JIRAIYA TALK & SIGNING
@ SECRET HEADQUARTERS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18TH
@ 6pm
JIRAIYA IS COMING TO THE UNITED STATES!!
Making his first ever public appearance, the artist known as JIRAIYA is coming to America in a series of signings and speaking events in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. The legendary Japanese artist will be signing limited edition giclee prints, Japanese-language editions of his collected comics and illustration work, as well as English translations and apparel for MASSIVE, at a variety of bookstores, galleries and academic institutions.
Most recently featured on the cover of Fantagraphics’ critically acclaimed gay manga anthology, Massive: Gay Erotic Manga and the Men Who Make It, Jiraiya’s artwork has entertained audiences around the world since 1998, when his musclebound pinups debuted in G-men magazine. Guy Trebay at The New York Times has described Jiraiya’s figures as “jolly, hairy Asian men of refrigerator scale.”
Jiraiya starts his journey in Los Angeles at USC’s ONE Archives, Silver Lake comic shop Secret Headquarters, and the Tom of Finland Foundation in Echo Park. The artist will be giving visual presentations on his career and process, and signing books as well as prints and merchandise available via MASSIVE Goods. Tour stops in San Francisco include Books, Inc. Castro and a talk moderated by queer comics historian Justin Hall at the California College of the Arts in Oakland. Finally, Jiraiya will tour New York City to meet fans at the School of Visual Arts, the Bureau General Services, Queer Division (at the LGBT Center), and a Drink ‘N Draw event in Brooklyn. (Event details below)
Jiraiya’s first North American tour has been made possible with the generous financial support of interTrend, a national advertising agency that represents some of the biggest brands in the world. For more than 20 years, interTrend has provided cutting-edge, award-winning campaigns. interTrend is a full-service communications agency that identifies global ideas for its clients by leveraging its unique DNA.
* PHOTO EMBARGO: Jiraiya wishes to retain his anonymity and while he appreciates meeting fans, has a strict “no facial photography” rule. We ask that attendants respect his privacy.
-MASSIVE