Manga = Japanese Comic

If you've ever had at least one conversation with me where my passion of anime and manga was brought up, then you know just how strongly I feel when concepts, words, etc. are taken out of its original context and its true meaning altered.
As the popularity of anime and manga has grown, I can't help but notice the increasing frequency of its misconceptions -- one of which lies with manga. It's very frustrating enough to see mangas mixed with other comics. Even worse, to the average consumer, these comics are seen or assumed to be manga. I see works that are called "mangas" written/drawn by English, German, and Korean artists. I've even seen comic strips that mimic the "manga" style in Cosmo Girl and actually call it "manga."

To set the record straight, mangas are comics written by Japanese artists, while other works can be called American comics, manga-inspired, or whatever. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy works such as "Megatokyo" and "Warcraft," but calling them "manga" is just plain wrong. Just as American cartoons are different from Japanese cartoons (aka "Anime"), American or German, or whatever comics or graphic novels are different from Japanese comics (aka "Manga").

I was happy to come across an article from "Japan Times." It's in English, so check it out here.