Telos Publishing has announced Three, Two, One: Let’s Jam!, a guide to the anime series Cowboy Bebop, by Satoru Stevenson, will be published in October.

Cowboy Bebop has been a mainstay in anime fandom since its debut, consistently ranked among the all time greats and still attracting new devotees. For Western audiences, it was one of the first such imports to gain widespread recognition, but has rarely been subjected to much in the way of critical and analytical scrutiny. Three, Two, One: Let’s Jam! aims to correct that.

Making unparalleled use of Japanese interviews, production material and the creators’ influences, Satoru Stevenson presents a deep dive into Cowboy Bebop. Its genesis, development and initial treatment at the hands of network censors. How the Seatbelts became the biggest band in the solar system, and what shaped the spacefaring society of 2071.

It’s a detailed and fascinating story, punctuated by the makers’ love of music and motifs that made the series everything it became.The book examines the individual ‘Sessions’ as well as associated material from video games to manga comics, and gives a superb insight into the making of one of the most influential anime series ever.

Draws on multilingual sources from around the world, spanning five decades, this new book is the only English guide to Cowboy Bebop to date, covering not only the TV series and feature film but the TV specials, short films and video games. The book explores all stages of Bebop‘s creation, from the planning and writing of each episode to design, animation and post-production.

Satoru Stevenson also delves into the process behind Yoko Kanno’s award-winning soundtrack, and offers the most exhaustive index of the anime’s music to date, and covers the ins and outs of the original home video releases for media collectors.

Three, Two, One: Let’s Jam!  comes packed with newly-translated comments and details from the show’s original creators and staff members – Shinichiro Watanabe, Keiko Nobumoto, Yoko Kanno, Toshihiro Kawamoto, Dai Sato, Kimitoshi Yamane, Shoji Kawamori, Sadayuki Murai, Yutaka Nakamura and more; and mines the original dialogue, the creators’ stated influences and the context of even the obscurest background details.

“Cowboy Bebop finally has a critical appraisal that delves deep into its inspirations and effects,” enthuses writer and critic Jonathan Clements, author of Anime: A History, in his introduction to the book.

Telos Publishing is a UK based press who have for over 20 years been specialising in books about film and TV, as well as Crime and Horror fiction and other assorted subjects.

• Three, Two, One: Let’s Jam: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to the Original Cowboy Bebop is available to preorder now direct from Telos Publishing

Written by Satoru Stevenson
636pp. 6×9 format paperback book
ISBN 978-1845832322 (p/b)
Published 1 October 2024
Available to pre-order from www.telos.co.uk
The book will also be available on Amazon worldwide

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

Categories: Books, downthetubes News, Other Worlds, Television

Tags: Book News, Cowboy Bebop, downthetubes News, Telos Publishing