Zoku Shōnen Ace | Sōji Yamakawa | pgs. 379-380 | 1961

Zoku Shōnen Ace (続少年エース) – Sōji Yamakawa 

Size: 27 x 19.5 cm (x2)
Media: pencil & ink on paper
Very good condition

Zoku Shōnen Ace (Continuation of Shōnen Ace) is the sequel to Shōnen Ace, which originally appeared in the Sankei Shimbun newspaper and was subsequently published in three very hard-to-find books by the Sankei Shimbun Publishing Bureau (1960–1961).

The sequel, Zoku Shōnen Ace, was published between 1959 and 1961 in the Chūbu Nippon Shimbun. Both works originally appeared in Japanese newspapers, with shimbun being the Japanese word for "newspaper."

The story continues the adventures of Makoto, our young Japanese hero. This time, Yamakawa places his protagonist in tropical Africa, where he encounters new dangers, wild animals, mysterious tribes, and much more alongside his companion Mary.

Sōji Yamakawa (1908–1992) was one of Japan's most important pioneers of illustrated adventure storytelling and a leading figure of the e-monogatari tradition. His enormously popular works, including Shōnen Ōja and Shōnen Kenya, helped shape Japanese boys' (shōnen) entertainment in the postwar decades.

The original artwork of Zoku Shōnen Ace feels much more like fine illustration than conventional manga, even within the e-monogatari tradition. Each frame is a detailed illustration in its own right, and the pages are wonderful examples of Yamakawa's approach to e-monogatari, combining realistic drawing, dramatic compositions, and cinematic storytelling.

For more information, explore our biography of Sōji Yamakawa and our essay Shōnen Ace and the End of the E-monogatari Era.