Manga (pronounced maawng-guh) literally means “whimsical or impromptu pictures.” Typically associated with otaku “nerdy” tradition, it has a deep and rich history in Japanese artwork that plays a significant position in Japanese tradition today. But how did manga start? And how did it evolve to achieve the worldwide influence it has immediately? Though there are clues that manga originated back to the 12th century, we’re going to concentrate on hard information starting with the word “manga” itself. The word “manga”…