Big Comic Original (ビッグコミックオリジナル, Biggu Komikku Orijinaru) is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Shogakukan, aimed at an older adult and mostly male audience. It is a sister magazine to Big Comic, the biggest difference being that it goes on sale twice a month in the weeks Big Comic doesn't.[1] Cover artwork usually features a dog or cat, and a haiku. The dozen or so manga serials running at any given time feature a wide variety of material, from historical dramas and suspense to sports and romance, with relatively little science fiction or fantasy.
Launched in 1972, it has published over 1000 issues, typically running to about 350 pages in a black-and-white, saddle-stapled format, selling for 300 yen (2012). More than 83% of readers are reported to be over 30 years old, with female readers comprising about a quarter of the total. Most readers are company employees.[2] Circulation in 2010 was reported at 729,750 copies.[3]
Manga artists and series[]
- Mitsuru Adachi
- Bōken Shōnen
- Jinbē
- George Akiyama
- Haguregumo (ongoing)
- Yoshiie Gouda
- Kuuki Ningyo (Air Doll)
- Mitsuo Hashimoto
- Station
- Kenshi Hirokane
- Human Crossing (story by Masao Yajima)
- Like Shooting Stars in the Twilight
- Ichimaru
- Okami-san
- Shin'ichi Ishizuka
- Gaku: Minna no Yama (ongoing)
- Hideo Iura
- Bengoshi no Kuzu (ongoing)
- Eiji Kazama
- Kaze no Daichi (story by Nobuhiro Sakata) (ongoing)
- Kenichi Kitami
- Tsuribaka Nisshi (story by Jūzō Yamasaki) (ongoing)
- Kō Kojima
- Hige to Boin (running since 1974)
- Nakayama Masaaki
- PS Rashomon (with Masao Yajima)
- Shinji Mizushima
- Abu-san (running since 1973)
- Motoka Murakami
- Ryuu – Ron (1991–2006)
- Yuji Nishi
- Andonatsu (story by Terry Yamamotō)
- Osamu Uoto
- Genmai Sensei no Bentō boku (scenarios by Masaki Kitahara)
- Naoki Urasawa
- Master Keaton (with Hokusei Katsushika)
- Monster
- Pineapple Army (story by Kazuya Kudo)
- Pluto
- Takatoshi Yamada
- Dr. Kotō Shinryōjo (moved from Weekly Young Sunday) (ongoing)
References[]
- ↑ Schodt, Frederik L. (1996). "Dreamland Japan: writings on modern manga". Stone Bridge Press. pp. 97. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Loug6sbKTvEC.
- ↑ Clements, Jonathan. "Manga Snapshot: Big Comic Original." NEO, Jan. 2011, p. 24-25.
- ↑ Japan Magazine Publishers Association Magazine Data 2011.
External links[]
- Big Comic Original Official Website (Japanese)
- Big Comic Original at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia.