Interest

Japanese Animators Participate in Charity Art Book Project

Seventy-one illustrators, animators, and comic book artists from around the world contributed artwork to the Sketchtravel art book project to benefit the international literacy non-profit organization Room to Read. Japanese animator Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi and French illustrator Gerald Guerlais initiated the project, and the auction of the original art book will take place in Brussels, Belgium on October 17.

Artists drew a piece of artwork in the book and passed it on to the next artist over a four-and-a-half year period beginning in September 2006. The 120-page sketchbook traveled through 12 countries including Japan in that time. Japanese animators and manga artists who contributed to the book include:

• Atsuko Fukushima (Kiki's Delivery Service, Akira, Magnetic Rose)
• Taiyo Matsumoto (Tekkonkinkreet, Ping Pong, No. 5)
• Kōji Morimoto (Fist of the North Star, Comedy, The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?)
• Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away)
• Katsuya Terada (Blood: The Last Vampire, Monkey King, Silk Road Kids)
• Daisuke Tsutsumi (Toy Story 3, Ice Age)

All proceeds and royalties from the auction will be donated to Room to Read, which focuses on literacy and gender equality in education for children in developing countries. Tsutsumi's previous charitable collaborations include the Totoro Forest Project and Artists Help Japan events.

A published version of the book will go on sale in France on October 5.

[Via Catsuka]