While the US had their own set of cartoon hero's in WWII, the Japanese also had an enduring early Manga character that was used on the home front during WWII. Norakuro-kun originated from a manga comic from the 1930's by former Imperial Japanese Army soldier Suiho Tagawa (1899-1989) who served in the Emperor's Army from 1919-1922. Norakuro-kun was part of the Fierce Dog Brigade but like Bill Maudlins' Willie & Joe, Norakuro-kun came to represent the average joe in the army that every soldier could relate to. After the war his popularity soared, and minus his IJA affiliation, had his very own anime TV series in 1970s. Still a very popular character this modern soft vinyl toy was made as a nod to his former IJA career from the 1930-40s.
No comments:
Post a Comment