Wan brothers

This is the earliest known photo of 3 of the Wan brothers: Laiming, GuChan and ChaoChen. The pamphlet is made after 1941, since the cartoon character on the front is from Princess Iron Fan. They are promoted as 卡通作家 or "Cartoon Creators"

The Wan Brothers (Chinese: 萬氏兄弟) were born in the early 20th century in Nanjing, China. They became the founders and pioneers of the Chinese animation industry and made the first Asian animation feature-length film, Princess Iron Fan in 1941.

Background

The era in which the Wan brothers operated was a very challenging one for building an industry. China would endure the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II and the Cultural Revolution. They also made the famous cartoon animation, Havoc in Heaven.

The brothers

Parents

Their father was in the silk business. Their mother was a seamstress.

See also

• Chinese Animation
• History of Chinese Animation