Eike Exner
@eikeexner.com
アイケ・エクスナ
Striphistoricus writing on Japanese comics and the history of the comics medium.
eikeexner.com/books
- Comics and the Origins of Manga
(Rutgers UP, 2021)
- Manga: A New History of Japanese Comics
(Yale UP, 2025)
Striphistoricus writing on Japanese comics and the history of the comics medium.
eikeexner.com/books
- Comics and the Origins of Manga
(Rutgers UP, 2021)
- Manga: A New History of Japanese Comics
(Yale UP, 2025)
Pinned
Eike Exner
@eikeexner.com
· Oct 30
Manga
A groundbreaking story of Japanese comics from their nineteenth-century origins to the present day The immensely popular art form of manga, or Japanese co...
yalebooks.yale.edu
Someone already noticed and posted about this elsewhere, so I guess it's time to announce that I've been spending the past three years working on a comprehensive history of manga that traces the development of comics in Japan from the introduction of pantomime cartoons to smartphone apps. Pls buy?
Infuriating that Republicans still try to whine about Democrats not pandering to them enough when "owning the libs" and "Democrats are traitors destroying America" are central planks of the Republican party platform.
(1) Pulling out her texts as receipts is bad ass
(2) As always: No matter what you do or how you position yourself, the GOP is going to paint you as a radical or a socialist. Might as well just do what you think is right. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/u...
(2) As always: No matter what you do or how you position yourself, the GOP is going to paint you as a radical or a socialist. Might as well just do what you think is right. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/u...
February 17, 2026 at 1:58 AM
Infuriating that Republicans still try to whine about Democrats not pandering to them enough when "owning the libs" and "Democrats are traitors destroying America" are central planks of the Republican party platform.
This book had me at the acknowledgments
February 14, 2026 at 4:21 AM
This book had me at the acknowledgments
"But I like Adam Serwer"
Yeah well a right-wing rag with a fig leaf is still a right-wing rag
Yeah well a right-wing rag with a fig leaf is still a right-wing rag
February 13, 2026 at 2:36 AM
"But I like Adam Serwer"
Yeah well a right-wing rag with a fig leaf is still a right-wing rag
Yeah well a right-wing rag with a fig leaf is still a right-wing rag
What an honor to get to vote for both George McManus and Akira Toriyama for the Eisner Hall of Fame. Can't think of many comics creators who have been more influential in world history. 🫡
February 12, 2026 at 9:31 PM
What an honor to get to vote for both George McManus and Akira Toriyama for the Eisner Hall of Fame. Can't think of many comics creators who have been more influential in world history. 🫡
Reposted by Eike Exner
I don’t really know what I expect in posting this, but maybe some people see it and can learn from it.
I’ll call it “lessons from an unwilling immigration attorney.”
1/
I’ll call it “lessons from an unwilling immigration attorney.”
1/
February 11, 2026 at 9:56 PM
I don’t really know what I expect in posting this, but maybe some people see it and can learn from it.
I’ll call it “lessons from an unwilling immigration attorney.”
1/
I’ll call it “lessons from an unwilling immigration attorney.”
1/
Reposted by Eike Exner
The news is out in @publisherswkly.bsky.social! I am VERY excited to announce a new print comics publication - The Comics Staple, a monthly comics zine filled with reviews, recommendations, interviews and more.
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief...
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief...
February 11, 2026 at 9:39 PM
The news is out in @publisherswkly.bsky.social! I am VERY excited to announce a new print comics publication - The Comics Staple, a monthly comics zine filled with reviews, recommendations, interviews and more.
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief...
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief...
Reposted by Eike Exner
Cartoonists! Ohio State's Billy Ireland Cartooning Museum is hosting a financial workshop for cartoonists in the run-up to tax season...
osu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
osu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
February 11, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Cartoonists! Ohio State's Billy Ireland Cartooning Museum is hosting a financial workshop for cartoonists in the run-up to tax season...
osu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
osu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Just received this book on Kitazawa Rakuten, Imaizumi Ippyo and the Jiji Shinpo from Japan, and it turns out it cites my article on Imaizumi (in my beloved ❤Takumics Journal❤)
February 11, 2026 at 12:05 AM
Just received this book on Kitazawa Rakuten, Imaizumi Ippyo and the Jiji Shinpo from Japan, and it turns out it cites my article on Imaizumi (in my beloved ❤Takumics Journal❤)
PSA: This is ludicrously false. The definition of graphic novel used in this video (single self-contained book-length comics story) applies already to dozens of manga books published during the 1930s, which Tezuka moreover read as a child.
February 10, 2026 at 1:10 PM
PSA: This is ludicrously false. The definition of graphic novel used in this video (single self-contained book-length comics story) applies already to dozens of manga books published during the 1930s, which Tezuka moreover read as a child.
