Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga

Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga
First tankōbon volume cover
サルでも描けるまんが教室
(Saru demo egakeru manga kyōshitsu)
GenreComedy, parody[1]
Manga
Written by
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
MagazineBig Comic Spirits
English magazine
Original run1989 – 1991
Volumes3
Manga
Saruman 2.0
Written by
  • Koji Aihara
  • Kentaro Takekuma
Published byShogakukan
MagazineMonthly Ikki
Original runOctober 25, 2007 – May 24, 2008
Volumes1

Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga (Japanese: サルでも描けるまんが教室, Hepburn: Sarudemo Egakeru Manga Kyōshitsu), also abbreviated as Saruman (サルまん), is a Japanese instructional manga series created by Koji Aihara and Kentaro Takekuma. It was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Big Comic Spirits from 1989 to 1991, with its chapters collected in three tankōbon volumes. The manga was licensed in North America by Viz Media, being serialized in its Pulp magazine from 2001 to 2002; it was also released in a single volume. A second series, titled Saruman 2.0, was serialized in Shogakukan's Monthly Ikki from 2007 to 2008; its chapters were collected in a single volume, released in 2017.

Overview

Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga is a how-to gag manga presented in the form of a instructional guide on manga creation. It follows two young men who aspire to become manga artists while harboring ambitions of dominating Japan. The work incorporates extensive parody and analysis of manga conventions.[2]

Publication

Created by Koji Aihara and Kentaro Takekuma, Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Big Comic Spirits from 1989 to 1991.[3] Shogakukan collected its chapters in three tankōbon volumes, released from November 1990 to June 1992.[4][5] It was republished in two wideban volumes, under the title Saruman (サルまん), on July 19, 1997.[6] Two "21st Century Collector's Edition" volumes were released on August 28, 2006.[7][8]

In North America, the series was published in Viz Media's Pulp magazine from May 2001 to August 2002.[9][10] Viz Media only released a collected volume on November 6, 2002.[11][1]

Another series, titled Saruman 2.0 (サルまん2.0), was serialized in Shogakukan's Monthly Ikki from October 25, 2007,[12] to May 24, 2008.[a] A collected volume was released by Shogakukan Creative, almost ten years after the manga's first publication, on June 26, 2017.[15][16]

Reception

Pat King of Animefringe praised the manga as an "excellent parody of the manga industry" and noted that its artwork "would be right at home in classic issues of Mad Magazine".[17] Johanna Draper Carlson of Comics Worth Reading described the adult content as "vulgar but funny", citing its "nudity and various scatological gags".[18] Carlo Santos of Anime News Network commended the work for its "rundown of every major genre, by demographic" and considered it superior to other "How-to Art" books.[19]

Canadian cartoonist and writer Bryan Lee O'Malley cited the book as a major influence on the art style of his Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series.[20]

Notes

  1. ↑ It was serialized until the magazine's July 2008 issue,[13] released on May 24 of that same year.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 Thompson, Jason (July 15, 2010). "Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga – Even A Monkey Can Draw Manga!". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  2. ↑ サルでも描けるまんが教室. Mangapedia (in Japanese). Digitalio. Archived from the original on February 10, 2026. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  3. ↑ 「出張マンガのマンガ展」10月29日（火）「30年目の“サルまん3.0”!? 相原コージ×竹熊健太郎×江上英樹『サルでも描けるまんが教室 』スペシャルトーク」開催決定！ (Press release) (in Japanese). Secretariat of the Toshima Executive Committee for Culture City of East Asia 2019. September 17, 2019. Archived from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2023 – via PR Times.
  4. ↑ サルでも描けるまんが教室 1. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  5. ↑ サルでも描けるまんが教室 3. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  6. ↑ サルまん（サルでも描けるまんが教室. s-book.com. Shogakukan. Archived from the original on February 16, 2005. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  7. ↑ サルでも描けるまんが教室 サルまん 21世紀愛蔵版 / 上 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  8. ↑ サルでも描けるまんが教室 サルまん 21世紀愛蔵版 / 下 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Viz PR for May '01". Anime News Network. January 21, 2001. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
  10. ↑ "Pulp Ends in August". Anime News Network. April 11, 2002. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
  11. ↑ "This Month's Viz-In: November 2002". Viz Communications. Archived from the original on December 2, 2002. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  12. ↑ 【IKKI】IKKI イッキ 12月号発売中！. manganohi.jp (in Japanese). October 25, 2007. Archived from the original on November 30, 2007. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  13. ↑ 相原コージ×竹熊健太郎×ほりのぶゆき 「『サルまん』と、封印された『サルまん2.0』について語ろう」 『サルまん2.0』（小学館クリエイティブ）刊行記念. bookandbeer.com (in Japanese). July 1, 2017. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  14. ↑ 月刊IKKI [バックナンバー]. s-book.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 8, 2008. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  15. ↑ 「サルまん 2.0」連載から10年、初の単行本化！当時の関係者による座談会も (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  16. ↑ 「サルまん 2.0」連載から10年、初の単行本化！当時の関係者による座談会も. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 28, 2017. Archived from the original on September 4, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  17. ↑ King, Pat (February 2003). "Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga Vol.1". Animefringe. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
  18. ↑ Carlson, Johanna Draper (June 25, 2006). "Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga". Comics Worth Reading. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2009.
  19. ↑ Santos, Carlo (March 6, 2007). "Right Turn Only!! Kingdoms' Heart". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
  20. ↑ Hudson, Laura (July 14, 2011). "Bryan Lee O'Malley Talks 'Monkey Manga' with the Men Who Influenced 'Scott Pilgrim' Exclusive". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on August 18, 2011. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
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