{"product_id":"manga-kamishibai-the-art-of-japanese-paper-theater-9780810953031","title":"Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater","description":"\u003cp\u003eBefore giant robots  space ships  and masked super heroes filled the pages of Japanese comic books--known as manga--such characters were regularly seen on the streets of Japan in kamishibai stories. Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater tells the history of this fascinating and nearly vanished Japanese art form that paved the way for modern-day comic books  and is the missing link in the development of modern manga. During the height of kamishibai in the 1930s  storytellers would travel to villages and set up their butais (miniature wooden prosceniums)  through which illustrated boards were shown. The storytellers acted as entertainers and reporters  narrating tales that ranged from action-packed westerns  period pieces  traditional folk tales  and melodramas  to nightly news reporting on World War II. More than just explaining the pictures  a good storyteller would act out the parts of each character with different voices and facial expressions. Through extensive research and interviews  author Eric P. Nash pieces together the remarkable history of this art and its creators. With rare images reproduced for the first time from Japanese archives  including full-length kamishibai stories  combined with expert writing  this book is an essential guide to the origins of manga.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45651763101749,"sku":"ByrdShop_081095303X","price":34.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780810953031.jpg?v=1781839957","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/manga-kamishibai-the-art-of-japanese-paper-theater-9780810953031","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}