Sanmao (comics)


Sanmao is a manhua character created by Zhang Leping in 1935. He is one of the world's longest running cartoon characters and remains a landmark as one of the most famous and beloved fictional characters in China today.
The name Sanmao means "three hairs" in Chinese, or "thirty cents". While the character has undergone a number of transitions over time, he has always been drawn with the trademark three strands of hair, which implies malnutrition as a result of poverty.

History

Most Chinese comic books prior to Sanmao featured adults and the Sanmao stories were also unusual in that they lacked dialogue and could therefore be classified as pantomime comics. When Zhang Leping created the manhua comic series, his main goal was to dramatize the confusion brought about to society by the Second Sino-Japanese War. He wanted to express his concern for the young victims of the war, particularly the orphans living on the streets. Most of the changes in the characters would come after World War II during the liberation in 1949.
Sanmao's image has also been evolving throughout time, and in some modern continuation of the comics, he is depicted as a healthy, normal student. The character has also been portrayed as living through some of the most important periods in Chinese history and to futuristic space explorations.

Story

The comic takes place mainly during the 1930s and early 1940s and is set in Old Shanghai in its "golden era". Sanmao lived mostly in misery and stark poverty against a backdrop of war, colonization, and inflation.

Adaptations

The character made his first appearance in Comic and was later adapted into different formats.
Chinese NameEnglish NameYearTypeLocationStudio
三毛欢乐派2006Online gameChina-
三毛流浪记Wanderings of Sanmao2006CartoonChina
Thailand		Shanghai Animation Film Studio
三毛从军记2005Stage TheatreChina-
虚拟导游三毛20053DChina-
三毛救孤记2004MovieChina-
三毛太空漫游2000TheatricalHong Kong-
三毛新传1999TV Soap SeriesChina-
三毛流浪记Adventures of Sanmao1997Stage TheatreHong Kong-
三毛流浪记Adventures of Sanmao1996
1998		TV Soap SeriesChina
Thailand		Shanghai Film Studio
三毛从军记1992MovieChina-
三毛流浪记Adventures of Sanmao1990DramaChina-
三毛流浪记Adventures of Sanmao1984CartoonChina-
三毛学生意1958MovieChina-
三毛流浪记Adventures of Sanmao1958Puppet FilmChina-
三毛流浪记The Adventures of Sanmao the Waif1949Live-action filmChinaKunlun Film Company

Influence