Global Manga : 'Japanese' Comics Without Japan?

Outside Japan, the term ’manga’ usually refers to comics originally published in Japan. Yet nowadays many publications labelled ’manga’ are not translations of Japanese works but rather have been wholly conceived and created elsewhere. These comics, although often derided and dismissed as ’fake manga’, represent an important but understudied global cultural phenomenon which, controversially, may even point to a future of ’Japanese’ comics without Japan. This book takes seriously the political economy and cultural production of this so-called ’global manga’ produced throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia and explores the conditions under which it arises and flourishes; what counts as ’manga’ and who gets to decide; the implications of global manga for contemporary economies of cultural and creative labour; the ways in which it is shaped by or mixes with local cultural forms and contexts; and, ultimately, what it means for manga to be ’authentically’ Japanese in the first place. Presenting new empirical research on the production of global manga culture from scholars across the humanities and social sciences, as well as first person pieces and historical overviews written by global manga artists and industry insiders, Global Manga will appeal to scholars of cultural and media studies, Japanese studies, and popular and visual culture. Dedication 3 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 List of Figures 8 Notes on Contributors 10 Acknowledgments 14 Glossary 16 Introduction: Manga without Japan? • Casey Brienza 18 1 The Western Sailor Moon Generation: North American Women and Feminine-Friendly Global Manga • Magda Erik-Soussi 40 2 The Manga Style in Brazil • Roberto Elísio dos Santos, Waldomiro Vergueiro, and Victor Wanderley Corrêa 62 3 Scott Pilgrim vs. MANGAMAN: Two Approaches to the Negotiation of Cultural Difference • Aaron Pedinotti 72 4 Euromanga: Hybrid Styles and Stories in Transcultural Manga Production • Nicolle Lamerichs 92 5 “Manga is Not Pizza”: The Performance of Ethno-racial Authenticity and the Politics of American Anime and Manga Fandom in Svetlana Chmakova’s Dramacon • Casey Brienza 112 6 On Everyday Life: Frédéric Boilet and the Nouvelle Manga Movement • Tiago Canário 132 7 An American Manga Artist’s Journey Down a Road Less Drawn • David Blanchard 150 8 Sporting the Gothic Look: Refashioning the Gothic Mode in German Manga Trends • Antonija Cavcic 164 9 Constructing the Mangaverse: Narrative Patterns in Marvel’s Appropriation of Manga Products • Manuel Hernández-Pérez 184 10 Pinoy Manga in Philippine Komiks • Karl Ian Uy Cheng Chua and Kristine Michelle Santos 202 Index 218 1. The western Sailor Moon generation : North American women and feminine-friendly global manga / Magda Erik-Soussi -- 2. The manga style in Brazil / Roberto Elisio dos Santos, Waldomiro Vergueiro, and Victor Wanderley Correa -- 3. Scott Pilgrim vs. Mangaman : two approaches to the negotiation of cultural difference / Aaron Pedinotti -- 4. Euromanga : hybrid styles and stories in transcultural manga production / Nicolle Lamerichs -- 5. "Manga is not pizza" : the performance of ethno-racial authenticity and the politics of American anime and manga fandom in Svetlana Chmakova's Dramacon / Casey Brienza -- 6. On everyday life : Frederic Boilet and the nouvelle manga movement / Tiago Canario -- 6. An American manga artist's journey down a road less drawn / David Blanchard -- 8. Sporting the gothic look : refashioning the gothic mode in German manga trends / Antonija Cavcic -- 9. Constructing the mangaverse : narrative patterns in Marvel's appropriation of manga products / Manuel Hernandez-Perez -- 10. Pinoy manga in Philippine komiks / Karl Ian Uy Cheng Chua and Kristine Michelle Santos