Konya wa Hurricane everybody! Thanks to UDON Entertainment, legendary artist Kenichi Sonoda will be a guest at San Diego Comic Con 2024. Sonoda made his name as the character and mechanical designer for the cyberpunk anime Bubblegum Crisis. The series’ mix of Blade Runner visuals, engaging character design, and rocking songs remains a favorite of anime fans around the globe.
Art by Kenichi Sonoda/Courtesy of UDON Entertainment
It’s only fitting he’s crossing the Pacific to help promote UDON’s new book Bubblegum Crisis: Complete Archive. This massive hardcover was more than three years in the making. It covers the production of not just the classic series but also the sequel series Bubblegum Crash and the prequel series A.D. Police Files. UDON does a fantastic job on their hardcovers so this will be a must have for fans of the classic anime.
San Diego, CA (Jun 21, 2024) — UDON Entertainment is proud to announce that acclaimed manga creator, character designer, and anime legend Kenichi Sonoda will attend Comic-Con International San Diego (SDCC) for the first time, as UDON’s guest. Sonoda-sensei will attend SDCC in support of the previously-unannounced, all-new BUBBLEGUM CRISIS: COMPLETE ARCHIVE Hardcover Collection, which will debut at the event at UDON’s booth #100.
Courtesy of UDON EntertainmentCourtesy of UDON Entertainment
Kenichi Sonoda is the acclaimed creator of manga that were formative to the North American manga industry, including Gunsmith Cats, Gunsmith Cats: Burst, and Cannon God Exaxxion. He is also beloved for his character and mechanical designs and storyboards for classic anime, including BubbleGum Crisis, Gall Force, Scramble Wars, SoltyRei, and his own Riding Bean. This will be a rare opportunity for generations of fans to meet and get a signature from the creator! Sonoda will be signing for fans for two days of the event, with a different limited-edition shikishi signing board available on each day. This will be a ticketed event with purchase, and final details for these signings will be announced closer to the event.
Art by Kenichi Sonoda/Courtesy of UDON Entertainment
BUBBLEGUM CRISIS: COMPLETE ARCHIVE will be released in two editions: A special shared-exclusive hardcover slipcase-edition (with shikishi signing-board) that will be available at Comic-Con and online at the UDON Store, and a standard hardcover edition which will release to mass-market retail later this fall. Copies at SDCC will be very limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional Bubblegum Crisis merchandise will be available at the UDON Booth #105, with more details to be announced.
More information on UDON Entertainment’s presence at Comic-Con International: San Diego will be released in the coming weeks.
This appearance will be a treat for anime fans. Kenichi Sonoda is the rare talent that’s a legend in both anime and manga. Lines for these should be long given the appreciation for his body of work. Anime and manga fans of all ages should take the opportunity to greet this legend at SDCC.
Art by Kenichi Sonoda, Courtesy of UDON Entertainment
Bubblegum Crisis: Complete Archive is available for pre-order at the UDON Entertainment’s web store for anyone who can’t make it to San Diego.
