THE GHOST IN THE SHELL BOOK
VOLUME 1: MANGA
by Jeremy Mark Robinson
This is a study of the Ghost In the Shell comic by Masamune Shirow (real name Masanori Ota, born in 1961, Kobe, Japan). Shirow is a Japanese artist best known for Ghost In the Shell, Appleseed and Dominion: Tank Police.
Masamune Shirow is one of the great creators in the world of Japanese manga and animé - his works have been the basis of several important franchises, with Ghost In the Shell the most famous. Shirow's art is marked by futuristic, cyber-punk settings, fabulous, often eccentric designs, elaborate mecha (such as tanks and mobile suits), attractive warrior women and detailed storytelling (accompanied by his famous, sometimes arcane notes).
The impact of the work of Masamune Shirow has been immense in animé and manga: Ghost In the Shell alone led to not one but two classic movies, two outstanding TV series (plus a third, the Arise series), and spin-off movies. Add to that the live-action Ghost of 2017, and more Ghosties on the way. Then there's the Appleseed digital animations and Appleseed cel animation, plus Black Magic, Real Drive, Ghost Hound (Unseen World) and Dominion: Tank Police. It all adds up to a remarkable presence in TV and movies.
In cinema, Masamune Shirow's influence is easy to spot in the Star Wars prequels, in the Matrix movies, in Avatar, in Minority Report, in the Avengers series, and in many a superhero flick.
The Ghost In the Shell Book: Volume 1: Manga includes a biography; a chapter on the Japanese manga industry; chapters on Shirow's signature work, Ghost In the Shell, including all three comics; and a chapter on cyberculture. Each of the three volumes of Ghost In the Shell are explored in detail, and every chapter of the manga is discussed.
Fully illustrated, including many images from Masamune Shirow's manga, including related comics such as Orion and Dominion: Tank Police.
The Ghost In the Shell Book is published in two volumes:
Volume 1: Manga
Volume 2: Animé
Hardcover - full colour laminate cover.
Bibliography, resources, and notes. 236 pages.
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