Nou Nou Hau
Encyclopedia
, stylized NOU NOU HAU, abbreviated NNH, was an avant-garde
dōjinshi
manga
anthology first published on November 1998. The magazine is most notably known for serializing the manga series Afro Samurai
.
Takashi Okazaki
started drawing African-American characters on Kleenex
boxes when he was younger, inspired by his fondness of hip hop
music and culture. Takashi Okazaki threw in some elements of samurai
into his work, eventually developing Afro Samurai
. Takashi Okazaki started writing the series when, he and his other artistic friends created the magazine Nou Nou Hau. The magazine debuted in November 1998 with a preparatory "issue 0", featuring Afro Samurai on the cover. The lineup of the first issue consisted of Takashi Okazaki, and his friends Dai Okazaki
, Ryoji Shibasaki and Mai Shibasaki. The official first issue of Nou Nou Hau was published on January 1999 and manga artists Motonobu Hattori and Hiroyuki Hiwatashi began to contribute to the magazine. By the second issue, the binding was changed and contributors of the magazine were asking bookstores to put the magazine on sale, making the magazine's readership increase. Dai Okazaki (now going by the name "Smelly") was asked to be on the Japanese show , which made him famous in the later years. The fourth issue of Nou Nou Hau was released right when "Smelly" became a star on Takashi no Dare Demo Picasso, which increased the sales of the magazine. The artist Imaitoonz also started to contribute. By issue four, on October 1999, puppet animator Kaori Kuniyasu joined the magazine and for the first time began making a manga. In 2002, German artists named Moga Mobo, who liked the works of Nou Nou Hau, asked the artists if they could collaborate. The collaborative effort was included in the September 2002, issue six of Nou Nou Hau. On September 2002, Nou Nou Hau opened an exhibition called "Show Yavay!!!" in Berlin
, with advertising by Mogamobo. Nou Nou Hau was brought to a close when the artists could no longer afford the printing costs.
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
dōjinshi
Dojinshi
is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels. Dōjinshi are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry. The term dōjinshi is derived from and . Dōjinshi are part of a wider...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
anthology first published on November 1998. The magazine is most notably known for serializing the manga series Afro Samurai
Afro Samurai
, also written AFRO SAMURAI, is a Japanese seinen dōjinshi manga series written and illustrated by manga artist Takashi Okazaki. It was originally serialized irregularly in the avant-garde dōjinshi manga magazine Nou Nou Hau from September 1999 to May 2000...
.
History
Manga artistMangaka
is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
Takashi Okazaki
Takashi Okazaki
is a Japanese manga artist, visual designer, and graphic designer most notable for writing and illustrating the manga series Afro Samurai.-Biography:Takashi Okazaki was born in the Kanagawa Prefecture in 1974 and graduated from the Tama University of the Arts....
started drawing African-American characters on Kleenex
Kleenex
Kleenex is a brand name for a variety of toiletry paper-based products such as facial tissue, bathroom tissue, paper towels, and diapers. The name Kleenex is a registered trademark of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. Often used as a genericized trademark, especially in the United States, "Kleenex"...
boxes when he was younger, inspired by his fondness of hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
music and culture. Takashi Okazaki threw in some elements of samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
into his work, eventually developing Afro Samurai
Afro Samurai
, also written AFRO SAMURAI, is a Japanese seinen dōjinshi manga series written and illustrated by manga artist Takashi Okazaki. It was originally serialized irregularly in the avant-garde dōjinshi manga magazine Nou Nou Hau from September 1999 to May 2000...
. Takashi Okazaki started writing the series when, he and his other artistic friends created the magazine Nou Nou Hau. The magazine debuted in November 1998 with a preparatory "issue 0", featuring Afro Samurai on the cover. The lineup of the first issue consisted of Takashi Okazaki, and his friends Dai Okazaki
Smelly (performer)
, more commonly known by his stagename , is a Japanese comedic performer and former manga artist. Dai Okazaki is a relative of Takashi Okazaki, the creator of Afro Samurai.-Career:...
, Ryoji Shibasaki and Mai Shibasaki. The official first issue of Nou Nou Hau was published on January 1999 and manga artists Motonobu Hattori and Hiroyuki Hiwatashi began to contribute to the magazine. By the second issue, the binding was changed and contributors of the magazine were asking bookstores to put the magazine on sale, making the magazine's readership increase. Dai Okazaki (now going by the name "Smelly") was asked to be on the Japanese show , which made him famous in the later years. The fourth issue of Nou Nou Hau was released right when "Smelly" became a star on Takashi no Dare Demo Picasso, which increased the sales of the magazine. The artist Imaitoonz also started to contribute. By issue four, on October 1999, puppet animator Kaori Kuniyasu joined the magazine and for the first time began making a manga. In 2002, German artists named Moga Mobo, who liked the works of Nou Nou Hau, asked the artists if they could collaborate. The collaborative effort was included in the September 2002, issue six of Nou Nou Hau. On September 2002, Nou Nou Hau opened an exhibition called "Show Yavay!!!" in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, with advertising by Mogamobo. Nou Nou Hau was brought to a close when the artists could no longer afford the printing costs.
Features
The magazine ran many manga series as well an additional "Nou Hau Talk" section, featuring interviews with other Japanese artists. The magazine had an array of contributors who serialized many series in the magazine:- Dai OkazakiSmelly (performer), more commonly known by his stagename , is a Japanese comedic performer and former manga artist. Dai Okazaki is a relative of Takashi Okazaki, the creator of Afro Samurai.-Career:...
— One of the first contributors out of four who became famous on the TV show Takeshi no Dare Demo Picasso and became known as "Smelly". Dai was also featured on the cover of issue 3. Dai Okazaki started serializing a Smelly manga on May 1999 and also started the series entitled Bijutsu Techō on October 1999.
- Mai Shibasaki — Also one of the first contributors who illustrated the cover of issue 1 on January 1999.
- Ryoji Shibasaki — Along with his sister Mai Shibasaki, Ryoji was also one of the first contributors who illustrated the cover of issue 2.
- Takashi OkazakiTakashi Okazakiis a Japanese manga artist, visual designer, and graphic designer most notable for writing and illustrating the manga series Afro Samurai.-Biography:Takashi Okazaki was born in the Kanagawa Prefecture in 1974 and graduated from the Tama University of the Arts....
— Also one of the first contributors who serialized the manga Afro SamuraiAfro Samurai, also written AFRO SAMURAI, is a Japanese seinen dōjinshi manga series written and illustrated by manga artist Takashi Okazaki. It was originally serialized irregularly in the avant-garde dōjinshi manga magazine Nou Nou Hau from September 1999 to May 2000...
within the pages of Nou Nou Hau. Afro Samurai first appeared in the promotional issue 0, and then was officially first serialized in the January 1999 issue.