The hibakusha who created the comics that helped the world learn about the horrors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima has been inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame in the United States.
In August, a trophy commemorating this honour was presented to the widow of Keiji Nakazawa (1939–2012), author of The Hadashi no Gen (Barefoot Gen) series.
“I couldn’t be happier that American readers have read his works and understood his desire for a world without nuclear weapons,” said 81-year-old Misayo.
Nakazawa tied together a notable list of Japanese newcomers, including Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989), famous for “Astro Boy”, Hayao Miyazaki, founder of Studio Ghibli, and Moto Hagio, known for “The Poe Clan”.
The Eisner Awards, named after the American cartoonist Will Eisner, are officially called the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards.
According to the US awards institute, Nakazawa was selected in July by a jury of experts and authors as one of 19 winners from around the world.
On its website, the organization mentions Nakazawa’s first work about the atomic bomb, “Kuroi Ame ni Utarete” (Struck by the Black Rain), and states that he “began to express his memories of Hiroshima in his manga.”
Nakazawa was born in Hiroshima.
At the age of six, he was exposed to the atomic bomb at 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, in front of his elementary school, just 1.3 kilometers from Ground Zero.
In the bombing, he lost his father, older sister and younger brother. His younger sister was born immediately after the bombing but died soon after.
Nakazawa’s manga “Barefoot Gen” is based on his personal experiences.
The work has been translated into more than 20 languages, including English and Russian.
