Japanese Comics (Manga) vs American Comics

Ever since the American comic strip was introduced to Japan in the early 1900s, Japanese and American comics have shared common traits. Japanese comics evolved into a new form called manga with notable differences that make it into a markedly different product. Some of these differences are more immediately recognizable to readers who have looked at both American and manga magazines. Two of these differences are length and coloring.¹ American comics are usually printed in full color, whereas manga is more often printed in monochrome.

As for length, the typical serialized American comic is about thirty-two pages long, whereas a manga magazine's page count can range in the hundreds of pages in length.¹ One of the reasons for this is that manga magazines serialize multiple stories within one issue; compared to one issue of an American comic usually following only a single story. The variation in form is due in part to the difference between how the two are made. There is a major difference in the staffing situations in both industries. American comics tend to take on a more assembly line approach¹ with separate individuals assigned to penciling, inking, lettering, coloring and writing. Occasionally western comics even have specific artists or teams of artists hired only to do the issue's cover. However, the manga industry tends to have all of the artwork and writing done by a single creator¹, though it has become more commonplace for a mangaka to have a crew that may help with tasks such as doing the backgrounds or applying screentones in order to meet deadlines.

Price

Another difference is pricing. As of 2009, America's Marvel comics started raising their prices up to $3.99 per 32-page issue on some of their best selling series, and they slowly spread that price increase to some of their other series.² DC was not slow to follow suit, adding additional content to the series they chose to raise in price.³ In comparison, Shonen Jump, a Japanese 100-plus page shonen manga magazine, sells for $4.99.⁴ The reason for difference in price is that manga magazine companies are able to print on a cheaper per-page scale because they are not intended to last long. They are printed on low-quality recycled paper that are often tossed in the trash or recycled after they are read.⁵

There are sometimes exceptions to the rule, such as Stigma by mangaka Kazuya Minekurah which is presented in full color⁶ and U.S. publishers such as SLG Publishing, who release most of their comics in black and white.

Availability

Ubiquity is the word Wired uses to describe the intricacies of Manga in Japanese culture. Weekly Shonen Magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, Young King Ours and Shojo Comic are just a few of the most popular Manga that can be found on virtually every magazine stand in Japan (Kiosuku).⁸ It is hard to walk anywhere on a crowded street in Japan and not find a magazine stand selling various manga. This is not the case in America. Graphic novels can be purchased at practically any bookstore, but a buyer will be hard pressed to buy individual American comic book issues outside of comic book stores.

Continuity

A difference in storytelling is the concept American "Universes." In manga, none of the series' characters typically cross each other or know of each other. However, in American comics, characters of the same publishers (DC, Marvel, etc.) will often appear in each others comics and have intertwining stories. This means readers might see Batman in Superman comics, or Spiderman in Fantastic Four comics. There are also arc stories that affect the entire family of the comics, such as DC's Final Crisis, and Marvel's Civil War. However there are occasionally manga specials released that do not follow their normal pattern of solitary existence. Occasionally mangaka or studios will work together, and so bring characters together. One of the most notable examples of this is a special collaboration between Akira Toriyama and Eiichira Oda called Cross Epoch. In this manga special, the story revolves around the main characters of Dragon Ball and One Piece working their way towards a single destination.¹⁸ Both series are highly popular in the States and in Japan, so the collaboration was well received.

However, one strong similarity would be the use of characters multiple times in a series. In manga, when a villian is defeated, they usually do appear later as allies, or, in some cases, allies can appear as villians. In American superhero comics, villians tend to appear over and over as archenemies for the hero, or sometimes as reluctant allies (Ex. Joker, Venom, Magneto).

Influence and Style Blending

Because of the increasing popularity of manga over the years, many American artists have been influenced to such a point where some of the differences between the two styles have begun to erode.⁵ This influence has manifested itself in various ways and aspects; some artists have chosen a cartoonier break from the standard of American comic realism, and some have done straight up adaptions of the manga form. One notable adaption is Marvel's Marvel Mangaverse, which had Ben Dunn working on the series. Ben Dunn is an American artist notable for having worked with the manga style in his work since he started Ninja High School in 1985.⁷ The previous year Dunn founded Antarctic Press, a publishing company that seeks to publish high quality titles that are both unique and entertaining.¹⁰ Not all cases are clear-cut adaptions of manga style, however. Artists like Corey "Rey" Lewis have their own defined style with manga as one obvious inspiration, though simultaneously not necessarily the dominate style. In Lewis' first work, Sharknife, various aspects of Japanese culture shines through. Lewis lists his three favorite comics as Naruto, 100%, and Vagabond, all of which are manga titles.¹¹ An interview with Lewis can be seen on Youtube here.

