This week’s Small Press Spotlight is turning its attention to British micro-publisher Breakdown Press. The company has announced two new collections of avant-garde work – Jonathan Chandler‘s John’s Worth, and Yokoyama Yuichi‘s Baby Boom to cap 2022. Both books are up for pre-order and are expected to ship after November 20, 2022.
Chandler’s John’s Worth was originally published across four issues by Breakdown Press. Meanwhile, Yuichi’s Baby Boom is a collection of 39 short alternative manga works that have not previously seen release in the English language – and will come complete with an interview with the author, a Ryan Holmberg essay, and a cover designed by Jean-Philippe Bretin.
It is definitely worth jumping on the Breakdown Press 2022 pre-order train if these tickle your fancy as books tend to go out of print – Yuichi’s last book – Outdoors – being one example.
You can preview both books below:
John’s Worth, Jonathan Chandler
£19.99, 260 pages, Softcover
ISBN 978-1-9110811-6-6
Synopsis:
“From the mind of Jonathan Chandler, Britain’s master of psychological horror, comes John’s Worth, the complete collection of his psycho-sexual, bio-horror noir.
“The titular John returns to civilian life after a long tour in uniform fighting techno-terrorists in a foreign land no one back home has heard of, much less cares about. He finds his homeland twisted beyond recognition: a destitute country, filthy with crime, gambling, prostitution and loan sharks. Into this pitiable and corrupt land, a new narcotic has arrived; a bizarre drug that takes the form of a hideous living organism.
“Set in a hallucinatory desert-like landscape, this unsettling tale of mutation and deceit is a page-turning, cinematic experience, injected into your brain via Chandler’s jagged lines and punchy dialogue.”
Baby Boom, Yokoyama Yuichi
£26.99, 184 pages, Softcover
ISBN 978-1-9110811-9-7
“Baby Boom is the latest in Breakdown Press’s line of English language editions of work by influential Japanese artist Yokoyama Yuichi.
“Yokoyama’s comics are entirely unique: free from the traditional modes of narrative, his work explores motion, sound and structure, generating striking, beautifully graphic stories that propel the reader into a world of onomatopoeia, speed, and visual noise. Collecting 39 short pieces, each drawn with bright markers, Baby Boom uses polychromy in symbolic and rhythmic ways to create a musical, visually extraordinary experience.
“With a cover design by Jean-Philippe Bretin, an essay by manga academic Ryan Holmberg, and an interview with Yokoyama himself, this new English language edition, masterfully printed using Pantone spot colours, brings together Yokoyama’s most ground-breaking work to date.”
