BLM&WHIl

BLACK & WHITE VOL 1

MEAN KIDS PRACTICE RANDOM

VIOLENCE AND SENSELESS ACTS OF
UGLINESS ON THE MEAN STREETS.

Street urchins Black and White have

skyscraper-sized chips on their shoul-

ders, but are fiercely loyal to each

other Black is especially quick to

avenge any slight against his dimwit-

ted pal. The result? The citizens of

Treasure Town are afraid of them, the

police are afraid of them, even the local

yakuia gangsters are afraid of them.

But when a crime boss known as the
"Rat" returns to Treasure Town from
prison, it looks like there's gonna be a
rumble....

The violence in this unique European-

influenced manga title is more mindful

than it seems at first glance, and the

subtle relationships between its

bizarre cast of characters are marked

by surprisingly poignant moments.
STOBV a ART BY
TAIYO MATSUMOTO

CONTENTS
SKIRMISH ONE
WELCOME TO OUR MONKEY HOUSE .5

SKIRMISH TWO
mVING THE ROAD TO HELL .27

SKIRMISH THREE
CAT AND RAT AND DOG AND CITY .49

SKIRMISH FOUR
BEWARE OF MIDNIGHT STROLLS .71

SKIRMISH FIVE
GETTING WILDER NOW, GETTING STTIONGER NOW .89

SKIRMISH SIX
THE BEST OF TIMES, THE WORST OF TIMES .... .107

SKIRMISH SEVEN
WHFTE CRIES . 125

SKIRMJSH EIGHT
CITY OF BLOOD, NIGHT OF STABS ,143

SKIRMISH NINE

SKIRMISH Wi
KIMURA tS A LOSER .179

SKIRMISH ELEVEN
TREASURE TOWN WALTZ .197

bmmfW V Ifc 1 mojlh PUtP \*jl I Uu S in Ihei. mtirtly

1 WEICOMI TO Om MOSm HOKE
SKIRMISH 1 WELCOME TO OUR MONKEY HOUSE
FUCKIN'
BFWTS!
MEAN KIDS PRACrtee RANDOM VIOLCNCB AND
SENSELESS ACTS OP UGLINESS ON THE MEAN STREETS

PUIP GRAPHIC NOVHS-WMPIUNG

THl HOTTEST MANGA FROM THf M6£S
Of m COMICS' RtVOlUTIONAfiY
MANGA MAGAZINE FOB GROWNUPS!

but are tiercelv loyal lo each olhei Black

IS especially qucck lo avenge any slight

against his dpm wined pal The lesull'

- - ! a(f3id

even (lie local yaku/a gangsleis aie affaid

of Ihemi But when the (

"Ral" reiur

. _. . ___ _ at ti(sl glance, and the

subtle I

csst ol characters are maiked by surpn

Taifo MatsumOt node ks "iaiK/3 Oebiit »i

l9S6ii>CamkMamomiMlf!ffieslarrmY
 WL

^•^i^e^f'lj
SKiMiSH? PAYIK THE ROAD TO HELL
#BLffi&llTE
smiisHsCAT mmm dog and city
THISTOWN
HAS A
CERTAIN
L
^f ^ ITS
LIKE A
•JBNB
BAIS'OUOI".
M^m V GROUND.
#liU(:k&\\lllTEI
 SKIRMISH 4

EEWAM OF MIDNIGHT STMLS

 YOU GETS
SAP 'CAUSE
YOU THINKS
ABOUT DYIN'
A LOT, DONT
you, BLACK?
irSSAD. NIGHT /*ND
TRUCK AND STUFF. SO'
WE'REGOIN'FORA
NrSHT WALK
 %\mnm
/v\Y \ U^^B^
CRYSTAL
BALL
\
1 M
TELLS /V\E ^iW /CtL
If
^-,

you Iff A&m

i ft
WOULD BE n Vr F
WELL- kjUl // r,
ADVISED \ iZ-l
TO LEAVE 1 V/ / ,
YOUR / .VJ / r^
HUSBAND 1 / -JJ^ W

1 ^m^^m ^mXAl f
#lll.ffi&lll
 SKIRMISH 5

GETTIE WILDER NOW,

GETTIE STRONGER NOW

^^^J
r ;^^^S
3
^9
^^F'.
" /^
^tp
/ '
#[IIM&1ITE
M
e\
"
^
m
\^'/
f

L
ISOTA
REPORT THAT
SO/V\E YAKUZA
WAS SETTINS
HIS JOLLIES
READING
.HOROSCOPES
AROUNC*

ImW"7 u
^
^r^^
Hit M / ^\
)/lirai
HEE
HEE
HEE
\
\
\

1
p
i
'"^
b
^
S
V^TE!
BUm/V\)NS I WANT TO YOU'RE
mONEy OFF SAy, RIGHT. .

KIDS. . J "PATHETIC." FORGIVE

WHAT A /WE.
BASTARD! ,

112..
mis TOWN IS
i50)NS TO you'LLLiveTO
SWflFW, OVER RESRETBEINS
LIKE A THE COP ON
HIVE POKED DUrVWHEN
WVl-m A STICK. TOWN.
I'm IN
 \\ THESE (5UyS r
4d/wn!y' m DONTHAVe J%J/' ri
^^4^^^^
1
y NO
1

n B-^l ~7
__=>^^ ^ WAToes. /^ I '
JMi^i T _i

jg ^ Ey v9
.-= ^H Am
^«^^m.- w^i
 ''.'.yy/x

yee-HAA!

