On page 38, thanks to a Diana-enabled flashback, we meet Johnny's father. Now this week's Economist has a story that reveals Johnny's godfather.  

Kosaku Shima is the star of the Japan's most popular salaryman manga -- a genre devoted to office politics, corporate intrigue, and the inner workings of Japanese companies.  (Think Dilbert with less cynicism and heavy doses of melodrama and earnestness.) Shima himself has become a legend. "He is rather like a Japanese James Bond who swapped 007 for an MBA," writes The Economist. 

I'm a huge fan of the series, having read every story that's been translated into English. Kodansha's bilingual versions helped me learn katakana and hiragana. It was always a source of amusement when, during my time in Japan, interviewees would ask me my favorite manga, and I'd answer "Kosaku Shima."  And when I began writing Johnny Bunko, Shima was one of my inspirations.

As some of you have already discovered, throughout The Adventures of Johnny Bunko, there are several "winks" to hardcore manga fans -- little touches akin to Easter Eggs in software.  Not surprisingly, there's a little wink to Kosaku Shima in the book. The first reader who finds it and emails me gets a free signed copy of the book.

Good luck! Arigato gozaimasu, Shima-san!