Barefoot Gen 1

Barefoot Gen is the powerful, tragic, autobiographical story of the bombing of Hiroshima and its aftermath, seen through the eyes of the artist as a young boy growing up in Japan. The author survived the atomic bomb, and bears witness to this tragic event. Nakazawa's honest portrayal of emotions and experiences speaks to children and adults everywhere. Barefoot Gen serves as a reminder of the suffering war brings to innocent people, and as a unique documentation of an especially horrible source of suffering, the atomic bomb.
Cartoonist Keiji Nakazawa was six years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on his hometown of Hiroshima. Shielded by a stone wall, he miraculously survived the blast. In this illustrated memoir, Nakazawa recounts his wartime childhood, his experience surviving the atomic bomb, and how the effects reverberated throughout his life. Compelled to tell his story in the memory of his family, Nakazawa turned to comics, penning his epic graphic novel series, Barefoot Gen: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima.

This is part one of a new, five-part edition. The new edition features all new lettering throughout as well as four pages in color for the first time. This edition collects the first two volumes of the series: Barefoot Gen: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima and Barefoot Gen: The Day After.

Author: Keiji Nakazawa
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Last Gasp
Published: 05/15/2026
Series: Barefoot Gen #1
Pages: 572
Weight: 2.5lbs
Size: 8.50h x 6.00w x 2.50d
ISBN: 9780867199512
3rd Revised Edition

About The Author
Nakazawa, Keiji: - Keiji Nakazawa was born in Hiroshima, and was six years old when the city was destroyed by an atomic bomb in 1945. Keiji Nakazawa penned numerous comics during his long career as a cartoonist. He is best known for his series Barefoot Gen. Nakazawa retired from cartooning in 2009. He continued to lecture throughout Japan about the experience of atomic bomb victims, until his death in Hiroshima in 2012, at age 73. Nakazawa was posthumously inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame in 2024. He is survived by his wife, daughter, and grandchildren.Spiegelman, Art: - Art Spiegelman is one of the most celebrated names in contemporary comics, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning two-part autobiographical graphic novel Maus (1986, 1991), an exploration of his difficult relationship with his father, an Auschwitz survivor. The deeply moving story is considered by many as a masterpiece and a milestone in the history of comics. Spiegelman was co-editor, creator and cartoonist in the anthology comics Arcade (1975-1976, with Bill Griffith) and Raw (1980-1991), with wife Françoise Mouly, and he produced material for The New Yorker magazine for over a decade. Spiegelman's influential comics and books feature experimentation with content, lay-out and narrative style, and do not shy away from controversial topics. He is a prominent spokesman for the medium of comics, discussing its history in lectures, essays and books.Telgemeier, Raina: - Raina Telgemeier is the author and illustrator of the graphic novels Smile, Drama, Sisters, Ghosts, and Guts, all #1 New York Times bestsellers. She also adapted and illustrated four graphic novel versions of Ann M. Martin's Baby-Sitters Club series, and has contributed short stories to many anthologies. Raina's accolades include six Eisner Awards, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, a Stonewall Honor, and many Best-of and Notables lists. Raina lives and works in San Francisco, California.