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'Assassination Classroom' Creator Makes first US Appearance at Japan Society

Bestselling Manga Artist Yusei Matsui Makes first U.S. Appearance at Japan Society to Discuss His Life and Work

Mind of the Mangaka: Yusei Matsui, Creator of Assassination Classroom

Thursday, October 6, 2016, 6:30 pm, at Japan Society

New York, NY – Mangaka (comic book artist) Yusei Matsui is author of the wildly popular series Assassination Classroom – one of the best-loved and bestselling manga in both Japan and North America in recent years.

As a kick-off to appearing at the 2016 New York Comic Con, Matsui makes his first U.S. public appearance at Japan Society in Mind of the Mangaka: Yusei Matsui, Creator of Assassination Classroom. In this intimate discussion of his life and projects, Matsui speaks with animator/producer Justin Leach, who has worked at production companies both in Japan and the U.S. The talk takes place Thursday, October 6, at 6:30 pm, and is followed by a reception with Matsui, giving fans an exclusive chance to meet the artist in person.

According to the North American publisher VIZ Media, Assassination Classroom "is a humorous and action-packed story about a class of misfits who are trying to kill their new teacher – an alien octopus with bizarre powers and super strength. The teacher has just destroyed the moon and is threatening to destroy the earth – unless his students can destroy him first. Making matters even more complicated, he turns out to be the best teacher they have ever had." Print and digital editions of Volume 12 are due for release in October, just a few days before Matsui's Japan Society appearance.

A consistent New York Times bestseller which was adapted into a popular anime series and hit live-action film, Assassination Classroom was hailed as “a mix of heartwarming school drama and over-the-top bizarre comedy” by Anime News Network. The series (with English subtitles) can be viewed in the U.S. on platforms including Hulu and Funimation.com.

After his appearance at Japan Society, Matsui takes part in the New York Comic Con with a talk on October 7, An Evening With Yusei Matsui, and as a participant in The Weekly Shonen Jump Panel on October 8. Details about other appearances in NYC are forthcoming.

Yusei Matsui was born on the last day of January in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. He has been drawing manga since he began elementary school. Some of his favorite manga series are Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and Ultimate Muscle. Matsui learned his trade working as an assistant to manga artist Yoshio Sawai, creator of Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo. In 2005, Matsui debuted his original manga Neuro: Supernatural Detective in Weekly Shonen Jump. In 2007, Neuro was adapted into an anime. In 2012, Assassination Classroom began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump.

Justin Leach has had many years of experience working in the animation and film industry in the United States and Japan. In 1997, Justin began his career as an animator at Blue Sky Studios having worked on several award winning commercials, shorts and films including the Academy Award winning short, Bunny. In 2001, Justin moved to Japan to work as a CG creator at Production I.G on Mamoru Oshii's Innocence: Ghost in the Shell 2 and Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill animation sequences. In 2005, Justin was part of the founding team hired to jump-start Lucasfilm's new 3D animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In 2007, Justin returned to work at Blue Sky to work on such films as, Ice Age 3: Dawn Of the Dinosaurs, Rio, Ice Age 4: Continental Drift, Epic, Rio 2, Ice Age 5: Collision Course (2016), Ferdinand (2017) and the Peanuts Movie. In December of 2012, Justin was the first person to successfully produce a Japanese anime using Kickstarter called Kick-Heart.

ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture world. ReedPOP is dedicated to celebrations of popular culture throughout the globe that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) West, East, South and Australia, Emerald City Comicon (ECCC), BookCon, BookExpo America, Oz Comic-Con, Comic Con India, Paris Comic Con, Star Wars Celebration, TwitchCon, ComplexCon, UFC Fan Expo and more. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan-based group of professionals uniquely qualified to serve those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, India and Australia. (www.reedpop.com)

Established in 1986, VIZ Media is the premiere company in the field of publishing, animation distribution, and global entertainment licensing. Along with its popular digital magazine WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, and POKÉMON, VIZ Media offers an extensive library of titles and original content in a wide variety of book and video formats, as well as through official licensed merchandise. Owned by three of Japan's largest publishing and entertainment companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is dedicated to bringing the best titles for English-speaking audiences worldwide. Learn more about VIZ Media and its properties at www.VIZ.com.

Japan Society's Talks+ Program examines vital issues and themes in modern Japanese art, culture and design. Programming is designed to inform and to provide a gateway through which Americans can appreciate the powerful global influence of Japan's culture and its many trend-defining artisans. Programs bring together experts and practitioners for provocative discussions on diverse topics including aesthetics, consumer culture and cuisine. More at www.japansociety.org/programs/talks.

Founded in 1907, Japan Society is a multidisciplinary hub for global leaders, artists, scholars, educators, and English and Japanese-speaking audiences. At the Society, more than 100 events each year feature sophisticated, topically relevant presentations of Japanese art and culture and open, critical dialogue on issues of vital importance to the U.S., Japan and East Asia. An American nonprofit, nonpolitical organization, the Society cultivates a constructive, resonant and dynamic relationship between the people of the U.S. and Japan.

Mind of the Mangaka: Yusei Matsui, Creator of Assassination Classroom takes place Thursday, October 6, at 6:30 pm. Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First and Second avenues (accessible by the 4/5/6 and 7 subway at Grand Central or the E and M subway at Lexington Avenue). Tickets are $30 /$25 Japan Society members, seniors and students, and may be purchased in person at Japan Society, online at www.japansociety.org, or by calling the box office at 212-715-1258. For more information, call 212-832-1155 or visit the website.

Yusei Matsui is appearing in partnership with VIZ Media, a premier company in the fields of publishing, animation distribution and global entertainment licensing, and ReedPOP, the world's leading producer of pop culture events. Talks+ Programs at Japan Society are generously sponsored by Delta Air Lines and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG). Additional support is provided by Chris A. Wachenheim, the Sandy Heck Lecture Fund, Dr. Yuichiro Kuwama and Hiroko Onoyama.


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