Alternative Manga

Alternative Manga Underground or manga are Japanese comics that are not produced primarily for the commercial manga market. Also manganese that differ in character or narrative style or theme of normally occurring in manga magazines manga, are referred to as "alternative".

The first alternative manga published after the Second World War in Japanese lending libraries. This independent market enabled artists great freedom and brought the first manga out that, contrary to the prevailing trend of youth manga were aimed at an adult readership.

1957 began the artist Yoshihiro Tatsumi to draw realistic and grim picture stories. Since he did not want to call ( informal / unbridled Images) his works manga, he described it as Gekiga ( dramatic pictures ). While the first Gekiga were still available in Public libraries, this genre was rapidly so popular by artists such as Sanpei Shirato and Takao Saitō, requiring dedicated magazines were founded.

Garo

Founded by Katsuichi Nagai, first published in September 1964 alternative magazine Garo met by the autobiographical and surreal narrative of his works in tune with the youth movement of the 1960s and became known quickly. Many artist such as Yoshiharu Tsuge, who had drawn in the 1950s for Public libraries, now changed to the magazine. Although Garo it made ​​the task of promoting new talents characters, it also included popular series such as the Gekiga drama Kamui by Sanpei Shirato.

Because of Garos success, many other magazines turned in a similar direction. Artists such as Osamu Tezuka, originally recorded only manga for children, now published manga for adult readers. Tezuka even founded his own experimental magazine COM. For this to work, among other artists such as Murasaki Yamada, who changed after setting the COM to Garo.

Garo also received competition from magazines like Big Comic and Manga Action, which were created by mainstream publishers to promote Gekiga and thus also had great success.

In the 1980s, the number of copies of Garo declined steadily until the magazine was finally discontinued at the beginning of the 2000s. In recent years, while Mangas young talents like Kiriko Nananan, Usamaru Furuya Suehiro Maruo were or continue to be published, successful new series like Kamui, however, did not appear.

Further development

After setting many mangaka changed from Garo to AX, which is the successor of Garo. In addition, published the Shogakukan publishing house, one of the most established manga publishers in Japan, with Ikki from the 2000s, a further alternative manga magazine. This provoked with manga series such as freesia and no. 5 stir and could soon secure a readership base.

Alternative manga artist Katsuhiro Otomo as ( known by Akira ) also could be propagated by European and American comics influence. This was reinforced in the 1990s with the movement La nouvelle manga, with the close cooperation of French comic artist and Japanese underground mangaka is called. Founded by Frédéric Boilet, took part in this movement, among other things, Kan Takahama and Jiro Taniguchi.

Movements

• Kashihon ( manga Public libraries, 1950s to 1970s )
• Gekiga (late 1950s to 1980s )
• Garo ( 1960s to 1990s )
• La Nouvelle Manga ( 1990 to date)
• Superflat ( 1990 to date)

Known Underground - Mangaka

• Frédéric Boilet
• Usamaru Furuya
• Suehiro Maruo
• Shigeru Mizuki
• Kiriko Nananan
• Taiyo Matsumoto
• Shirato Sanpei
• Yoshihiro Tatsumi
• Yoshiharu Tsuge
• Kazuo Umezu