The phenomenon of Japanese manga and its influence around the world

Batman, Spider-Man and Superman are comic book characters we are all familiar with, but what about Astro Boy and Mai The Psychic Girl?

Japanese comics and cartoons, known as 'manga', have gradually infiltrated popular culture across the globe. And more so than their western counterparts, these art forms are not only restricted to children and teenagers, but have a place and a fanbase in the adult world, too.

The roots of manga can be traced all the way back to the 12th century, from ancient scrolls, but it's largely thought that what we now know to be manga emerged in the 18th century when books in Japan began to have words alongside wood-cut prints which told a story. The scribes behind these early comic books, these 'whimsical drawings' as they were known, had little idea how vastly influential their work would become.

The first magazine, ‘Eshinbun Nipponchi’, emerged in 1874 and started a wave of creativity. It was written by Kanagaki Robun and Kawanabe Kyosai and was influenced by the Japanese incarnation of Punch. It's thought that the American occupation of Japan following the Second World War altered its path towards what it has become today, with GIs bringing with them a love of U.S. comic books. Manga classic 'Astro Boy', which was devised by Osamu Tezuka, surfaced during this time, in 1952, and is still an operating franchise today.

In the ’80s and ’90s, the likes of 'Akira' and 'Dragon Ball' began to interest audiences outside Japan, with manga's influence now indelible in screen animation, or 'anime'. Katsuhiro Otomo's 'Akira' in particular, a dystopian take on Tokyo, was for the West a rare adult cartoon. It achieved cult status after getting an art-house release. But children's animation would also drip through, adaptations of anime like 'Battle Of The Planets' (first called 'Science Ninja Team Gatchaman' in Japan) proved hugely popular in the UK and U.S. in the late ’70s and early ’80s, though the original's violence and profanity was toned down to suit the western audience.

Companies such as Studio Ghibli founded in the mid-80s have since garnered plaudits with films like 'Howl's Moving Castle' and 'Kiki's Delivery Service' winning major international awards, and Hayao Miyazki's 'Spirited Away' scooping an Oscar in 2003. 'Toy Story' director and Pixar main man John Lasseter is also a big fan.

Even U.S. comic writers like the legendary Frank Miller have written books in the medium (his celebrated 'Ronin'), while manga's influence can be seen in films as disparate as 'The Matrix' trilogy, 'Avatar' and 'Kill Bill'. The impact of manga is felt the world over.