The Laughing Demon from One Hundred Ghost Stories (Hyaku monogatari)

In 1814, the artist Hokusai Katsushika (1760–1849) chose ‘manga’ as the title for his sketchbooks, issued as twelve block-printed volumes during his lifetime, with three more following posthumously. Two years previously, he had begun producing drawing manuals to make money. His first sketchbook was initially released this way, as a ‘How To’ instruction book, but not long afterwards he re-published it without the text. Hokusai’s manga are not sequential or narrative, in the style of comics, but are catalogues of observational drawings. He defined his manga as ‘a brush gone wild’, to convey their improvised looseness and freewheeling playfulness.

This work features in Mangasia: Wonderlands of Asian Comics, a Barbican International Enterprises exhibition, curated by Paul Gravett. Mangasia presents a vivid journey through the art of Comics and visual storytelling across Asia. From its historical roots to the most recent digital innovations, the exhibition looks to popular Japanese ‘Manga’ and beyond, highlighting key creators, characters and publications.