The Origins of Japanese Manga & Anime 

This talk examines the formation of the Japanese manga and anime industries in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The first half of the lecture introduces the origins of manga (Japanese comic books) through a discussion on Meiji Era (1868-1912) ponchi-e, influential artist Kitazawa Rakuten, and the birth of serialized-cels. The second half of the lecture focuses on the birth and evolution of the Japanese animation industry between 1917 and 1945. In this section, key terms including stop motion, line animation, and cutout animation will be introduced. The presentation will also highlight the shared visual aesthetics and intertextuality found in manga and anime production.

Presenter Casey Martin is a PhD candidate in the UCLA Department of Asian Languages and Cultures (ALC). He is a specialist in Modern Japanese Literature, Japanese Cinema and Anime Studies. Casey’s dissertation research investigates the intersections of historical trauma, public memory and ethics as found in cultural representations of the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) air raids on Japan during the final stages of World War II.