Episode 06: Pantrémon! Seiichi Hayashi - “Red Colored Elegy” - 1970
Stephanie Dueñas and Russell Shoemaker discuss Red Colored Elegy; a ground-breaking graphic novel that shook the manga world with its unusual illustrations and depictions of the everyday mundane and raw human emotion in 1960s-70s Japan. Probably inspired by his own life experience, Hayashi gives us a glimpse into the manga machine churning out content for the hungry masses.
Check out Red Colored Elegy on Drawn & Quarterly!
Our Art Pantry Quickie of the week is ‘cels’.
Our Art Assignment is to make your own sequential narrative in 2-4 panels on a single page.
In this episode, we discuss Hayashi’s lasting influence on 20th century manga. Topics include: faceless rejection, Hayao Miyazaki, the birth of Astro boy, manga, and anime. The summer wind, lamentations of aging hands, and of course Pantrémons - fun stuff!
Illustrator Seiichi Hayashi c. 1960s
Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy from 1963 (bottom) and his inspiration Mickey Mouse (top left) and Betty Boop (top right)
Excerpt from Red Colored Elegy, 1970 - Top: Ichiro & Sachiko falling in love - Bottom: Snow White being saved by the noble Prince
Excerpt from Red Colored Elegy, 1970 - Top: Ichiro and his friend discuss career goals and expectations as animators - Middle: A large, ominous plane flies overhead the two men - Bottom: The wind nearly sweeps Ichiro off his feet after declaring he wants “to draw comics”.
Excerpt from Red Colored Elegy, 1970: Ichiro is rejected by a faceless publisher
Excerpt from Red Colored Elegy, 1970 by Seiichi Hayashi
Excerpt from Red Colored Elegy, 1970: A headless Disney character with an ink vessel for a body gives Ichiro a pep talk.
Excerpt from Red Colored Elegy, 1970 by Seiichi Hayashi
Excerpt from Red Colored Elegy, 1970: Ichiro and Sachiko fight (again).
