About Manga Comics

Manga is the defining comic book style of Japan.  Characterized by its almost cinematic panel layouts and character designs featuring big expressive eyes, Manga spans all genres from fantasy to horror to realistic fiction and has readers in every age group across the globe.  Manga is bundled with Anime as comics are with cartoons here in the west, the latter is the animated version of the former.

The earliest form of Manga is said to have started in the late 19th century, but the style we know as Manga nowadays started during and after the American Occupation (1945-1960s), when the country was coming down from a period of nationalism and militarism, and rebuilding its infrastructure.  This new style came from a few places, such as the continuity of pre-war and Meiji traditions and aesthetic, and from the influence of American cartoons, comics, and films brought to Japan by American GIs.  A manga from that era, Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy, remains one of the most popular Manga and Animes of all time.  Tezuka’s, dynamic style and the ability to capture speed and movement in his panels, continues to influence many artists to this day.  Machiko Hasegawa, with her realistic fiction manga Sazae-san, laid the foundation for Shojo manga, manga aimed predominantly at women.

Shojo Manga

Shojo manga draws from themes of love, friendship and self-realization.  One of the most popular Shojo mangas is Naeko Takeuchi’s Sailor Moon, also known as the poster child of the Magical Girl sub-genre.  Male oriented manga is separated further into two sub-genres, Shonen for younger readers and Seinen for older audiences.

Gekiga Style

The loosening of censorship laws in the 1990s led to an increase in explicit, even violent content in Manga, and subsequently too the Gekiga style, a very dark, more realistic, and intentionally uglier drawing style used to grim realities of everyday life.

Manga Today

Today manga, in its many many forms, is everywhere.  It is a widespread industry with publications in magazines and collected volumes around the world, and in the small independent Dojinshi publications at home in Japan.  Readers and young artists alike are drawn in by its dynamic, cinematic, and expressive illustration style.

Manga Classes

Here at Heartroom Gallery, our classes are open to beginner and intermediate artists of all ages.  Our classes start with facial expressions and features. We then move on to figure drawing.  You will learn human anatomy and proportions. Our comic drawing classes will also help more advanced students in developing costumes styles, and learn tools that will help you develop your characters.  You’ll learn the secrets to this active, loose, striking and bold style.    Our comic drawing lessons are not like a typical class…we do not have set-in-stone assignments, but rather you can learn at your own pace.  At Heartroom Gallery, we are artists passing down our tips and tricks to new artists.

Contact us to start your Manga class today.