Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2013
Manga, it’s said, has its roots in the woodprint tradition that flowered in Edo-era Japan. But how did ukiyo-e—better known for depictions of Mt Fuji and high-class prostitutes—lead to today’s material? “Katsushika Hokusai and Kawanabe Kyosai—Fantastic Comics” tries to solve this riddle with the works of two of the greatest ukiyo-e masters. Hokusai’s fantastical scenes, and his disciple Kyosai’s dancing skeletons, show how, as the art progressed, humor increasingly entered the picture. These artists’ subject matter, as well as their drawing technique, are presented as tracing a more direct line to 20th-century manga.
