Maruo Suehiro (b. 1956) is a legend in the field of alternative manga. Since 1980, he has been a frequent contributor to underground manga magazines and has also produced twenty-seven independent, book-length publications. His works have been translated into several languages and published throughout the world, including Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, and the United States. In 2009, Maruo’s publication The Strange Tale of Panorama Island (Panorama-tō Kitan, 2008) was awarded one of the highest honors in manga, the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for Most Innovative Work.