COMIC: 'Chainsaw Man' Continues to Lead in Top 20 Adult Graphic Novel Sales

NPD Bookscan has just published its July report on the top adult graphic novels sold, and for the first time in four months, non-manga books made it onto the top 10 list. 

While it is no surprise that manga is becoming ever so popular, increasing 44 percent in 2020 alone, the findings are showing that there’s a new wave of manga readers looking for the classics, as titles like Attack on Titan Vol.1, Hunter x Hunter Vol. 1, Death Note Vol.1, Naruto Vol.1, and Junji Ito’s horror manga series Tomie are all spiking in sales.

As for the non-manga titles, Clint McElroy’s The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom in both paperback and hardcover along with Chugong’s Solo Leveling Vol.2 are standing out in the sea of Viz Media offerings. Both have been supported consistently by fans and have done well historically, but Chainsaw Man sit holds the No.1 position while usual suspects like Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia earn a spot in the top three. Check out the full list below. 

1-CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 1
2-THE ADVENTURE ZONE: THE CRYSTAL KINGDOM
3-MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 28
4-JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 1
5-THE ADVENTURE ZONE: THE CRYSTAL KINGDOM HC
6-UZUMAKI (3-IN-1 DELUXE EDITION)
7-ATTACK ON TITAN VOL. 1
8-SOLO LEVELING VOL. 2
9-MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 27
10-DEATH NOTE BLACK EDITION VOL. 1

In other entertainment news, Todd McFarlane’s King Spawn #1 breaks record with 500,000 pre-orders.

MADSTEEZ Unveils Massive Basketball Court Murals in Brooklyn / NYC PARK

LA-born artist MADSTEEZ unveils new basketball murals located in Brooklyn’s Park Slope Playground in New York City. Made in collaboration with Electronic Arts’ NBA LIVE franchise, the sprawling public artwork features a vivid composition boasting the artist’s signature saturated palette. The full court piece portrays colorful hands reaching for a basketball while the half-court artwork depicts wild brushstrokes and blotches for an abstract aesthetic.

View both murals in the slideshow above and then head to MADSTEEZ’s website to view more projects.

ARTS:

Jonathan Matas, the American artist who now resides in a North Indian Himalayan village, will be holding his solo “A Compendium of Moments: Tales from The Ground Floor” exhibition at Heron Arts later this Summer.

The artist has showcased all over the world from California to Singapore and is widely known for his Enamel on Porsche 911 creation. For the Heron Arts solo exhibition in San Francisco, Matas will present a series of oil paintings of life drawings, which saw each model sit for 4-6 hours a session and for up to 9 days total per painting.

Each work was created spontaneously and without any premeditated intention. Matas allowed the subject to be as much as a part of the painting as he was in the process of creating each piece, which explore “the ordinary” story between the subject and the artist.

The exhibition will be comprised of a mix of odd found objects collected throughout the artist’s travels in an installation, as well as the large portraits and a collection of small works on paper.

Take a look at some of the life drawings from “A Compendium of Moments: Tales from The Ground Floor”  in the gallery above and head to the Heron Arts gallery in San Francisco from July 20 – August 10 to see the works for yourself.

In other art news, Gary Card is taking over Phillips’ London Gallery with his “HYSTERICAL” exhibition.

A Compendium of Moments: Tales from The Ground Floor — By Appointment Only
Heron Arts
7 Heron St
San Francisco, CA
94103

Contemporary French artist Claire Tabouret is well-recognized for her figurative paintings and visceral portraits that portray diverse human figures. Represented by Galerie Perrotin, Tabouret will soon launch a new collaborative print edition with Avant Arte that was inspired by an original artwork entitled The Swimmer.

“Unpicking identity and its complex oppositions, Claire Tabouret’s serene portraits scrutinize the relationships between childhood, adulthood, the group, the individual and the ‘tenderness and cannibalism’ of love,” said Avant Arte in a statement.

The Swimmer measures 43 x 62 centimeters and will release in an edition of 75. Each print will set you back $1,132 USD. Head over to Avant Arte’s website to register a purchase order.

