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The King Of Fighters Art Book

Hung Wing Yan & Choy King Tung 

I’ve already given details of this book but you can check out more details at the company web site; www.DrMasterbooks.com

 

 

Hung Wing Yan was an art assistant for three years before making his debut as a Manga artist in 1983. Choy King Tung,on the other hand,worked as an assistant for eight years before his solo debut in 1994.  In March,1999,the two men set up King Lion Publishing –in 2002 the team got the licence for King Of Fighters. A legend was born!

 

 

What you get in this high quality,90+pp full colour book are King Of Fighters illustrations from 2001-2003.

 

 

These illustrations vary from dramatic action poses to group character illoes.  The quality is,as usual with Dr Master,the best.  The quality of the illustrations go to show how good this creative team is –and why I rave about their books!  If you like making your own T-shirts using comic art [oh,come on –I know you are out there] this is a great book.  If you are a big King Of Fighters fan you’ll love this book.

 

 

At $21.95 US/$11.99 Can [Canada is cheaper?!] this book will –WILL- be a great collectors piece for your bookshelf!

 

 

Remember that,if you cannot get this or any Dr Master books where you are,you can order via the web site.

 

 

 

 

The Art Of Yasushi Suzuki

84pp

Black & White/Colour

Shrink wrapped and in slip cover

$26.95 US/$32.50 Can

 

My copy came with a DVD featuring Dr Master books so I’m assuming that’s in all the copies.

 

 

I’ve already declared myself a fan of Suzuki’s Purgatory Kabuki.  The usual high standard Dr Master publication does one thing –it shows the incredible art of this great artist.

 

 

The book opens with the almost Goth-like colour painting “HGM”.  The series of cover illoes for Kazma Sinjow’s “The Geste of Ithberh” novels are beautifully rendered.  The same can be said for cover illustrations to the “A Storm Of Swords” series –these along with the “Artificial Hands” illo have a veryu strange feel to them. The same can be said of the illustrations from Suzuki’s comic “Phantoms:The Soul In The Cage”.  “Study” [p.38] and “Untitled” [p.39] are two of my favourites.

 

 

This book shows a Master of the Comic Book in full flow,though this is not all you get!

 

 

There is a brief biography followed by thumbnail illoed List Of Works.

And a short interview with Suzuki!

 

 

This is a major treat for any art lover let alone Manga fan.  And since Suzuki “turned” me into a Manga reader I suspect him to be a grand wizard of art!

 

 

I cannot recommend this book highly enough –BUY!

 

 

Dark Edge 1-7

Yu Aikawa 

195pp each

Black & White

$9.95 US

13 years +

 

 

The story begins after Kurou Takagi’s mother’s death and his transfer toYotsuji Private

High School,owned by his father.  There is a rule “No Student On Campus After Dark” –a rule Kurou accidentally breaks.  Result?  A zombie attack! And it’s all go from there.

 

 

This dark action/comedy goes from the zombie attack to vampirism [vol.2] and much,much more!  And I really enjoyed the way the story evolves from book to book and Yu’s art style can be very atmospheric –something you need in a horror book.

 

 

But are only Manga fans going to enjoy these books?

 

 

I run a Yahoo group –britcomicseerietales- and I think these books would appeal to its members or anyone into horror books.  Unless you are rigidly into US style horror comics you should enjoy this –and I’ve avoided the obvious reference to this being like Buffy set in Japan!

It is a very good series and the cliff-hanger ending to vol.7 ,thankfully,gives the reader time to relax and catch their breath.

 

Very enjoyable but why is it so hard to find these books in the

UK?!

Lunar Legend Tsukihime vol.1-3

Sasakishonen

226pp

Black & White

$9.95 US

15 years+

I did review vol.4 [?] of this series and mentioned that the story was well paced,turning up little twists in the tale as the main character tries to recall his hidden/forgotten past.

In fact,the action in vol.2 is well done and,as with Dark Edge,I think this series will really appeal to horror fans.  And that action continues in vol.3 as the storyline twists and turns.

I really do think Dr Master needs to raise its profile in the

UK because their books tend to be a lot better art-wise than some of the Manga you see in comic shops. This series should be one pushed out to stores and perhaps Dr Master could appear at 2009s Comic Expo?

Another series I’d recommend.