Ten years ago, I was on Christmas vacation in Quebec City, searching for books by my favorite European comics artists. By chance, I came across a special edition of the anthology A Suivre, edited by the French comics surrealist Jean Giraud, aka Moebius. Titled Silence, On Reve, the collection was devoted to dream-inspired art. Most of the contributors were European, but there were two Japanese contribution--Maruo Suehiro and Takayama Kazumasa. Their work was intense and disturbing, but exquisitely crafted. In his introduction, Moebius described them as "the hidden face of Manga." By this time, I knew that "Manga"meant comics from Japan. But, ironically, this was the beginning of a period of Manga revelations for me.For this was 1995, and back in the U.S., English translations of Manga were about to kick into high gear...

A look at the world of manga through the work and commentary of twelve of Japan's renowned masters of the art, this book also features an original story.

With its stylistic characters and vivid colors, manga has captured the imagination of millions. Now, Manga:Masters of the Art goes straight to the source; the artists themselves are the ultimate insider's look at this global phenomenon. Each section includes a question-and-answer session, allowing the reader first-hand access to the artist's thoughts and ideas. They discuss how they became interested in manga, their first published work,where they get their ideas, the creative process, tips and techniques, artistic influences, the genre itself, and much more. Illustrations and photographs of each artist's seminal works are accompanied by extensive,explanatory captions. Manga: Masters of the Art is a practical reference book, a fascinating look at how this incredible artwork makes it from concept to reality, and a thoughtful commentary on the genre. It is perfect for the growing legions of manga fans.

Introduction

MangaStyl.eChart

JapaneseMangaHistorica[Timetine

INTERVIEWS

AsamiyaKia

CLAMP

EgawaTatsuya

FuruyaUsamaru

InoueTakehiko

MaruoSuehiro

ARTISTGALLERY

AsamiyaKia

CLAMP

EgawaTatsuya

FuruyaUsamaru

InoueTakehiko

MaruoSuehiro

OkanoReiko

SakurazawaErica

TakayaMiou

TaniguchiJiro

TsunoYuko

HirokiMafuyu

INTERVIEWS

OkanoReiko

SakurazawaErica

TakayaMiou

TaniguchiJiro

TsunoYuko

HirokiMafuyu

IntroductiontoMoonChil.d

MoonChild

GIossary

ReferencesandRecommendedReadings

Credits

Acknowtedgments