The Real Folk Blues: A Cowboy Bepop Fanbook

Editor Zainab Akhtar. Published by ShortBox.

Softcover, 148 pages, colour, 2019

The Real Folk Blues is a fanbook of 130+ pages of new, original comics, illustrations, and essays paying tribute to the seminal anime, Cowboy Bebop, in its 20th anniversary year.

Released in 1998 from director Shinichirō Watanabe, screenwriter Keiko Nobumoto, character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto, mechanical designer Kimitoshi Yamane, and composer Yoko Kanno, Cowboy Bebop is the much-loved, bittersweet story of Spike Spiegel, ex-assassin turned bounty hunter, his friend Jet and the crew members they begrudgingly pick up along the way: amnesiac gambler Faye, hacker-extraordinaire Ed, and super-intelligent dog, Ein. Not only is Bebop unequivocally one of the greatest anime created but its 26 episodes (and 1 film!) stand as a hugely significant work of science fiction, one that's centred around people and inclusivity, real and yet hopeful. The fact that 2018 marks Bebop's 20-year anniversary makes this feel like the perfect moment to pay homage and celebrate this brilliant show.

The Real Folk Blues is a 130+ page of full-colour comics, illustrations, and essays by a hit list of fantastic artists and writers that take you into the world of Bebop once more. Brand new stories featuring Ed tracking down a mysterious signal- could it be aliens? Spend a day with Jet, space dad as he takes care of his plants, attempts to corral his crew-mates and embarks on the ever-elusive search for bellpeppers and beef. Something sinister stalks the Bebop. Faye teaches the others about fashion: it's a style-guide! Spike meets an old friend - or is it foe?- Ein makes a new friend, gets kidnapped, and looks cute throughout. All this PLUS Faye and Julia team-ups, alternative endings, Big Shot comes to life, the crew go on a night on the town and much, much more!