Otaku USA Magazine
Pen Magazine Publishes In-Depth Cyborg 009 Retrospective

Cyborg 009, the legendary sci-fi manga and anime franchise that debuted in 1964, is the subject of an in-depth feature in the September 1st issue of the Japanese magazine Pen.

Approaching its 50th anniversary, Cyborg 009, created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori, is the story of nine cyborgs, lead by Joe Shimamura (alias Cyborg 009) fighting against the evil organization known as Black Ghost. Since its debut, Cyborg 009 has spawned multiple anime series, films and games.

The Pen feature traces 009 from its debut in Weekly Shonen King to its first 26-episode, black-and-white anime series all the way to the present, with this year’s new manga, based on notes and sketches by Ishinomori, who passed away in 1998. The magazine features rare concept art, sketches, and interviews, as well as a fold-out poster.

This month’s issue of Pen is published in anticipation of the new Cyborg 009 film, 009 RE:CYBORG, which debuts in Japan in October. You’ll find a review of that film here upon its release!

Matt Schley

Matt Schley (rhymes with "guy") lives in Tokyo, and has been OUSA's "man in Japan" since 2012. He's also written about anime and Japanese film for the Japan Times, Screen Daily and more.

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