Ukiyoe Heroes 'Henry Manga'

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this only by subscription? Can't I buy just the images I like?
The Henry Manga - as with all our subscription sets - is only available as a complete series. Our larger Ukiyoe Heroes are available for purchase one-by-one ...
I missed the beginning of the series. If I start now, can I still get them?
Everybody gets them! When you start a subscription, it always starts with Page #1. You then go from there one by one until you get to the end, with Page #12 ...　If you take a look at the form on the subscription page you will see a place where you can choose your 'catchup' option. You can either: 1) start back at the beginning with the first one, and go monthly from there, not worrying about being 'behind' everybody else. 2) start back at the beginning with the first one, and take two each month, so that you will eventually catch up. 3) take everything made to date in one gulp, and then go monthly from there ...
How long will this run?
Your subscription just lasts for one year, and then automatically expires. As for the Henry Manga concept itself, who knows ... as we get near the end of the year, we'll play it by ear; if there is more interest we'll continue (and ask people if they - optionally - would like to stay with us). Perhaps the theme might morph a bit into something related, or perhaps we'll see the same characters coming back for further development and story-telling. At this point, no idea.
Is there any difference between the single sheet prints and the book versions?
Both versions will be printed from the same blocks, with the same colouring. The single sheet monthly versions will be printed from a single set of blocks (in the usual way) but the book versions will be printed from two sets of blocks paired-up on the printer's workbench. Those double pages will later be folded and sewn into the book form.
The 'extra' keyblock versions that will be sent monthly to people who have selected the Book option will be printed from the same keyblock of course, but will not receive the colours.
Are these prints multi-coloured, like the Portraits prints?
We are planning to use four woodblocks for each page of the series: a keyblock printed in light sumi ink, accompanied by three 'tint' blocks (probably light pink, pale grey, and darker grey). This is the colour palette used for many books back in the Edo-era, including of course the original Hokusai Manga. You won't see the range of bright colours that was present in the Portraits series ...
$35 seems pretty cheap - are these really handmade woodblock prints?
You bet. Each print is carved on cherryblocks (a key block and accompanying set of colour blocks) and then printed by hand by Dave and his staff on the type of washi known as Echizen hosho. This is one of the finest papers available here in Japan, and these prints will last for literally (real literally!) hundreds of years. For a sample, here are images of two of the blocks for the first print in the 2014 Portraits series:


Back on the front page of the Chibi Heroes website from a couple of years back, you can see a video of some of those prints being made, start to finish, and over on Dave's YouTube channel, there are lots of videos showing him at work on the Heroes prints.
Are gift subscriptions available?
This is no problem at all. We can send the invoice information to you, and the prints themselves to somebody else. Just let us know the two names/addresses in the Comments section when you send in the subscription form. (And we can of course print out and include a letter/message from you in the first package, letting the recipient know what is going on.)
Are you going to use current Japanese commemorative stamps when you ship the prints, the way you do with your other print subscriptions?
Of course! I've learned over the years that this is a big attraction for my collectors - at the same time that they build their print collection, they are adding to their (or their nephew's) stamp collection too!