Dreamland Japan

Writings on Modern Manga

by Frederik L. Schodt

Dreamland Japan

Manga, or Japanese comics, have become a certified cultural megaforce. Born in the Japanese collective consciousness, their dream-like visions and epic, cinematic qualities have launched a multibillion-dollar industry and inspired pictorial storytellers throughout the world.

In this long-awaited sequel to his award-winning Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics, Japanese culture expert Frederik L. Schodt looks at the current state of the manga universe, both in and outside Japan. In brief essays he introduces dozens of artists, magazines, and individual works, and he goes beyond manga to look at manga’s impact on society and on the evolution of anime and animation, film, and graphic design. An entire chapter is devoted to the work of Osamu Tezuka, the “God of Comics,” and an up-to-date appendix lists manga resources and Internet connections for fans and convention-goers.

With over 100 black-and-white illustrations and 8 pages in full color, Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga showcases the astonishing variety of manga today, from Buddhist cosmology and gay romance to tales of atomic cats, pachinko experts, motorcycle girls, and hardboiled heroes. In manga, there is room for every fantasy– every dream.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC ENTRY:

Schodt, Frederik L. 1996. Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga. Berkely, Californiat: Stone Bridge Press.