Dōjinshi (同人誌) are self-published artworks, usually manga or novels. They are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry.
Some of famous and respected Dōjinshi artists are :
- CLAMP started out as a dōjinshi group of 12 girls known as CLAMP Cluster. Today, they are a well-known group among manga fans, and have their works regularly serialized in major publications in several countries. They also publish individual manga volumes, and many of their titles have been converted to anime.
- Ken Akamatsu, creator of popular manga such as Love Hina and Negima, continues to make dōjinshi which he sells at Comiket under the pen-name Awa Mizuno.
- Rikdo Koshi, creator of the popular manga Excel Saga, originally started out as a dōjinshi artist.