<p>The first signs of manga in the western world came in through magazines - Much like how manga first came to Japan before being compiled into full books.</p>

<p>Occasionally publications would include smaller works or partial translations of a larger manga. Notably (as @krazr has pointed out) <a href="http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/p/pod/dod-idx/concerned-theatre-japan.pdf?c=cjs;idno=aag0609.0002.002" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Concerned Theatre Japan's second volume, 2nd issue <strong>1971</strong></a> is a manga special with 3 short works translated.</p>

<p>This issue features <em>Sakura Gaho</em> (Eng. "Sakura Illustrated" - excerpt) <em>Akame</em> (Eng. "Red Eyes" - Part One)," and "Nejishiki" (Eng. "The Stopcock" - Short work)</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tz0tom.png" alt="enter image description here">
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5jMy6.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>The first fully independent manga series that was translated into English and published was <em>Barefoot Gen</em> in <strong>1979.</strong></p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Swvddm.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>Barefoot Gen is an epic 10 volume manga of the story of a boy during the Atom bombing of Hiroshima. The piece takes many sections from  Keiji Nakazawa's own experiences as a Hiroshima survivor. Feeling the work should be spread for the largest impact, a pacifist translation charity <em>Project Gen</em> starting working on translating it into English in <strong>1976</strong>.</p>

<p>The first two translations were published in <strong>1979</strong>. Unfortunately, it wasn't as successful as first thought and no more volumes were published. It was only in 2004 that the full 10 volumes eventually got fully released (by Last Gasp).</p>

<p>Prior to this, there was a comic adaption of Astroboy redrawn by Americans in <strong>1965</strong>. Barefoot Gen retained the original artwork, so is usually considered the first. </p>

<hr>

<p>Astroboy was the first anime series to be brought overseas, in the same year as it was televised nationally (<strong>1963</strong>) and much like today - it was seen a definite secondary market to Japan. An earlier 3-part work, <em>Three Tales</em> was released 2 years beforehand in <strong>1961</strong> (A year after it aired in Japan)</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/B9kha.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p><a href="http://.http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=655" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Hakujaden</a> was one the first Japanese animation films to make it to the US under the title <em>Panda and the Magic Serpent</em> (and also the first anime movie) in 1961 along with two other titles - <strong>Magic Boy</strong> (premièred a month earlier) and <strong>Alakazam the Great</strong></p>

<p><strong>Additional References</strong></p>

<ul>
<li>Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime &amp; Manga Trade (Book)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.jai2.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Frederik L Schott (Translator of Astroboy, Barefoot Gen and many other works) 's Site</a></li>
<li>Anime: A History - Jonathan Clements</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-14T14:45:14.717Z
Note that *Barefoot Gen* was the first full-story manga translated and marketed in English. Three short works ("Sakura Gaho," "Akame," and "Nejishiki") published in *Concerned Theatre Journal* (CTJ), Volume 2, Issue 1, predate it by 7 years. Furthermore, the short manga "The Bushi" appeared in *Star Reach* #7, about a year before  *Barefoot Gen.*
кяαzєя
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-14T15:11:51.340Z
@ʞɹɐzǝɹ huh, I didn't see those other translations. Do you mind if I incorporate that comment into my answer, or would you like to post an answer also
Toshinou Kyouko
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-14T15:12:46.817Z
Additionally, *[Alakazam the Great](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alakazam_the_Great)*, *[Magic Boy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Boy_(film))*, and [*The Tale of the White Serpent*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_White_Serpent) came out in the US in 1961 and are probably one of the first anime films in English.
кяαzєя
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-14T15:21:07.460Z
@ʞɹɐzǝɹ  The tale of the White Serpent == Hakujaden
Toshinou Kyouko
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-14T14:23:08.770Z
2015-06-14T16:31:55.333Z
2015-06-14T16:31:55.333Z
Toshinou Kyouko
<p>There is a previous question about the <a href="https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/3408/what-is-the-first-ever-produced-anime-and-manga">first anime and manga ever</a>, but I was wondering when the English-speaking world got introduced to the world of anime and manga. </p>

<p>There were comics in the English-speaking world for ages, but at what point did we decide to try out the comics in the East? </p>

<anime-history>
What were the first official English-translated anime and manga?
# What were the first official English-translated anime and manga?
Posted by: username_0 on 2015-06-14
There is a previous question about the [first anime and manga ever](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/3408/what-is-the-first-ever-produced-anime-and-manga), but I was wondering when the English-speaking world got introduced to the world of anime and manga.

