world-wide manga sales (the view from Japan)

[Dennis_Mullin]

Manga overseas editions take off in earnest

The June issue of The Tsukuru reports that Viz's Shonen Jump enjoys sales of between 300,000 to 350,000 per issue (of which subscribers account for 90,000 copies). Currently the manga are handled by such major retail chains as Waldenbooks and Wal-mart, and roughly two thirds of each issue are sold. Figures for Shojo Beat, however, have been somewhat less favorable so far, but it appears that about half of its 90,000 print run is sold.

Japan's manga publishers are taking stronger interest in foreign markets as a means of propping up declining revenues at home. In Japan, revenues of comic magazines have declined for the past 10 years in a row, falling by 5 percent, to 24.21 billion yen, in 2005.

That said, not all the news from the domestic manga front is gloomy. Sales of comic books, as opposed to magazines, last year surpassed those of magazines for the first time ever, reaching 26.02 billion yen -- and marking a 4.2 percent rise over 2004.

It might come as something of a surprise, but the world's most receptive market for Japanese comic magazines is Thailand, where 12 magazines, with names like Takarajima Shonen, Candy, Margaret and Monmon, are currently published. (The breakdown: six from Kodansha, three from Shogakukan, two from Shueisha and one produced jointly by Shogakukan and Hakusensha.)

Following closely behind Thailand is Taiwan, with 11 comics. Other popular foreign markets include South Korea (eight publications); Hong Kong (five); Indonesia (five); and China (four). Germany, Italy, Sweden and the U.S. each have two.

Complete article: http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai...dm039000c.html

[Redcoffin]

So are there any Thai manga artists we should know about? I recall seeing a really good-looking manga by a Malaysian artist, once, and hearing that domestic and Japanese manga are much loved in Malaysia

[pianocello]

I think Malaysia has a few.