An exceedingly rare, never before documented text from Comiket 5, pertaining of several known and obscure Year 24 group shoujo and shonen-ai / BL / yaoi authors of their day. Spiral Staircase was initially organized by the illustrator and mangaka Yumi Tangiawa (谷川由美), the group pertained primarily of women until about volume 4, whereas the novelist Kenji Takemoto (竹本健治さ) contributed short stories and novelettes. Several of the works are very much preoccupied with European fairytales, aesthetics and themes of sex work, be it via lesbianism/yuri or homosexuality/yaoi etc. This particular text was acquired from the estate of a deceased mangaka who's family asked me to archive some of their books. I was able to keep this one in particular and was able to discuss it in great detail, which I will record on my blog when able. Do enjoy, this text was extremely fragile and has never once gone on sale.

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Additional information on Kenji's contributions:

https://www.sangatukosho.com/bungei/8208/
https://www.sangatukosho.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/bc59bc7396efd45506a6f0414e16401f.jpg.webp

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Author notes/specifications:

Book 3 was slated to be complete at least by October to be sold at Comiket 7 of that year, which was held in December. The following artists, many of whom contributed to this book, were mentioned to continue their short stories. Many of the contributors ranged from those who had just entered high school to those who were members of important art academies.

"Terrible. Everyone said the same thing: the period to create the book was too short. It's too cruel. We're all drinking dark beer. Damn it. Everyone go toe-to-toe! Die! In other news: There's not a single normal love story! That's rare. Doesn't everyone like heterosexual stuff? "The ultimate example of being a woman" Tanigawa Yumi: Hey hey, sorry, sorry. I just wanted to challenge a taboo. Chuka Tomoko: An innocent girl like me can't imagine love stories. As the number of pages is getting low, I would like to make a brief announcement here... We will be holding a general meeting soon. Members, please be prepared! The meeting seems to be in progress, but this concludes the postscript. Reporter: Hanasaki Jisoka."

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Questions? Comments? Inquiries?

You can reach me @retroanimechris on X/Twitter/Bluesky and adoggoart@gmail.com or chrisdelabigne@gmail.com. Discord is available upon request.

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Contents:

Cover Illustration - Nakamine Tomoko (中峰智子)

Guests:

Page 2 - Professor Mineko Yamada (山田ミネコ) - Important Year 24 mangaka
Page 3 - Professor Yasuko Sakata (坂田靖子) - Important Year 24 mangaka

Main Contributors (listed as 'fairytales' or 'Otogi-zōshi' / (お伽草紙), which refers to a collection of approximately 350 Japanese short stories and tales written primarily during the Muromachi period (1336-1573).

Page 5 - Scramble Remnants by Emiko Nozaki (野崎恵美子)
Page 6 - Adoro by Hitaka Jundono (飛鷹準殿)
Page 7 - Gum by Hitomi Okazaki ( 岡崎ひとみ殿)
Page 8 - Untitled by Yoshishige Kishi (岸良重 殿)

Comics by Members:

Page (s) 9 - 12 - Comme des Papillon (Like the Butterfly) by Nobuko Nakayama (中山伸子)

Page (s) 13 - 15 - Free Illustrations Volumes I, II & III by Nakamura Chisae (中村知佐江)

Page (s) 16 - 21 - Liver (Kimo) by Tomomaru (とも丸)

Page 22 - Free Illustration (East of the Sun, West of the Moon) IV by Shimono Ginga (霜野銀河)

Page 23 - Free Illustration V by Okamoto Kyoko (岡本今日子)

Page (s) 24 - 28 - Little Anna Picture Book by Reiko Nakagawa (sometimes Kawanaka, 川中理恵子)

Page 29 - Free Illustration (Medama's concert) VI by Koro (ころ)

Page (s) 30 - 32 - Perfume by Shimono Ginga (霜野銀河) with assistance from Yumi Tanigawa (谷川由美)

Page 33 - Free Illustration VII by Tomoko Nakamine (中峰智子)

Page (s) 34 - 41 - New Year's by Kotatsu (ころ)

Page 42 - Free Illustration VIII by Furukawa Murasaki (古河紫)

Page (s) 43 - 46 - On a Moonlit Night by Tomoko Nakamine (中峰智子)

Page (s) 47 - 48 - Free Illustration(s) IX & IX by Nakamura Chisae (中村知佐江)

Page (s) 49 - 52 - Rainy Sunday Afternoon by Yumi Tanigawa (谷川由美)

Page 53 - Free Illustration XI by Haruko Yoshikawa (吉川晴子)

Page (s) 54 - 58 - Tarantella (Tarantula) by Shimono Ginga (霜野銀河)

Page (s) 59 - 60 - Free Illustration(s) XII & XIII by Shimono Ginga (霜野銀河)

Page (s) 61 - 69 - Morning by Yumi Tanigawa (谷川由美) - One of the earliest records I own of Yuri at Comiket.

Page (s) 70 - 82 - 1977 Member's Calendar

Page (s) 83 - 84 - Free Illustration(s) XIIII & XV by Yumi Tanigawa (谷川由美)

Page (s) 85 - 88 - Afterword

Page 89 - Colophon

Page 90 & 91 - Back Cover(s) - Yumi Tanigawa (谷川由美)

Base +10, gt009 +6, brackwristedfisshu +6