SHONEN MANGA orignal(?)

[jeffbert]

On the bottom of the spine it has the year 1964. As you can see at the top of the spine it has 39, then 9, then 1. I take that to mean that it was published Sept. 1964 as Showa 39 is the year 1964. Inside it has the number 4. I take that to mean Chapter 4, as September would have been when the fourth installment would have been published as the "Greatest Robot on Earth" began in June, 1964. (June, July, August, Sept.--#4). Have you tried matching the reprints you have from your boxset to its equivalent DH volume. Do you have paperback size manga for each installment (there should be eight) of the "Greatest Robot on Earth"?
I

This tale runs from the 6th (39, 7, 1) volume through v 12. It starts near the end of v5, but has only about 10 pages in it.

BTW, it ends with Pluto, one horn gone, charging at Bora.

I have not yet reached this story as far as noting any differences between versions; but I am nearly finished with LAST DAY OF EARTH, & this is next.

[jeffbert]

1964-06_41.jpg (26.45 KiB) Viewed 941 times

vol 5, page 41

1964-07_01.jpg (61.57 KiB) Viewed 1183 times

vol 6, FC (p1)

1964-08_01.jpg (60.03 KiB) Viewed 966 times

Vol 7 p1

There are some large-format pages also, but I have not scanned those.

[ASTROBUDDY]

Okay here are two pages from the "TetsuWan Atom(u) Daizukan" aka "All Illustrations of Mighty Atom" aka the "Astro Boy Encyclopedia". This book contains pictures from all the Astro Boy manga stories featuring covers and what appear to be the opening page for each story. On the pages below you will see the covers you scanned and the one I bought on eBay and is the original subject of this thread. On the page which shows the covers you scanned there is a notation directly beneath each cover stating the month & year of publication and the format in which they were published. The picture below your scanned covers reads Shonen Magazine, while under your scanned covers, it reads Shonen Supplement. Now can you tell me if the third picture (the one under your scanned covers) is in your boxset and is it in one of the larger magazine-sized books?
I

[jeffbert]

Okay here are two pages from the "TetsuWan Atom(u) Daizukan" aka "All Illustrations of Mighty Atom" aka the "Astro Boy Encyclopedia". This book contains pictures from all the Astro Boy manga stories featuring covers and what appear to be the opening page for each story. On the pages below you will see the covers you scanned and the one I bought on eBay and is the original subject of this thread. On the page which shows the covers you scanned there is a notation directly beneath each cover stating the month & year of publication and the format in which they were published. The picture below your scanned covers reads Shonen Magazine, while under your scanned covers, it reads Shonen Supplement. Now can you tell me if the third picture (the one under your scanned covers) is in your boxset and is it in one of the larger magazine-sized books?
I

You want to know about the cover with the guy (forgot the name 'Brando' until now) rising out of the sea is large or small format? This one is a large format, as are the herc & croc ones. The one with Uran in hand & the other with Epsilon are both small format (pocket manga).

[jeffbert]

There are continuity breaks in the story told by the small format books. As example, Vol 7 that you have ends with Brando rising out of the sea, & #8 begins where Pluto is lying on the beach (DH vol 3, page 46 1st panel). The excerpts from the larger format books so far have filled in the gaps; though I suspect that fans might well have been disappointed by this gap in the pocket-sized reprints. The cover with Brando rising starts this sequence; the ink is purple, but every two pages alternate between that and a limited color scheme.

BTW, have you noted the writing on the margins of some pages?

[ASTROBUDDY]

So if I am understanding correctly, the storyline goes from larger format (or the Shonen magazine, proper) to the smaller format (or Shonen supplements) and then switching back and forth between the larger to smaller then back to the larger. I just read somewhere that Tezuka drew as many supplemental issues as he did for the main magazine. Sometimes the story in the supplements was complete and I am guessing here the supplements were used to provide different chapters for each serial. So at the height of Atom's popularity, when the 1960s series was in its initial run, his original stories (not reprints) were appearing in three different formats; i.e.) the Shonen magazine which as I understand it contained more than just the Mighty Atom manga and the Shonen supplements which were specifically featuring Atom and the Mighty Atom Club magazine. This would be akin to Superman appearing in Action Comics, as well as Superman comics and then as one of the strips in World's Finest comics. back in the forties. Am I correct? (About the sequence for the Atom serials, not about Superman!)

I

[ASTROBUDDY]

Yes I have noted the writings on the margins, but have not taken the time to try and translate them. BTW, the supplement I have is dated 9 for Sept. on the cover and has Episilon in the lower left hand side of the cover and ends with Pluto prepairing to fight Hercules. (As I stated in the second post of this thread, the Shonen supplement I have covers the pages 69 thru 88). Brando is nowhere in sight. So you might be confusing the two chapters. But you see what I am getting at in terms of the publication of Astro Boy in its original form?
I

[ASTROBUDDY]

Okay, to make sure there is no confusion, I will describe the way I think the story line goes from large format to smaller format.
The storyline should go like this: First, starting with the cover with just Astro Boy and Pluto to what should be the splash page for the chapter in the larger format showing Astro Boy with Brando coming out of the water to Astro Boy and his sister running, to Astro Boy rescuing Dr. Elefun from the crocs to Astro Boy, fist raised in the air and in between Episolon and Hercules to Hercules standing ready to fight Pluto and then to Pluto clutching Astro Girl in his hand while Astro Boy flies to her rescue. Is this correct?
I

[jeffbert]

I have yet to finish my initial comparison between DH & J L Versions.

[jeffbert]

I was having trouble going from the text and the images then back again, so I do this:

Page 40 of 1964-06


Large format cover (p 31). At this point, Pluto visits Atom's home.


Sm F: 1964-07 FC


large format: p 39 (note that several pages of ads & such preceeded this.

Pluto is lying helpless at the end of this segment.


1964-08 fc

This segment end with Atom hiding behind rock as Pluto returns home.


LF page 47; the image will not occur in story until p52.


SF: 1964-09 FC


LF p 55 (previous page was color ad for hard shell candy in cardboard tube).


SF 1964-10 FC


LF p. 63 (preceeding page was color ad for slide viewer)


SF 1964-11 FC


LF p. 71


SF 1964-12 FC


LF p. 79; the details of Pluto's fight against Bora are in this last segment. I still do not understand why the small-format books would lack so much content. It could merely be the way these collector's reprints are organized, or perhaps a cost-cutting method of issuing the small format books; I would be guessing if I said it was either one, though.