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Exclusive: Nakama Press to Release Brazilian Creator Cassio Ribeiro's Last Call to Leave Earth International Manga
posted on by Alex Mateo
Nakama Press revealed to ANN on Thursday that it will release Brazilian creator Cassio Ribeiro's Last Call to Leave Earth comic, a bronze winner of the 18th Japan International Manga Awards last January, in English on March 24, 2026. The book has 180 pages.
The publisher describes the story:
Rita, Carlos, and Lucas were merely friends until a pivotal moment changed everything: they photographed what many in the small town of Caminho da Anta believed to be an alien. Years later, Rita, now thriving as a professional photographer, returns to discover the truth behind that fateful day and its effects on their lives and the community. A troubled photographer, a fame-seeking UFO enthusiast, and a loyal cult member are all in pursuit of answers, but what they find could be more extraordinary than they ever anticipated.
Ribeiro said:
“I started writing this story during the quarantine at the beginning of COVID, from a draft of a story I had thought of years earlier. I've always been a fan of mystery podcasts, especially those related to UFOs, although I'm somewhat skeptical of most of them. My main inspirations for the story's tone, aside from some cases that occurred in Brazil, were Twin Peaks and, although it's not a horror story, films like Ringu and Ju-on. I wanted a mystery story where the mystery wasn't the main draw, but rather the relationships between the characters and their search to be understood by others—It's a story about how even if we know someone closely, there will always be something about that person that seems a little alien to us, and vice versa. I'm very excited that this very personal story with such specific Brazilian elements is being translated into English, and I hope the readers enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it!"
Ribeiro also created the Iris Complex, Sara Animals, Navigating with You comics.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan established the Japan International Manga Award in May 2007. Hiro Kawahara's The Forest Mermaid won the gold award in the 18th Japan International Manga Awards.
Source: Email correspondence
