Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives / Edition 1

by Toni Johnson-Woods

Overview

Once upon a time, one had to read Japanese in order to enjoy manga. Today manga has become a global phenomenon, attracting audiences in North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia. The style has become so popular, in fact, that in the US and UK publishers are appropriating the manga style in a variety of print material, resulting in the birth of harlequin mangas which combine popular romance fiction titles with manga aesthetics. Comic publishers such as Dark Horse and DC Comics are translating Japanese "classics", like Akira, into English. And of course it wasn't long before Shakespeare received the manga treatment. So what is manga?
Manga roughly translates as "whimsical pictures" and its long history can be traced all the way back to picture books of eighteenth century Japan. Today, it comes in two basic forms: anthology magazines (such as Shukan Shonen Jampu) that contain several serials and manga 'books' (tankobon) that collect long-running serials from the anthologies and reprint them in one volume. The anthologies contain several serials, generally appear weekly and are so thick, up to 800 pages, that they are colloquially known as phone books. Sold at newspaper stands and in convenience stores, they often attract crowds of people who gather to read their favorite magazine.


Containing sections addressing the manga industry on an international scale, the different genres, formats and artists, as well the fans themselves, Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives is an important collection of essays by an international cast of scholars, experts, and fans, and provides a one-stop resource for all those who want to learn more about manga, as well as for anybody teaching a course on the subject.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826429384
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/15/2010
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Toni Johnson-Woods is President of the Pop Culture Association of Australia (PopCANNZ) and Senior Lecturer in the English, Media Studies and Art History School at the University of Queensland.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Section One: The Industry The History of Manga - Jean-Marie Bouissou Manga in Asia - John A. Lent Manga in Europe - Paul M. Malone Understanding Manga Merchandising: An Australian Case Study - Jason Bainbridge and Craig Norris Shakespeare as Manga - Emma Hayley Globalizing from Japan to Hong Kong and Beyond - Wendy Siuyi Wong Manga and the Critics - Toni Johnson-Woods
Section Two: The Genres & Formats & Artists Overview of Manga Genres - Mio Bryce and Jason Davis Ryori Manga - Lorie Brau Shojo Manga at Home and Abroad - Jennifer Prough
Beautiful Boys in Japanese Women's Comics - Mark McClelland
Meanings of Manga - Neil Cohn The Aesthetics of Manga - Christopher Couch Visual Representations and Manga - Craig Norris A Look at Takahashi Rumiko, Watase Yu, Shinohara Chie, Hikawa Kyoko, Itsuki Natsumi - Mio Bryce Osamu Tezuka and Family: Early Pioneers of Manga - Wendy Goldberg Miuchi Suzue and Intertextuality - Rebecca Suter Miyasaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: Manga into Anime and Its Reception - Marc HairstonSection Three: The Fans Fandom in Germany, Italy and France - Bouissou, Pellitteri and Dolle-Weinkauff Scanlation - James Rampant American Otaku and the Search for the Authentic Text - Stacy Rue
Conclusion