Image Source: License Global
I had the pleasure of interviewing Japanese manga artist Acky Bright at New York Comic Con 2026. His new manga, GalaXic Baseball League, was available early at NYCC, but is now available to everyone. We got to chat about the manga at the con and what made him want to create it.
How did you decide to make a story like this for GalaXic Baseball League?
So the story originated from the popular World Baseball Classic series. Everyone was talking about it, so we, in reality, had to pass that. So I wanted to create a manga that kind of met that level.
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What was the process like for you creating this project?
So we have a partnership with the MLBPA, the association that represents the players. So I work on the story and the art and the scene, and we also work with the editors to publish it, and then it gets approved by the team.
Was working on this project much different from others you’ve done?
At first it was really different because the characters are actual people and active players, so that was really difficult. You can see that the art is a lot closer to manga characters, so it's kinda similar to my other work.
Image Source: Viz
How was it decided what players would be included?
A lot of factors go into deciding which players. Of course there's the positions, because there has to be a team. There’s the skill level, so its not just popularity, but there's also how compatible they are as manga characters.
Once the players were decided, what was it like drawing them and bringing them to life in this story?
It’s really challenging in the beginning because I have to find how to make it realistic, especially the people, but gradually you change it into something more realistic.
What is your favorite scene you did in the manga?
In general, most of the spreads that are two pages, you can treat those as ones I really wanted to draw. So for chapter one, that’s the scene where the hand comes out to grab the ball. And also the spaceship coming to the stadium. Those are the scenes that are my favorite.
Image Source: Simon and Schuster Australia
How has the fan reception been regarding it?
The most memorable one was when I was told a five-year-old was able to read it and understand it. That really meant a lot to me, because I want it to be accessible, so it was easy for them to read. Another one is that someone told me it’s crazier than the Blue Lock manga. I really wanted it to be a crazy sports manga, so that was nice to hear.
What is your favorite part of Comic-Con?
Artist Alley is really fun. I love the energy. When I come to New York Comic Con, I always make sure to check it out.
GalaXic Baseball League is out now and is such a fun manga to read. Go check it out wherever books are sold!
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