Comics and the Origins of Manga: A Revisionist History

Discover the untold story behind the global sensation of Japanese comics with our award-winning book, Comics and the Origins of Manga. This 2022 Eisner Award winner for Best Academic/Scholarly Work dives deep into the fascinating history of manga, challenging preconceived notions and shedding light on its intertwined relationship with Western technology and popular culture in early 20th century Japan.

Unlike conventional beliefs, manga is not an exotic antithesis to American and European comics. In fact, Comics and the Origins of Manga reveals how popular U.S. comic characters captivated Japanese readers during the 1920s and 1930s. Characters like Jiggs and Maggie, the Katzenjammer Kids, Felix the Cat, and Popeye achieved immense fame, setting the stage for the future of manga.

As new technologies revolutionized visual storytelling in the United States, manga enthusiasts in Japan eagerly adopted and adapted these innovations. The spread of audiovisual entertainment, such as movies and record players, created the perfect environment for comics to flourish. Speed lines, speech balloons, and other visual storytelling devices found their way into Japanese art, ultimately shaping manga as we know it today.

At Comics and the Origins of Manga, we're breaking free from the traditional narrative that manga evolved independently from centuries of prior Japanese art. We believe in offering a fresh perspective and showcasing how manga and comics worldwide share a common origin story. By unraveling the historical backdrop, our book provides a new understanding of this influential art form that continues to dominate the global arena.

Are you ready to embark on a journey through the revisionist history of manga? Don't miss out on grabbing your copy of Comics and the Origins of Manga today!

Click here to secure your copy and delve into the captivating world of manga like never before.