Gannibal is a well-known horror manga series written and illustrated by Masaaki Ninomiya. The manga was first published in thirteen volumes from October 2018 to November 2021 in Nihon Bungeisha’s Weekly Manga Goraku magazine. Gannibal follows Daigo Agawa, a police officer who is sent to the remote mountain village of Kuge. Although he is welcomed warmly, he becomes suspicious after an old woman dies. As he delves deeper into the matter, he discovers, to his horror, that all the villagers are cannibals.
The story has received widespread praise and has become a global sensation, with publications in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Brazil, Korea, and Thailand. With that in mind, ABLAZE Publishing has recently acquired the license to bring this acclaimed Manga to English-speaking audiences. Planning to release the first volume of Gannibal in November 2023. To ensure a successful launch, ABLAZE has recently started a Kickstarter campaign for the first volume.
In preparation for the release, we recently had the pleasure of catching up with Rich Young, co-founder of ABLAZE, to discuss this exciting news as well as his thoughts on the future of Manga in the United States. So, join us in welcoming Rich Young to GVN Talking Comics.
Starting ABLAZE
GVN: Thanks for giving us a bit of your time, Rich. You co-founded ABLAZE starting in June of 2019. What made you decide to start your own publishing house, and did you have any trepidation in making that decision going in?
RY: I had already been working professionally in the comics publishing industry for 20+ years so that certainly helped take some of the trepidation out of the decision. But starting a new business is still a daunting prospect, and you better know what you’re doing before you strike out, or it may not be a long journey. With ABLAZE, we’re in year five now, and we’ve made some great progress since we started and are looking to continue that. At the end of the day, I saw an opportunity to use my experience and bring more diversity to the industry. There are a lot of amazing stories from around the world that we felt readers would enjoy.
The Creative Side and the Business Side
GVN: During your career, you have worked on both sides of publishing, from the creative side and the business perspective. This included working with Dark Horse and Dynamite before you co-founded ABLAZE. What did you learn from working with these publishers that you incorporated with ABLAZE?
RY: What I’ve learned is that creative goes hand-in-hand with business. If you don’t have the right creative in place to match your business deal, then it’s going to fall flat. Need both sides working together and in sync to be successful.
Masaaki Ninomiya’s Gannibal
GVN: One of ABLAZE’s most anticipated projects is the English translation of Masaaki Ninomiya’s modern-day horror manga masterpiece GANNIBAL. How did this project come to your attention and what is it about GANNIBAL that you feel makes it different from other J-Horror while connecting with so many different audiences?
RY: The ABLAZE team is always on the lookout for great stories. We knew we had one after reviewing Gannibal. Masaaki Ninomiya’s creative decisions throughout the series are so good. The combination of suspense and horror really grabs you. He’s also an exceptional artist. There are many visually stunning panels and pages in each volume. His execution clearly has touched a nerve. Which can be seen in the sales of 3 million+ copies in multiple languages worldwide so far and a renewal for a second season of the hit tv adaptation on Hulu/Disney+.
Now on Kickstarter
GVN: Just in time for the spooky season, ABLAZE will soon be bringing the full 13-volume horror manga series to Kickstarter in a limited hardcover edition. For fans who might be unfamiliar with the series, what might they find on the Kickstarter site once the campaign opens?
RY: The Gannibal campaign is fan driven. It was designed to give the manga fan a unique experience. They will be able to get exclusive limited-edition rewards that will look great on their shelf. If they want a signed edition or a sketch, they can get it. On top of this they will be helping to bring a masterful talent and thrilling story to English readers. They will be able to look back and say with pride that they helped make it happen.
The Future of Manga and Manhwa
GVN: Manga and the manhwa titles seem to be as popular as ever here in the States (especially the J-Horror genre). My grandson loves Manga and has a large selection of books and figures of his favorite Manga characters. In your experience, do you feel that popularity will continue, and will it be adaptations of classic characters and stories or new content that will drive that popularity into the future?
RY: I don’t think you need a crystal ball to see that the future looks very bright for manga and manhwa. The creators are wonderful storytellers that can connect with readers of all ages. A combination of adaptations and new stories will propel sales upward. And ABLAZE will continue to curate a line of manga and manhwa titles that will be as diverse and vibrant as possible and tell compelling stories of all kinds.
Coming ABLAZE Projects
GVN: Thank you once again for sharing a few moments with us, Rich. Before I let you go, I want to give you an opportunity to share any other projects from ABLAZE you might want our followers to know about.
RY: You’re most welcome. Two ABLAZE manhwa titles of note that recently released are Terror Man Vol 1, which has an animated adaptation in the works now, and Get Schooled Vol 1.
And on the manga front, look for One Hundred Tales, the first of 4 Tezuka titles ABLAZE is publishing. As well as Centaurs Vol 1, an epic fantasy series from Ryo Sumiyoshi, who has designed creatures for the Capcom game series Monster Hunter. We also have the 2nd volume of the stylish and macabre series Zombie Makeout Club coming out next month, collecting the popular Webtoon in print.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