This will be less surprising to readers of Manga: A New History of Japanese Comics, who already know that Popeye was in fact one of the three original Famicom (NES) games (p. 180)
i heard you were looking for an illustration of Olive Oyl using her nintendo famicom, with the tv-net modem peripheral plugged into it, so she can use "daiwa my trade", and make trades on the japanese stock market, with the help of popeye.
well here you go
well here you go
February 9, 2026 at 10:11 AM
This will be less surprising to readers of Manga: A New History of Japanese Comics, who already know that Popeye was in fact one of the three original Famicom (NES) games (p. 180)
３７：５６～で参政党の松田学が、「日本人ファースト」の「日本人」という範疇をいかに定義しているかと訊ねられ、「日本という国を愛し、そして日本の文化・伝統を尊重する」なら「日本人と考えていい」と答え、「意識や考え方が大事」であり「生物学的な決めつけ方はしない」と付け加える。
もしそうであるならば逆に「日本という国を愛しない」または「伝統を尊重しない」場合には、日本国籍であっても、「日本人」という範疇から除外されるということになるのでは？参政党にとっては日本を愛しなければ「日本人」でなくなり、「非国民」となるのか。
もしそうであるならば逆に「日本という国を愛しない」または「伝統を尊重しない」場合には、日本国籍であっても、「日本人」という範疇から除外されるということになるのでは？参政党にとっては日本を愛しなければ「日本人」でなくなり、「非国民」となるのか。
【衆院選直前スペシャル！「各党に問う」第2夜】②19:00〜（荻上チキ×秦正樹×塚越健司）
YouTube video by 『荻上チキ・Session』TBSラジオ
youtu.be
February 9, 2026 at 9:48 AM
３７：５６～で参政党の松田学が、「日本人ファースト」の「日本人」という範疇をいかに定義しているかと訊ねられ、「日本という国を愛し、そして日本の文化・伝統を尊重する」なら「日本人と考えていい」と答え、「意識や考え方が大事」であり「生物学的な決めつけ方はしない」と付け加える。
もしそうであるならば逆に「日本という国を愛しない」または「伝統を尊重しない」場合には、日本国籍であっても、「日本人」という範疇から除外されるということになるのでは？参政党にとっては日本を愛しなければ「日本人」でなくなり、「非国民」となるのか。
もしそうであるならば逆に「日本という国を愛しない」または「伝統を尊重しない」場合には、日本国籍であっても、「日本人」という範疇から除外されるということになるのでは？参政党にとっては日本を愛しなければ「日本人」でなくなり、「非国民」となるのか。
I think this guy is 100% correct that a critic's sole obligation is to engage in good faith and I hope he gives it a try sometime
February 9, 2026 at 1:25 AM
I think this guy is 100% correct that a critic's sole obligation is to engage in good faith and I hope he gives it a try sometime
I think it's nice of them that they sometimes respond to calls, proving to the haters that HPD is *more* than just an enormous taxpayer-funded program to let people with guns drive SUVs all day.
Houston police response times showed some improvement in 2025 compared to 2024, but remained high. bit.ly/4ccdcgY
February 8, 2026 at 9:09 PM
I think it's nice of them that they sometimes respond to calls, proving to the haters that HPD is *more* than just an enormous taxpayer-funded program to let people with guns drive SUVs all day.
Reposted by Eike Exner
When you see unhoused people asking for money what you should see is a fracturing of the social contract where an issue (housing) that should be addressed on a municipal or statuary level is instead foisted on individuals in a way designed o put callouses on their souls
man I’m sorry to be all corny here but when I see a “the city is beautiful! There’s more to it than homeless people!” I gotta say you know who’s also beautiful? People who have no place to live & are trying to get by in a system that has turned its back on them & if you don’t see that that’s on you
February 8, 2026 at 5:29 AM
When you see unhoused people asking for money what you should see is a fracturing of the social contract where an issue (housing) that should be addressed on a municipal or statuary level is instead foisted on individuals in a way designed o put callouses on their souls
Reposted by Eike Exner
man I’m sorry to be all corny here but when I see a “the city is beautiful! There’s more to it than homeless people!” I gotta say you know who’s also beautiful? People who have no place to live & are trying to get by in a system that has turned its back on them & if you don’t see that that’s on you
February 8, 2026 at 4:42 AM
man I’m sorry to be all corny here but when I see a “the city is beautiful! There’s more to it than homeless people!” I gotta say you know who’s also beautiful? People who have no place to live & are trying to get by in a system that has turned its back on them & if you don’t see that that’s on you
Across the world voters over and over reward the same political parties that have been making things worse and worse for decades. I'm sure this time will be different and everything will get better now, though.
