Dr. Stone skips the latest issue of Shonen Jump due to illustrator, Boichi's sudden illness

This week’s issue of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen jump will be missing the latest chapter of Dr. Stone. The 135th chapter of the manga was supposed to be released on January 4, 2020, together with the combined 6th and 7th issue of Shonen Jump. But instead of a new chapter, the issue comes with a full-page announcement informing readers of the illustrator, Boichi’s misfortune.

According to the announcement, Boichi was struck with a sudden illness that prevented him from drawing. Furthermore, the editorial staff assured that Dr. Stone will return to Weekly Shonen Jump in its 8th issue on January 20, 2020.

About the creators

Dr. Stone is one of the staples of Weekly Shonen Jump which was released on the 2017 14th issue of the magazine on March 6, 2017. The story is written by a famous mangaka, Riichiro Inagaki, who is known for his original work, Eyeshield 21. The illustrator for this manga is also a renowned mangaka, Boichi.

Being a manga artist has been Boichi’s goal ever since he was young. He majored in physics in college in preparation for future works relating so science fiction. However, he debuted in a Korean shoujo magazine which gained him popularity. He switched to Japanese manga in 2004, and since then he published several one-shots and some brief manga series.

Riichiro Inagaki’s interest in manga began in middle school. After finishing his studies, he enrolled as an animation assistant in a manga and film production company. His professional manga writer career began with Shogakukan’s Big Comic Spirits where he first published his own works. Later he moved to Shonen Jump where his Eyeshield 21 was serialized on July 23, 2002.

Dr. Stone manga and anime

Dr. Stone is one of the highest-ranking manga series of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump. It started gaining popularity since its anime adaptation by TMS Entertainment which began on July 5th, 2019. The first season of the anime adaptation ended on December 13, 2019, and a second season was announced which will focus on the Stone Wars Arc.

The setting of the story is modern where the world currently enjoys all the technology accumulated for thousands of years. On an eventful day, a mysterious flash suddenly turns the earth into a stone world. Only plants and animals survived the worldwide petrification with a very specific exception.

The main protagonist, Sengku, remained mentally conscious during his petrification until he was just as mysteriously depetrified. Later he discovered a depetrification fluid which he used to save others and rebuild a civilized scientific world.

Dr. Stone Reboot

Later in the plot of Dr. Stone, Sengku and the others learned that other people lived in that stone world. Much later, they found out that they were descendants of Sengku’s stepfather, Byakuya. Byakuya together with a few others managed to survive the petrification because they were in space when it happened.

Boichi, the illustrator of the main story, created a 9-chapter side series, Dr. Stone Reboot: Byakuya. It focuses on Byakuya’s life way before the current story’s timetable. The side series begins the setting 5 years before the worldwide petrification. The final chapter of this side story was published on December 23, 2019.

NOTE: For more Dr Stone-related stories, readers may route here.
Image credits: Viz Media / dr-stone.fandom

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