Shōsei Oda (1889–1967), author
Katsuichi Kabashima (1888–1965), artist
Shōchan no bōken (The Adventures of Shōchan)
Osaka: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1924–1925
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, Spencer Collection
Shōchan no bōken (The Adventures of Shōchan)
The fantastical comic strip adventures of Shōchan, boy reporter, and his adorable sidekick, Squirrel, were first published in Japan in 1923— six years before the appearance of the strikingly similar Tintin in Belgium. Originally issued in black and white in the magazine Asahi Graph, Shōchan was revised and colored when it was released in book form the following year.
Among the earliest Japanese comics to use speech bubbles—a convention borrowed from the West—Shōchan represents an intermediate form between centuries-old Japanese narrative sequential art and modern manga. “Oa fushigi” (“How amazing”), exclaims Shōchan when he, Squirrel, and their friend, Princess, are saved from a waterfall plunge by the sudden appearance of a magical rainbow bridge. Such miracles abound in Otogi Shōchan no bōken.
: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, Spencer …
Currently on View at Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries. Though not required, if you want to credit us as the source, please use the following statement, "From The New York Public Library," and provide a link back to the item on our Digital Collections site. Doing so helps us track how our collection is used and helps justify freely releasing even more content in the future.
