•WMA Signs TOKYOPOP: A recent press release from TOKYOPOP has just revealed that the William Morris Agency has signed TOKYOPOP, which means they will be representing the publisher's IP in every form of entertainment imaginable. For the sake of comparison, consider this: some of the biggest names in entertainment have been represented by the WMA in the past, including the Rolling Stones as well as David Geffen, founder of Dreamworks Studio. The press release is as follows:
WMA SIGNS MANGA GIANT TOKYOPOP
BEVERLY HILLS, CA (August 2, 2007) -- The William Morris Agency (WMA) has signed TOKYOPOP, the #1 publisher of manga graphic novels in North America and largest supplier of manga entertainment in the world. WMA will represent TOKYOPOP’s original intellectual property for film, television, digital, merchandising, and game development.
"WMA's partnership with TOKYOPOP presents a fresh opportunity for our clients and TOKYOPOP to create new characters and ideas through the dynamic world of manga," said WMA President Dave Wirtschafter. "Our agency's resources coupled with the unique world of TOKYOPOP, allows for a global exchange between traditional content creators and manga, anime and beyond."
“We are excited to join forces with WMA as we further develop the TOKYOPOP brand worldwide,” said Stu Levy, the company’s CEO and Chief Creative Officer. “This partnership takes us one step closer to realizing our dream of merging the leading edge of manga entertainment with Hollywood.”
With Levy at the helm and creative executive Noah Stern onboard, the newly-formed TOKYOPOP Pictures is off and running. Film projects in development include the company’s hit properties, Lament of the Lamb, a gut-wrenching horror story of a young man who shockingly discovers he may be the last in a bloodline of vampires, and The Ai-Land Chronicles, a groundbreaking blend of live action and animation based on the company’s successful manga franchise, Princess Ai.
Hailed by the New York Times as “the American pioneer of manga,” TOKYOPOP, the company responsible for igniting the worldwide manga boom, is proud to celebrate its 10-year anniversary in 2007. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP is recognized on all fronts as a trailblazer in the manga business and a true global pop culture brand.
About the William Morris Agency
Founded in 1898, the William Morris Agency is the largest and most diversified talent and literary agency in the world, with principal offices in New York, Beverly Hills, Nashville, London, Miami Beach and Shanghai, China. The Agency represents clients in all segments of the entertainment industry, including Motion Pictures, Television, Music and Personal Appearances, Broadway Theatre and Theatrical Touring, Book Publishing, Commercial Endorsements, Sports Marketing, Licensing & Merchandising and Corporate Consulting. The William Morris Agency can be found at http://www.wma.com.
About TOKYOPOP
TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way teens experience pop culture. The company’s global reach has expanded to Europe and Asia, with recent offices opening in the UK and Germany and partnerships in Australia and China, in addition to its original Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto the new social networking site www.TOKYOPOP.com, reading its books, and watching its DVDs and television programs, TOKYOPOP’s award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing teen entertainment marketplace. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.
CONTACT:
Susan Hale - TOKYOPOP
(323) 692-6738 / susanh@tokyopop.com
Christian Muirhead - WMA
(310)859-4184/cmu@wma.com
•Drama Queen Starting Action Imprint: Amidst all the hype generated by Comic Con, it looks like a couple of announcements from the smaller, relatively quieter Otakon might have slipped past our radar. While certain publishers like TOKYOPOP and Del Rey were too busy pulling up their socks and straightening their ties for SDCC, others did make a couple of interesting announcements at the event. Among these are Drama Queen who seem to be adding a few "mainstream" solicitations to their list to balance out their more saucy tendencies.
DramaQueen shared its plans to start an action imprint, starting with the Korean manhwa series, Spam Mail Hunter, which is scheduled for September release. “We needed to set up a separate [non-yaoi] imprint so that people won’t feel squeamish about buying books,” from DramaQueen [which publishes sexually explicit yaoi] said the publisher’s managing director, Tran Nguyen. Nguyen also said that the company will hold a competition for fans to come up with a name for the imprint. The winner will receive a box of the Japanese snack Pocky and a thank-you note. Yaoi Press and Media Blasters who were also at the event had a couple of announcements to make as well. Hit the link below to check out a Publishers Weekly article that summarizes the event rather nicely.
