Published to accompany the major exhibition at the Pompidou Centre, Paris, this is a brilliantly illustrated survey of the international comic book landscape over the past sixty years

From the mid-1960s, the world of comics rapidly evolved into a highly creative art form for a sophisticated readership: in France, the magazine Hara-Kiri provided new terrains for graphical humour, while the adventures of Jean-Claude Forest’s Barbarella were published in albums by Éric Losfeld; the launch in Japan of Garo in 1964, an avant-garde monthly, presented the concept of auteur comics; and the release of Robert Crumb’s Zap Comix in 1968 established his reputation as the leader of the underground comics movement in the United States.

For the first time, this major historical survey of the ninth art establishes a dialogue between the three leading regions of comic book culture – Europe, Asia and America – and offers an immersive odyssey of the medium through its development over six decades ranging from the explosion of the twentieth-century counterculture scene to the most abstract contemporary styles.

Built around twelve themes encompassing the many worlds of the comics imagination, Comics: 1964–2024 features artists including André Franquin, Gotlib, Claire Bretécher, Osamu Tezuka, Moebius, Edmond Baudoin, Alison Bechdel, Ulli Lust, Art Spiegelman, Marjane Satrapi and Chris Ware, as well as introductions on each theme by leading authorities of the form, a brand new interview with renowned cartoonist and journalist Joe Sacco, and a foreword by Paul Gravett.

A fascinating and authoritative survey of manga's impact on the kaleidoscope of creativity and cross-pollination that is Asia's comics industry

Brimming with vibrant reproductions of rarely seen comic art from all across Asia, Mangasia is a fascinating and authoritative survey of manga's impact on the kaleidoscope of creativity and cross-pollination that is Asia's comics industry. Paul Gravett charts the manga style as it travels throughout Asia, detailing the changes in its defining myths and themes as it evolves into the multi-platform industry we see today.

He tracks the genre from its roots in 19th-century Japan through to rapidly-growing branches in China and Korea, and pinpoints new blossoms in regions as far-flung as Indonesia and Mongolia. Indispensable maps and timelines present key dates, locations and events at a glance, allowing instant comparison of different countries' evolving styles. A beautiful and engaging volume, Mangasia is the ultimate companion for manga fans around the world.

Contents List:

1. Mapping Mangasia • 2. Fable + Folklore • 3. Recreating + Revising the Past • 4. Stories + Storytellers • 5. Censorship + Sensibility • 6. Multimedia Mangasia

About the Authors:

Paul Gravett is a writer, critic, curator, publisher and broadcaster who has been working in the comics industry since 1981. He is author of many books about comics, including Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics, Graphic Novels: Stories to Change Your Life and Comics Art, and was general editor of 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die. He is co-director of Comica, the London International Comics Festival.

Park Chan-wook is a renowned South Korean film director, screenwriter and producer. His 2003 film Old Boy won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Japan's output of manga is massive, accounting for 40 per cent of everything published in the country annually. There has also been a boom in sales outside Japan, with the manga aesthetic spreading from comics into all areas of Western youth culture through film, computer games, advertising and design. This book presents an accessible, entertaining and highly illustrated introduction to the development and diversity of Japanese comics from 1945 to the present. The chapters explore topics such as: the career of Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy and originator of manga strip stories; girls' and women's comics; and the darker, more violent gekiga manga, featuring samurais and apocalyptic science fiction.