NEW COWBOY BEBOP GUIDE ANNOUNCED

Cowboy Bebop has been a mainstay in anime fandom since its debut, consistently ranked among the all time greats and still attracting new devotees. For Western audiences, it was one of the first such imports to gain widespread recognition, but has rarely been subjected to much in the way of critical and analytical scrutiny. Telos Publishing have announced that a new and detailed guide to the classic anime Cowboy Bebop is to be published on 1 October 2024.

Three, Two, One: Let’s Jam! aims to correct that.

Making unparalleled use of Japanese interviews, production material and the creators’ influences, Satoru Stevenson presents a deep dive into Cowboy Bebop. Its genesis, development and initial treatment at the hands of network censors. How the Seatbelts became the biggest band in the solar system, and what shaped the spacefaring society of 2071. It’s a detailed and fascinating story, punctuated by the makers’ love of music and motifs that made the series everything it became.

The book examines the individual ‘Sessions’ as well as associated material from video games to manga comics, and gives a superb insight into the making of one of the most influential anime series ever.

Among the exclusive items contained within the book are:

– The only English guide covering not only the TV series and feature film but the TV specials, short films and video games

– Explores all stages of Bebop‘s creation, from the planning and writing of each episode to design, animation and post-production

– Delves into the process behind Yoko Kanno’s award-winning soundtrack, and offers the most exhaustive index of the anime’s music to date

– Covers the ins and outs of the original home video releases for media collectors

– Packed with newly-translated comments and details from the show’s original creators and staff members [Shinichiro Watanabe, Keiko Nobumoto, Yoko Kanno, Toshihiro Kawamoto, Dai Sato, Kimitoshi Yamane, Shoji Kawamori, Sadayuki Murai, Yutaka Nakamura etc]

– Mines the original dialogue, the creators’ stated influences and the context of even the obscurest background details

– Draws on multilingual sources from around the world, spanning five decades

Cowboy Bebop finally has a critical appraisal that delves deep into its inspirations and effects.’ – from the Introduction by writer and critic Jonathan Clements, author of Anime: A History

Telos Publishing is a small UK based press specialising in books about film and TV, as well as Crime and Horror fiction and other assorted subjects.

Three, Two, One: Let’s Jam: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to the Original Cowboy Bebop
Written by Satoru Stevenson
636pp. 6×9 format paperback book.
ISBN 978-1-84583-232-2 (p/b)
Published 1 October 2024
Available to pre-order from www.telos.co.uk
The book will also be available on Amazon worldwide