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By Katsuhiro Otomo (Titan Books)
ISBN: 1-84576-612-1
Originally published in Japan to commemorate the completion of the landmark graphic epic Akira, this spectacular art book collects every ancillary image that Katsuhiro Otomo created for the serial that didn’t make it into the trade paperback compilations.
There are sketches, colour roughs, promotional posters and tee shirts, opening pages for the original Japanese serial episodes, various designs for characters and the tech that played such a pervasive part in the story, and every other thing you could think of to satisfy the dreams of fanatics.
There are even recreations of some of the promotional gimmicks such as the Akira News Kiosk that have to be seen to be believed.
If you love the series, or are fascinated by the secrets of the creative process, or are a sucker for minutiae, you will adore this lavish coffee table tome.
English language translation © 2007 Dark Horse Comics, Inc.