Includes bibliographical references and index.

Fans of the Japanese cartoon art genre called manga, and of its sister genre anime-or manga-style films-will treasure this survey of an art form currently sweeping the world. The book is an illustrated history of Japanese comics, with separate chapters devoted to male and female heroes and villains, non-humanoid characters, and even manga depictions of historical and literary characters. Brief descriptive sketches of all characters accompany colorful illustrations of heroes and villains caught in moments of dramatic action. Key figures include Astro Boy, Akira, Lupin III, Pokemon, and many others. Just as fascinating are biographical sketches of several of the world's most successful manga artists including Motoko Kusanagi, as well as Astro Boy's creator Osamu Tezuka, and many others. As the first illustrated book to show and evaluate sucha wide range of manga characters, 500 Manga Heroes and Villains is an essential basic reference source for both manga fans and popular-culture historians.