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Licensing | Press Releases | Release Lists

Tokyopop Webinar: Part One

Tokyopop Webinar

Early this afternoon (or early this evening as in my case), Tokyopop held its first webinar: a live webcam-based session where Tokyopop staff took the time to share some information about upcoming titles and answer a whole lot of questions from the attendees.

Thanks to a quick transit home, I was able to attend this first-of-two sessions and you can read about what was said under the post cut.

As for my impressions of the Webinar as a whole: fantastic idea. It allows the opportunity for a convention-type industry panel but that people around the world can join in on from the comfort of their own homes. It’s a great way to communicate with fans and I give Tokyopop major kudos for putting it into place. Most impressively was the number of questions they were able to answer thanks to the in-order, streamlined method of submission. Very organized and a great opportunity to hit a lot of proverbial birds with one stone (I had all my questions answered so that was snazzy). I certainly hope I can attend the next one as well.

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Del Rey With Kodansha Listings, Digital Manga Picks Up DQ License

Makoto Tateno's Premonition, Yotsuba and Akira

Some note-worthy new listings popped up on Amazon over the week and this time one of them even comes with a confirmation from the company.

Two new Digital Manga listings of interest: one is for another omnibus edition of a previously released series of theirs, this time Hinako Takanaga’s fantastically charming Little Butterfly (big recommendations from me on this one!). This joins the already confirmed omnibus for Makoto Tateno’s Yellow.

Speaking of whom, Makoto Tateno’s boys’ love series Yokan is now listed on Amazon from Digital Manga under the name Preminition. Some yaoi fans may recall this title as having been previously licensed by the now defunk DramaQueen (under the title Omen). Word is that several of DQ’s licenses have begun to expire after years of no releases, which means there’s a likely possibility for more license rescues in the coming future. Preminition, along with a couple other newer licenses, are now listed on Digital Manga’s website.

Other Amazon finds of interest includes two editions of Yen Press’s upcoming first volume release of Soul Eater, one of which apparently coming with a presumably-snazzy slipcover. Extra attention for a series with a big fan base? Speaking of big fan-base (which should be bigger still!), Yen Press will be releasing not one, not two but six volumes of Yotsuba&! this September!

And lastly, though my Twitter followers heard this from me a couple days ago, listings for Akira by Kodansha Comics (previously reported as one of the most solid pieces of Kodansa-related news the English manga world has gotten so far) are now all being listed as the following: Akira Volume # (Akira (del Rey)).

This isn’t the first time I’ve noted overlap in publishing credits between Kodansha Comics and Del Rey, who already has a close connection with the company and releases their titles predominantly. Of course this could just be a slip-up on Amazon’s part, though some other retail sites have the publisher for Kodansha Comic’s rereleases of Akira and Ghost in the Shell listed as Random House (of which Del Rey is an imprint of). Is Del Rey merely helping Kodansha find footing in North America? Or could Kodansha Comics show up as another Random House imprint as a more all-inclusive joint agreement for manga releases? Time will (we hope) tell for sure!


Release List: August 2009

With con season well under way, it’s easy to get caught up thinking about all those fantastic series on their way to us in the future. But though the future is full of shiny things, we mustn’t forget the present and fortunately there’s plenty of great stuff coming up in August to keep our reading minds on the now :)

You can check out August 2009’s currently scheduled manga releases under the cut:

Read more…


Dark Horse Acquires Multiple CLAMP Series for Omnibus Editions

Cardcaptor Sakura - Coming Soon From Dark Horse

Unable to attend the Dark Horse panel at SDCC this past weekend, and hopelessly technologically limited since then, this news has taken its time making the way to the front page at Kuriousity, but that’s certainly no indication of my excitement over this announcement!

Dark Horse employees announced at their SDCC panel that they’ve acquired the licenses to multiple CLAMP series and will be releasing them in their entirety in special omnibus editions. This is a part of their continued celebration for CLAMP’s 20th Anniversary, including their recently released omnibus collection of CLAMP’s lyrical Clover series.

The series announced were Magic Knight Rayearth, Cardcaptor Sakura and Chobits. All three of these series were previously published in English by Tokyopop over multiple-volume runs (in that order).

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Kuriousity at SDCC: Del Rey

Technical troubles are delaying this post of mine on Del Rey’s Saturday panel, but I did attend and there was plenty of info shared by the pleasantly enthusiastic staff.

The panel of staff members included Del Rey’s Associate Publisher, Editor, Licensing and Acquistion Handler, Marketing Manager… and “just a writer” (info was withheld so as not to spoil news delivered in the panel).

