Editor’s note: Now that Manga Recon has a spiffy new home, I thought it was time the crew introduced ourselves to readers. First up: new recruit Sam Kusek, who joined the team in July 2008. We’ll be posting a new essay each week, so please check back and get to know us—our likes, our dislikes, our astrological signs—a little better! –KD

About a month ago, I moved into a new place – from Beacon Hill to Allston. Having officially lived out of my parents’ house for two years, I decided to officially move out, which resulted in me taking every manga I had ever bought with me. To house them, I bought a bookcase and a month later, I had assembled them in a glorious library. And it got me thinking about how it all got started and how manga has been a prevalent force in my life for about eight years. So I told Kate, our editor-in-chief here at Manga Recon, about my bookshelf and she suggested that I share with you all my past as a manga fan, and how this all came to be.

I was born Samuel McGrath Kusek in San Francisco, CA where I spent a good ten years of my life. Growing up, both my parents worked and my starving artist uncle and his girlfriend (now my aunt) were always around, so my little brother and I spent a good amount of our time learning about art and design. My uncle has always had an Asian obsession (which is where I got it from) and would take trips to San Fran’s beautiful Chinatown, always bringing back something for me (usually a Gundam or art book). This was my first introduction to the great art form of manga and anime. Mixed with the artistic teachings of my uncle, I began to pursue a possible career as an artist and thoroughly became engrossed in the subject. My first book was volume three of Magic Knight Rayearth. I still have it to this day, awful binding and all.

Sam shows off a few favorite titles.

So about ten years down the road, we moved to Massachusetts, which is where I reside now. I was still thoroughly engrossed in manga all throughout high school and would spend most of my weekends working at a restaurant as an assistant chef, only to go spend that day’s pay check at a Borders that was a half-hour bus ride away to get my favorite series. I soon amassed a large amount of books and kept them in my parents’ attic, which was conveniently accessible via my room. My artistic interest in manga increased in high school, spawning several characters and stories. Things remained more or less the same as I entered college; my tastes changing somewhat as new series came out.

Finally, we arrive at this point in my life: I’m a 21-year-old male, a junior in college with a collection of books that rival a few shelves at Comicopia or Borders. I have devoted so much time to them. I can recall plots just by looking at the cover and volume number. I met Kate in Comicopia, while picking up volume one of Cat-Eyed Boy, Dororo volume one, and Barefoot Gen volume five. Matt Lehman (owner) and Kate commented on my choices and, delighted, I asked Kate how she was involved in manga. The rest was history. My art never got off the ground, as I decided I liked it much more a hobby than something I would like to pursue professionally. I still draw and write to this day. I am very happy to be writing for Manga Recon; I am very happy to be making use of all this knowledge I’ve acquired.

There are several series that I would say stick out as favorites for me. Actually there are more than several but I will stick with five for the sake of space:

• Eyeshield 21 (Viz): I never even liked sports growing up, particularly team sports. However, this series is mind-blowingly good. It follows the Demon Devil Bats, a ragtag team of Japanese football players, who recruit a lightning fast pipsqueak named Sena to play running back for them. The art is impeccably drawn, taking actual detail from the equipment and bring a uniqueness to each character. On top of that, it is written on a subtle, complex level. No character is given a obvious drive for what they do, and all sport in-depth backgrounds. Though repetitive at times, you’ll fall in love with Sena and the gang as they battle their way to the Christmas bowl. GO DEVIL BATS!
• Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (Viz): I shouldn’t have to explain this one. A generational story that somehow progresses itself in an absurd but still amusing manner is an amazing feat! And seven generations at that! My personal favorite is the fourth generation, “Diamond is Unbreakable” following Josuke. All in all, it is a very clever series, mixing humor with action better than most have done. On top of that, Hirohiko Araki stands as one of the most unique artists of our time. It’s so easy to get caught up in this series and I wish more people would. You’ll be really amazed.
• Law of Ueki (Viz): A story about a utterly stupid boy who can turn trash into trees and the cute, blue-haired girl that follows him. Interestingly, it turned into a tournament manga (like YuYuHakuso) but I didn’t waiver from it. Its creativity and messy yet simplistic art style give Ueki a unique feel. I watched the anime series freshman year and couldn’t believe how colorful it was. Again, Ueki is nothing special but holds a place in my heart as a mess I wish I made.
• Zombie Powder (Viz): I was really pleased with Zombie Powder. At first, seeing it was Tite Kubo title, I’ll admit I was wary. (I am still upset with Bleach; we’re not speaking :p) But ZP really showed us Tite’s ability at crafting a meaningful story. The characters and concepts all resonated with me and, though I would like to see it continued, I am glad it ended before it really began. (Gamma’s whole flame power thing was unnecessary; isn’t a Chain-Sword enough?) This series marks my introduction to what I like to call “transitional series.” This is probably one of my favorite genres of manga, aside from one-shots.
• Cyborg009 (Tokyopop): Before I saw Metropolis (which I got for a dollar) or read Dororo (which was 15 dollars), Cyborg 009 was a series that really opened my eyes to the social and political connotations that come with manga. It made me realize that it is not just an art form for kid’s entertainment—that manga can hold true the same human emotions, wants and desires that we all have. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but Cyborg 009 is a series that I will always treasure.

So that’s that, for me at least. I am a huge nerd, I’ll admit it. I shop at Super 88, I read more comics than I do actual literature and I plan on soon getting some manga tattoos.

And it feels really nice to feel this way: to just be who I am and to be respected for the time and effort that I put into manga. It means a lot to me to be on this site and I hope that we can continue to do a good job and lead the world of manga in a good direction (the world knows we need it)!