What the hell is Manhua?

 

Back in 1988 I was at Magnolia Jr High. And my best friend was excitedly telling me about this "Japanese" comic he had found the previous weekend at Waldens Books in the  nearby mall. The  way he was describing  it  I just figured he was making stuff up. Out of his book bag he pulled a copy of the above pictured comic. Jademan Kung Fu Special #1 a full color 64 page comic. Once I was home from  school I started bugging  my  mom to drive me  to the mall to get a copy.  Now at the time I like my buddy just assumed this was more Japanese comics. And unlike say Mai the Psychic Girl this was in color. 

Few days later I went  got  my own  copy. Wasn't happy with the high cover price. But the next day at school a kid  paid me 2  bucks for the poster that  was  inside the comic. A poster of  The Stan Lee  of Hong Kong Comics Tony Wong standing in front of a red Ferrarri. I must have read that Special 20 times  that month. Eagerly awaiting the 4 monthly titles from Jademan. And then they never appeared. Never saw them  at Waldens.  Never saw them  at Gulf Coast Comix in Biloxi and never saw them at Sincere Comics in Mobile Al. For years I just assumed that Kung Fu Special is all that came out.

Skip ahead decades. I had forgotten about Jademan  and the Kung  Fu Special. Right around the  time  I got back in touch with the friend  that  showed me his copy ,the Cartoonist Kayfabe Youtube channel  did an episode on Kung Fu Special  #1. And I learned that  it was Chinese comics aka Manhua. And  there was a pile of these  issues.  

Off I went to the  online branch of Lone Star Comics.  Bought the Kung  Fu Special. Loved  it and since  then  when I find them  cheap I buy any comic Jademan put out.

Cause even now there isn't another company that has the combo of great art plus extra long books with some of  the best coloring  I have seen. 

Also learned that while  that Kung Fu Special was nothing but action  comics  Jademan  branched  out. I now have a few issues of their  horror anthology series. Plus all three issues of Jademan Comics,a anthology series that has 6 to 10 page stories  of all genres.

Doing  some research seems  I am not  the only  person  that got that Kung Fu Special and was hooked. A quick Google search  led  me to  a blog with  scans of all 55 issues of Oriental  Heroes. Plus the various online comic shops have  issues for cover price or cheaper if you  dont require Minty Mint copies.