Comics / Press Releases

Fantagraphics to Publish LGBT Classic, "The Heart of Thomas"

By The Editor
November 28, 2012 - 14:09

The Heart of Thomas cover image

The Heart of Thomas
(original title: トーマの心臓 / Thomas no Shinzō)
by Moto Hagio; edited and translated by Matt Thorn

528-page black & white (with some color) 7" x 9.5" hardcover • $39.99
ISBN: 978-1-60699-551-8
In-store date: January 18, 2013 (subject to change)

At a boys' boarding school in Germany, sometime in the mid-20th Century, fourteen year-old Thomas Werner falls from a lonely pedestrian overpass to his death, immediately after sending a brief love letter to another boy at the school.

Thus begins Moto Hagio's The Heart of Thomas — a pioneer in the popular boys'-romance "shounen-ai" genre. Thomas's death throws the school into turmoil, while his letter sets off a chain of emotional upheaval as secrets are revealed and shared. And then a new boy who looks exactly like Thomas shows up at school…

Unabashedly romantic and emotionally complex, The Heart of Thomas features an unusual, richly imagined setting and a cast of memorable characters. This timeless masterpiece is now finally available to American readers.

"Hagio’s stories are infused with dark emotions — longing, jealousy, remorse — that are instantly identifiable and, hence, often uncomfortable to confront." – Booklist

"Moto Hagio is a genius." – Eric Nakamura, Giant Robot

"Most of shojo manga today are derivative of Hagio and her contemporaries — and pale in comparison." – Publishers Weekly

"Hagio draws stories for every person who has felt like an outsider, who has regretted past actions that can never be erased, or who has longed to be accepted for being who they are, not what people want them to be. These ideas sound so simple — but when touched by Hagio's pen, this is punch-in-the-gut powerful." – Deb Aoki, About.com: Manga

ABOUT THE CARTOONIST: Moto Hagio was born in 1949 and lives in Japan. She is widely considered the most beloved shōjo manga artist of all time. Her most recent honors include an Inkpot Award from Comic-Con International, a Japan Cartoonist Association award, and the Purple Ribbon Medal of Honor from the government of Japan for her contributions to the arts.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12