About Manga

In Japan, manga are widely read by people of all ages,[2] and include a broad range of subjects: action-adventure, romance, sports and games, historical drama, comedy, science fiction and fantasy, mystery, horror, sexuality, and business and commerce, among others.[2] Since the 1950s, manga have steadily become a major part of the Japanese publishing industry,[4][8] representing a 481 billion yen market in Japan in 2006[9] (approximately $4.4 billion dollars).[10] Manga have also become increasingly popular worldwide.[11][12] In 2006, the United States manga market was $175–200 million.[13] Manga are typically printed in black-and-white,[14] although some full-color manga exist (e.g. Colorful manga, not the anime series).[15] In Japan, manga are usually serialized in telephone book-size manga magazines, often containing many stories each presented in a single episode to be continued in the next issue.[2][7] If the series is successful, collected chapters may be republished in paperback books called tankōbon.[2][7] A manga artist (mangaka in Japanese) typically works with a few assistants in a small studio and is associated with a creative editor from a commercial publishing company.[4] If a manga series is popular enough, it may be animated after or even during its run,[16] although sometimes manga are drawn centering on previously existing live-action or animated films[17] (e.g. Star Wars).[18]

Manga as a term outside of Japan refers specifically to comics originally published in Japan.[19] However, manga and manga-influenced comics, among original works, exist in other parts of the world, particularly in Taiwan (”manhua“), South Korea (”manhwa“)[20][21], and the People’s Republic of China, notably Hong Kong (”manhua“).[22] In France, “la nouvelle manga” is a form of bande dessinée drawn in styles influenced by Japanese manga.[23] In the U.S., manga-like comics are called Amerimanga, world manga, or original English-language manga (OEL manga).[24]