Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics
By Paul Gravett
Printed in 2004
·
The book notably tackles the stereotype that
manga is science fiction stories made for little boys full of action where
manga, like other media, is a diverse genre that is not so easily defined by
one term.
·
They note that American comics did influence the
publication style of manga significantly and as such much after comics fell
from the popularity of America it is still strong in Japan.
·
Printed blocks is in itself a form of manga
printing but this is minute compared to the influence American comics have in
manga.
·
In the Japanese education system, they do indeed
teach manga as an art form but at best it is a footnote in the history of Japan
and claims that Japanese block art is the complete influence of how manga came
to be.
·
Unlike American comics, which require lots of
colors and its own expensive print method, Japanese manga is noted for being
printed in a cheap giant book weekly or monthly subscription form that is to be
discarded unless someone wants to own a specific series, which in that case
they are to buy a trade paperback of a specific series.
·
The book talks about how manga is creator owned
in most cases, so once a writer-artist dies his work also goes with him.
However, this allows more creative freedom for the artists and their assistants
who help him ink, draw backgrounds, etc. However, given how editors still play
a major role in the manga industry some series seem to last much longer than
their initial stay in my opinion (like Bleach and its current forced
longevity).
·
Early manga before Tezuka show more styles akin
to American style as opposed to “big eyed” styles that we are accustomed to in
manga today.
·
While American comics are usually sold in
specialty stores today due to the lack of drive for everyday people to continue
to read three dollar issue comics, manga in Japan are sold in most any market
or common grocery store: showing that the livelihood of manga is much stronger
than its American counterparts.
·
Digital distribution is a key part of American comics
today, but given that Americans need to go to specialty stores today to look
for comics this may be why digital distribution is key in the States. In Japan,
however, digital distribution is not yet implemented in the norm due to the
success of print already in the local Japan.
·
Much like American comics creators today, manga
studios can range from a location studio where people have an art desk to just
having a really messy art room in one’s apartment.
·
Manga as we know it today stems from what
influences Tezuka gave, but also from many lesser known comics creators before
Tezuka’s time: like the creators of Sergeant Norakuro.
·
Overall,
this was quite an informative book and I enjoyed reading it.
Bibliography:
Gravett, Paul. Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese
Comics. London: Laurence King, 2004. Print.
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