History of Manga, 1940-1950 AD

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   Kamishibai
   Books
   Magazines
   Newspapers

  

Kamishibai

Again, the devastation of Japan following WW II results in a revival of kamishibai for unemployed men trying to make money.  Several of the artists that show up in the 50's and 60's work during this period as illustrators for kamishibai panels.

From the Kamishibai entry.


Modern kamishibai box, from Tara McGowan's Mechanics of Kamishibai paper, used for review purposes only.

  

Books

Following the war, rental books, or "akahon" become popular.  Rental books work much like our modern DVD rental stores.  Tezuka makes his big debut with "Shin-Takarajima" (New Treasure Island) through a rental book publisher.  This results in a boom of "story driven manga" and helps boost the rental book market.

Tezuka's "Shin-Takarajima" manga, used for review purposes only.

  

Magazines

Tezuka also makes a splash with some shorter works that appear in Shojo no Tomo.  Suiho resumes drawing manga for Shonen Club.

Kenichi Kato, an editor at Kodansha Co., starts out working with Suiho Tagawa while editing Shonen Club, then starts up his own manga publication called Manga Shonen in 1947.



Covers from Shonen Club, Manga Gaho and Manga Shonen, from the Authentic Account: Manga Shonen book, used for review purposes only.

  

Newspapers

Machiko Hasegawa starts running her "Sazae-san" yonkoma strip in a local Kyushu newspaper.  She goes on to appear in Manga Shonen and the Tokyo Asahi Shimbun.


Machiko Hasegawa's "Sazae-san", used for review purposes only.

  

  

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