Kodansha USA Publishing revealed a slate of new licenses for Fall 2026 during its New York Comic Con panel on Friday, October 10, 2025. The upcoming releases include a comprehensive artbook by legendary cyberpunk creator Masamune Shirow, the intriguing manga series When a Dragon Calls, and the latest spin-off in the popular Cells at Work! franchise, Cells at Work! Cat, among other titles.
Masamune Shirow: Artwork in the Shell Artbook
Fans of Masamune Shirow, the visionary behind Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed, can look forward to Masamune Shirow: Artwork in the Shell (titled Shirow Masamune no Sekai-ten – Kōshiki Genga-shū in Japan). This 288-page hardcover collection serves as a retrospective of Shirow’s more than 40-year career, encompassing works from Dominion, The Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed, and Intron Depot.
The artbook is designed as a capstone for any Shirow collection, featuring a spectacular presentation of his color works. It traces his artistic evolution from traditional analog techniques through early digital tools to his present-day methods. The collection was originally assembled for a major career retrospective exhibition in Tokyo last year and includes dozens of rare, uncollected pieces, alongside two exquisite double-folded gatefold artworks.
When a Dragon Calls: A New Manga Mystery
Kodansha USA is also bringing When a Dragon Calls (no original Japanese title or author/artist explicitly mentioned in the provided search results for this specific title under the Fall 2026 announcements, but a query result shows a generic “When a Dragon Calls” with a synopsis). While specific details about its creators for the Fall 2026 announcement are not immediately available from the provided snippets, a separate entry for a Spring 2026 license by Kodansha USA includes a series synopsis for “When a Dragon Calls”. This suggests it is likely a mystery or thriller, with a summary mentioning a detective investigating a gruesome discovery that leads to a nationwide manhunt and an exploration into the past. Further details regarding its author and specific genre within the Fall 2026 lineup will be anticipated.
Cells at Work! Cat and Cells at Work! Picture Books
Expanding the beloved Cells at Work! universe, Kodansha USA has licensed Cells at Work! Cat (Hataraku Saibō Neko). This spin-off, written by Choco Aozora and illustrated by Meku Kaire, centers around the anthropomorphized cells within a feline body. The original Cells at Work! manga, created by Akane Shimizu, features anthropomorphized cells of a human body and has spawned numerous spin-offs due to its popularity as both an anime and best-selling manga.
In addition to Cells at Work! Cat, Kodansha USA will also release Cells at Work! Picture Books (Ehon Hataraku Saibō) by Kumi Makimura, based on Akane Shimizu’s original work. This edutainment series aims to guide young readers through the human body, explaining how cells work to maintain health through adorable characters, diagrams, and simple language. The picture book series will include titles such as:
- Cells at Work! Picture Book 1: The Great Bacteria Vs. White Blood Cell Battle!
- Cells at Work! Picture Book 2: The Dastardly Duo of Flu and Food Poisoning!
- Cells at Work! Picture Book 3: I’m Not Scared of Shots!
- Cells at Work! Picture Book 4: Just a Cold? Just a Bump?
- Cells at Work! Picture Book 5: Busy, Busy Gut Bug Buddies!
These new titles demonstrate Kodansha USA’s continued commitment to offering a diverse range of manga and related publications to English-speaking audiences, from esteemed art collections to engaging educational spin-offs.
