Toba-e, The Origin of Japanese CartoonsIn Japan in the 1100s the high-ranking Buddhist priest, Toba Sojo, created the earliest recognisable origin of anything resembling cartoons let alone manga.
His creation was a series of simplistic scrolls with cartoons of anthropomorphic animals preforming human activities, although they where generally not the smartest characters. Showing things such as monkeys throwing farting contests. It has been suggested that some of the less intelligent animals shown where actually mockeries of other less dedicated priests. Toba Sojo’s pictures, the idea of it and the art it’s self, became so popular that they where sold to the public and began to be known as Toba-e, Toba-Pictures. (Upper left: picture of a segment of Toba Sojo's scrolls, Below: Charles Wirgman, Below That: London's magazine Punch compared with Japan Punch) |
Charles Wirgman, Western InfluenceAfter Japan's borders where opened, foreigners began to fill it's population. Among these foreigners was the British correspondent and sketch artist for the illustrated London news, Charles Wirgman whom arrive in about 1861 in Yokohama.
During Wirgmans life in Japan he created several business ventures including English tuition, a photographic studio, art classes and his most famous venture, his satirical magazine Japan Punch, which started in 1862 and ran until 1887. Likely based of London's own magazine Punch, the magazine showcased Wirgman's western ideas of satire and gossip like accounts of current events accompanied by cartoons. Japan Punch was created for other foreigners and therefore pressented ideas and similarities to western media, but the new form of satire and cartooning took the Japanese public's interest and was poplar in the Japanese community. Charles Wirgman's new humour and references to real people and events where new and quickly embraced by the Japanese as artists soon began too create new satirical comics and magazines. By the year of 1868 there was an increase in images commenting on the society of Japan, ranging from business men to the government. These images inspired by Charles Wirgman were called ponchi-e, punch pictures, after there origin, Japan Punch. Factoids: +Wirgman taught future Admiral Togo English. +He introduced word balloons into Japanese comics. + His two of his pupils who where leading in Western art where Kiyochika kobayashi and Yoshimatsu Goseda. |
George Bigot, Western Influence(Immediate Right: George Bigot
Further right: George Bigot's magazine Tôbaé) Shortly after Charles Wirgman began influence Japans comic and magazine industry, the frenchman George Bigot did too. Arriving in 1882, also in Yokohama, the first Japanese port to be opened. Bigot started his time in Japan by working as an illustrator, an example being his time at the wirgman based satirical magazine Marumaru Chinbun, and as a teacher of western water colours. Later in his stay, 1887, Bigot released his own satirical magazine with influential comics on panel narrative sequence, Tôbaé. Named after Toba Sojo's animal scrolls. Satirical Comic Magazines |
Eshinbun Nipponchi (Picture Newspaper JaPonchi) was created based of Wirgmans Japan Punch and was japans first cartoon magazine it's drawing where simplistic and crude .with little writing, yet even though the magazine folded after only 2-3 issues, this was the start of a new magazine trend in Japan.
-1875, Kisho Shimbun, a caricature magazine that folded after 11 issues
- 1877-1907, marumaru chinbun followed by Kibi Damgo, 1878-1883, where both produced by Fumio Nomura, who after begin inspired by Kisho Shimbun, started these satirical magazines with Kinkichiro Honda as his head artist. The pair where constantly arrested due to their satire crossing the line occasionally.
-1879, Garakuta Chinpo, launched by Nichinichi Shinbunsha.
-1884, Kaishin Shinbun.
Magazines at this time where only for Adults until 1895.
-1875, Kisho Shimbun, a caricature magazine that folded after 11 issues
- 1877-1907, marumaru chinbun followed by Kibi Damgo, 1878-1883, where both produced by Fumio Nomura, who after begin inspired by Kisho Shimbun, started these satirical magazines with Kinkichiro Honda as his head artist. The pair where constantly arrested due to their satire crossing the line occasionally.
-1879, Garakuta Chinpo, launched by Nichinichi Shinbunsha.
-1884, Kaishin Shinbun.
Magazines at this time where only for Adults until 1895.
Children's Magazines
Sazanami Iwaya, a famous Japanese children's author, launched the first children's magazine Shonen Sekai ( The youths world), in 1895 which ran until 1914.
