For Further Reading About Manga

Below is a list of helpful English-language web resources about manga. I update this page on a regular basis, so suggestions are always welcome!

Articles on Manga

7  Manga Titles Perfect for Any Young Adult Reading List: Author and illustrator Harmony Becker recommends seven titles “that will make you laugh, cry and, above all else, feel that it’s OK to be exactly where you are.”

1000 Years of Pretty Boys: J.R. Brown offers a comprehensive history of the bishonen in Japanese art and literature, from the feudal era to the present day.

Charting the Beginnings: Ryan Holmberg (The Comics Journal) explores the roots of alternative Japanese comics, from the 1950s through the 1970s. The first in an ongoing series at The Comics Journal, “What Was Alternative Manga?” Other articles from this series:

CLAMP MMF: Introduction and CLAMP Directory: Melinda Beasi (Manga Bookshelf) offers a brief history of the four-woman team responsible for writing Cardcaptor Sakura, Kobato, and xxxHolic. The essay also includes a brief but detailed synopsis of every CLAMP titles available in English.

Confessions of a Manga Translator: Prolific translator Zack Davisson (Kitaro, Queen Emeraldas) explains the vital role of translators in adapting manga for English-language readers. Davisson has also written and spoken about Shigeru Mizuki, whose work Davisson has translated into English:

Defining Yuri: A Q&A with Erica Friedman: Manga journalist Brigid Alverson interviews Yuricon founder Erica Friedman about the origins and type of yuri manga, and solicits a few recommendations for readers new to yuri.

Early Manga Days: A Chronology: A list of manga published in the US between 1977 and 1991, arranged chronologically. Ryan Sands (Same Hat!) compiled the initial list and has continued to update it since posting it in February 2010. Also in this series:

Full Circle: The Unofficial History of MixxZine: Adam Arnold (Aoi House, Vampire Cheerleaders) explores the early history of Tokyopop, focusing primarily on Tokyopop’s short-lived MixxZine anthology, home to Ice Blade, Magic Knight Rayearth, Parasyte, and Sailor Moon.

How to Interview Japanese Manga Artists: Tips for Western Journalists: Veteran journalist and reviewer Deb Aoki shares advice for interviewing manga-ka attending American conventions.

Making a Living in Manga: Deb Aoki (About.com) interviews Western artists who are working in the manga publisher field, both in the United States and abroad. Other essays in the series:

Manga in the USA: Anime expert Mike Toole (ANN) discusses the first manga to be translated and published in the United States.

Mangaphobia: Don’t Make Those Eyes at Me!: Author Paul Gravett provides a simple, illustrated rebuttal to the common misperception that manga is a style, not a storytelling medium.

Purity and Power in Magic Knight Rayearth: Scholar Kathryn Hemmann (Contemporary Japanese Literature) examines gender and sexuality in CLAMP’s shojo fantasy Magic Knight Rayearth. Also of interest:

Reading Manga: An overview of the manga publishing industry in the US, compiled by Deb Aoki (About.com). Deb has drafted a variety of introductory articles designed to help new readers find titles that appeal to their sensibilities. Also of interest to new manga readers:

The Ruins of Space Battleship Yamato: An Essay on Matsumoto Leiji and War: An essay exploring the legacy of veteran sci-fi artist Leiji Matsumoto (Space Battleship Yamato, Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999) by Japanese manga critic Natsume Fusanosuke, and translated by Jon Holt and Teppei Fukuda. Other entries in this ongoing series include:

Tones 101: A Primer for Readers and Reviewers: Artist Dee Dupuy, who’s worked with Svetlana Chmakova on Dramacon and Night School, explains the whys and hows of toning. Essential reading for reviewers.

Toren Smith on Manga Censorship: Studio Proteus founder discusses the controversy over modified images in the original Dark Horse edition of Ghost in the Shell. Also of interest to fans of Shirow Masamune:

Visual Languages of Manga and Comics: Writer and comic artist Stephanie Folse compares the visual flow of shonen and shojo manga with American superhero comics.

What’s the Big Deal About Sailor Moon?: ALC founder Erica Friedman discusses the Sailor Moon phenomenon, both in Japan and the United States.

Year 24 Group Wikipedia entry: An introduction to the work and careers of pioneering shojo artists Ryoko Ikeda, Moto Hagio, Keiko Takemiya, and Mineko Yamada. Also of interest:

Forums

Year 24 Group: A fan community hosted by MyAnimeList, dedicated to exploring the work of the Magnificent 49ers (e.g. Yasuko Aoike, Moto Hagio, Ryoko Ikeda, Keiko Takemiya).

Interviews

Interviews with Manga Artists

Interviews with Manga Industry Professionals (Publishers, Translators, etc.)

Websites

Contemporary Japanese Literature: A website exploring manga, fiction, and movies, as well as scholarship about Japanese culture.

Good Comics for Kids: A blog at the School Library Journal that focuses on comics, graphic novels, and manga for readers under the age of 18.

The Graphic Library: Librarian Sara Smith posts weekly reviews of manga and comics for kids, tweens, and teens. Each review includes age guidelines and information about potentially offensive/suggestive content.

Manga Librarian: Ashley Hawkins describes her site as “Japanese anime, manga, and culture for librarians,” offering a helpful mixture of reviews, resources, and terminology.

No Flying, No Tights: A website devoted to manga and comics for younger readers, founded by librarian and former Eisner judge Robin Brenner. Each review includes age guidelines and information about potentially offensive/suggestive content.

Tezuka in English: A comprehensive guide to Osamu Tezuka’s work in English. The site includes extensive summaries of Tezuka’s major work, as well as information about untranslated material. N.B. At the moment, many of the links to the official Tezuka World Web Page are broken.

TezukaOsamu.net: The official English-language website of Tezuka Productions. The site includes summaries of Tezuka’s best-known anime and manga, a biography of Tezuka, an encyclopedia of “representative” characters, and brief samples of manga such as I.L., Jungle Emperor Leo, Princess Knight, and The Three-Eyed One. N.B. Samples are in Japanese.