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Manga-style comics


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Tempest
I Run this place.
ANN Publisher


Joined: 29 Dec 2001
Posts: 10419
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:37 pm Reply with quote
Since I created this poll, I figure I might as well give my answer first.

Back in 2000, when I first wrote an editorial for ANN, I was angry about all the US based publishers that were releasing what they called "manga." Effectively traditional American comics that featured big eyes and small mouths. Image comics and Marvel were the big transgressors.

But, at the time, I conceded that it was fair to call work that was truly influenced by Japanese comics, "manga." Particularly if it was hard to distinguish from actual Japanese produced manga. I was thinking of work by Adam Warren, Ben Dunn, etc...

Working with ANN later forced me to change this opinion. Largely because I believed that the definition should be black and white, and that any definition based on "style" would fail. This is because all Japanese comics are "manga" even if they don't look like your stereotypical manga. As a result, I now define manga as "comic books created by Japanese people." It's a nice, virtually black and white definition.

What's more, by saying "this isn't manga" about something produced outside of Japan, I'm not saying that it's inferior to manga in any way.

So my vote on the poll is "don't label it" although I'm just as happy when people call it "world-manga."

-t

BTW, for ANN purposes, this is also the definition we adhere to. For our purposes, anything less than a black and white definition would create lots of headache.


Last edited by Tempest on Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:39 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Chevi



Joined: 04 Aug 2010
Posts: 6
Location: Bremerton, WA
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:38 pm Reply with quote
Comics. It's all comics. You can say it's inspired by manga, but in the end manga, manhwa, OEL...it's all comics.
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zeonozero



Joined: 01 Mar 2008
Posts: 85
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:47 pm Reply with quote
The Japanese have the rights to call it manga, it was their idea
Americans have their comic books

I like the World-Manga idea, because they are doing manga in another place besides Japan

Its not official manga, but then again its obviously different from typical American comics

Americans can do "manga" but they cannont call it manga
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The Japan Girl



Joined: 23 Nov 2011
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:49 pm Reply with quote
Is there some reason they can't just be called comics? Being manga-inspired doesn't suddenly make them a different thing.
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Keichitsu0305





PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:50 pm Reply with quote
Manga=graphic novels or comic books from Japan.

In terms of style, almost every mangaka has a different way of drawing their characters.

For example, it's impossible to confuse Naoki Urasawa's Monster or 20th Century Boys with Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2 or Mermaid Saga. Likewise, you can't confuse any of these Japanese comic book artists with American comic book artists like Stan Lee or Frank Miller.
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 9902
Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:59 pm Reply with quote
I'm with Chris, although I guess this poll isn't quite targeted at people like me. In CJK the characters are the same, and -hua, -hwa, -ga is like "po-tay-to" and "po-tah-to" to any native CJK speaker. In practice, bookstores gather them altogether as long as it's a licensed title, not an import.
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AilisKnil



Joined: 05 Feb 2011
Posts: 87
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:07 pm Reply with quote
I'm wondering at which point the word "manga" went from being a matter of origin to a matter of style. The word itself literally just means "comic book" in Japanese, so there would be no reason for English speakers to use it if not to clarify the fact that the comic book in question is Japanese. Not only would it be a useless word if it were a matter of artistic style, but it also really can't be a matter of artistic style because manga, like American comic books, are so varied. Compare something like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure to K-ON. You can't really derive a set of rules between the two that says, "well here's what 'manga' looks like".

To clarify: they're all comic books, and "manga" are comic books from Japan as far as English speakers are concerned.
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Shenl742



Joined: 11 Feb 2010
Posts: 1524
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:14 pm Reply with quote
At this point in my life I really just don't care about labels as long as the title is good (I actually just started getting into Adam Warren's Empowered and it's quite a hoot)

Unfortunately, I anticipate, that certain people will make a big butt-hurt argument about this whole topic....
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bj_waters



Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Posts: 234
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:24 pm Reply with quote
I pretty much stick to the idea that manga comes from japan, partially because their comics culture is vastly different than it is in America (or Europe or China, etc.) Sometimes you get collaborations and it can get confusing (Kia Asumiya doing comics for America, Adam Warren is a classic example). It can be like splitting hairs.

However, I think the big thing (and this might be stepping away from what the poll is trying to assess) has more to do with an artists personal style. I'm sure we've all seen American artists trying to do manga-style art that doesn't seem to have much life to it; it's too derivative of the style or they're trying too hard to be manga-like. I look at the likes of Svetlana Chmakova who, while definitely inspired by manga and anime, has a style that really sets her apart from any other artist, regardless of their country of origin.

I understand the need for ANN to have an explicit definition, but I really think these lines are only going to get more blurry from sheer globalization. I know I'm projecting years in advance, but communications technology is shrinking the world, allowing for once-distant communities to really interact and share ideas. Perhaps in fifty years, all the ethnic distinctions won't matter (as terms for definition) and we'll all just become fans of comics and animation in general.
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agila61



Joined: 22 Feb 2009
Posts: 3213
Location: NE Ohio
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:29 pm Reply with quote
If you don't want to call them comics, don't ~ call them graphic novels, serial art, or whatever. But call it manga if its comics (or graphic novels or serial art or ...) originally published in Japanese.

It could be an American drawing it ~ as long as they have been hired by a Japanese publisher to publish it in Japan, like with Peepo Choo, fine.
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Mushi-Man



Joined: 17 Nov 2008
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Location: KCMO
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:46 pm Reply with quote
I think Scott Pilgrim's creator Brian Lee O'Malley best answered this question when he said that his work was "manga influenced comics". Its not OEL, it's not manga, its just a comic that happens to be influenced by the creator's interest in manga. So, in short, my answer is that we should call it comics.
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VinceA



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 126
Location: Bayonne, NJ
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:47 pm Reply with quote
My lexicon....

Manga = Made in Japan initially for a Japanese audience
Comics, Graphic Novel = Made in America for a basically American audience.
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Kamikaze Ghost



Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 12
Location: Central NJ
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 3:01 pm Reply with quote
In Japanese, manga refers comics from anywhere (though they commonly use "comics" for American comics). However, in the English language, manga refers to only comics from Japan, so calling any manga-style comics manga would be wrong by the English definition. Just call it a manga-style comic.
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Mr. sickVisionz



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 2171
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 3:25 pm Reply with quote
I voted comics but I also agree with the line that was something like people will know they are manga influenced just by looking at them.

Anime is anime and manga is manga. There is a reason that we use the Japanese names for these things rather than just calling them cartoons and comics.
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EireformContinent



Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 977
Location: Łódź/Poland (The Promised Land)
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 3:26 pm Reply with quote
VinceA wrote:
My lexicon....

Manga = Made in Japan initially for a Japanese audience
Comics, Graphic Novel = Made in America for a basically American audience.


Europe doesn't like that.

Manga for Japanese, comics for everything, including manga.
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