UFO Mushroom Invasion

This gonzo apocalyptic cult manga from the 1970s explodes on impact with environmental catastrophe, body horror, and bizarre science fiction concepts. Aoki, a schoolboy with heavy brows drawn into a perpetual scowl, is staying at a mountain cabin with his teacher, Sada, when he witnesses a UFO crash. “We might be exposed to some kind of space radiation,” Sada warns. “Or worse... what if an alien comes out?!” But the truth is even more dire: the alien pilot is dead, and a relentless extraterrestrial fungus emerges from the ship to infect life on Earth. Despite the efforts of scientists and the government to cover up the crisis, the fungus spreads, and soon Aoki is wandering a transformed world of vast mushroom forests and parades of “mushroom men.” Shirakawa’s work recalls other horror manga artists of the period, like Kazuo Umezz, but with an even wilder vision. His human characters are stiffly drawn, but he excels at depicting bizarre fungal forms with disturbing biological accuracy, and the naive aspects of his artwork only deepen the sense of wrongness. He periodically veers away from the story to discuss related subjects that pique his interest, such as UFO lore and mushroom-themed Japanese folktales. Horror devotees will be delighted. (Sept.)