There were comics in the English-speaking world for ages, but at what point did we decide to try out the comics in the East?
**Tags:** anime-history
---
## 1 answers
### Answer by username_0 on 2015-06-14. Score: 4 | Accepted answer
The first signs of manga in the western world came in through magazines - Much like how manga first came to Japan before being compiled into full books.

Occasionally publications would include smaller works or partial translations of a larger manga. Notably (as @krazr has pointed out) [Concerned Theatre Japan's second volume, 2nd issue **1971**](http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/p/pod/dod-idx/concerned-theatre-japan.pdf?c=cjs;idno=aag0609.0002.002) is a manga special with 3 short works translated.

This issue features *Sakura Gaho* (Eng. "Sakura Illustrated" - excerpt) *Akame* (Eng. "Red Eyes" - Part One)," and "Nejishiki" (Eng. "The Stopcock" - Short work)

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/tz0tom.png)
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/5jMy6.jpg)

The first fully independent manga series that was translated into English and published was *Barefoot Gen* in **1979.**

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Swvddm.jpg)

Barefoot Gen is an epic 10 volume manga of the story of a boy during the Atom bombing of Hiroshima. The piece takes many sections from Keiji Nakazawa's own experiences as a Hiroshima survivor. Feeling the work should be spread for the largest impact, a pacifist translation charity *Project Gen* starting working on translating it into English in **1976**.

The first two translations were published in **1979**. Unfortunately, it wasn't as successful as first thought and no more volumes were published. It was only in 2004 that the full 10 volumes eventually got fully released (by Last Gasp).

Prior to this, there was a comic adaption of Astroboy redrawn by Americans in **1965**. Barefoot Gen retained the original artwork, so is usually considered the first.

---

Astroboy was the first anime series to be brought overseas, in the same year as it was televised nationally (**1963**) and much like today - it was seen a definite secondary market to Japan. An earlier 3-part work, *Three Tales* was released 2 years beforehand in **1961** (A year after it aired in Japan)

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/B9kha.jpg)

[Hakujaden](http://.http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=655) was one the first Japanese animation films to make it to the US under the title *Panda and the Magic Serpent* (and also the first anime movie) in 1961 along with two other titles - **Magic Boy** (premièred a month earlier) and **Alakazam the Great**

**Additional References**

* Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime & Manga Trade (Book)
* [Frederik L Schott (Translator of Astroboy, Barefoot Gen and many other works) 's Site](http://www.jai2.com/)
* Anime: A History - Jonathan Clements
> **Comments:**
> **username_1** (2015-06-14): Note that *Barefoot Gen* was the first full-story manga translated and marketed in English. Three short works ("Sakura Gaho," "Akame," and "Nejishiki") published in *Concerned Theatre Journal* (CTJ), Volume 2, Issue 1, predate it by 7 years. Furthermore, the short manga "The Bushi" appeared in *Star Reach* #7, about a year before  *Barefoot Gen.*  
> **username_0** (2015-06-14): @ʞɹɐzǝɹ huh, I didn't see those other translations. Do you mind if I incorporate that comment into my answer, or would you like to post an answer also  
> **username_1** (2015-06-14): Additionally, *[Alakazam the Great](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alakazam_the_Great)*, *[Magic Boy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Boy_(film))*, and [*The Tale of the White Serpent*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_White_Serpent) came out in the US in 1961 and are probably one of the first anime films in English.  
> **username_0** (2015-06-14): @ʞɹɐzǝɹ  The tale of the White Serpent == Hakujaden  
---
