Wednesday, July 22, 2009

JAPUNCH: a label of quality from Japan

article by JMB

Japanese comics are very popular around the world but - in Japan – their huge success overshadows the press cartoons (Hitokoma-Manga) there. So a group of eight of the best Japanese cartoonists, from Feco Nippon, gathers around their colleague Kenji Morita to form the group Japunch in 1996. With the help of a sponsor, a first collective book of cartoon without words "Caricatures Nipponnes. Volume 1" is published in France in 1997.

Starting from 1999 Japunch publishes several cartoon books without captions in Japan; each book covering a specific theme. From the second book the editorial cartoonist Norio Yamanoi is replaced by the humour cartoonist Macoto Ayuzawa. The other Japunch members are: Kamakiri Uno, Kazuo Ozawa, Ryu Kumita, Kaz O. Kuroïwa, Yukiyoshi Tokoro and Kenji Morita.

Published in 1999, "Catoon." about cats.

Kamakiri Uno

Kaz O. Kuroïwa

Ryu Kumita

Maco (Macoto Ayuzawa)


Yao Ken (Kenkichi Yaoita)

Published in 2000, "Bbow Woww." about dogs



Published in 2001, "Viva, Chef!" about food.



Published in 2002, "Cin Cin!" about drinks.

Published in 2005, "I Love Sports."
obviously about sports!


It is incontestably too bad these anthologies are hard to find as the art and humour are international top quality there.

Learn more:
plaza.bunka.go.jp
cartoonbook files:






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