KEIICHI ARAWI

From Keiichi Arawi, the adored creator of nichijou, this surreal-slapstick series revolves around a penniless college student, Midori Nagumo, who lives in an ordinary city filled with not-quite-ordinary people. And as this reckless girl runs about, she sets the city in motion. Midori is in a bit of a bind. She is in debt, and her landlady is trying to shake her down for unpaid rent. Her best friend refuses to loan her cash since she’s wised up to her tricks. Maybe some bullying would help. Or a bit of petty theft? Neither is sustainable. Maybe getting a job would settle things … But working means less time for fun adventures in the big city …

The follow-up to the hit manga series Nichijou (and heavily referenced in the artwork of that series), Helvetica Standard is a full-color anthology of Keiichi Arawi’s comic art and design work. Funny and heartwarming, this two-part series is a humorous look at modern day Japanese design in comic form and a deep-dive into the artistic and creative mind of Keiichi Arawi. Part comic, part diary, part art and design book, Helvetica Standard is a deconstruction of the world of Nichijou. (Source: Vertical Inc.)

In this just-surreal enough take on the "school genre" of manga, a group of friends grapple with all sorts of unexpected situations in their daily lives as high schoolers. The gags, jokes, puns, and haiku keep this series off-kilter even as the cast grow and change. Check it out and meet the new ordinary.

The follow-up to the hit manga series Nichijou (and heavily referenced in the artwork of that series), Helvetica Standard is a full-color anthology of Keiichi Arawi’s comic art and design work. Funny and heartwarming, this two-part series is a humorous look at modern day Japanese design in comic form and a deep-dive into the artistic and creative mind of Keiichi Arawi. Part comic, part diary, part art and design book, Helvetica Standard is a deconstruction of the world of Nichijou. (Source: Vertical Inc.)