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The Manga Bible

The definitive guide to contemporary and historical manga
By Helen McCarthy
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Brief Description
Everything you ever wanted to know about manga. The Manga Bible is the definitive guide to manga, taking you from its earliest beginnings in 12th-century Japan right through to the 21st-century global phenomenon it has become. Whether you're already a manga superfan or new to this... Read More
Format: Hardback
$4900
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The definitive guide to manga, from renowned manga historian Helen McCarthy.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
Everything you ever wanted to know about manga.

The Manga Bible is the definitive guide to manga, taking you from its earliest beginnings in 12th-century Japan right through to the 21st-century global phenomenon it has become.

Whether you're already a manga superfan or new to this magical world, this is the ultimate guide to the art form. Expert manga historian Helen McCarthy covers all the iconic genres, stories, and artists, as well as introducing you to a host of lesser-known creators and characters, telling the fascinating story of this international sensation.

- Explores the key genres, types, and styles of manga from romance to sci-fi to horror and beyond.

- Evaluates the cultural contexts and transformation of manga in relation to war, politics, gender, and technology.

- Features over 70 profiles including Akira Toriyama, Baron Yoshimoto, Hideko Mizuno, and the 'God of Manga' Osamu Tezuka.

Praise for The Anime Encyclopedia: A Century of Japanese Animation

'Impressive, exhaustive, labyrinthine and obsessive - The Anime Encyclopedia is an astonishing piece of work.' Neil Gaiman

'... promises to do for anime what Halliwell did for film.' Mark Schilling, Screen International

Praise for A Brief History of Manga

'It is with such wonderful details that McCarthy's bullet-point history of the form really triumphs.' Jasper Sharp, Manga UK blog

Praise for The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga

'... an absolute treasure trove for anyone who wants to learn more about the God of Manga and his varied creative output.' NEO magazine

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781840918830

Publisher: Octopus Publishing Group

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 05 March 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Ilex

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly, Children

DIMENSIONS

Width: 163.0mm

Height: 206.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 320

Collections

Arts & Culture Education & Reference Fashion & Design Graphic Novels Helen McCarthy Manga Non-Fiction

About the Author

Helen McCarthy was first introduced to anime and manga in 1981. With very little awareness of Japanese pop culture in Britain at that time, it took her over a decade to find a publisher for her first book Anime! A Beginners Guide To Japanese Animation, one of the first books to be published in the UK on the subject. In 1991, Helen co-founded the UK's first professional anime magazine, Anime UK. The magazine won an international reputation, was sold in Japan, and helped to create the market for her first book. She later edited Manga Mania magazine, and has written over 100 articles for European, American, Japanese and online publications, from Super Play magazine and Kyoto Journal to the Daily Telegraph Online, as well as being interviewed by many podcasts, websites and organisations.

Helen has written over a dozen books, including works on anime and manga superstars Hayao Miyazaki, Osamu Tezuka and Leiji Matsumoto. She is co-author of The Anime Encyclopedia, considered the pre-eminent research guide to the medium. Her work has been published in eight languages including Japanese, Chinese and Korean, and has won several international awards. A popular speaker at venues all over the world, Helen has curated and presented a number of film seasons alongside contributing to exhibitions including the British Museum's 2019 blockbuster exhibition Manga! In 2024, Helen is presenting a series of talks on Studio Ghibli all over the UK and Ireland, as well as writing two more books.

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