Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2011

The early nineties were the epoch for foreigners in Japan: English teaching jobs paid handsomely, the bubble had the economy booming, and internet culture hadn’t yet bred the plethora of online resources needed for living in this strange and exotic country. But there was… The Alien, a free humor magazine that was started out in Nagoya by Neil Garscadden. If you were around then, you will remember it (and the birth of Charisma Man), but you young ’uns can now experience the gaikokujin halcyon days with The Very Best Of Alien Humor. Garscadden has compiled the best comic panels from its eight-year history into one volume, with original artwork by Wayne Wilson and contributions from Mark Bailey.

¥1,400 at major bookstores.