Secrets of the Ninja: Bronze 10th Annual Japan International Manga Award Winner!
Categories: General
We are excited to announce that Secrets of the Ninja, written by Sean Michael Wilson and illustrated by Akiko Shimojima, has won the Bronze Award at the 10th Annual Japan International Manga Awards! Established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the contest celebrates the work of manga artists helping to spread the art form outside of Japan. Secrets of the Ninja, a historical graphic novel based on the teachings of legendary ninja Hattori Hanzo, was the only American book to be recognized this year.
On February 2nd, Akiko Shimojima attended the awards ceremony, held at the Meji University in Japan. The ceremony was preceded by a memorial symposium and a panel discussion on the history of the Manga Award and of Manga culture. Shimojima and the other artists present were able to meet with prominent manga artists and publishers during panel discussions and at the reception following the ceremony, as part of a continued effort to create and expand relationships with those who are heavily invested in the world of manga.
Shimojima and Wilson’s next book collaboration continues on in the tradition of historical manga with Black Ships, an illustrated history of Commodore Perry’s arrival in Japan in 1853, forcibly opening the island to foreign trade with the United States. The book follows both the perspectives of the U.S. Navy and the Japanese people following the sighting of Perry’s “black ships,” culminating in a negotiated trade agreement between the two opposing countries. Beautifully illustrated, historically accurate, and gripping reads, both the award-winning Secrets of the Ninja and Black Ships can be found on our website. Click here for a sneak peek of Black Ships!
About the Author & Illustrator
SEAN MICHAEL WILSON is a Harvey- and Eisner-award-nominated comic book writer who has authored more than a dozen graphic novels and manga comics, including adaptations of The Book of Five Rings and The 47 Ronin. He is also the editor of the critically acclaimed anthology AX: A Collection of Alternative Manga (one of Publishers Weekly‘s “Best Ten Books of 2010“). Originally from Scotland, he now lives in Japan.
AKIKO SHIMOJIMA is a comic and manga artist from Tokyo, Japan. A teacher of digital comics art at a school in Tokyo, she is the illustrator of The 47 Ronin and has contributed work to many other publications.
Tags: Sean Michael Wilson Akiko Shimojima
About the Author
Elise Harmenzon
Elise Harmenzon is a recent graduate of the University of Redlands, where she majored in English. She is currently an editorial intern at North Atlantic Books.