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Kuriousity at SDCC: CMX Manga

San Diego Comic Con International

Here we go at the convention’s last industry manga panel: CMX Manga! A few technical difficulties slowed the start but it gave some attendees time to share a few con stories with the staff, and then soon enough, things began!

Note: Due to technical problems of my own, I wasn’t able to live blog the panels that happened yesterday but I do have all the information so that will all hopefully be up tonight!

CMX staff begin by showcasing multiple series,most of which acting as elaboration for previously announced/revealed titles while the others near-the-end are new:

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Kuriousity at SDCC: Yen Press

Kobato as licensed by Yen Press

Lots of great announcements here at the Yen Press panel, so as before while this will be a brief overview until I have the time to write something full, but here’re the goodies in the meantime!

New license announcements:

Black Butler by Yana Toboso
Darker Than Black by Bones, Tensai Okamura, Nokya, Arklight
Romeo & Juliet by William Shakesspeare/Adapted by COM, Gonzo, SPWT
Bunny Drop by Yumi Unita
Sasameke by Ryuji Gotsubo
Omamori Himari by Milan Matra
My Girlfriend’s A Geek (Fujyoshi Kanojo) by Pentabu & Rize Shinba
Novel By Pentabu (blog collection by boy that inspired the Fujyoshi Kanojo)
Otome by Yuuki Fujinari
Dragon Girl by Toru Fujieda
Natsukashi Machi no Rozione by Sumomo Yumeka
Kobato by CLAMP (Coming May 2010)

Lots of great titles in the list, and following the licensing is a nice-sized Q & A which you can read a few excerpts from after the cut.

Read more…


Kuriousity at SDCC: Viz Media Manga & Anime

Viz Media's Shonen Sunday

It’s Viz again today as a full room is present to hear the news at Viz Media’s Manga & Anime panel. As with the previous panel, I’ll share the big updates here and then update later with the complete panel information later this evening.

The panel opened up with information on the previously announced Shonen Sunday. Viz staff shared some information about Shonen Sunday’s history (had no idea it’d been around in Japan since 1939!) before showcasing the current titles available in the new imprint:

Rin-Ne – Rumiko Takahashi
Kekkaishi – Yellow Tanabe
Arata: The Legend – Yu Watase
Maoh: Juvenille Remix – Kotaro Isaka & Megumi Osuga
Hyde & Closer – Haro Aso

The new titles which have not yet been released by Viz, will be available in book form in 2010 but are currently being released per chapter (for free!) over at the spiffily launched ShonenSunday.com.

You can read lots more under the cut:

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Kuriousity at SDCC: Shonen Jump

Shonen Jump at SDCC09

Viz Media’s Shonen Jump panel is happening as I type here at San Diego Comic Con. My first industry panel so forgive that I only have time to share so much right away ;) This post will be updated with a full overview of the panel later this afternoon. Edit: Post updated! See under the cut for the rest of the panel information.

The big announcements of the panel were two new licenses:

Toriko by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro
Originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2008
Toriko a “gourmet hunter” knows that “food tastes better when you have to gather it with blood, sweat and tears.”

Bakuman by Takeshi Obata and Tsugumi Ohba
Originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2008
“The mystery behind manga-making revealed!”

The first guest of the panel is Hiroyuki Takei, creator of Shaman King and artist of the currently running Ultimo. Second guest is Stan Lee, the King of American comics himself (creator of such popular series as the X-Men and Spiderman). Excuse me while I try to catch my breath and get back to you!

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Yen Press Licenses Kuroshitsuji, Offers 6-Month Yen Plus Subs

Black Butler - Licensed By Yen Press

Early in the week Yen Press posted about their upcoming August 2009 issue of the monthly Yen Plus anthology. Debuting in the magazine is a new licensed series that they had yet to announce.

A reader over on the Mania forums says that they’ve seen a copy of the August issue and the new license is Kuroshitsuji by Yana Toboso. It will be released under the name Black Butler in English. While this has yet to be officially confirmed, it seems a safe bet for a series that not only has a strong preexisting fanbase but is also a Square Enix-owned manga series, by whom Yen Press has multiple series from already.

In their magazine post, Yen Press has also made note that from now on subscriptions to Yen Plus will be for six-months at a time instead of a full year.

“…from here on out, new subscriptions to Yen Plus will be for six months at a time rather than for the full year. The cost will be the same ($25.99 for six months), but you won’t have to shell out for that full year’s subscription all at once. So hopefully that makes things a bit more affordable and convenient for you all!”

Yen Press is also nearing its one year anniversary since the first volume was released in August 2008. Congrats to Yen Press for a successful year! The artist of their series Maximum Ride, NaRae Lee, will be attending the upcoming San Diego Comic Con as well.


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