Gold Pollen and Other Stories

I lucked into hearing about this book. Hayashi was a comic artist in the 1960s, but there is a feeling that he was making comics as art. There is something unmarketable about what he is doing here. At the same time, he was doing poster design, and there are some stories in here that use flat colours that reflect that influence. This is definitely "art comics," a good 20 years before that idea fully formed in America.If you like the work of a gekiga artist like Yoshihiro Tatsumi, this book is a must have. As the publisher, Picturebox, closed shop a few years back, best to get your copy sooner rather than later.

Bottom Line First:Seiichi Hayashi was a very respected artist of the 1960’s and 1970’ Manga scene. His work was considered experimental and well in the forefront of this field. This collection published under the name of one of his pieces, Gold Pollen is a sampling of some of his best regarded pieces. These are not so much graphic novels as partially novelized drawings. Hayashi experiences with his mother insure an emotional intensity to every panel was well as a lingering sadness. Other themes draw from the mythical characters and minor demons of earlier Japanese mythology. Unless you are well informed on the artist, Japanese Mythology and experimental Manga, Golden Pollen will be a test of your artistic sensibilities. The right person will love this book, many others will be confused by it.Unless you know this art from and this artist, the introductory auto bio and essays will be essential your understanding of the pages. Each selection is more of a muti-paneled art show than anything like a novel. Themes, like the crying woman and the origami cranes are not incidental images. They speak directly to the Hayashi mother, her metal issues and the mixed feeling of the son who had to deal with near poverty and his only parent’s problems.By the 1960, Japan culture was crossing from its recent dominance by all things American, challenging its vision of America with its feelings about the Viet Man War. The art of this period questions not just America but how to fit ancient Japanese mythology, for example the Mountain Hag and her demon/hero son into its more modern society.For me, Golden Pollen works as a display of highly stylized and creative visual art. Story lines worked only to the extent that the essays informed the text. The images span a variety of emotions, politics and level of esthetic enjoyment. I cannot say that the textual portion of these drawings had near the same positive effect. A reader with a greater understanding of the artist, the conventions of 1970’s Manga would know what to expect. An outsider coming in with no preparation may leave this book dazed and confused.