In the late 1980s my eye was caught by a comic cover . The image was of a girl, rendered quick, sure & loose like something by Charles Dana Gibson. Only she was being shot at, and the logo read: MAI THE PSYCHIC GIRL. So I opened it and went straight into visual shock. My brain couldn't process the information. Hyper-realistic minutely detailed backgrounds and human characters quick as thought, drawn in fast sharp strokes. I gingerly closed the book and returned it to its slot. That was my first toe-dip into the waters of Ryoichi Ikegami.

MAI is still my favorite, for its tenderness and subtlety of character. SANCTUARY is an equally moving epic novel set in the worlds of Japanese politicians and yakuza. Other works such as CRYING FREEMAN, THE WOUNDED MAN, and OFFERED tip into fantasias of eros & violence that are so far over the top, you'll 4ever get your noodle baked, wagon fixed & hash settled (if you have noodles, wagons or hash to bake, fix or settle).