AX (magazine)
AX ( Japanese ア ッ ク ス , akkusu ) is a Japanese manga magazine that has been published six times a year by Serinkogeisha- Verlag since 1998 . It publishes alternative manga .
Surname
The name AX is an invention of the editor Asakawa Mitsuhiro. The name is "both an allusion to the hatchet - with the ulterior motive that you can cut down large trees even with a small hatchet, so you can achieve great effects with small things - as well as the axis. 'Axis'), the fulcrum of a multitude of forms of expression that the magazine sees itself as. "
Development and alignment
The magazine, which appears in A5 format, was founded as the successor to Garo , which was not yet discontinued in 1998, but only came out irregularly and in an increasingly worsening financial situation, and wants to continue its tradition of promoting avant-garde artists. AX , which was published up to the twelfth edition (in 1999) under the title "AX - Demon des Manga" ( マ ン ガ の 鬼 AX ア ッ ク ス , Manga no Oni AX akkusu ), has a circulation of 5,000 to 6,000 per issue and can through the low profit the authors working for it do not pay. The magazine is financed by the book publications that are published by the Serinkogeisha publishing house.
meaning
Many former Garo artists such as Suehiro Maruo , Ikuko Hatoyama , Usamaru Furuya and Kazuichi Hanawa now publish works in AX . Twice a year, AX awards prizes for young artists and comic critics in order to attract new authors for the magazine and the alternative comics scene in Japan. Each issue of the magazine has a special dossier dedicated to one draftsman; In addition to Japanese mangaka, international comic artists such as Jim Woodring and Stéphane Blanquet are presented here.
The magazine has been one of the most important platforms for underground manga since it was founded and especially since the end of Garo . Manga artist Kotobuki Shiriagari said: “The commercial nature of the manga threatens its stylistic and content diversity. That is why independent magazines like 'AX' are essential. They liven up the manga - and exert an influence on the mainstream that should not be underestimated. "
Web links
- Official Website (Japanese)