Black Blizzard Paperback – April 13, 2010

Over the past few centuries, industrialized mass culture has allowed the proliferation of so many fantastic creative works that getting lost forever in the seething morass seems like an inevitable fate for even highly successful artistic creations. Cultural collective memory can only process so much, after all, and aging works must perpetually compete against not only compelling new releases within their own genres, but also against brand new forms of art and entertainment. The process has repeated itself numerous times, such as radio undermining the popularity of writing in the early twentieth century, then television gradually pushed aside both radio and writing. More recently, interactive video games have taken a large market share from the once dominant art form of passive motion pictures, leaving writing, radio and television not obliterated, but definitely dethroned from their once exalted positions. Books especially no longer command the attention that they once enjoyed in the cultural forefront. Far fewer people today probably see writing as a gateway to fame and fortune. Despite all of this, long out of print and seemingly forgotten artists and works somehow reappear from the musty dustbins of popular culture. This seems almost impossible given the increasingly shorter attention span and back breaking competitive nature of popular media, but, incredibly, even a work seemingly as lost as Yoshihiro Tatsumi's 1956 manga "Black Blizzard" can find itself back in print over fifty years later.A large number of ancillary things had to occur to allow for such a miraculous resurrection, of course. Had Tatsumi not later become the legendary founder of "gekiga" manga, this earlier work likely would have remained completely unknown to successive generations. Not to mention the unending popularity of the manga form itself, still a robust survivor in the "should be" struggling world of art printed on paper. This has ignited interest in its beginnings and in its many exploited permutations. "Gekiga" manga, arguably manga "for adults" or "literary manga," saw a strong resurgence in the early twenty-first century, even in English translation, thanks to publishers such as the Canada-based "Drawn & Quarterly." Tatsumi, especially with his profoundly disturbing and unforgettable reissued collections such as "The Push Man," "Good-Bye" and "Abandon the Old in Tokyo," became a focal point for this excursion into the ink-drawn past. The translated reprint of "Black Blizzard" appeared after these anthologies, but it originally predated them all. First published when Tatsumi was only twenty-one years old, its narrative style differs considerably from his more acclaimed work. Essentially, it fits comfortably within the crime thriller noir genre. Though it undoubtedly contains some elements of Tatsumi's later work, it doesn't carry as much social, existential or philosophical impact as his 1960s output and beyond. Still, it provides a highly entertaining read that Tatsumi fans should explore, though its surprise ending format arguably doesn't stand up to repeated readings as much as his later work. The plot relies on a series of unknown connections and, once known, the story becomes slightly disposable. This of course perfectly represents the genre and the times that Tatsumi worked in, namely, the 1950s and 1960s manga rental books industry. In this "fast fiction" world, "Black Blizzard" came and went along with numerous other titles.This industry's gradual collapse led directly to Tatsumi's later work, as he explains in a fascinating interview at the end of the book. "Black Blizzard" apparently targeted children, which explains the style and the small number of the then painstakingly produced color pages, which this reprint preserves. Tatsumi also responds to a question about why this work differs so much from his later work. As the rental market vanished under the pressures of television and weekly manga magazines, he explains, he found himself writing more for young adults than for children, so he needed to alter his style to meet the demands of the times. He apparently made only a meager living from manga throughout his life, but he must have made at least enough to keep going. Thankfully he did continue, because his style expanded and evolved beyond this early work into a deeply profound art that still stands up solidly today. "Black Blizzard" doesn't manifest this pinnacle, but it helped to make it possible, so it provides a valuable glimpse into his origins. The interview suggests that market forces largely drove his work's subsequent innovations. As to his feelings about the work in later life, his answer borders on the deliberately provocative: "bringing this work out as a book now is like exposing something shameful and private from my past that I'd rather keep hidden from sight - so I have conflicting feelings about it." Though artists tend to remain hypercritical of their own work, very few readers will likely share, or even consider, this view of the book. The story's chilling climax alone, where the antagonist and hero, handcuffed together, decide who will lose their hand, thereby freeing the pair, by whoever passes out from drinking a sedative placed in only one of two cups, will loom ominously over readers even after the plot lines get resolved. Though by no means Tatsumi's best work, "Black Blizzard" still has plenty to offer from a historical and developmental perspective, but it also happens to have a highly engaging and enjoyable narrative. Tatsumi fans shouldn't miss it.

