Do you consider Usagi Manga?

[Gaffey]

I don't, but Diamond Comic Distributers does. I came across this list in the back of the latest catalog.

[maichan]

I've seen Usagi listed as Manga a few times before.

I guess it boils down to your definition of Manga.
I don't consider it Manga, but I can see why it gets listed as such.
My definition of Manga is pretty close to what Wikipedia has written...

Manga (漫画 Manga) are comics created in Japan or by creators in the Japanese language, conforming to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century. They have a long and complex pre-history in earlier Japanese art.

The term manga (kanji: 漫画; hiragana: まんが; katakana: マンガ; English: /ˈmæŋɡə/ or /ˈmɑːŋɡə/) in Japan is a word used to refer to both comics and cartooning. "Manga" as a term used outside Japan refers to comics originally published in Japan.

We know Usagi's creator is Japanese, but the comic is originally written in the English language, and it is not published in Japan.

In a broader sense, Manga is comics, and Usagi is comics.

I'm curious as to Stan's view on this matter...

[Gaffey]

At the very least, it's free promotion for Stan and Usagi Yojimbo.

[maichan]

At the very least, it's free promotion for Stan and Usagi Yojimbo.

[go]

Dear Reader,
Semantics aside,
I look forward to Usagi Yojimbo being translated into Japanese by Frederik Schodt.
The Japanese manga market is huge and i think Usagi would be accepted by Japanese otoku.
Best wishes to all.
go

[jabba359]

I agree with maichan's definition and don't consider Usagi to be manga. While it takes place in Japan and is by a Japanese American author/artist, it isn't written in Japanese and certainly doesn't evoke the artistic style I associate as "manga".

That said, I'm fine with Diamond classifying it as such, since it get Usagi on a top-10 list it otherwise wouldn't be on (which hopefully results in more people deciding to try it out).