the book, there is a feature on the method of Atsuya Uki, a visual artist and illustrator who creates unique worlds with his vivid colors and bold compositions.

Hardcover, 268 pages, measures 9 x 11 inches.

Soft cover, 512 pages. 

A GIANT 512-page collection of Katsuya Terada’s RAKUGAKI sketches and illustrations.

The one and only legendary illustrator Katsuya Terada, a.k.a. RAKUGAKING (The Sketch King), well known as a pioneer who is always seeking new ideas and motifs for his drawings, has finally revealed his RAKUGAKI sketches and illustrations, long kept only in his sketch book.

Although most illustrations in this collection have appeared in Terada’s previous international exhibitions (e.g., Giant Robot in Los Angeles), never before has any book collected so many of his RAKUGAKI. This is the best and most comprehensive collection of Katsuya Terada’s pencil sketches, making it a must-have book for both his hardcore fans and also to illustrators in general.

Hardcover, 256 pages, 5.5 x 8 inches.

White, New Jersey wastoid Sean Kerry is fresh out of jail, working at a dead-end burger stand on the shore. His Black parole officer, James O'Keefe, has threatened to kill Sean if he gets high again, and ruins O'Keefe's chances for a promotion. At an adjacent hotel, a South Asian couple, the Angrywalls, are seeing their marriage tested by poor business and racist harrassment from the anonymous Dotbusters. When Sean's co-worker disappears, all four of their lives will collide and be changed forever, and asses are going to end up in slings, as they say in Jersey. Part crime, part neorealist, and very funny, Motherfuckerland will leave no reader feeling impartial.

Hardcover, 272 pages, measures 8.5 x 11.25 inches. 

The first monograph showcasing the visceral, exciting, and chaotic paintings of Mu Pan

Drawing inspiration from nature, Japanese Kaiju films, samurai iconography, and mythology, Taiwanese-born and Brooklyn-based artist Mu Pan invites viewers to examine their own nature as they look upon the broken bodies and battlefields that appear throughout his intricate, violent, vibrant, and often humorous paintings. Collected for the first time in The Art of Mu Pan, are works that exemplify his recent output and that have made him a celebrated artist in Europe and the United States.

Incorporating cultural influence from his home country of Taiwan, as well as techniques inspired by Edo-era Japan and iconic images from pop culture, Mu Pan’s work is both timeless and hyper-modern.

Hardcover, 256 pages.

Softcover, 192 pages, 9.5 x 6.5 inches.

“New retro”, a combination of the word “New” and “Retrospective”, is a newly coined phrase meaning “appreciating and enjoying something old while reimagining it into something modern.” This book introduces 40 up-and-coming illustrators working in this “new retro” style. Through the 300 illustrations showcased in this one book, readers can appreciate and enjoy retro culture, items and motifs reimagined and transformed into something new.

Softcover, 160 pages, 9.5 x 6.5 inches.

DaisukeRichard’s first comic art collection book KIKANETSU (9784756251046) went viral not just in Japan but also internationally giving him a huge attention in the industry and leading him to do many new commercial works in collaboration with big companies and artists (e.g. book covers, album covers, character design for Netflix anime, a collaboration with Red Bull, solo exhibitions and many more). The title of this new book “USHIMITSUDOKI”, meaning “in the dead of night” or “witching hour”, was chosen because the many melancholic girls illustrated in this book were given wings and horns to make them look like Yokai spirits, adding a creepy feel to each of the illustrations (as in the cover art). Collecting over 140 illustrations, including original illustrations and commercial works, this book is the world’s most anticipated book in the anime/manga illustration scene.

Written in Japanese.

Measures 11 x 11 inches, Hardcover, Color and Black & White images, 356 pages.

After several failed attempts, Kowloon Walled City was finally demolished 20 years ago, leaving behind a legacy of fascination that continues to grow, fuelled in part by the extraordinary community’s many urban legends. Designed and edited by Greg Girard and Ian Lambot, the team behind ‘City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City’, this new publication questions those myths and explores the reality behind the Walled City’s extraordinary architecture and development. Through photographs, drawings and documents, many previously unpublished, plus an extended article by Hong Kong-based writer and journalist Fionnuala McHugh, the full story is revealed.

Softcover, 80 pages, two colors, measures 6.7 x 10 inches.

Ghost World has become a cultural and generational touchstone, and continues to enthrall and inspire readers over a decade after its original release as a graphic novel. Originally serialized in the pages of the seminal comic book Eightball throughout the mid-1990s, this quasi-autobiographical story (the name of one of the protagonists is famously an anagram of the author's name) follows the adventures of two teenage girls, Enid and Becky, two best friends facing the prospect of growing up, and more importantly, apart.

Dan Clowes described the story in Ghost World as the examination of "the lives of two recent high school graduates from the advantaged perch of a constant and (mostly) undetectable eavesdropper, with the shaky detachment of a scientist who has grown fond of the prize microbes in his petri dish." From this perch comes a revelation about adolescence that is both subtle and coolly beautiful. Critics have pointed out Clowes's cynicism and vicious social commentary, but if you concentrate on those aspects, you'll miss the exquisite whole that Clowes has captured. Each chapter ends with melancholia that builds towards the amazing, detached, ghostlike ending.

Softcover, 5.5 x 8.3 inches, 384pp, Black & White

John Porcellino has long been considered the greatest of all cartoonists coming from the self-publishing and zine movement of the early '90s. His spare approach with words and pictures focuses on the smallest of details revealing a wealth of meaning and emotion in everyday events that most of us overlook in our daily hustle and bustle. Since 1989, he has released over 65 issues of his self-published comic King-Cat Comics and Stories.

This large collection focuses on the first fifty issues with extensive endnotes and an index along with selections of all the extra ephemera that makes an individual issue of K-C it's own unique experience: essays, articles, stories, and letters from friends. Included are over 250 pages of comics ranging from John's earliest scrawls to his later perfectly minimalist delineations. The comics range through all of Porcellino's concerns--family, family pets, the natural world, work, music, romance. This book presents an artist who always knew what he wanted to do. King-Cat Classix shows Porcellino's confidence and skill as it grows steadily through the past fifteen years.