Adventures of Sanmao

While the character has undergone a number of transitions over time, he has always been drawn with the trademark three strands of hair, which implies malnutrition as a result of poverty.

• Title — Sanmao • Author — Zhang Leping • First — 1935 • Genre — manhua, pantomime comic, gag-a-day

• Illustration — A statue of Sanmao in Shanghai honoring his role as the mascot of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Most Chinese comic books prior to Sanmao featured adults and the Sanmao stories were also unusual in that they lacked dialogue and could therefore be classified as pantomime comics. When Zhang Leping created the manhua comic series, his main goal was to dramatize the confusion brought about to society by the Second Sino-Japanese War. He wanted to express his concern for the young victims of the war, particularly the orphans living on the streets. Most of the changes in the characters would come after World War II during the liberation in 1949. Sanmao's image has evolved throughout time and in some modern continuation of the comics, he is depicted as a healthy, normal student. The character has also been portrayed as living through some of the most important periods in Chinese history and during futuristic space explorations. Sanmao was chosen as the mascot of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games, which were held in Shanghai.

• Illustration — Adventures of Sanmao, 1958 animated film The character made his first appearance in comics and was later adapted into different formats. • Chinese title — English title — Year — Type — Location — Studio • 三毛欢乐派 — 2006 — Online game — China • 三毛流浪记 — Wanderings of Sanmao — 2006 — Cartoon — China Thailand — Shanghai Animation Film Studio • 三毛从军记 — 2005 — Stage production — China • 虚拟导游三毛 — 2005 — 3D — China • 三毛救孤记 — 2004 — Film — China • 三毛太空漫游 — 2000 — Theatrical — Hong Kong • 三毛新传 — 1999 — TV series — China • 三毛流浪记 — Adventures of Sanmao — 1997 — Stage production — Hong Kong • 三毛流浪记 — Adventures of Sanmao — 1996 1998 — TV series — China Thailand — Shanghai Film Studio • 三毛从军记 — San Mao Joins the Army — 1992 — Film — China • 三毛流浪记 — Adventures of Sanmao — 1990 — Drama — China • 三毛流浪记 — Adventures of Sanmao — 1984 — Cartoon — China • 三毛学生意 — 1958 — Film — China • 三毛流浪记 — Adventures of Sanmao — 1958 — Animated film — China • 三毛流浪记 — The Adventures of Sanmao the Waif — 1949 — Live-action film — China — Kunlun Film Company