February 8, 2026 at 8:37 PM
Across the world voters over and over reward the same political parties that have been making things worse and worse for decades. I'm sure this time will be different and everything will get better now, though.
Reposted by Eike Exner
hard to think of a better example of "you may not believe in class war, but billionaires know they're in one" than this
This is bleak: Jes Staley, currently CEO of Barclays, reassuring Epstein that popular revolt against financial elites is unlikely because capitalism and pop culture have defanged social movements, leaving people more invested in consumption than justice.
February 7, 2026 at 3:53 AM
hard to think of a better example of "you may not believe in class war, but billionaires know they're in one" than this
"Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work."
No I will not "edit" your machine translation
No I will not "edit" your machine translation
"Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work."
Huh? Why?
Huh? Why?
"Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work."
Ok so this is what it looks like from the front and the back. I included at least 8 other variants, let me know which one speaks to you.
Ok so this is what it looks like from the front and the back. I included at least 8 other variants, let me know which one speaks to you.
February 7, 2026 at 7:58 PM
"Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work."
No I will not "edit" your machine translation
No I will not "edit" your machine translation
Totally forgot to share that there was also a recent review of Manga: A New History in a publication and by a reviewer which/who takes manga seriously
Book Review: Manga: A New History of Japanese Comics by Eike Exner (UPDATED)
Reviewed by John A. Lent, International Journal of Comic Art (UPDATED 12/28 with a response from Exner) Eike Exner. Manga: A New History o...
ijoca.blogspot.com
February 7, 2026 at 3:52 AM
Totally forgot to share that there was also a recent review of Manga: A New History in a publication and by a reviewer which/who takes manga seriously
Reposted by Eike Exner
While doing research for my next book, I came across an article by mangaka/historian Kawakatsu Tokushige that featured images of a 1936 manga book about Mickey Mouse: popeyemagazine.jp/post-229915/
Kawakatsu speculated that the story and drawings were likely based on an existing work. Correctly so.
Kawakatsu speculated that the story and drawings were likely based on an existing work. Correctly so.
February 6, 2026 at 4:38 AM
While doing research for my next book, I came across an article by mangaka/historian Kawakatsu Tokushige that featured images of a 1936 manga book about Mickey Mouse: popeyemagazine.jp/post-229915/
Kawakatsu speculated that the story and drawings were likely based on an existing work. Correctly so.
Kawakatsu speculated that the story and drawings were likely based on an existing work. Correctly so.
Reposted by Eike Exner
Here is a thing:
There were several years when I was one of VERY few journalists seriously covering harassment and abuse issues in comics (and by extension sometimes video games). During that time, I became the Person People Told Things To.
(cont'd)
There were several years when I was one of VERY few journalists seriously covering harassment and abuse issues in comics (and by extension sometimes video games). During that time, I became the Person People Told Things To.
(cont'd)
February 6, 2026 at 1:15 AM
Here is a thing:
There were several years when I was one of VERY few journalists seriously covering harassment and abuse issues in comics (and by extension sometimes video games). During that time, I became the Person People Told Things To.
(cont'd)
There were several years when I was one of VERY few journalists seriously covering harassment and abuse issues in comics (and by extension sometimes video games). During that time, I became the Person People Told Things To.
(cont'd)
While doing research for my next book, I came across an article by mangaka/historian Kawakatsu Tokushige that featured images of a 1936 manga book about Mickey Mouse: popeyemagazine.jp/post-229915/
Kawakatsu speculated that the story and drawings were likely based on an existing work. Correctly so.
Kawakatsu speculated that the story and drawings were likely based on an existing work. Correctly so.
February 6, 2026 at 4:38 AM
While doing research for my next book, I came across an article by mangaka/historian Kawakatsu Tokushige that featured images of a 1936 manga book about Mickey Mouse: popeyemagazine.jp/post-229915/
Kawakatsu speculated that the story and drawings were likely based on an existing work. Correctly so.
Kawakatsu speculated that the story and drawings were likely based on an existing work. Correctly so.
Reposted by Eike Exner
🔔 Time to head to Neil Gaiman’s reactivated account for a double-check you’re not still following him or maybe just block while you’re there.
February 3, 2026 at 3:38 PM
🔔 Time to head to Neil Gaiman’s reactivated account for a double-check you’re not still following him or maybe just block while you’re there.
Reposted by Eike Exner
The good ol' boys at The Comics Journal still have their memorial of outed predator Ed Piskor (one of the rare TCJ articles outsourced to a woman) up on the website's main feed, huh? No wonder Neil Gaiman thinks the time is ripe for a comeback.
February 3, 2026 at 8:10 PM
The good ol' boys at The Comics Journal still have their memorial of outed predator Ed Piskor (one of the rare TCJ articles outsourced to a woman) up on the website's main feed, huh? No wonder Neil Gaiman thinks the time is ripe for a comeback.