I always find the Malaysia Star an interesting source for manga articles. Yesterday they posted a piece on a new book called One Thousand Years of Manga by ART historian Brigitte Koyama-Richard, an art historian and 30-year resident of Japan.

From the article:

Going back as far as the seventh century, the 247-page coffeetable book One Thousand Years of Manga explores the history of manga, showing how it led to the works of modern manga masters such as Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989) and Shigeru Misuki (born 1922). With about 400 images, the book focuses on emakimono illuminated scrolls made in the late 11th century at one point and on manga about heroes drawn during the postwar reconstruction period at another, showing how manga have been created to reflect changes in society and people’s moods and interests.

There have been a good number of books on the history and influence of manga, but this book takes a rather unique approach to the topic by including the centuries-old Japanese art forms of ukiyo-e and nishiki-e as predecessors and influencers of the manga art form we know today. It’s an interesting perspective on centuries of Japanese culture and the art it has spawned, told from the perspective of an art historian.

I love books, and I love manga. I love it when the two combine.

Read - A Deeply Japanese Art, One Thousand Years of Manga

Popularity: 6% [?]