Fantagraphics, one of America’s best-known indie manga publishers, has announced a new East Asian manga publisher, Takumigraphics.
Fantagraphics entered East Asian manga publishing in 2010 with Moto Hagio’s short story collection Drunken Dreams and Other Stories. Since then, it has continued to feature many influential works by innovative artists such as Gengoro Tagame and Susumu Higa.
2026 marks Fantagraphics’ 50th anniversary. To commemorate this, the publisher has announced “Takumigraphics,” which features only East Asian manga, covering comics, comics, and manga from East Asian countries.
Conrad Gross, Eric Reynolds, and Gary Gross explain the meaning behind their choice of names for the engravings:
We chose the Japanese word “takumi” because its double-bottomed meaning encapsulates the editorial goals of this imprint: it not only refers to “excellence,” “skillfulness,” “skillfulness,” and “ingenuity,” but also refers to a person who embodies those qualities. This is a term that we feel exemplifies the aesthetic qualities of the books that make up this imprint: a work of mastery and vision.
Fantagraphics also emphasizes that while it will initially focus on Japanese manga, its library will soon include works from South Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines, and other Asian countries. More announcements have been made for the 50th anniversary! For more information, follow Takumigraphics’ Instagram account.
Below is the initial release under the new stamp.
wandering cat cage
Akane Torikai’s series
Author: Akane Torikai
Translator: Jocelyn Allen
Release date: May 26, 2026
A comic dirge about gender, community, family, control, class, love, and what makes life worth living at the end of the world.
Empire Lover Vol. 1
Yudori’s series
Author: Yudori
Release date: June 23, 2026
Set in the atmospheric 1920s capital of South Korea, this dynamic comic period drama tells the story of two teenagers from different social classes who live together, and their unlikely connection leads to a comedic, emotional, and eye-opening discovery experience.
Wandering Son Volumes 1 and 2
Takako Shimura’s series
Author: Takako Shimura
Translator: Rachel Thorne
Release date: July 7, 2026
A delicate masterpiece from Japan’s most prominent LGBTQ+ manga creator, the acclaimed series is now available in a newly designed paperback edition.
On the Frontline: The Life of a Japanese War Bride, Vol. 1
Series by Marina Lisa Komiya
Created by: Marina Lisa Komiya
Translator: Diana Taylor
Release date: August 11, 2026
This sensitive and moving manga debut depicts the lives of two Japanese war brides in the aftermath of World War II and the smoldering tensions surrounding identity, sexuality, and cultural change as their country recovers from its devastation.
Source: Fantagraphics
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