The media could not be loaded.  I was expecting something less intense, but the book was action packed and it was better than I thought it would be. It is also a very fast read that you can finish in 1 or 2 days. I would recommend this book to anybody.

A really great story in its own right that might be overshadowed by its historical significance which in a way is a shame but it is hard to overstate this manga as look into the kashi-hon lending library era of manga. Highly recommend. Every comics/manga fan should have this on your shelf.

The story begins with a man playing the piano only to be arrested by a cop who has been looking for him. He finds himself on a train handcuffed to another accused. The train derails and they escape with the police hot on their trail. This may not sound like the most original plot, but remember, it was originally printed in 1956, and at the time was quite cutting edge for comics in the 50s.Black Blizzard still holds up well over 50 years later! The art is simple, but the storytelling is strong. There are several twists and unexpected turns that held my interest. And the colored pages at the beginning was a nice change from the usual all black & white manga.If you are a fan of solid story telling, you'll enjoy Black Blizzard.

For fans of classic manga, gekiga, Tezuka and manga in general, I recommend this book to you. Great story, great art and after reading Tatsumi's "A Drifting Life" it adds something to that masterful book as well.I held back one star because I am not a fan of the cover and paper. I think Drawn & Quarterly wanted it to look like an old book, the type they had back in those days, but its a little flimsy and rough.

I am quite familiar with Tatsumi's work, but this gem from the 50's is an entirely different, surprising animal. It's has more to do with noir fiction, as it does not portray the often bleak lives of working-class japanese people during the 60's and 70's. The drawing style is also quite different: although quite good, it still had not reached maturity. A very well-told story with a surprising twist, worth every penny!

A quick story. More of an artifact from a great author's earlier career. Pretty simplistic but it is suspenseful.

Loved seeing one of his early works. I wish they would publish more Tatsumi in English. I will buy everything.

Two men arrested for different crimes are being transported across country by a train, handcuffed to each other. A rock slide crashes boulders onto the tracks causing the train to derail onto its side and the two men take this chance to make their escape. Will they make it?This is a short comic Tatsumi wrote and drew in 1956 at the age of 21. You can see the storytelling and drawing aren't up to the kind you see in "A Drifting Life" and "The Push Man" but it's still a well told tale. The pace is very fast and it feels very cinematic with lots of panels without dialogue, the characters always moving onward.It's a noirish Hitchcockian-type story with a murder mystery and a love story at it's heart. A great comic and a fascinating glimpse into the kind of work such a master of the medium was producing at such a young age. Well done Drawn & Quarterly for putting out a great, lost book - found again!

Brilliant

Simple story, but well made, and a revolution when it came to comics back in its day.

The story is about a musician who is arrested for murder, believing he is innocent he cannot prove it having not been able to recall the night before. While on a train to the prison it crashes, he and another convict escape together. trying to dig deeper to prove his innocence and get back to the woman he loves.I picked up "Black Blizzard" after having read Yoshihiro Tatsumi's "A Drifting Life" about the birth of his genre Gekiga (dramatic pictures). I was very excited to read one of his earlier works. Being a fan of Tatsumi-san's works made buying this an easy choice for me. It can be a great introduction to his works if you are a new Tatsumi reader or a fun hidden treasure if you are familiar with his already English published works.This book was a real treat, seeing his young style and story telling and how he progressed into the manga titan he is today."Black Blizzard" is very cinematic in it's presentation and the authors love for film is very present in this manga and is something manga fans and movie fans can both appreciate.

Though it's a bit short, it has a lot of cinematic panels and is a must for anyone who read his "A Drifting Life".