Manga and the West: 1995 Cultural Exchange

We discuss the “East Meets West” interview from David Anthony Kraft’s Comics Interview (1995) issue 148. An interesting moment in the cultural exchange between Western and Japanese comics, focusing on a visit by American comics creators, including Will Eisner and Brian Stelfreeze, with Tezuka Productions. We delve into the early interactions between Western creators and manga during a time when distinctly Japanese-branded manga and anime were just emerging in the U.S. and Western markets. We also connect these insights to recent developments, including “Kadokawa Seeks New Manga Artists Overseas Due to Labor Shortage” (Mainichi Japan) and “‘Frieren’ Staff Warn Against Chasing Western Trends” (Bounding Into Comics).

East meets West. (1995). David Anthony Kraft’s Comics Interview, 148, 9–41.

References

Japanese artist shortage sees KADOKAWA recruit overseas manga creators

‘Gundam’ Manga Publisher Kadokawa Now Recruiting Overseas Talent Due To Japan’s Population Crisis

‘Frieren’ Staff Feel “A Sense Of Stagnation” In Japanese Anime Scene, Warns Against Chasing Western “Trends”