The small publisher Living the Line has announced the second title in its Smudge manga imprint: UFO Mushroom Invasion, by Marina Shirakawa, a sci-fi horror story first published in 1976.  The manga, which is complete in a single volume, starts with a flying saucer crashing in the mountains, but instead of little green men, this one is carrying a payload of parasitic mushroom spores.  Shirakawa has a similar sensibility to classic horror manga-ka such as Junji Ito and Suehiro Maruo, spinning a tale of a weird phenomenon that suddenly hijacks everyday life and turns the world upside down.  Manga scholar Ryan Holmberg is the translator of the story, which is regarded as a classic in Japan.  The book includes an illustrated essay by writer and researcher Takeo Udagawa, as well as survey of Shirakawa’s work with synopses and cover illustrations.  The 204-page paperback will go on sale on September 18, 2024, in comic shops and October 1 in bookstores, with an MSRP of $19.95.

Smudge was announced in 2023 as a manga imprint that will focus on pulp, horror, and mystery titles; it is an imprint of the small press Living the Line and is curated by Holmberg (see “New Imprint, Smudge”).  The first Smudge title, Her Frankenstein, is set for release on May 15 in the Direct Market and May 28 in the book channel.

Click Gallery below for preview!