This is the first of two symposia (March 6 and April 4, 2015) that will examine the past, present, and future of manga. Since the creation of the first manga magazine, Eshinbun Nipponchi, in Japan in 1874, manga evolved and came a long way. After manga became a widely-accepted form of popular culture in Japan, it was exported to countries like the US and has become an international phenomenon. Manga is no longer a mere source for entertainment for the general public, but also it is a serious subject of academic inquiry. However, while manga became mainstream and global, its sales in the US have recently been in decline. Although some publishers attribute the sales drop to the market stabilization and maturation, it is clear that manga is at a crossroads. Through the two manga symposia, the origin of manga and future directions of this unique art form that started in Japan will be reexamined.
Cosponsors: East Asian Studies Center, Institute for Japanese Studies, The Ohio State University Libraries, Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, Department of History of Art, Department of Arts Administration, Education & Policy, Division of Arts and Humanities, Association for Asian Studies, Japan Foundation New York, and US Department of Education (Title VI).
Photo credit: Matsumoto, Akira (Reiji). Aoi Hanabira (Blue Petals) (Tokyo: Showa Manga Shuppansha, 1958).
For more information and a schedule for the event, visit the East Asian Studies Center website.
