Much ink has been spilled in recent years about the international boom of Japanese pop culture. Anime, for instance, is now a phenomenon that sets global box-office records on top of its domination of streaming services such as Netflix. Where does that leave manga, on which a large portion of anime is based?
While Japanese comics have long been exported and localized in foreign markets, a recent development in the industry is giving manga an even more global dimension. Kodansha, one of Japan’s top three manga publishers, is scouting for talent abroad, resulting in publications such as “The Escape,” a collaboration between American artists Vinnie Hacker and Shakira Pressley with Japanese creator Hiroto Oishi, “Liason” by Korean artist Yeong-chan and Japanese writer Yusaku Takemura, and “Kraken Mare,” penned by French writer Izu and illustrated by Italian artist Hagane, both pen names.
“My main assignment is to find talented artists in Spain,” says Ayane Chiba, an editor at Kodansha currently on assignment in Barcelona.
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