However, the influence is not one-sided. It is an interplay between nations. Osamu Tezuka, "the father of Japan's huge contemporary comics and animation culture," was heavily influenced in his youth by American cartoon shorts.⁵ More recently, Akira Toriyama, notable for his Dragonball Z series, has a style that's proven to be inspirational to many more recently popular shonen artists. Toriyama cites some of his influences as Tezuka's art in Astroboy as well as Disney's 101 Dalmations.¹²

In Cinema

American cinema has begun to capitalize on manga and anime influences. Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy, the series regarded by many as the birth of modern manga, was recently adapted into a CGI style movie aptly titled Astro Boy . Dragon Ball was also adapted into a live action film in 2009. Quentin Tarantino adopted an anime style of cinematography in Kill Bill vol.1. Trantino even animated the section of the movie where we learn about the Japanese villain O'Ren Ishi (O len eshi) in the Japanese fashion. It can be seen here.

Two in the Same?

Within the world of comics it has become difficult to stylistically tell the difference between certain American comics and manga. When most people think of American comics today their thoughts go to the superhero aspect of the market. Likewise, when one who is familiar with manga thinks about the industry they are most likely to think of shojo, shonen or any other number of popular genres of manga.

It is typically very easy to spot a shonen manga from a superhero comic. However, there are other fields in both the manga and American comic industries. If you take a work like Daniel Clowes's Ghost World, and compare it Jiro Taniguchi's The Quest for the Missing Girl, the comparisons become tougher. The two are in no way identical and may seem very different from each other (and they most definitely are), but the stylistic differences that are apparent between a volume of Dragon Ball and an issue of Spiderman are much more diluted between Clowes and Taniguchi's work. They both make use of cinematic technique and have a much more realistic style. Comics such as these are less frequently known, but as the interchange of style grows they are bound to become more common. Many differences may become similarities and further evolve the stylistic marks of both industries.

The Adult Swim Factor

On September 2nd 2001, the Cartoon Network began broadcasting their Adult Swim program block. This late night programming has been geared toward older audiences than its daytime fare, with original programs like Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Robot Chicken. They also air many different anime. Cowboy Bebop was the first anime series they aired, but since then have shown more, like Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note, Ghost in the Shell, Code Geass, Trinity Blood, Blood+, FLCL and Trigun. A full listing of their current shows is accessible here.

THE MONEY IS IN THE MANGA!

Similar Roots

After WWII, the fledgeling manga industry took off in Japan. At first considered as only a form of children's entertainment, or an outlet for leftist political activism, manga grew as an art form and expanded into entertainment for adults and other genre. By the 1960s, manga comics had entered the mainstream.

WWII was a major turning point in Japanese history, and WWII themes play a dominant role in their literature. In 1977, the anime Space Battleship Yamato was created, which took the name of a Japanese WWII battleship and placed it on a spaceship in a fantasy based space opera. After WWII, the Allied Powers forbade Japan to have a military; in this anime series, however, not only does Japan have a military, but that military saves the world with the help of Yamato.¹⁹ Space Battleship Yamato reflects the Japanese' desire to assert itself once again and to reclaim a national identity and to possibly cover up negative associations that Japan has been stuck with in the past. Many American comics share this with symbols such as Marvel's Captain America or DC's Uncle Sam. Although comics of Japan and America have many political motivations. In the past, the influence of both and their sales have continued to steadily grow over the last decades, evolving them into the giants they are today. For more on the history of manga, visit our What Is Manga page.

Manga Sales in Japan

Manga is big business in Japan, representing almost 2% of their GDP in 1995, the peak year of recorded sales. In 1995, the Japanese consumed almost U.S.$7 billion of manga, which made up over 40% of all book and magazine sales in Japan.⁵ In addition, there is a tremendous spin-off industry that can be attributed to manga, like paparback books, hard-back novels, cds, movies and television shows, and licensed novelties.

Manga Sales in America

Manga got off to a slow start in the U.S. The first exports to America were in the form of animation, like Tetsuwan Atom in 1963, Speed Racer and video games like Super Mario Bros. One of the first manga to enter the U.S. market was Gen of Hiroshima by Keiji Nakazawa. Although, It was not until the turn of the century that the market really started to respond to manga. In America, manga sales grew 360% from 2002 to 2007, increasing sales from $60 million to $210 million.¹³ Wired magazine emphasizes the increase in Manga stating that, "Manga have gripped the global imagination”. Manga left its roots in Japan and started making big dents in the US consumer industry. Just to mention one popular anime series to make such a dent is, Dragon Ball Z. Dragon Ball Z left its home on the prairie of Japanese Manga entertainment, and spread to the US. Dragon Ball Z's influence on the American manga and anime scenes is comparable to the impact that the sixties Beatle's invasion had on American music.¹² The role that manga plays in the U.S. economy, however, is infinitesimal compared to how big it is in Japan. The Amercian comic book market overall does not even come close to how large the manga market is in Japan; comic book sales in the U.S. (not counting manga) have ranged from $400 million in 1996, to $275 million in 2000, and $429 million in 2009¹⁶ ;which shows the enormous difference in sales compared to Japan.

