This October a new guardian of the gate takes their place within the pantheon of two dimensional guardians. Perhaps far too new to be considered deified, the liminal nature of this character and its context lends itself uniquely to the interpretation upon a menshen.
What’s a Menshen?
Menshen, or door gods, are the divine guardians of doors and gates in Chinese folk belief. They are used to protect against evil influences or to encourage the entrance of positive ones. They began as the divine pair Shenshu (神荼) and Yulü (鬱壘) under the Han. Later the deified generals Qin Shubao (秦叔寶) and Yuchi Gong (尉遲恭) would become more popular during the Tang Dynasty. In cases where a door god is affixed to a single door, Wei Zheng or Zhong Kui is commonly used.
This cover is for issue #1 of the 2026 comic Shadow Ghost by Sifu Kurtis Fujita.
The Kickstarter campaign for issues one and two is live and can be supported here.
