▁com ics ▁mag az ines ▁decre ased ▁and ▁many ▁com ics ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁published ▁directly ▁as ▁albums . ▁ ▁Sm aller ▁publish ers ▁such ▁as ▁L ' Associ ation ▁that ▁published ▁longer ▁works ▁in ▁non - trad itional ▁formats ▁by ▁aute ur - istic ▁cre ators ▁also ▁became ▁common . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁mer gers ▁resulted ▁in ▁fewer ▁large ▁publish ers , ▁while ▁smaller ▁publish ers ▁pro l ifer ated . ▁ ▁Sales ▁overall ▁continued ▁to ▁grow ▁despite ▁the ▁tr end ▁towards ▁a ▁shr inking ▁print ▁market . ▁ ▁Japanese ▁com ics ▁ ▁Japanese ▁com ics ▁and ▁cart oon ing ▁( ), ▁have ▁a ▁history ▁that ▁has ▁been ▁seen ▁as ▁far ▁back ▁as ▁the ▁anth rop omorphic ▁characters ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 2 th - to - 1 3 th - century ▁, ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁ ▁and ▁ ▁picture ▁books , ▁and ▁wood block ▁prints ▁such ▁as ▁u ki yo - e ▁which ▁were ▁popular ▁between ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁and ▁ 2 0 th ▁centuries . ▁ ▁The ▁ ▁contained ▁examples ▁of ▁sequ ential ▁images , ▁movement ▁lines , ▁and ▁sound ▁effects . ▁ ▁Illustr ated ▁mag az ines ▁for ▁Western ▁exp atri ates ▁introduced ▁Western - style ▁sat ir ical ▁cart o ons ▁to ▁Japan ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁New ▁publications ▁in ▁both ▁the ▁Western ▁and ▁Japanese ▁styles ▁became ▁popular , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0