Toshiro Conquers America
Janusz Pawlak’s steampunk comic, Toshiro, appears in the U.S.
In June 2014, U.S. based Dark Horse Comics will release the steampunk comic Toshiro, written and drawn by Janusz Pawlak in collaboration with Jai Nitz. It is an action story, taking place during the second half of the nineteenth century in an alternate reality full of armed airships and monsters from outer space. The protagonist is Toshiro, a cyborg mechano-samurai, who battles horrors with his mysterious partner, legendary traveller Quicksilver Bob.
Toshiro first appeared in the Polish magazine Produkt; then there was the addition of another comic series issued under the title, Josephine. Tchnienie Czarnego Lądu/ Josephine. Breath of Africa by Clarence Weatherspoon, one of the most mysterious figures in Polish comics in the 90s. It was not known who was hiding under the pseudonym; not until the announcement of the American edition, which officially revealed Clarence Weatherspoon as the alter ego of Janusz Pawlak.
Pawlak worked for several years on the American edition of the comic. Initially, it was sent to another publisher - Image Comics, but was turned down. The story was later edited with the collaboration of Jai Nitz, whom Pawlak met whilst working on another project. Nitz is an American writer who has worked for the largest comic publishers in the United States. He pitched Pawlak’s story to Dark Horse Comics, who decided to officially publish it. Nitz’s name is also found on the cover of the album.
In the preface to the album the whole situation is described in detail - when Toshiro was created, who the character is, where it appeared for the first time, etc. After all, Jai’s name is better known than mine in the American market. His name is to sell the album, so that there would be no extra complications – explained Pawlak in an interview with dzikabanda.pl.
Dark Horse Comics is a highly-respected publishing house, known for their popular releases such as Hellboy, Usagi Yojimbo and Star Wars. In March, Dark Horse Comics is also due to release comics based on Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher series.
Author : Łukasz Chmielewski / Translated and Edited by: E.M. 28.01.2014
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