Abby lives in the United States and loves comics, zines, and punk music. Yuuko lives in Japan and loves manga, American movies, and creating art. When Yuuko visits New York City and sees a comic that Abby made, she writes a letter to Abby, and they become pen pals. Later, Abby takes the opportunity to enroll in a summer university program in Japan, and the two girls meet in person. What follows are charming and funny adventures in Tokyo as Abby and Yuuko explore the city together. Things get even more exciting when they decide to combine their talents and make a comic to sell at Comiket, one of the largest comics conventions in the world. This will be an extraordinary summer of life-changing friendship!

My Tokyo Summer has a story by Abby Denson and art by Utomaru. Published by Graphix (July 7, 2026). Rated T.

Erica Friedman
Rating:

I have been a fan of Abby Denson's work for many years. My Tokyo Summer is now one of my favorite works by her.

This memoir is full of sparkling enthusiasm and youthful energy. While my first trip to Japan wasn't until the 21st century, I, like Abby, was thrilled by Tokyo's unique energy. If you have been there, you'll smile as you re-live the thrill of finding a Japanese convenience store or seeing Mandarake for the first time. Abby's memories of selling at Comiket are so exactly like my own that I had to laugh, as she was dizzied by the crowd.

It is super fun to travel along with young Abby as she meets her Japanese pen pal Yuuko to collaborate on a doujinshi. But what I love best about this book is the encouragement it gives to young creators. As a lifelong proponent of “do a thing, the worst that can happen is that you might fail,” I found Abby's descriptions of how she and Yuuko made their comic, and how much she offers advice and encouragement on DIY-ing a zine, a comic, or anything, fulfilling.

I would give this book to just about any kid or adult I knew who had the vaguest interest in manga or comics. It was fun tagging along with Abby on her life-changing journey, experiencing Tokyo for the first time once again, and it reminded me of why I do all the things I do. This is a great book for fans of all ages.