GLOBAL ARTZ:

Iranian artist-duo and brothers ICY & SOT are currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The pair is widely-recognized for their politically-charged artworks spanning stencil art, public interventions, installations, as well as murals. Lauded as the “Banksys of Iran,” the brothers sought refuge in the United States after multiple arrests for illegal murals in Tabriz. They are dedicated to giving the younger generation a voice through their works, especially to those who don’t have the liberty to speak for themselves.

We teamed up with the Moco Museum to give one lucky winner two limited edition prints portraying breathtaking visuals by ICY & SOT. The first print entitled Color Rain 2013 measures 19 by 25 inches and the second dubbed Inexorable 2017 is sized at 13 by 10 inches. Both pieces are signed and numbered, having initially released as an edition of 25. The giveaway is part of this year’s Advent Calendar 2018 installment made in partnership with the Moco Museum.

Legendary graffiti writer Teach will soon launch his first-ever exhibition in London. The British artist will feature never-before-seen works at maharishi‘s Soho store. Accompanying the pieces is a release of zines, posters, alongside an exclusive capsule collection made in collaboration with the label.

“The works displayed will highlight one of Teach’s signature techniques: his application of paint and corrosive acid on metal panels, to create a unique rust texture; a nod, a connection to his past, a common graffiti technique used to hit subway trains,” said maharishi. “Teach, who has been active since the ’90s and a member of London’s infamous DDS crew, the Kings of the London Underground, has influenced a whole generation of younger writers from his ethos on the culture to his hand style, throw-up’s, trains and consistency.”

The exhibition and capsule collection will launch this December 6 at maharishi’s website and the in-store opening from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. GMT. In related stories, take a look at this week’s best art drops.

Maharishi Soho Store
2-3 Great Pulteney St.
Soho, London W1F 9LY, UK

FRESH COLORFULL KICKS FOR SUMMER:

Following the debut of Calvin Klein‘s recent Andy Warhol-centric collection, the brand has launched portrait-emblazoned sneakers. Taking the form of trim, high-top plimsolls, the selection encompasses a variety of makeups and graphics. Three distinct portraits appear in contrasting hues against color-blocked uppers, a blank canvas portion contrasted against the boldly-colored art. Black and white bases are complemented by matching laces, black heel branding and rubber midsoles, allowing the colorful Warhol detailing to spill below the upper for maximum coverage.

Pre-order the new shoes on Calvin Klein’s website.

After previewing the Just Don x Jordan Legacy 312 in a “Fire Red” and “Game Royal” split colorway earlier in the summer, Jordan Brand returns this week with an official look at the upcoming “Storm Blue” iteration.

Designed by Don C himself, the shoe blends elements of the Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan 3, and the Nike Air Trainer. Taking on a similar look to the “Game Royal” Air Jordan 1, the Don C x Jordan Legacy 312 “Storm Blue” dons a mostly white upper with leather blue panels hitting the outer toe box, ankle strap and heels. Hits of black can then be found on the Swoosh branding and tongue, while a dose of elephant print found on both the lateral and medial sides, a Just Don-branded tongue tab, and a Jordan 3 sole completes the overall design.

The Just Don x Jordan Legacy 312 “Storm Blue” drops on Saturday, July 14 at select Jordan Brand retailers for $150 USD.

Following previous releases of the Nike M2K Tekno, the “Phantom” colorway has a release date for mens sizes. This time around, the Nike Monarch II-inspired silhouette returns in a clean, eggshell colored upper. The clunky sneaker has very subtle hits of pastel color, including the pale blue in the toebox and the milky green panels that make up the lateral sides. On the heel of the chunky sole unit, a vibrant, plastic orange panel pops out from the white midsole. The sneaker sits above a grey and black outsole. Be on the lookout for more information regarding the release date, which is scheduled some time in July.

Nike‘s celebratory “Just Do It” collection expands with a new iteration of the Huarache City Low model. Following last months white and black colorway, this new style incorporates the Swoosh’s signature orange with contrasting white and black. Suede, mesh and leather joins forces throughout the sneaker with “Just Do It” applied to the heel.

