Manga A new history of Japanese comics

In this deeply researched yet highly readable volume, Exner (Comics and the Origins of Manga: A Revisionist History), an Eisner Award-winning historian of the graphic narrative, delivers a paradigm-shifting account of the origins and evolution of manga over the past century. While popular narrative holds that modern manga is the direct heir to centuries-old Japanese visual traditions, Exner meticulously traces the development of Japanese comics through Western influence--particularly the introduction of speech balloons and other formal innovations via Western comics in the early 20th century. Drawing on rare archival materials and primary sources, Exner builds a compelling case that manga emerged from a dynamic process of cross-cultural exchange shaped by modernization, literacy reforms, and shifting print technologies. Exner's academic yet accessible prose makes the book suitable for both cultural scholars and general readers with an interest in comics history, media studies, or Japanese culture. Especially notable is his attention to manga's structural development, particularly how serialization in frequently gendered magazines influenced the public's attitude toward the graphic novel and its formal aspects. VERDICT Essential for academics and general audiences with strong interest in comics studies, Japanese culture, or media history.

A fresh history of Japanese comics, from prewar strips to recent international sensations likeAttack on Titan. Simultaneously a record of comics art in Japan and an account of its trailblazing publishing industry, Exner's book traces the initial spark of Japanese cartooning back to the 1890s, when newspapers began syndicating (and at times outright copying) American-made cartoons. Artists soon began their own homespun stories like Yutaka Aso'sEasygoing Daddy and Suiho Tagawa'sNorakuro, and competing magazines vied for their publishing rights. These pre--World War II years proved that comics were a lucrative pursuit, and publishers created omnibus collections that influenced a new generation of creators after the war. Advancements in the entertainment industry directly affected manga's evolution. Exner (Comics and the Origins of Manga, 2021) details the influence of animation on creators likeAstro Boy's Osamu Tezuka, as well as international cinema's effect on '60s- and '70s-era "gekiga" manga for adults. Each evolution saw publishers pivoting to bottle the lightning: Monthly magazines split into parallel publications to separately target both boys and girls, and nimble distribution led to books being available in toy stores and, for a time, even as rentals. Exner follows these developments through manga's break into the U.S. industry in the '90s and ends on the game-changing precipice of today's trends in digital publication. Despite its far-reaching scope,Manga's discussion of form and technique is limited: Exner returns to the abstruse term "transdiegetic" to describe comics "in light of their function of translating certain phenomena in the diegesis (story world), such as motion, sound, and pain, into a different form to make them perceptible to the reader." This description, repeated throughout the volume, feels like a tiring effort to prepare the reader for a classroom quiz. Despite a narrow technical approach, Exner remains a passionate historian and has crafted a record that finely pinpoints major cultural touchstones while incorporating lesser-known titles that will thrill more seasoned readers. An exciting, illuminating history that will inspire fans to explore the classics. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.