Akira
Akira and Katsuhiro Otomo are the protagonists of an exhibition in New York at the Philippe Labuan Exhibit art gallery. Good for Health - Bad for Education: A Tribute to Otomo is a tribute to the Japanese master and his seminal work: the exhibition, scheduled from 8 April to 8 May 2021, hosts 29 illustrations by international artists who depict, each in the style of its author, Akira's different visions of the artists involved.Good for Health - Bad for Education: A Tribute to Otomo is the spiritual continuation of the 2016 tribute organized during the Angoulême Festival and curated by Julien Brugeas. The exhibition brings together the works, both published and unpublished, by various authors, including: Dominique Bertail, Mathieu Bablet, Ian Bertram, Matthieu Bonhomme, François Boucq, Boulet, Francesco Cattani, Simone D'Armini, Adrien Demont, Jean-Jacques Dzialowski , Benoit Féroumont, Manuele Fior, Joel Jurion, Kalonji, Viktor Kalvachev, Nicolas Keramidas, Li-An, LRNZ, Dilraj Mann, Laureline Mattiussi, Hugues Micol, Giannis Milonogiannis, Marion Mousse, Katsuhiro Otomo, Paul Pope, Vincent Perriot, Sara Pichelli , Victor Santos, Olivier Vatine, and Vince.
Set during the Third World War in a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, Akira tells a complex story involving a gang of bikers and their leader, Kaneda, the young Tetsuo, a powerful esper, and other forces moving within the cyberpunk megalopolis with the intent of preventing the awakening of Akira, a mysterious being with shocking destructive powers.
Akira is universally recognized Iute as one of the immortal masterpieces in the history of comics (you can buy the first volume published by Planet Manga here). Otomo's austere and groundbreaking storytelling and hyper-detailed style make this manga an iconic element of international pop culture, as well as one of the best examples of graphic fiction ever created.
Akira's manga has sold over seven million copies, while its 1988 film adaptation was among the great Japanese animated films capable of immediately conquering the West.
Akira Becomes the Focus of New Art Exhibit in New York City
Akira has been in the news a lot in the past few years, thanks in part to the live-action film that was originally set to be helmed by Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi and the shocking announcement that a new animated series was in the works that would follow the manga source material closely, and now, the legendary anime franchise will be hitting a new art exhibit in New York City. With the exhibit already landing in the Big Apple, anime fans can have the opportunity to relive what is considered by many to be the greatest anime movie.
Akira creator, Katsuhiro Otomo, shocked fans when the mangaka announced that the franchise would be making a return to television at some point in the near future, though details about the upcoming project have been few and far between since it was initially announced. On top of this project, Otomo is also currently working on a brand new anime film titled 'Orbital Era', that will bring back the legendary creator to the world of anime. Much like the Akira series, details about Orbital Era have been sparse, but it shows that Otomo's plate is definitely full when it comes to anime projects in general.
(Photo: Katsuhiro Otomo)The Akira Exhibit is currently open at the Philippe Labaun Exhibit in New York City, under the name of Good for Health - Bad for Education: A Tribute to Otomo, which features artwork by Katsuhiro Otomo, as well as several artists that created works to pay homage to the prolific creator. The exhibit will be available to patrons until May 8th, wherein the celebration of Otomo will come to a close.
The live-action feature-length film that was set to be directed by Taika Waititi has been delayed indefinitely, with Warner Bros Pictures making the announcement last year that fans of Akira would have to wait much longer to see the movie's arrival. Though there have been no casting rumors, the movie was originally slated to be released this May, offering a new take on the futuristic landscape that has become a high standard for animation, anime, or otherwise.
Will you be attempting to visit this Akira art exhibit? What project from Katsuhiro Otomo are you most looking forward to? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Akira.
Via ANN