Seiichi Hayashi (Japanese: 林静一, Hepburn: Hayashi Seiichi, born 7 March 1945) is a Japanese manga artist, animator and illustrator.

Seiichi Hayashi
林静一
Born (1945-03-07) March 7, 1945 (age 79)
NationalityJapanese
CitizenshipJapanese
Occupation(s)Manga artist, animator and illustrator
Years active1962–present
Known forRed Colored Elegy

Career and legacy

edit

Hayashi was born in Mukden, Manchuria in Japanese-occupied Manchuria.[1][2]

Hayashi attended a design school in Yoyogi, where he learned creating work reminiscent of International Typographic Style. He started his career in 1962 in animation by working for Toei Animation.[2] He was involved in founding the animation studio Knack Productions in 1967.

From 1967 on, he published manga in the alternative manga magazine Garo, which stayed his main outlet for publishing manga. His breakthrough came in 1970 with the manga Red Colored Elegy about the break-up of an unmarried couple. The singer Morio Agata named a popular song of his after the manga.[1]

He became an important figure in the 1960s and 1970s avant-garde arts scene of Tokyo. He is cited with bringing pop art into manga.[2] Apart from manga, he is also known as a designer and illustrator.[3] He designed the packaging of the candy drops Lotte Koume, which came on the market in 1974.[4] He is famous for depicting women in a style similar to Yumeji Takehisa.[5] Film director Seijun Suzuki was a major inspiration for his work.[6]

Hayao Miyazaki names Hayashi as an influence on his work.[3]

Works

edit
  • Red Colored Elegy (赤色エレジー, Sekishoku Erejii, 1970-1971)
  • Red Red Rock and Other Stories
  • Gold Pollen and Other Stories

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Saru Gallery - Prints by Seiichi Hayashi (1945 - )". www.sarugallery.com. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  2. ^ a b c Holmberg, Ryan (2015-12-16). "A Vogue for I Don't Get It: Hayashi Seiichi vs. Sasaki Maki, 1967-69". The Comics Journal. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  3. ^ a b "Seiichi Hayashi - Ryan Holmberg, Seiichi Hayashi - McNally Robinson Booksellers". www.mcnallyrobinson.com. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  4. ^ "Artist talk: Seiichi Hayashi in conversation with Ryan Holmberg - Talk at The Japan Foundation in London". ArtRabbit. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  5. ^ Goodman, David (1999). Angura: Posters of the Japanese Avant-Garde. p. 85.
  6. ^ Holmberg, Ryan (2016-01-20). "Singing Our Own Song: Hayashi Seiichi vs. Sasaki Maki, 1969". The Comics Journal. Retrieved 2021-12-20.