this was a different cat calendar

Last year I fell in love with the 2008 Kirieya calendar from Kamibashi. Look, here's this month's image -- you'll see why.

"Kirieya" is the alias of Ryo Takagi. I was drawn to the power and clarity of his style, reminiscent of manga and graphic novels in general (I'm such a fan of Los Bros. Hernandez). However, what really sold me was the tenderness and inventiveness of the scenes. Wildly varying vantage points, well depicted seasonal variations, and interplay between the creatures makes for a pleasure worth studying every time I flip to a new month.