Scanlation

Scanlation (also scanslation) is the scanning, translation, and editing of comics from a language into another language. Scanlation is done as an amateur work and is nearly always done without express permission from the copyright holder. The word "scanlation" is a portmanteau of the words scan and translation. The term is mainly used for Japanese comics (manga) and Chinese comics (manhua), although it also exists for other national traditions on a lesser scale. Scanlations may be viewed at websites or as sets of image files downloaded via the Internet.

History

Frederik Schodt describes having "dreamed of [manga translation] as far back as 1970 or 1971" . Subsequently Schodt, Jared Cook, Shinji Sakamoto, and Midori Ueda formed a group named Dadakai. Schodt referred to Dakadai as "really the beginning of manga translation", however described these efforts as "way too early" because they could not get anything published. One of the manga Dadaki licensed was Osamu Tezuka's manga titled "Phoenix", and the translation was later published by Viz Media from 2002 to 2008. The amateur press association (APA) was the first formally organized form of manga scanlation. Their major period of activity occurred during the late 1970s through the early 90's. Scanlation groups began forming in Europe before the United States translating into their respective languages; the largest of which was the French.