[Source: Publishers Weekly]
•Viz to release TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE by Taiyo Matsumoto: It's hard to argue with the opinion that the manga industry is becoming increasingly reliant on new talent and a new generation of manga-ka. While the much-revered authors of several years past still remain dear to the manga community, commercially, licensing companies have started to strike up deals with the newer generation of artists.
If you asked Viz, they'd tell you Taiyo Matsumoto (Ping Pong) falls squarely into that category, and that his blend of Japanese and Western art styles is what sparked their interest in his work. Come September 25th, Viz will be releasing an omnibus of all three volumes of Matsumoto-san's "edgy" TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE series. Read on for the press release.
VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF EDGY MANGA TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE
BY TAIYO MATSUMOTO
Acclaimed Series Blends Japanese And Western Art Styles And Offers
Gritty And Surrealistic Portrayal of Disaffected Urban Youth
San Francisco, CA, August 1, 2007 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of
the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive
publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the highly
anticipated release of an omnibus edition compiling the edgy and
controversial manga series TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE, by acclaimed
creator Taiyo Matsumoto, on September 25. The manga, which is being
offered by VIZ Media’s Signature imprint, is also the inspiration behind
the new TEKKONKINKREET anime feature film from Sony Pictures directed by
noted visual effects artist and producer Michael Arias (The Abyss,
Princess Mononoke, The Animatrix).
TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE bundles all three volumes of the original
series along with a color poster insert and 12 special full-color manga
pages – the first time these pages will be published in the U.S. An
insightful interview with Michael Arias and screenwriter Anthony
Weintraub is also featured in the foreword. TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK &
WHITE is rated “M” for Mature Audiences and will retail for $29.95.
TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE presents a gritty depiction of urban and
social decay surrounding a pair of outcasts who somehow find hope and
redemption. Orphaned on the mean streets of Treasure Town, street kids
Black and White must mug, steal and fight to survive but are fiercely
loyal to each other. Black is especially quick to avenge any slight
against his dim-witted pal White. The result? The citizens of Treasure
Town are afraid of them, the police are afraid of them, and even the
local yakuza gangsters are afraid of them! But when a crime boss known
as the "Rat" returns to Treasure Town, a confrontation is destined to occur!
Taiyo Matsumoto has won international critical acclaim for his rough and
often-unflinching depictions of disaffected youth drawn in an
unconventional and surrealist art style he developed after a visit to
France and exposure to artists like Moebius. His manga works, including
BLUE SPRING and NO. 5 (both published by VIZ Media), offer a unique art
style that reflects both Japanese and European influences. Another of
Matsumoto’s manga, PING PONG, was made into an award-winning live action
film that is being released domestically by VIZ Pictures.
“Taiyo Matsumoto is one of the most important of a new generation of
manga artists that have emerged in the last decade and TEKKONKINKREET:
BLACK & WHITE is one of his most powerful works,” states Elizabeth
Kawasaki, Editorial Director, VIZ Media. “Matsumoto is unique in his
ability to seamlessly blend Japanese and Western art styles and
storytelling techniques in such a compelling and visceral manner. We are
excited and privileged to offer a gorgeous omnibus presentation of BLACK
& WHITE with never before seen color manga pages. The volume also serves
as a wonderful complement to the new TEKKONKINKREET anime feature from
Sony. This manga is definitely not a title to miss!”
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one
of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga
(graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of
Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and
licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and
Shogakukan Production Co., Ltd. (ShoPro Japan), VIZ Media is a leader in
the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking
audiences in North America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and
animation. The company offers an integrated product line including,
magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos,
DVDs and audio soundtracks and develops and markets animated
entertainment from initial production, television placement and
distribution, to merchandise licensing and promotions for audiences and
consumers of all ages.
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