Worlds Within Worlds...

A Lompoc Valley (CA) news site has this article up on two of the newest Rising Stars of Manga creators, locals Ashly Raiti and Irene Flores.

Overall, it is pretty good, but it is interesting to see how manga is propped up and differentiated from American comics:

These are not the comics we are all so familiar with and they don't come from the same sources either. Manga can be found in high-end bookstores like Barnes & Noble, B. Dalton, Borders and Waldenbooks as well as fine comic book stores.

...

What separates manga from the rest of the comic book world is the story forms it uses and the fact that a greater percentage is purchased by females. You will find more stories of drama, romance and comedy along with a good dose of fantasy, action and horror.

"American comics are more superhero-centric," explained The Rising Stars of Manga Editor Mike Paniccia. "(Manga) is mainly found in bookstores and they tend to be black and white where American comics are saturated with color." Pannicia also pointed out that comics have traditionally been a male dominated marketplace.

[Thanks to Kevin for the link]