A new University of Minnesota publication has entered the scene this semester with a unique focus on the art form of manga, or comics and graphic novels from Japan.
Minnesota Manga, which is now available at The Book House in Dinkytown, brings to life the passions of its creators and contributors in the form of a soft cover booklet magazine and a glimmery-eyed Babe the Blue Ox logo promising to “add that manga touch to anyone’s back to school experience!”
Gideon Lundin, a university junior and the founder and editor-in-chief of Minnesota Manga, has been reading manga since middle school.
The first manga he read was “One Piece,” and he said he has read most of the 109 volumes. Lundin’s fascination with manga inspired him to start his own manga magazine.
“The style was just so whimsical and fantastical,” Lundin said. “Manga feels so unlike other comics that are one step behind in terms of making things feel special.”
Lundin said his goal is to make Minnesota Manga as ubiquitous as the weekly issues found in grocery stores across Japan.
Lundin contrasted manga with American comic books that he said have been monopolized by Marvel and DC.
“American comic books focus so much on superheroes,” he said. “Manga is more cinematic, and artists have more authority over what they make, so there’s more creativity.”
Lundin’s close friend Dietrich Atienza, a junior at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul (UNW), recalled Lundin noticing him reading manga in middle school and the two sparked a bond over their shared passion.
Atienza said his father, “a manga and anime nerd” himself, immersed him in manga classics such as “One-Punch Man” and “Attack on Titan.”
Atienza is now “almost like a salesman” for Minnesota Manga at UNW.
Atienza said he wanted to help Lundin with his passion project before he even asked for his help.
“He’s one of my closest friends, and my goal is to help him make his dream a reality,” Atienza said.
Minnesota Manga has been years in the making for Lundin. He said the biggest challenge was finding local mangakas, or manga creators.
“Not many people understand how long it takes to make manga,” Lundin said.
Lundin’s manga in the Fall 2024 issue, “GoGo Ninja,” is a “Naruto”-inspired one-shot, or standalone story, that has been in the works since the beginning of COVID-19.
“I spent way more time on the art than the writing, which I’m not super happy about, but it was good enough for me to put in the magazine,” Lundin said.
Lundin recruited two other artists for the fall issue and hopes to find more via social media and exposure through physical sales.
One of the artists featured in this current issue is Karina Herrera-Cavazos, also a junior at the University of Minnesota, whose one-shot “Don’t Smoke on Campus” expands on an anti-smoking PSA she made for a psychology class.
“I’ve always liked drawing comics, and keeping campus smoke-free is something I’m passionate about,” Herrera-Cavazos said.
While her comics aren’t directly inspired by manga, Herrera-Cavazos said she has enjoyed reading mangas like “My Hero Academia” and “Zatch Bell!”
Herrera-Cavazos said she has been wanting to put her art out there and plans on submitting it to Minnesota Manga’s next issue, which is planned for spring semester.
“It’s crazy to actually see and touch the magazine,” Herrera-Cavazos said. “I want it to become more established, and I want more people to know about this publication.”
Though Lundin, Atienza and Herrera-Cavazos all have limited time left in their college careers, they all expressed hopes that Minnesota Manga will take off in that time.