'-^^^iS '^^ ^.-*^

 MYEYES/VWY ' surmAYBe
BE WEAK, BUT I ONLY
C/yj SENSE SOmEDNE
YOUR AURA. A^w;
YOU CAN

^ LIKE
.

IVe NEVER BREATHS

FELTANYTWrNS
SO ABNORMAL j
IN A PLACE
... SO EVIL .LIKE THIS.
 SKIRMISH 6

THE BEST OniMES,

TIE WORST OF TIMES

.!S>
BUT ANYONE
SO
TFIUSTINS
AND
WITHOUT
CUNN1NS
ODESNT
BELONG

4%^ iH
mmm
SKIRMISH? WHITE cms
BUT /WORE
'N' /V\ORE
KIDS Keep
COMIN'
ONTO OUR
TURF.
 -t^:

(3<

I PONT
SET IT
SUT . .
HEY" DIDNT
THIS USED
TO BE THE
PACHINKO
»M
"^

PLACE!

OLD
PeOPLES
AND OLD
BUILDINSS
ALL SOING
Bye-Byes.

h^^>^7.»t ;
aOoQoQoQo o
WHERE'S
VANILLA r-
iniiM
 #BIM&«IE

^"ju^uil
 SKIRMISH 8

CITY OF BLOODJIGHT OF STARS

THEy'RE
FISSED
BBCAUSB I

we WONT I
DEAL
THEIR
SHIT.
 <5RA/V\PS
TOLD US NOT
TO /V\ESS
WITH THOSE
BAD euys.
you OUITE A WO/VIAN. ...SHE miSHT
WORTHY OF TAKE A SWAN KNOW
RESPECT. OF DIVE OF^ THE WHATI

COURSE, IF YOU ROOF OF HER mEANf

CXDNTMIND HOTEL.
WHAT 1 SAY...
 THftT'S
NlTTFfilf!, - \ NATURALLy,
YOU
NO /VWTTER
HOW TOUGH
you ACT OR
HOW TALL
YOUR HAIR IS,
yOU'PtE STILL
JUST A
STREET PUNK.
SKIRMISH 9 BLACK FLIES
WHAT
HELL?
THIS AIN'T
NO PLACB
FOB KIDS.
SET OUTTA
HEBE!
IIIACkMlimi
WHEN I

HURTS
PEOPLE
BAD ANC
WHEN I

LIES...
 C50D)S
PROB'LY
rAAo AT me,
RIGHT
GRAA^PS:

-5 4«'-j-
MY
m
CITY
SKIRMISH 10 IIMM IS A lOSER
#IACK&im
SKIRMISH uTMSUMTOWK WALTZ
you USED TO
EAT SO MANY WHO /npp£ /we
ATONCe
YOU'D GET A you eeTTER
STOft\ACH APOLOGIZE TO
ACHE. rOURPA WHEN
you GET HO/lrtE,
you HeAB=
Tolftaiiinl
ABOUT THE ARTIST
TAIYO MATSUMOTO
DATE OF BIRTH 1967 :

BIRTHPLACE Tokyo. Japan

:

PROFESSIONAL OEBUT 1986 :

Matsumoto made his manga debut in Matsumoto: Driving, computer games, and

1986 in the magazine Comic taking walks.

Afternoon with the short story Straight. At Q: What's your plan for your next title?

the tender age of 22, he traveled throughout Matsumoto: I'd like to draw a manga about
France to perform artistic research. Heavily a young boy who meets a monster. The story

influenced by the French comics he studied would follow their relationship from begin-

there, his art style subsequently changed nmg to end.

dramatically to the uniqoe. alternative look (1 Name your three favorite American comic

evident in Black 6 White. artists.

In 1991, Matsumoto began a boxing Matsumoto: I like all of Frank Miller's

serial entitled Zero, which appeared in Big work. I don't know much more about

Comic Spirits. His next series, entitled American comics. But I like Snoopy
Hanao. explored the relationship between a Q: What do you think of the American

middle-aged man and his son. In 19S3, comics industry?

Matsumoto began Black 6 White Matsumoto: American comics are powerful

('Tekkonkinkurilo" in the original Japanese, and cool. European comics seem very intel-

a play on words meaning "a concrete struc- lectual. And Japanese comics ate very light-

ture with an iron frame"). hearted If you could combine the best of all

three, you could create some really tremen-

d What made you decide to became a pro- dous work. That's my goal.

fessional comic book artist? Q: What message do you have for your

Matsumoto: I loved Doma by Katsuhiro American readers?

Otomo so much that it made me want to Matsumoto: I don't know much about
become a comic creator myself. American comics. I only know the very

Q: If you hadn't become a comic artist, what famous superheroes, like the X-Men I would

profession would you have chosen? appreciate it if you would write to me and
Matsumoto: I would have wanted to be a recommend some American comics.
children's booi< illustrator. IPIease address any mail to Mr. Matsumoto
Q: What are your current interests & hob- c/o PULP. Viz Comics. PO. Box 77010, San

bies? Francisco. CA 94107]