Utilizing the original drawing (genga) digital archive project to make classics such as ONE PIECE, the Rose of Versailles, and Innocent available around the world and help create a global manga art market
TOKYO, March 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Shueisha Inc. (head office: Chiyoda, Tokyo) believes that manga is art that should be disseminated and based on this vision we began to utilizing the digital archive of original manga drawings in 2008 to start a new manga-art project.
Manga Art from ONE PIECE by Eiichiro Oda
This project is a new initiative aimed at shining fresh light on the drawings created by manga artists and imbuing these works with lasting value as works of art. We use the finest available printing technologies and materials to produce high-quality manga artwork. In addition, to guarantee the value of these works and allow then to be passed them down to the next generation, we issue blockchain certificates that consistently record the provenance of each piece of art. Through this new project, we help to ensure that manga art is passed down among manga lovers while also aiming to create a manga-art market as an integral part of the overall global art market.
We have initiated this project by selling the works from three artists: Eiichiro Oda (ONE PIECE), Riyoko Ikeda (The Rose of Versailles), and Shinichi Sakamoto (Innocent). Each of these works that are well known in their printed versions are in their original genga format excellent examples of never-before-seen coloring and detail.
Background behind the launch of this new project
Shueisha, founded in 1926, played a formative role in releasing multiple manga works right after World War II. Our goal has always been to deliver as inexpensively as possible the most entertaining manga to a wide range of readers, and we are continuing to build on this challenge. At the same time, it is no longer rare for manga, which were once something children bought for fun with their pocket money, to be exhibited at art galleries and museums both within and outside of Japan. Therefore as part of our mission we are working towards a system to help preserve manga and its artwork and to pass it down for future generations. As one initiative towards achieving this goal, we are launching this cross-border manga art e-commerce project.