Impact of The Recession and New Technology on the Manga Industry

The Recession

2008 saw a decline in manga sales in the U.S. The overall sales of graphic novels rose 5%, yet manga declined by 17%, due partly to the recession and competition from Stephanie Meyer's Twilight.¹⁵ Manga still makes up the majority of graphic novel business, however, with 55% of all releases and 44% of all sales being manga.¹⁴ Manga sales have been declining in Japan for several years, dropping from a high of U.S.$7 billion in 1995 to U.S.$4.1 billion in 2007.¹⁷ The only other time that the manga market saw a slowdown in its growth was in 1986 when Nintendo hit the market and in 1995 when Playstation and Windows 95 made their appearances. Manga faces a similar challenge today with the introduction of cell phones, the internet and video games which all compete for the attention of Japanese youth.

Future of both Industries:

Manga sales are not spreading like wild flowers anymore, this is obvious. Wired states a decline of about “half over the last decade”. A new focus for entertainment is breaking through; it seems the Japanese are turning their attention away from manga to a new source of entertainment, the cellular phone. Despite this, Manga magazines in Japan are still doing very well. Manga holds a respectable position of about “22% of all printed material in Japan.” There is speculation that Manga in Japan is on a permanent downhill slope, but there are still an astronomical number of readers.⁸ The American comic, on the other hand, is creeping by with almost no change since the late 1990s. Very little has changed in the last decade for American comics. It seems the US comic is dwindling along compared with manga; Modern comics says, “The characters created over the decades almost all have now been converted into film and cartoon TV series…” The comics of the past have all but been depleted (Some speculate that Hollywood is out of ideas). It is also known that other than ”film and cartoon,” US comics have also entered the merchandising market and video games. The future of US comics may be dying but the memory will be around for at least the next generation.⁹

Works Cited

1. Russell, Michael. Comic Books- Japanese Manga vs American Comics. Ezine Articles. May 27, 2006. Web. March 10, 2010.

2. Parkin, JK. More on Marvel's Price Increases. Comic Book Resources. May 31, 2009.Web. March 10, 2010.

3. Gustines, George Gene. Comic Titans are in the Grips of the Dreaded Inflationist. The New York Times. March 29, 2009. Web. March 10, 2010.

4. Aoki, Deb. Shonen Jump (U.S.) Manga Magazine Profile. About.com. n.d. Web. March 10, 2010.

5. Schodt, Frederick L. Dreamland Japan. Berkley: Stone Bridge Press, 1996. Print.

6. AnimeNewsNetwork.com. Animenewsnetwork.com. n.d. March 10, 2010.

7. Macdonald, Christopher. Ben Dunn Interview. Animenewsnetwork.com. Animenewsnetwork.com. May 27, 2004. Web. March 14, 2010.

8. Pink, Daniel H. Japan, Ink: Inside the Manga Industrial Complex. October 22nd, 2007. Web. Apr. 2010

9. Ed. Admin. 2009. Modern Comics. Americancomics.co.uk. June 4, 2009. Web. Apr. 2010

10. About Us. Antarcticpress.com. August 14, 2005. Web. March 14, 2010.

11. Lewis, Rey S. Sharknife Volume 1. Portland: Oni Press, 2005. Print.

12. Russell, Sean. "Japanese Master". Anime3000.com. n.d. Web. March 14, 2010.

13. Brienza, Casey. "Books, Not Comics: Publishing Fields, Globalization, and Japanese Manga in the United States." Publishing Research Quarterly, Jun2009, Vol. 25 Issue 2, p101-117, 17p; DOI: 10.1007/s12109-009-9114-2; ( AN 39768457).

14. ICv2 Estimates U.S. Manga Sales Were Down 17% in 2008. Animenewsnetwork.com. February 5, 2009. Web. March 21, 2010.

15. Reid, Calvin. 2008 Graphic Novel Sales Up 5%, Manga Off 17%. Publishersweekly.com. February 6, 2009. Web. March 21, 2010.

16. Diamond Comic Distributors, Heroes World Distribution, Miller, John Jackson. Comic Books Sales Charts and Analysis. nd. Web. March 21, 2010.

17. Wiseman, Paul. " Manga Comics Losing Longtime Hold on Japan." USA Today. Oct. 19, 2007. Web. March 21, 2010.

18. Cross Epoch. Animenewsnetwork.com. n.d. March 10, 2010.

19. Mizuno, Hiromi. "When Pacifist Japan Fights: Historicizing Desires in Anime." Mechadamia 2 (2007): 104-123. Print.

Manga Versus American Comics Compilers/Authors:

Dave Jones, Jonathan Gilcrest, Olin Sather, Michael Arrieta, and André Katkov