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Hoero Pen Manga Gets New Story Set During COVID-19 Pandemic

The May issue of Shogakukan's Sunday GX magazine revealed on Monday that Kazuhiko Shimamoto will draw a new story for his Hoero Pen manga titled Hoero Pen RRR in the magazine's next issue on May 19. The new story will have 52 pages, and will be set during the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and centering on the "max stressed" protagonist Moyuru Honoo. The announcement does not indicate whether the new story is a one-shot or a new serialization.

The manga centers around manga creator Moyuru Honoo (a character whom Shimamoto uses as an author stand-in in this and other works) and his struggles in the manga industry, including meeting deadlines, training assistants, and negotiating with editors. The series began with Moeyo Pen in 1990, then continued with Hoero Pen in 2001, and then Shin Hoero Pen in 2011. The latter two serialized in Sunday GX. Shin Hoero Pen ended with 11 volumes.

Shimamoto is also known for other over-the-top comedies such as Honō no Tenkōsei (Blazing Transfer Student) and Anime Tenchō. He is also the creator of Aoi Honō (Blue Blazes), is a fictionalized account of Shimamoto's own college years in the early 1980s, and also stars protagonist Moyuru Honoo. The manga is notable for the inclusion of fictionalized versions of some of the founding members of anime studio Gainax.

Honō no Tenkōsei and Anime Tenchō inspired anime, while Aoi Honō inspired a live-action television series.

Source: Sunday GX May issue and magazine's website