Retailing for $120 USD, the Nike Huarache City Low “Just Do It” arrives sometime this August at select Nike Sportswear retailers. Browse the shots above and let us know your thoughts on how they compare to the rest of the collection.

At the end of June we shared a first look at the Nike KD11 “EYBL.” Today official shots have surfaced of the bright colorway. This iteration sees a Hot Punch upper shared throughout its Flyknit weaving with Lime Blast and Pure Platinum to complement the base. The sock-like entry is met with a subtle heel counter that sports the traditional EYBL Peach Jam basketball tournament. To close out the design, its translucent sole unit houses Nike’s React foam in addition to a full-length Zoom Air unit.

Retailing for $150 USD, the Nike KD11 “EYBL” is expected to arrive sometime this month at select Nike Basketball retailers. Stay tuned for additional release information and let us know if you plan on copping.

Following a series of leaks and teasers, the highly-anticipated Air Jordan 4 “Raptors” finally receives an official release date.

Originally set to be a Drake signature shoe, the Toronto Raptors-themed take on the classic Jordan Brand model was reworked for a 6 God-less release. Borrowing from the color scheme found on the classic Air Jordan 7 “Raptors,” the standout iteration features a mainly black nubuck upper accented by choice hits of “Court Purple” and “University Red” on the TPU frames and heel guard. Finally bright and bold color mash-ups on the signature segmented Air Jordan 4 sole unit complete with speckle detailing round up the design of the shoe.

Priced at $190 USD, the Air Jordan 4 “Raptors” is set to release at select Jordan Brand retailers on Saturday, August 18.

ART: Controversial Basquiat Artworks Go on Display at Art Basel 2018

A series of 16 drawings and paintings made by the late Jean-Michel Basquiat, from 1971 to 1981, are currently on view at Bishop gallery’s booth at Art Basel 2018 in Switzerland. Included in the selection of works is a number of controversial pencil-and-crayon sketches that the legendary street artist created in the apartment of a close friend and drug dealer named Lonny Lichtenberg a.k.a. Neptune, King of the C (cocaine). Prices for the works range approximately between $45,000 USD and $120,000 USD.

Al Diaz, the curator of the exhibition and former member of Basquiat’s Samo coterie, expressed to The Art Newspaper that the works haven’t been authenticated. “[Diaz] believes the estate does not want to flood the market with more pieces,” said the publication. More importantly, the “works of art were often exchanged by artists for drugs,” Diaz added. “[The estate] is averse to anything drug-related.”

View one of the sketches above and head over to Bishop gallery’s official website to learn more.

Messe Basel
Messeplatz 10
4005 Basel
Switzerland

FRESH KICKS: Tyler, the Creator's GOLF Le FLEUR* Collection

After getting a look at Tyler, The Creator‘s new Converse x GOLF Le FLEUR* shoes in our exclusive unboxing video, we are now getting a full look at both the colorful sneakers as well as the quirky apparel collection.

The collection includes a selection of cozy hoodies and T-shirts sporting the GOLF Le FLEUR* logo, as well as three renditions of the cute Converse One Star kicks coming in pink, blue and green colorways. Following the success of the rapper’s previous Converse collaboration, these pieces are guaranteed to fly off the shelves. The full collection drops over at HBX at 9 a.m EST, and retail between $36 and $98 USD.

COLORS: MISSONI 2018 (THE THING I DIG ABOUT THEIR CLOTHES IS THE COLORS, MIX THEM WITH SOME OTHER PIECES AND ROCK OUT!!)

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Missoni is known for its bold pattern and use of color, and the brand’s Pre-Fall 2018 collection is no different. Featuring colorful knits, woven trousers and unique fur jackets, the collection plays with everything from texture to mixing and matching. Stand-out pieces include the bright rainbow fur coat and the equally colorful fringe dress, which are both eye-catching and cozy beyond compare.

Stay tuned to shop the collection once it hits stores, and keep checking back for more updates.