Kodama Tales Inc. today unveiled its first premium manga art edition: a limited run of twelve hand-signed Baki The Grappler works by Keisuke Itagaki, produced in Japan through Kyodo Printing’s Saibiban fine-art process, then finished and framed by hand. Arriving for the series’ 35th anniversary, the edition will premiere at Comic-Con® 2026 in San Diego. Each piece carries Itagaki’s own signature and thumbprint.
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Kodama Premium Art Collection #001: Baki The Grappler, a limited edition of twelve hand-finished works personally signed and marked with Keisuke Itagaki’s thumbprint.
The debut work captures Baki’s raw presence: his tension, force, and unmistakable physicality. Layer by layer, the artwork is transformed into an art object, with hand-applied silkscreen finishes, iridescent pearl, deep gloss, and silver and gold pigments giving the surface its depth and movement. Each piece is housed in a custom wooden frame handcrafted in Japan, with materials selected to match the strength and permanence of the work itself.
Itagaki-sensei personally signed each of the twelve pieces and marked each one with his thumbprint, giving every piece a direct physical connection to the artist. Because each one is finished by hand, every work carries subtle individual differences.
The debut edition was produced in collaboration with Kyodo Printing Co., Ltd. through Saibiban, its premium line of fine-art editions. Built on more than half a century of expertise, Saibiban has been entrusted with editions of works by artists including Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Hokusai. For this Baki The Grappler edition, the same team handled every stage, from image refinement and platemaking to hand-applied silkscreen layers, materials, and framing.
The Baki The Grappler edition marks Kodama’s first step into premium collector art. Created with the artist Itagaki-sensei, the publisher, and Kyodo Printing’s Saibiban team, it is designed not as a mass-market release, but as a rare object worthy of the work’s place in the lives of its readers. For Kodama, it also sets a direction: to explore new ways of honoring manga beyond the printed page, with future premium projects to be shared when they are ready.
“Manga and anime are part of how we grew up. The characters, the cliffhangers, the moments we kept going back to, the quotes and the memes, all of it became part of our memories and our identity,” said Pierre Dubost, co-founder of Kodama. “With the Kodama Premium Art Collection, we wanted to create something rare, lasting, and worthy of what these works mean to the people who love them most. Each piece is made with the artist, produced with the highest level of Japanese craftsmanship, and meant to be kept for a lifetime. Beginning with Itagaki-sensei, Akita Publishing, and Kyodo Printing’s Saibiban sets the standard for what we want this collection to become.”
Kodama Premium Art Collection #001: Baki The Grappler will make its world premiere at Comic-Con® 2026, marking Kodama’s first appearance at the show since the imprint’s debut in October 2025. The edition will be presented in a dedicated gallery display at the Kodama booth (#3735), where attendees can experience the work in person from July 23 to 26. Collectors may request availability and acquisition details at contact@kodama-tales.com.
Kodama brings manga artists’ work to readers through uncompromising, high-quality production. This first premium art edition extends that commitment beyond the page, offering collectors a rare and lasting way to connect with the works they love.
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About Kodama
Kodama Tales Inc. is an English-language manga publisher based in Santa Monica, California. Kodama brings carefully selected Japanese manga to readers around the world through English-language print and digital editions. Every title is produced with a focus on faithful translation, strong editorial presentation, and high-quality printing in Japan, reflecting Kodama’s commitment to treating manga with the care and permanence it deserves.
About Baki The Grappler
Baki The Grappler is the first arc in the Baki series, a landmark of the fighting manga genre created by Keisuke Itagaki. The series has been serialized for many years in Akita Publishing’s Weekly Shonen Champion and is immensely popular in Japan and abroad. In May 2024, cumulative sales of its collected volumes surpassed 100 million copies. Kodama publishes Baki The Grappler in English.
About Saibiban
Saibiban is Kyodo Printing Co., Ltd.’s premium art-edition brand. Built on more than half a century of expertise, Saibiban has been entrusted with editions of works by artists including Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Hokusai. Each edition combines advanced printing technology, carefully selected materials, and Japanese craftsmanship to create museum-level art objects.
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