Undertown (comic)
Encyclopedia
Undertown is an American manga-inspired comic
written by Jim Pascoe and illustrated by Jake Myler and published by Tokyopop
. The manga was released by Tokyopop
on August 14, 2007. The magazine, New York
, offered an exclusive preview of Undertown on its online-only comics page. The manga gets syndicated in over 50 newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times
, Denver Post, Vancouver Sun and Seattle Post-Intelligencer
. It was dropped from Los Angeles Times
Sunday pages on July 5, 2009.
Sama's father is hospitalized after a heart attack, and given only a month to live. A stranger at the hospital tells Sama that he can find a cure for his father, the Sugar Stone, a magical healing item, but it is located in the mysterious realm of Undertown. All Sama need do is crawl under his bed, close his eyes, and countdown from ten to one. When his father’s condition turns worse, Sama takes a chance and does as the stranger told him. He wakes up in a strange place where anthropomorphized animals and insects do battle for the one thing that is most valuable in Undertown, sugar. Sama gets an even bigger surprise when his teddy bear, Eddie suddenly comes to life. With the help of a rabbit named B.W., a porcupine name Joey P.P., and a reticent penguin named Broom, Sama takes on The Cloud, the leader of the Insect Insurgents, to find the Sugar Stone. Then in a place called the sand sea they find lizards and the lizards don't choose to fight along side them. But mystery and secret histories swirl around a boy and his teddy bear, and before Sama can save his father, he’ll have to discover them.
Original English-language manga
Original English-language manga or OEL manga is the term commonly used to describe comic books or graphic novels in the "international manga" genre of comics whose language of original publication is English...
written by Jim Pascoe and illustrated by Jake Myler and published by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
. The manga was released by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
on August 14, 2007. The magazine, New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
, offered an exclusive preview of Undertown on its online-only comics page. The manga gets syndicated in over 50 newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Denver Post, Vancouver Sun and Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
. It was dropped from Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
Sunday pages on July 5, 2009.
Plot
10-year-old Sama is a shy young boy who is something of a crybaby, as his father apparently constantly reminds him. Sama cries so often that the tears stain his cheeks, but he finds comfort in his teddy bear, Eddie.Sama's father is hospitalized after a heart attack, and given only a month to live. A stranger at the hospital tells Sama that he can find a cure for his father, the Sugar Stone, a magical healing item, but it is located in the mysterious realm of Undertown. All Sama need do is crawl under his bed, close his eyes, and countdown from ten to one. When his father’s condition turns worse, Sama takes a chance and does as the stranger told him. He wakes up in a strange place where anthropomorphized animals and insects do battle for the one thing that is most valuable in Undertown, sugar. Sama gets an even bigger surprise when his teddy bear, Eddie suddenly comes to life. With the help of a rabbit named B.W., a porcupine name Joey P.P., and a reticent penguin named Broom, Sama takes on The Cloud, the leader of the Insect Insurgents, to find the Sugar Stone. Then in a place called the sand sea they find lizards and the lizards don't choose to fight along side them. But mystery and secret histories swirl around a boy and his teddy bear, and before Sama can save his father, he’ll have to discover them.
Characters
- Sama:A young boy at age ten who is lonely and has only one friend. His teddie bear Eddie is from somewhere where teddie bears are made and they can move and talk.
- Eddie: He is Sama's teddie bear and Sama's only friend. Eddie lost his memory when he was sent up to Sama's world now he wants to find the Teddy Bear Bell. In the first Volume, He finds it, and it makes Eddie remember everything about his past, including what happened to the Teddy Bears.