From Nanjing to Shanghai: The Making of an Animation Pioneer

Born on January 18, 1900, in Nanjing, Wan Laiming (originally named Wan Jiazong) grew up in a merchant family surrounded by art. His father sold silk fabrics adorned with intricate patterns, while his mother excelled in embroidery and paper-cutting. These early influences shaped Wan’s passion for drawing and shadow puppetry—a fascination that would define his life’s work.

Despite struggling in traditional schooling, Wan’s artistic talent shone. A pivotal moment came when he sketched his strict teacher’s portrait during class, earning rare praise instead of punishment. By 1917, he secured a role as a draftsman at Nanjing Higher Normal School, where educator Tao Xingzhi mentored him, instilling a sense of national pride.

In 1919, Wan joined Shanghai’s Commercial Press as an illustrator. His satirical cartoon Driving Away Mosquitoes, published in World Pictorial, caught the eye of editor Zhang Guangyu—a meeting that would later reshape Chinese animation.

The Birth of Wan Brothers Animation

The 1920s introduced Wan to Disney’s animated films, sparking an audacious idea: China needed its own cartoons. Teaming with his brothers—Wan Guchan, Wan Chaochen, and Wan Dihuan (collectively known as the Wan Brothers)—he transformed a Shanghai shikumen apartment into a makeshift studio. With a secondhand French camera and relentless experimentation, they produced Shuzhendong Chinese Typewriter (1926), China’s first animated advertisement, followed by The Chaos in the Studio (1926), the nation’s inaugural animated short.

Their work soon took on political urgency. During the Japanese invasion, the Wan Brothers created anti-war films like Awaken, Compatriots! (1931) and Loyalty and Unity (1934), the latter being China’s first sound animation.

Princess Iron Fan: A Milestone Amidst War

In 1941, the Wan Brothers released Princess Iron Fan, Asia’s first animated feature and the world’s fourth after Disney’s Snow White. Adapted from Journey to the West, the film’s tale of unity against the demonic Bull King resonated with wartime audiences. A deleted finale caption—“The masses must rise for final victory!”—hinted at its anti-Japanese subtext.

The film’s influence reached Japan, inspiring a young Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy’s creator) to pursue animation. Decades later, Tezuka credited Wan: “Your work set me on this path.”

Havoc in Heaven: A Masterpiece Forged in Adversity

Wan’s lifelong dream—a Journey to the West epic—faced false starts until 1961, when Shanghai Animation Film Studio greenlit Havoc in Heaven. With Zhang Guangyu designing characters and Peking Opera consultants refining movements, the team hand-drew over 10,000 frames. The result was revolutionary:

– Sun Wukong’s Design: Animator Yan Dingxian merged Peking Opera aesthetics with dynamic vitality, creating the definitive Monkey King.
– Cultural Details: From Dunhuang-inspired “Seven Fairies” to jade-cloud backdrops, every frame celebrated Chinese heritage.
– Global Acclaim: Premiering in 1961 (Part I) and 1964 (Part II), the film won awards from London to Paris. Le Monde hailed it as “superior to Disney in artistic tradition.”

Yet triumph turned to tragedy during the Cultural Revolution. Wan was branded a “reactionary,” and Havoc in Heaven was banned for allegedly mocking Mao (via the Jade Emperor’s beard). Original artwork was destroyed.

Legacy: A Phoenix from the Ashes

Post-1976, Havoc in Heaven reemerged, enchanting new generations. Its DNA lives on in Hayao Miyazaki’s films and French director Jacques-Rémy Girerd’s works. On YouTube, viewers still marvel: “How was this made in the 1960s?!”

Wan, who passed away in 1997, rests under a tombstone etched with film reels and Sun Wukong. His epitaph? A quiet defiance: like his Monkey King, he too emerged unbroken from the furnace.

Today, as China’s animation industry surges, Wan’s legacy endures—a testament to art’s power to transcend politics and time.