Manga: A New History of Japanese Comics

by Eike Exner

A groundbreaking story of Japanese comics from their nineteenth-century origins to the present day
 
The immensely popular art form of manga, or Japanese comics, has made its mark across global pop culture, influencing film, visual art, video games, and more. This book is the first to tell the history of comics in Japan as a single, continuous story, focusing on manga as multipanel cartoons that show stories rather than narrate them. Eike Exner traces these cartoons’ gradual evolution from the 1890s until today, culminating in manga’s explosion in global popularity in the 2000s and the current shift from print periodicals to digital media and smartphone apps.
 
Over the course of this 130-year history, Exner answers questions about the origins of Japanese comics, the establishment of their distinctive visuals, and how they became such a fundamental part of the Japanese publishing industry, incorporating well-known examples such as Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon, as well as historical manga little known outside of Japan. The book pays special attention to manga’s structural development, examining the roles played not only by star creators but also by editors and major publishers such as Kōdansha that embraced comics as a way of selling magazines to different, often gendered, readerships. This engaging narrative presents extensive new research, making it an essential read for enthusiasts and experts alike.

Genres: Nonfiction, Manga, Comics, History

256 pages, Hardcover

Published August 5, 2025

About the author

EIKE EXNER is an independent scholar who has taught at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and Josai International University in Tokyo. His research has appeared in the International Journal of Comic Art, ImageTexT, and The Comics World, and he has received the John A. Lent Award in Comics Studies.

Reviews

[Philip McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a superb read and a fascinating look into the history of manga. I felt like I really learned a lot about where the manga I read today comes from. The book was super easy to read and also led to a whole lot of new series being added to my manga reading list, particularly ones from the 60s to 80s. If you're a fan of manga or comics and want to know more about their history, this book is a must read! It was fascinating to learn about how many American comics influenced Japan and to think about how now Japanese comics are influencing American, it's a neat cycle!

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid book that gives you over 100 years of manga and how we got to where we are today. That said, I was hoping it would have slightly larger printed pieces, which I think would have made it more enjoyable. I liked the book but do think my kids (who love both manga and anime) will simply skip over even wanting the history. This is an easy read, but it won't engage the younger audience (well at least my family) and make them want to grip up the book. They will simply not know the wonderful contents because it ultimately isn't important enough to them.... yet! When they get older, I might try to get them to read this.

[Erika RS · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed and academic look at the history of manga, rooting it firmly in American comics culture but showing clearly how manga evolved into its own tradition. I especially appreciated learning about the evolution of many of the visual elements of manga and seeing how far back they go.

Note that I gave this book 4 stars based on my preferences, but if you aren't really into manga or if you aren't into dense non-fiction, you may find it a bit much.