Manga‘s Rise Exposes Stagnation in US Comics Industry
New york, NY – The American comics industry faces a looming crisis as manga and anime continue to dominate the youth market, fueled by a production system that fosters emerging talent – a system largely absent in the US.A recent New Yorker article and analysis by industry observers highlight a critical disparity: while manga consistently incubates new, breakout franchises like Solo Leveling, the US “Big Two” publishers (Marvel and DC) offer virtually no pathways for young creators to launch their own enduring characters.
This imbalance isn’t about creative ability, but opportunity. The weekly, demanding schedule of publications like Shonen Jump in Japan provides a proving ground for artists, exemplified by Hokazono taking over a series at age 24 – a chance Frank Miller received with Daredevil at the same age. Today, a 22-year-old comics prodigy would likely be denied even a short story, let alone stewardship of an established franchise. This lack of investment in new voices, coupled with manga’s growing global popularity, threatens to permanently cede the next generation of comic readership to international markets.
The success of webcomics like Nathan W. Pyle’s Strange Planet, which transitioned to an Apple TV+ series (though with limited viewership), demonstrates potential outside traditional publishing. Though,the article argues that the next “Naruto” is unlikely to emerge from within the established US comics infrastructure,leaving the field open for alternative platforms and international competitors to cultivate the next generation of iconic characters.
