The Carnegie Mellon University Department of Modern Languages presents Dr. Jon Holt and his talk "Doraemon Matters: How the Manga Robot Cat from the Future Lives on in Japan Today" on September 19.
Who is Doraemon? Where did he come from? Why does he still remain popular in Japan and in Asia? Dr. Jon Holt (Portland State University) explores the blue robot cat's multiple manga origins as he went on to become one of Japan's most beloved characters even today. He started in children's manga (comic books) but he was very much from the master mold of gag manga at a time when the Japanese comics industry was far, far too serious with its mature and male-youth manga--the gekiga movement--that dominated the market from the 1960s through the 1970s. Doraemon is more than a pop icon, he is a harbinger of Japan's future from its future.The talk runs from 6:00 to 7:00 pm in Posner Hall 340 (map).
Jon Holt is Professor of Japanese at Portland State University. His research interests include modern Japanese poetry, Japanese Buddhism, and manga. He recently published “Type Five and Beyond: Tools to Teach Manga in the College Classroom” in Exploring Comics and Graphic Novels in the Classroom (IGI Global, 2022). He has published numerous translations in English of essays on manga by Natsume Fusanosuke in journals, such as The Comics Journal, INKS, ImageTexT, Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies, International Journal of Comic Art, and U.S.-Japan Women’s Journal.