The publisher, Hakubunkan, specialised in children's literature and therefore saw the opportunity to create a magazine that would engage with young boys from all societies by using history, cartoons and stores about the modern world. Later they expanded into using translations of western literature, boardgames and baseball cards. In 1902 the young girls magazine Shojo Kai (Girls' Kingdom), was launched, for Shonen Sekai was focused on boys. Four years later Hakubunkan also published a girl's magazine of it's own, Shojo Sekai (Girls' World) Which ran from 1906 to 1931. Seikosha also launched a children's magazine titled Tanken Sekai (World of Exploration) Also In the year 1906. This magazine was quite patriotic, especially about the war with Russia and displayed tales of Japanese adventure in the wider world which was popular at the time. These magazines had the common features of text stories, articles and emonogatari, or picture stories. Theses where told illustrations with accompanying text bellow. |
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Australian Influence, Frank .A Nankivell
Not only where there foreigners from Europe and America travelling to Japan. Australians also ventured to the newly opened land. A notable example, when studying manga, would be Australian Frank .A Nankivell
The Australian artist, after finding himself in Yokohama in 1891, gained himself a job at the magazine company, Box of Curios. During his stay in Yokohama, Nankivell befriended Yasuji, a teenage Japanese artist. Nankivell taught Yasuji western style cartooning and even earned him a spot on the Box of Curios staff before his departure to America in 1894. Nankivell’s friend and student Yasuji went on to become one of the most well names in manga’s history, Rakuten Kitazawa, The Father of Manga. |
Rakuten Kitazawa, The Father of Manga
After his time on Box of Curios Yasuji or Rakuten Kitazawa began creating manga supplements for the Sunday edition of Jiji Shinpo.
His debut in the magazine was his strip about two country bumpkins traveling to Tokyo, titled Togosaku & Mokube’s Tokyo Trip or Tagosaku &Mokubē’s sightseeing in Tokyo. This debut utilized the latest western cartooning techniques, some of which he learned from Frank A. Nankivell.
These comic or ‘manga’ strips showed a narrative sequence of panels, influenced by George Bigot, and had narrative text presented in the panels. Rakuten Kitazawa’s ‘manga’ comics were the very beginnings of the modern idea of manga.
He became a major contributor to the Sunday manga supplement of Jiji Shinpo and in 1905 he released Japan’s first full colour publication, Tokyo Puck, and other publications followed.
Rakuten Kitazawa began to incorporate traditional Japanese styled brush strokes, this is shown in his ‘manga’ comic released in 1928, Tonda Haneko.
Tonda Haneko was a comic about a ‘precocious little girl’whom displayed an enthusiastic interest with all things western. She demonstrates her ability to joyfully dance the Charleston whilst wearing a short skirt, shocking her elders.
Kitazawa in his later years created a school for cartoonists. His pupil Hekoten (Oten) Shimokawa, in his future years, screened the first anime.
His debut in the magazine was his strip about two country bumpkins traveling to Tokyo, titled Togosaku & Mokube’s Tokyo Trip or Tagosaku &Mokubē’s sightseeing in Tokyo. This debut utilized the latest western cartooning techniques, some of which he learned from Frank A. Nankivell.
These comic or ‘manga’ strips showed a narrative sequence of panels, influenced by George Bigot, and had narrative text presented in the panels. Rakuten Kitazawa’s ‘manga’ comics were the very beginnings of the modern idea of manga.
He became a major contributor to the Sunday manga supplement of Jiji Shinpo and in 1905 he released Japan’s first full colour publication, Tokyo Puck, and other publications followed.
Rakuten Kitazawa began to incorporate traditional Japanese styled brush strokes, this is shown in his ‘manga’ comic released in 1928, Tonda Haneko.
Tonda Haneko was a comic about a ‘precocious little girl’whom displayed an enthusiastic interest with all things western. She demonstrates her ability to joyfully dance the Charleston whilst wearing a short skirt, shocking her elders.
Kitazawa in his later years created a school for cartoonists. His pupil Hekoten (Oten) Shimokawa, in his future years, screened the first anime.
Events
-Ippei Okamoto, a cartoonist, essayist and novelist who had a history in children’s comics and stories, founded the first Japanese cartoonist society called Nippon Mangakai. He also founded a cartoonist school for manga artists an created his own book on how to draw it.
-in 1923 Asani Graph, a magazine, displayed a 13 page comic which re-introduced Wirgman’s word balloons. The comic was tittled The Adventures of Little Sho.
- Imitations of Disney
-10 years running manga Scruffy Orphan pup Norakuro
-GENRE:
Horror originated from japanese folk laws and 'Youkai' stories.
Shunga or erotic art was also a common print and lead to the hentai and echo genre.
-in 1923 Asani Graph, a magazine, displayed a 13 page comic which re-introduced Wirgman’s word balloons. The comic was tittled The Adventures of Little Sho.
- Imitations of Disney
-10 years running manga Scruffy Orphan pup Norakuro
-GENRE:
Horror originated from japanese folk laws and 'Youkai' stories.
Shunga or erotic art was also a common print and lead to the hentai and echo genre.