Yonkoma

They also sometimes run right-to-left horizontally or use a hybrid 2×2 style, depending on the layout requirements of the publication in which they appear.

Although the word yonkoma comes from Japanese, the style also exists outside Japan in other Asian countries as well as in the English-speaking market, particularly in mid-20th century United States strips, where Peanuts popularized the format.

Entitled Jiji Manga, it is thought to have been influenced by the works of Frank Arthur Nankivell and of Frederick Burr Opper.

The plot often ends within the four panels; although some serial development may pass on to future installments, creating a more continuous story.

Some manga occasionally use yonkoma, usually at the end of a chapter or bound volume, as a non-canon joke to complement the story.