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2008-03-30

The Return of Hans (1994) - Miyazaki Watercolor Comic





Hikoutei Judai (1990) - Miyazaki's Porco Rosso Comic

Miyazki's 15-page story from 1990, titled, Ikoutei Judai. Every Studio Ghibli fan will recognize this comic immediately...as the 1992 movie Porco Rosso! This version was translated into French, but you should already be familiar with the basic story. Interesting, then, that we also have the excellent French-language dub for Porco...small world. Enjoy and share...kampai!
















Thanks For Not Suing Me

Sometimes, it's good to not be popular. I'd like to thank the lawyers, who haven't discovered this humble website and shut me down. Heh heh...

Mononoke Hime (1980) - The Original Miyazaki Book

Update 11/20/2014: Hayao Miyazaki's original 1980 Mononoke Hime image boards are now published in the Unites States, courtesy of Viz Media. Titled "Princess Mononoke: The First Story," we are now able to appreciate this delightful story and impressive color artwork in the flesh.  Because of this, I have decided to delete the photos in this post, save a few samples. By all means, purchase the new Mononoke book and give Viz your support.

Now the quick history lesson: In 1980, Hayao Miyazaki created a series of watercolor image boards for an animation film project titled, "Mononoke Hime," or "Princess Mononoke." Unfortunately, he was unable to attract any funding for the project, as this came during the director's difficult period of 1978-1983. He eventually published his image boards in his 1983 book, "Hayao Miyazaki Image Boards."  Years later, story elements would find their way into the Studio Ghibli movies My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and, of course, the 1997 Princess Mononoke. The 1980 version was published as a standalone book in the mid-1990s in Japan.

The 1980 Mononoke remained an obscurity, even among Miyazaki fans. In 2008, I published the entire story, taken from a fan translation circulating around the internet. Strangely enough, my post didn't generate any attention for three years...at which point something in the internet clicked on, and fans started to discover this "lost" Miyazaki work. By 2014, it was clear that demand was high for a published version, and Viz Media answered fans' demands.

This post has been Ghibli Blog's most popular by far.  For that, I am eternally thankful and grateful for the kind attention. But I am a strong advocate of supporting the artists who enrich our lives, so that means deleting these image boards and directing you towards the nearest bookstore.

Enjoy this sample of Hayao Miyazaki's famous "lost" anime:









Air Meal (1994) - Miyazaki Watercolor Comic

Air Meal, from 1994 - a short Miyazaki comic that comically shares his love of airplanes and that hallowed flight ritual, the in-flight meal. Painted in full watercolors, it looks absolutely wonderful - fans of the art of Miyazaki will complain loudly of another "lost" classic, hidden away from prying Western eyes. I'm surprised at the number of these smaller comics and short stories, which appeared in magazines and such. It seems there will always be another Miyazaki sketch or painting lurking around somewhere.

My favorite bit in Air Meal - apart from that wonderfully funny cover - is Miyazaki's idea of a traditional Japanese restaurant on the plane, complete with mats and pillows. And did you notice his traveling companion? Yep, it's none other than Dr. Watson from Sherlock Hound. At least, that's who the dog looks like to me. Miyazaki portrays himself as he very often does in his comics - as a pig. What can I say? He just really likes pigs.

If you click on the pages, you'll go to a much larger size, where you can read the fan-translated text and admire the artwork more fully. Enjoy and share!





Imoto He - "For My Sister" (1983)

Hayao Miyazaki's 1983 storybook poem, Imoto He, "For My Sister." The story is 17 pages long and fan-translated into English. I'll post commentary in a later post. Enjoy!














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