History of Chinese Anti-Japanese Comics (The 15-year struggle of Chinese cartoonists against the Japanese)

Author: (Japanese) Shizuro Morita, translated by Yuqinde and others
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-09-01
Features: A comprehensive historical work on China's Anti-Japanese Movement, the result of a painstaking three-and-a-half-year effort by Japanese manga artist Shizuro Morita. Combining documentary and oral historical materials, it authentically records the heroic and tragic history of China's Anti-Japanese War and artistically recreates the 15-year struggle of Chinese manga artists against Japanese aggression.
Author's Statement: The Beginning of Modern Chinese Manga
I stayed in Beijing for three and a half years and learned about the unique Chinese manga movement known as "Anti-War Manga" during the period from Showa 12 (1937) to Showa 20 (1945). The Anti-War Manga Movement refers to the nationwide educational and propaganda activities launched by manga artists during the full-scale Sino-Japanese War, starting with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, with the aim of "arousing the people's spirit of united resistance against the enemy and fighting the war to the end." At that time, the now-famous elderly manga artists of modern China were still young men and women in their twenties and thirties. Facing the national crisis caused by Japanese aggression, they organized manga teams and participated in the war with manga as their weapon, engaging in anti-war battles. This team fought from Shanghai to Wuhan, Guilin, Chongqing (with some members going to Yan'an). Like frontline soldiers, they bravely waged manga battles against the enemy. At that time, due to the scarcity of printing materials, they carved woodblocks and published anti-war manga publications. They held anti-war manga exhibitions on the road, braving daily air raids to boost public morale, call for unity and struggle, and inspire people to persist in the war and sacrifice their blood. With unwavering perseverance, they made significant contributions to the final victory.
Facing the Chinese military and civilians who were determined to fight the war to the end and wage a protracted war with high morale, the overly confident Japanese soldiers, from the day the gunfire started, were destined to consider the outcome of surrender. Mr. Yingtao, the editor of the People's Daily's satirical and humorous manga supplement, once told me, "Anti-War Manga is the beginning of modern Chinese manga."
After the Sino-Japanese War, the manga warriors remained active in the subsequent liberation war. Even after the founding of the People's Republic of China, these manga warriors were undoubtedly outstanding representatives of the Chinese people in every aspect. One of them is now in his seventies or eighties, and when he speaks of those times, his memories are vivid. Even the names of places or people come to him effortlessly, and events from over 50 years ago are as clear as if they happened yesterday. At such moments, one can often see the youthful vigor of youth on his face. For him, it was a battle that he could never forget for his entire life—a desperate fight!
True Anti-War Manga was an activity carried out by leveraging the inherent elements of manga itself. When the brush became a weapon, the powerful combat power of manga was revealed, as demonstrated by the Anti-War Manga in this book. In a sense, Anti-War Manga is also one of the historical testimonies to the Japanese invasion war. It is a great honor to be able to record these historical traces of Anti-War Manga on the 50th anniversary of the war's end and to compile and publish them after careful consideration, dedicating them to friends and brothers in the Chinese manga world.
Shizuro Morita, Summer 1995
A comprehensive historical work on China's Anti-Japanese Movement, the result of a painstaking three-and-a-half-year effort by Japanese manga artist Shizuro Morita. Combining documentary and oral historical materials, it authentically records the heroic and tragic history of China's Anti-Japanese War and artistically recreates the profound suffering caused by Japanese aggression to China. Among the 248 Anti-War Manga works from over 50 years ago included in this book are invaluable treasures.