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Dojinshi (同人誌; often written Doujinshi) are Japanese comic books ( manga) drawn by amateurs rather than by professional artists. The term is derived from dojin (同人) or a literary group, which was its original means of production, and shi (誌) which means magazine or distribution.
Some are considered fanwork, but many are just small-press manga ( CLAMP started with dojinshi). Usually they draw parodies of currently popular manga or anime series but can include older titles or even the artists' original characters. Stories usually consist of a parody or just an original story using the characters from the particular anime in question. However, many dojinshi have completely original characters, and this should not be taken to further the mistaken belief in the western world that dojinshi are all parodies of existing commercial works.
While it may seem as if adult-oriented stories and drawings dominate this field of anime art, most are not necessarily adult-oriented, although most untranslated pirated dojinshi on the internet is sexual, as the depiction of porn is somewhat universal. Dojinshi are made by people who prefer to print their own comics and/or are looking for the so-called "big break". Artists and illustrators of dojinshi, either individual or with the backing of a circle can range from amateurs to professional artists. Avid fans of dojinshi art attend semiannual dojinshi conventions, the largest of which is called Comiket (short for "Comic Market") held in the summer and winter in Tokyo. Here, all the new dojinshi and even old dojinshi are bought sold and traded by any and everyone. Dojinshi artists are only allowed to print small numbers of books due to copyright laws. This makes a talented artist's or circle's dojinshi a coveted commodity as only the fast or the lucky will be able to get them before they sell out. However, many dojinshi artists are moving to online download and print on demand services, such as http://www.dlsite.com, http://www.dejipare.com/, and http://www.dojin-club.com/. While others are even beginning to distribute their works through American channels such as http://www.bdr517.com
There are a few prevalent categories of dojinshi. Seinen dojinshi usually contain adult material and target adult males over 18. Yaoi and shonen-ai dojinshi feature graphic and not so graphic depictions of male homosexuality and usually target adult women; yuri and shojo-ai are the lesbian equivalent. Ippan dojinshi do not contain adult material and are usually suitable for even younger audiences.
There is no set size for dojinshi as each artist or circle is free to make it whatever size they want. Prices for dojinshi can range from $1.00 US to as much as several hundred dollars. This form of art has expanded by leaps and bounds over the last decade because it promotes freeform art and attracts thousands of talented artists and fans alike. Also recent technical advances have aided artists by making it easier to draw, promote, publish, and distribute. Some dojinshi are now published using digital media.
Also worth mentioning are "CG Galleries", which dojinshi artists frequently place online, both as a catalogue of their commercial works, and as a gallery of their artwork. Tinami, The Navigator of Manga Artists, is a large, indexed, searchable list of such websites.
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