Funny/Shonen Book

Also known as もしろブック (Omoshiro Bukku) | 少年ブック (Shonen Bukku)

Funny Book (September 1956)

First published in 1949, a few years after the end of World War II, Funny Book was part of Shueisha‘s popular shonen manga line. On January 1, 1959 it was renamed Shonen Book and remained that way until it suddenly ceased publication in April 1969 and was eventually replaced by Monthly Shonen Jump.

Although, for the most part, it mainly featured Tezuka’s short stories, such as Benkei (1954), The Age of Great Floods (1955), it was also home to a few of Tezuka’s longer serial adventures, such as Pippy (1951-53), the loosely-knit together group of stories that comprise Lion Books (1956-57) and Jungle Taro (1958-59).

However, it’s true claim to fame… or rather infamy, is that when Shonen Book suddenly ceased publication in April 1969 it sentenced the second part of Tezuka’s Vampires (1966-69) to be forever incomplete… on a cliffhanger ending no less!

Funny Book

Series	Japanese Title	Begin	End	Type
Pippy	ピピちゃん	1951/12	1953/05	Ongoing Serial
Wanko Goes to the Moon	ワン公月へ行く	1952/01	—	Complete Story [Insert]
Mr. Covered Wagon	ほろ馬車くん	1952/01	—	Short Story [New Year’s Special]
Pippy’s Adventure	ピピちゃんの冒険	1952/08	—	Short Story [Special Issue]
The Story of Doron Castle	ドローン城物語	1953/01	—	Short Story [Special Issue]
The Galaxy Boy	銀河少年	1953/04	1954/02	Ongoing Serial
Benkei	弁慶	1954/02	—	Complete Story [Insert]
Mr. Wonder	ワンダーくん	1954/04	1955/06	Ongoing Serial
Black Canyon	黒い峡谷	1954/06	—	Complete Story [Insert]
Matabei Goto	後藤又兵衛	1954/08	—	Complete Story [Insert]
Sazen Tange	丹下左膳	1954/12	—	Complete Story [Insert]
Sazen Tange [“Kenunkonryu”]	丹下左膳	1955/03	—	Complete Story [Insert]*
The Age of Great Floods	大洪水時代	1955/08	—	Complete Story [Insert]
Stoutly Kazen	風之進がんばる	1955/10	1956/10	Ongoing Serial
Lion Books (“Mankind of the Future”)	ライオンブックス	1956/08	—	Short Story Serial
The Story Before The Storm	あらしの前のものがたり	1956/08	—	Complete Story [Insert]
Lion Books (“The Black Space Ray”)	ライオンブックス	1956/09	—	Short Story Serial
Mr. Teriya	テリヤ君	1956/09	—	Complete Story [Supplement]
Lion Books (“Space Airport”)	ライオンブックス	1956/10	—	Short Story Serial
The Truth of the Strange Crab-Monkey Battle	珍さるかに合戦の真相	1956/10	—	Complete Story [Insert]
Lion Books (“Orion No. 137”)	ライオンブックス	1956/11	—	Short Story Serial
Lion Books (“The Green Cat”)	ライオンブックス (Raion Bukkusu)	1956/12	—	Short Story Serial
Lion Books (“The Old Lady who Predicts Earthquakes”)	ライオンブックス	1957/10	—	Short Story Serial
Lion Books (“Twin Murder”)	ライオンブックス	1957/02	—	Short Story Serial
Lion Books (“The Crazy Border”)	ライオンブックス	1957/03	—	Short Story Serial
Lion Books (“The Multi-Eyed Devil”)	ライオンブックス	1957/04	1957/05	Short Story Serial
Lion Books (“Skeleton Skipper”)	ライオンブックス	1957/06	—	Short Story Serial
Lion Books (“A Bullet Hole in the Wilderness”)	ライオンブックス	1957/07	—	Short Story Serial
The Earth War	地球大戦	1957/10	1958/07	Ongoing Serial
Manga Junior High School	漫画中学	1957/11	1958/02	Ongoing Serial
Jungle Taro	ジャングルタロ	1958/08	1959/06	Ongoing Serial

*Note: Osamu Tezuka released Tange Sazen: Kenunkonryu as a supplemental insert to the March 1955 issue of Fun Book, but because he was ill at the time, he drew only the cover and eight two-toned pages. The rest was drawn by his assistant under his guidance.

Shonen Book

Series	Japanese Title	Begin	End	Type
S.O.S. from Space	宇宙からのSOS	1962/04	—	Short Story [Back to School Special]
The Shinsengumi	新選組	1963/01	1963/10	Ongoing Serial
Big X	ビッグX	1963/11	1966/02	Ongoing Serial
Flying Ben	フライングベン	1966/02	1967/10	Ongoing Serial
Grand Dolls	グランドール	1968/01	1968/09	Ongoing Serial
Manga College [“Applied Chapter”]	まんが大学	1968/02	—	Short Story [Insert]
Vampires (Part 2)	バンパイヤ II	1968/10	1969/04	Ongoing Serial