Manga in Japanese means "comics," and comics in Japan are simply the most marvelous multifaceted misunderstood mass-market monster publishing phenomenon ever, anywhere. A multibillion dollar industry...tens of millions of devoted fans...thousands of ceaselessly toiling artists, a few of whom grow fabulously wealthy. There's something for everyone, too, from historical romances set in the French Revolution and bloody duels between medieval samurai, to tales of wrestlers, enlightened Buddhist sages, spacemen, anthropomorphic cats, gangsters, girls in and out of love, warrior robots, sushimakers, and even the tireless Mr. Nobody at the office, the esteemed soldier in Japan's economic-miracle army. Fred Schodt's incisive portrait of this world has become a classic in the few short years since its first publication. Comics fans have hailed it for opening up a whole new world of artists, characters, and creative possibilities. Students of Japan have said it told them more about Japan and the Japanese mind than a hundred textbooks. Today, as manga concepts are finally breaking through the cultural barrier and revolutionizing the comics, toy, and animation industries in the West, this landmark work has taken on a new significance. Containing a historical overview, an examination of themes and artists, and over 200 illustrations from Japanese comic magazines, it remains the essential guide for anyone interested in the future of popular visual culture

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