There is a big difference in art styles between Manga, which is more stylized (exaggerated) and American comics, which tend to be more “realistic”. There are also quite a few serious differences between the two types of comics. Some of the differences, just to mention a few of them are the cost, creation, diverse audience and genres, presentation and even size.

The creation of Manga as well as its presentation is quite different than American Comics. Manga is printed in black-and-white format while American comics are the majority of the time in full color. Also, when you look at a graphic novel or Manga you will notice a difference in the size. Manga is frequently smaller than traditional American comic books, usually digest-size and roughly half to one-third the size of American comics. But where the American comics are generally thin like a small magazine, running about 32 pages, Manga comic books are thick and can be hundreds of pages in length!

In page count, Manga is quite similar to graphic novels, which are often just collections of the ongoing American comics. But unlike American graphic novels, which are usually just a collection of monthly comics in a single unified story or story arc, Manga books are often apart of an even bigger story and a complete Manga storyline can run thousands of pages.

Another difference between traditional American comics is that mainstream American comics are often created in a sort of assembly-line fashion. They have a writer (story), a penciler (initial sketch), inker (uses a pen to ink over the sketch), letterer (adds dialog) and a colorist (colors the inked sketch). Most Manga books are done by a single creator, who combines all those chores (except coloring).

Also Manga story lines usually move at a much quicker pace. Due to the high page count, one reads a Manga book at an accelerated pace. Manga books almost always have fewer panels and less dialogue (rambling) per page than American comic books. The price for Manga is also more than the average comic book and a bit more than a standard paperback novel, the small size of Manga and black-and-white printing rather than full color keeps the cost down. The lack color is made up when you consider the story development that it’ll have with the amount of pages it has.

In Japan, Manga is not viewed as just for kids unlike the American stereotype. There pretty much is a Manga for everyone. With that being stated there are three main genres in Japanese Manga: Shonen Manga (boy’s comics), Shojo Manga (girl’s comics) and Hentai (adult comics).

Shonen Manga is pretty much comics that are primarily action and/or adventure geared. If you’d like to view some examples of that genre, I’d recommend “Bleach” and/or “Full Metal Alchemist”. Shojo Manga is for the opposite sex; they are often about relationships and/or love interests. Please note that even though a particular genre is geared towards a certain audience it’s not limited to just that audience (unless otherwise stated). Finally Hentai Manga, I won’t delve much into this since it is primarily for adults and NOT suitable for children (just to be safe in case a child is reading this). Anyways, Hentai Manga is sometimes sexually explicit and/or adult-themed. In other words, do not purchase this for your child.

Radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and the internet have opened the information floodgates. We no longer find it necessary to buy as many books as our parents did. On most subjects, the information is available online in a comprehensive and updated fashion, cross linked to other areas of study that we may need or find interesting. There is merit in procuring ethnic studies textbooks online. However, online reading can be very confusing not to mention intimidating. Books, on the other hand, tent to be narrower in scope and therefore are more manageable.

Let’s take a real example in the subject of ethnic studies. Students are prescribed a certain set of textbooks but have innumerable number of reference books to choose from. Given that buying books has limited value, why buy new books at all? Brand new books come at a huge premium and don’t offer incremental benefits. In the same budget that a student buys x new books, he or she can buy x+y books allowing him or her to experience and learn more. Depending on the state and year of the used book, it can come at a 25-40% cost saving.

Used books are no longer just an option for people who cannot afford new books. Used ethnic studies textbooks marts are popular destinations for students from all walks of life. They save money, read more and do the trees a big favor. They can also choose to sell or give away their used books helping the recycling effort greatly. Not to mention the tidy sum they pocket in the process.

Times have changed and so has the way we process information. We get constant updates on our mobiles, see internet kiosks everywhere and get most of our books online. While it’s ok to buy books when you love them, there is no point buying new copies. Libraries work on the same concept except that the book is not “owned” but “borrowed”. It is consequently available for a smaller period which may not be enough for the user. There are also not enough copies of the same book in a library since the idea is based around doing reference work.

In summary, used book marts are a great option for students of ethnic studies as well as other subjects. Books can be viewed online and ordered at the click of a button, all in the comfort of one’s dorm. Buying books cheaper allows you to read more books than you would if you chose to buy them at full price. Online marts also offer a bigger selection than bookstores as they don’t need to commit physical space to storing books.