Manga (Japanese Comics) have become a certified cultural megaforce, born in the Japanese collective unconscious, their dreamlike visions and epic, cinematic qualities have launched a multibillion-dollar industry and inspired pictorial storytellers throughout the world.

In this long-awaited sequel to his award winning Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics, Dreamland Japan is a current snapshot by culture expert Frederik L. Schodt of what's happening in the manga universe today, both in and outside of Japan.

In brief essays he introduces dozens of artists, magazines, and individual works, and he goes beyond manga to look at manga's impact on society and on the evolution of anime and animation, film, and graphic design. An entire chapter is devoted to the work of Osamu Tezuka, the "God of Comics," and an up-to-date appendix lists manga resources and Internet connections for fans and convention goers.

A partial list of spotlighted artists include: Hinako Sugiura, King Terry, Yoshikazu Ebisu, Kazuichi Hanawa, Suehiro Maruo, Akira Narita, Shungicu Uchida, Yoshiharu Tsuge, Akimi Yoshida, Reiko Okano, Milk Morizono, Fujiko Fujio, and many more.

With over 100 black-and-white illustrations and 8 pages in full color, Dreamland Japan showcases the astonishing variety of manga, from Buddhist cosmology and gay romance to tales of atomic cats, pachinko experts, motorcycle girls, and hardboiled heroes. In manga, there is room for every fantasy; every dream.