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Fantagraphics Launches New East Asian Comics Imprint Takumigraphics, Which Will Re-Release Wandering Son Manga

Fantagraphics announced on Thursday that it is launching a new imprint for East Asian comics titled "Takumigraphics." While the imprint will initially focus on manga, the imprint also plans to release comics by authors from Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines, and other Asian countries.

Takumigraphics will release 16 titles per year, beginning in spring 2026. Some of the launch titles are titles Fantagraphics has previously announced licenses for, such as:

• Akane Torikai's Wandering Cat's Cage manga (translated by Jocelyne Allen), scheduled for May 26, 2026
• Marina Lisa Komiya's On Their Frontlines: The Lives of Japanese War Brides manga (translated by Diana Taylor), scheduled for August 11, 2026
• Shintaro Kago's Brain Damage manga

In addition to these titles, Fantagraphics will release a 2-in-1 omnibus edition of Takako Shimura's Wandering Son, translated by Rachel Thorn. Wandering Son Volume One & Two is scheduled for release on July 7, 2026. Fantagraphics previously released eight volumes of the 15-volume series between 2011 and 2015.

Lastly, Takumigraphics will release the first volume of Korean author Yudori's Lovers of the Empire graphic novel on June 23, 2026. Fantagraphics previously released Yudori's Raging Clouds graphic novel on July 15.

Fantagraphics describes Lovers of the Empire:

South Korea, 1929. Arisa Jo, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is the most eligible bachelorette in all of Gyeongsung (the capital city). With her Western dresses, movie star hairstyle, and assertive attitude, she embodies bold “Modern” values. Meet her opposite, Jun Seomoon, a young man from the countryside deeply rooted in tradition. When Jun is charged by Arisa's father to be her escort in the big city, these opposing forces create sparks. Through this unlikely connection, these teenagers open their eyes to new perspectives amidst the rapidly changing world they find themselves in.

Coming off the heels of her acclaimed Raging Clouds, Lovers of the Empire proves Yudori to be a comic artist at the height of her creative powers. On the surface a sweet and funny will they, won't they romance, this story garners depth from its depiction of Korea at a crossroads: a city occupied by Japan, molded by Western influences, and facing a modernity that stirs inner conflicts within its citizens. Rendered in gorgeous full color, this period piece portrays a fascinating city in a tumultuous time, with two winsome characters at its heart.

Fantagraphics noted that it and Takumigraphics will be continuing their partnership with the manga publisher Mangasplaining.

Fantagraphics was founded in 1976, and the company at first mostly focused on English-language graphic works. The company started publishing manga in 2010 with the release of Moto Hagio's A Drunken Dream and Other Stories. Fantagraphics has released manga from creators such as Atsushi Kaneko, KAGO, Inio Asano, Susumu Higa, Gengoroh Tagame, and others.

Sources: Press release, Publisher's Weekly (Sam Spratford)