The Discovery of Anime and Manga - on Kickstarter!

We're returning to the blogosphere after a "brief" hiatus...to announce the 3rd adventure in our series The Asian Hall of Fame, which explores cool inventions from Asia.

The first was The Discovery of Ramen in 2017.

Then the co-authors Phil Amara and Oliver Chin teamed up again with the illustrator Juan Calle and graphic designer Joy Liu on the sequel in 2018: The Discovery of Fireworks and Gunpowder.

Now in 2019, we came up with another fantastic idea. This time we're going back to Japan to see how Japanese animation and comics were created.

The Discovery of Anime and Manga launched on Kickstarter this week. Check it out in the next month and let us know what you think!

Our terrific trio of the guide Dao (a cute red panda) and the kids Emma and Ethan have perfected time-travel tourism.

They teleport into the past and reappear in the land of the rising sun... hundreds of years ago. Then they zip through the decades to see how art and media advanced together to produce manga and anime.

Along the way, we see have anime and manga, intertwined like two strands of DNA, evolve together to entertain and educate the public. From newspapers and books to magazines and comics. From film and TV to home video and internet streaming. Fans become "otaku" across the seven seas.

Meanwhile some creators became "gods" as their characters became even more famous around the world!

Check out our crowdfunding campaign. Backers can pre-order an autographed copy and get amazing rewards!

As always, thanks for your support.

The real Guardians of the Galaxy

Sure, Marvel's surprise summer blockbuster featured a unique cast of good guys. But that film's stars surely can't hold a candle to the real heroes of history, found all around our world, and believed in by millions of people for thousands of years.

On every continent, in every country, families have found inspiration in legendary champions. Elemental gods such as the Norse Thor. Skilled deities such as the Greek Artemis. Mythic avengers such as the Monkey King. Supreme defenders such as the Aztec's Quetzalcoatl.

Discover them and more in Good Dream, Bad Dream, created by Juan Calle and his team at Liberum Donum studios in Bogota, Colombia, and co-written by Serena Valentino. Our first Spanish bilingual book, it was successfully funded on Kickstarter by hundreds of fans who were excited by the fantastic artwork and multicultural themes.

In this universal tale, a boy named Julio is afraid of having nightmares. His Papa comes to the rescue, by telling his son that people have always relied on superheroes to make their dreams good. Next come panaromic examples from around the globe of powerful protectors facing off against equally infamous foes.

Illustrated in a dynamic comic book style, Good Dream underscores the common experiences we share, both as individuals and as cultures and as a species. Human nature is rooted in the primal need to belong but also to stand out and for principles that are bigger than any one of us and ultimately can unite us all.

new story: The Treehouse Heroes

Our third tale for the fall season is about a realm both far away and yet familiar.
 
The Treehouse Heroes & the Forgotten Beast is the first children's book by writer Phil Amara and artist Alina Chau. Phil was a comics editor at Dark Horse Comics (Star Wars, Predator, Terminator, and many other titles) and Kitchen Sink Press, and is now an elementary school teacher for Boston Public. Alina is a professional animator and now a 3D artist at LucasArts, working on the popular animated TV series on the Cartoon Network Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Together they've created a brave new world, where fantasic scenery and characters are beautifully rendered in flowing watercolors.

Situated high in an ancient forest, five young teens have banded together under the tutelage of a wise teacher. They live in a land of noble traditions which are suddenly under siege by an increasingly rapacious civilization. A case in point is how mystical creatures are becoming rarer, such as the red-coated Zez whose reputed powers are now highly sought after by the power hungry General Moon.

Luckily for the Zez, it befriends the Treehouse Heroes, each of whom also possess special abilities. Cha is super strong. Klee can shape-shift. Gru is a speedster. Flo can teleport. Bri's breath is like the wind. But together can they save the Zez and the vanishing world it represents?

Sunil Thankamushy from DEEPBLUE Worlds called this a "A beautifully illustrated mythical adventure filled with fun and magic for young kids. The vibrant characters and creatures pop out of the pages and fill your imaginations. My kids loved it!" Discover this unique blend of picture book and graphic novel storytelling for yourself :)

Greg Pak's "Incredible Hulk" in August

As comics fans know, Greg Pak is now an indispensable scribe for Marvel Comics.

Currently he is writing a slew of monthly spin-off series including the Iron Man related "War Machine", "Skaar: Son of Hulk", and "Incredible Hercules". The hardcover compilations of the X-men's "Magneto Testament" and "World War Hulk" are fresh off the presses.

Now word is out that Greg is returning to his happy home, penning new adventures for the jolly green giant: in August, Greg returns to "Incredible Hulk" with issue #601.

At Immedium, we're proud to follow Greg's continuing success. In 2005 we published the definitive collection of independent film scripts Robot Stories and More Screenplays which presages his rising star in American pop culture. Back then, movie critics were falling over themselves to recognize Pak's budding talent. The New York Times film critic Elvis Mitchell wrote, "Greg Pak's fantasy anthology piece, which details the ways robots have complicated the lives of humans, has a dexterous sense of wonder…He's a talent with a future."

So Marvel editor in chief Joe Quesada decided to let Pak try his hand at comics. But according to Joe, he had read Pak's screenplays and realized it wasn't that much of a gamble. Quesada called his new hire, "An award winning filmmaker and now hot as hell newcomer...[Pak] is a writer on the cusp, right at the unique precipice between upstart and industry great."

Soon Pak reinvigorated such iconic characters such as the Hulk. Now he is writing the rest of the history. (Quite a feat since Ang Lee's cinematic treatment was more lethal to our green hero's reputation than gamma radiation.) Catch Greg's latest news and reviews at www.pakbuzz.com.