Manga

A wide-ranging introductory guide for readers making their first steps into the world of manga, this book helps readers explore the full range of Japanese comic styles, forms and traditions from its earliest texts to the internationally popular comics of the 21st century.
In an accessible and easy-to-navigate format, the book covers:
· The history of Japanese comics, from influences in early visual culture to the global 'Manga Boom' of the 1990s to the present
· Case studies of texts reflecting the range of themes, genres, forms and creators, including Osamu Tezuka, Machiko Hasegawa and Katsuhiro Otomo
· Key themes and contexts - from gender and sexuality, to history and censorship
· Critical approaches to manga, including definitions, biography and reception and global publishing contexts
The book includes a bibliography of essential critical writing on manga, discussion questions for classroom use and a glossary of key critical terms.

Shige (CJ) Suzuki is Assistant Professor of Modern Languages and Comparative Literature at Baruch College, City University of New York, USA.
Ronald Stewart is Professor at Daito Bunka University, Japan. He has published widely on comics and Manga, including as a columnist for Japan's largest national newspaper, the Yomiuri Shinbun.

Series Editor's Preface
List of Figures
Acknowledgements
Notes on Japanese Names and Terms

1. Introduction
2. Historical Overview
Part I: The Emergence of Manga to 1945
The Problem of Start Points and Definitions
Manga's Emergence in Modern Periodical Print Media
Towards Character-Driven Narratives and a Profession
Children's Manga Growth, Media Interplay, and the Dark Valley of War
Part II: 1945 to the Present
From Ashes and Ruins
Expanding and Diversifying Readerships
Manga Goes Mainstream
After the Death of "God"
3. Social and Cultural Impact
Controversy and Censorship
Gender and Sexuality
Historical Representation
Media Mix and Dojinshi Participatory Culture
Cultural Status and Institutions
4. Critical Uses
Bounds of Manga
Formal and Visual Analysis
Biographical Approaches
Gender and Sexuality Studies Approaches
Historical Questions and Historical Representation
5. Key Texts

Appendix:
Glossary
List of Museums
Resources
Index