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There is a previous question about the [first anime and manga
ever](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/3408/what-is-the-first-ever-
produced-anime-and-manga), but I was wondering when the English-speaking world
got introduced to the world of anime and manga.

There were comics in the English-speaking world for ages, but at what point
did we decide to try out the comics in the East?


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anime-history
What were the first official English-translated anime and manga?


The first signs of manga in the western world came in through magazines - Much
like how manga first came to Japan before being compiled into full books.

Occasionally publications would include smaller works or partial translations
of a larger manga. Notably (as @krazr has pointed out) [Concerned Theatre
Japan's second volume, 2nd issue
**1971**](http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/p/pod/dod-idx/concerned-theatre-
japan.pdf?c=cjs;idno=aag0609.0002.002) is a manga special with 3 short works
translated.

This issue features _Sakura Gaho_ (Eng. "Sakura Illustrated" - excerpt)
_Akame_ (Eng. "Red Eyes" - Part One)," and "Nejishiki" (Eng. "The Stopcock" -
Short work)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tz0tom.png) ![enter
image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5jMy6.jpg)

The first fully independent manga series that was translated into English and
published was _Barefoot Gen_ in **1979.**

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Swvddm.jpg)

Barefoot Gen is an epic 10 volume manga of the story of a boy during the Atom
bombing of Hiroshima. The piece takes many sections from Keiji Nakazawa's own
experiences as a Hiroshima survivor. Feeling the work should be spread for the
largest impact, a pacifist translation charity _Project Gen_ starting working
on translating it into English in **1976**.

The first two translations were published in **1979**. Unfortunately, it
wasn't as successful as first thought and no more volumes were published. It
was only in 2004 that the full 10 volumes eventually got fully released (by
Last Gasp).

Prior to this, there was a comic adaption of Astroboy redrawn by Americans in
**1965**. Barefoot Gen retained the original artwork, so is usually considered
the first.

* * *

Astroboy was the first anime series to be brought overseas, in the same year
as it was televised nationally ( **1963** ) and much like today - it was seen
a definite secondary market to Japan. An earlier 3-part work, _Three Tales_
was released 2 years beforehand in **1961** (A year after it aired in Japan)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/B9kha.jpg)

[Hakujaden](http://.http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=655)
was one the first Japanese animation films to make it to the US under the
title _Panda and the Magic Serpent_ (and also the first anime movie) in 1961
along with two other titles - **Magic Boy** (premièred a month earlier) and
**Alakazam the Great**

**Additional References**

  * Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime & Manga Trade (Book)
  * [Frederik L Schott (Translator of Astroboy, Barefoot Gen and many other works) 's Site](http://www.jai2.com/)
  * Anime: A History - Jonathan Clements


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