Keiji Nakazawa, the creator of the semi-autobiographical manga Barefoot Gen about one boy's experience with the Hiroshima atomic bombing, will be entrusting his original drawings and other materials to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
The museum has stored 2,735 original drawings of Barefoot Gen since 1994 when the museum held an exhibition of his work. These original drawings were also used for the English version of the series. Nakazawa will donate 30 more cardboard boxes of his original drawings, magazines, books, and movies relating to his works to the museum.
"I will be happy as long as the materials are properly preserved at the museum in my hometown Hiroshima and if the original drawings go on show across Japan," Nakazawa said.
The 70-year-old manga creator based his 10-volume story on his own experiences in the aftermath of the atomic bombing at Hiroshima. At the age of 6, Nakazawa survived the 1945 Hiroshima bombing and the loss of his entire family except for his mother. He moved to Tokyo in 1961 and became a published manga creator at the age of 24 in 1963. Since then, Nakazawa has been a proponent of nuclear non-proliferation.
Last Gasp Publishing picked up the manga's English-language rights in 2004 and just published 10th and final volume in November. Last Gasp used a new translation produced by the Project Gen group from the Japanese city of Kanazawa.
Nakazawa announced in September that he will not be drawing a planned sequel to Barefoot Gen due to his worsening eyesight.
Barefoot Gen has been adapted into two animated films and a live-action television drama special in Japan. Producer Northrop Davis and a partner have been pitching the story to Hollywood studios.
Source: Mainichi Daily News
Update: Last Gasp has pushed back its last English volume of Barefoot Gen to February. Thanks, Gatsu.
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