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Column by Scott Green
Giant Robot: Before Astro Boy (1952); Gigantor (1956); and one of the very first cyborgs, Tobor the 8th Man (1963)—all of who were part of the first wave of Japanese animation in the early 1960s—Golden Bat dueled with mechanized monsters. This tubby fellow looks like a mean Michelin Man, with radial-tire arms, a bullet head, and a permanent scowl. Scale is cinematically displayed by taking the figure that fills the previous panel and showing it in miniature against the robot.
Abrams ComicArts will be releasing Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater by New York Times writer Eric P. Nash on September 1st ($35). The 304 page hardcover book icludes 250 full color illustrations and poster jacket, with rare images reproduced for the first time from Japanese archives. During the height of kamishibai in the 1930s, storytellers would travel to villages and set up their butais (miniature wooden prosceniums), through which illustrated boards were shown. The storytellers acted as entertainers and reporters, narrating tales that ranged from action-packed westerns, period pieces, traditional folk tales, and melodramas, to nightly news reporting on World War II. More than just explaining the pictures, a good storyteller would act out the parts of each character with different voices and facial expressions. Through extensive research and interviews, author Eric P. Nash pieces together the remarkable history of this art and its creators. With rare images reproduced for the first time from Japanese archives, including full-length kamishibai stories, combined with expert writing, this book is an essential guide to the origins of manga.
