TOKYOPOP Launches New Online Shop to Sell Print-on-Demand Books

Press release:

TOKYOPOP Launches New Online Shop Powered by MashON, Offers TextStream Print-On-Demand Books

- New TOKYOPOP Shop launch features out-of-print titles through Baker & Taylor TextStream print-on-demand and new merchandise capabilities through MashON -

LOS ANGELES, CA. - December 20, 2010 - TOKYOPOP, the country's leading independent manga media company, Baker & Taylor Inc., the world's largest distributor of physical and digital books and entertainment products, and e-commerce solution leader MashON, today announced the launch of the new TOKYOPOP Shop at www.TOKYOPOP.com. The new shop features manga-branded merchandise through MashON's e-commerce solutions and thousands of manga titles, including titles that were previously out-of-print, such as Arm of Kannon, Gorgeous Carat, and Liling-Po.

This launch with TOKYOPOP is Baker & Taylor's latest step in expanding TextStream's presence in the publishing community. TextStream provides publishers with a full range of print-on-demand / print-to-order services and a wide variety of binding formats and trim sizes.

"TOKYOPOP has an amazingly loyal, passionate fan base, and offering print-on-demand will allow fans to complete their collections of their favorite series with volumes that had been out-of-print," said Larry Bennett, Vice President of Digital Print Media for Baker & Taylor.

This partnership with MashON will allow TOKYOPOP to offer a wide array of merchandise with manga brand designs - already including iphone skins and mini-posters - with many new brands and products to be rolled out in the near future.

"As a technology provider, MashON has created a model for TOKYOPOP to integrate our eCommerce and Creative Platform with Baker & Taylor in such a way that it is the new benchmark for the publishing industry. It's exciting to see the offering resonate with TOKYOPOP's fans, especially when we consider that this initial launch is only a small fraction of the features to come. The combination of processes and technology which has been created and refined for TOKYOPOP, presents an incredibly attractive opportunity for publishers wishing to expand their product offering without increasing their inventory risk." said Andre Costa de Sousa, MashON's Head of Special Projects.

The new TOKYOPOP Shop is in an early beta stage and will be growing with new special discounts, bundle packages, and exclusive merchandise over the coming months. The Shop enters the marketplace at competitive pricing with a 30 percent storewide discount and free shipping on orders $25 or more.

Added Stu Levy, CEO and founder of TOKYOPOP, "We initially set out to build the TOKYOPOP Shop in order to provide our fans with a high-quality, price-competitive way to purchase our books online. It's an incredible bonus that we have partners who also have made it possible for us to offer print-to-order books and exclusive merchandise. We've always wanted to offer these features to our fanbase and now the technology is here for it."

The new TOKYOPOP Shop is now live in a beta version at http://www.tokyopop.com/


About Baker & Taylor
Baker & Taylor, Inc. (http://www.baker-taylor.com/) is the world's largest distributor of books, digital content and entertainment products. The company leverages its unsurpassed worldwide distribution network to deliver rich content in multiple formats, anytime and anywhere. Baker & Taylor offers cutting-edge digital media services and innovative technology platforms to thousands of publishers, libraries and retailers worldwide. Baker & Taylor also offers industry-leading customized library services and retail merchandising solutions. Baker & Taylor is proud to power Blio (blioreader.com), the world's most flexible, engaging and revolutionary e-reading application. Charlotte, N.C.-based Baker & Taylor is majority owned by Castle Harlan Partners IV, L.P., an institutional private equity fund managed by Castle Harlan, Inc., a leading private equity investment firm.

Baker & Taylor and the Baker & Taylor logo are trademarks of Baker & Taylor, Inc.

About TOKYOPOP (http://www.tokyopop.com/)
Founded by multi-cultural media visionary Stuart Levy, TOKYOPOPis 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 offices in the UK and Germany, in addition to its Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto the new social networking site http://www.tokyopop.com/, reading its books, which are licensed in more than 50 countries in more than 30 languages, 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 http://www.tokyopop.com/ for additional information.

About MashON
MashON (http://www.mashon.com/), a dba of Planetwide Games Inc, is a leading provider of web based creative, promotional applications and turnkey eCommerce solutions for more premium entertainment properties such as MGM, Henson Studio, EA, NFL, 4Kids TV, Moonscoop and TNA Wrestling. Leveraging its patented web based creative platform, MashON redefined online shopping for branded merchandise by combining traditional licensed products with user created merchandise under a single cohesive, branded and entertaining web store, providing a deeply immersive and consolidated shopping experience.

MashON has deployed its comprehensive technology platform, including eCommerce applications, promotional and social widgets, SEO and advertising campaign management and interactive advertising solutions to maximize the exposure and profitability of entertainment brands and content.

New VIZ Media Manga for the iPad

VIZ MEDIA DEBUTS NEW MANGA ON THE FREE-TO-DOWNLOAD VIZ MANGA APP FOR THE iPad

VAMPIRE KNIGHT, OTOMEN, OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB And RUROUNI KENSHIN Join Lineup of Legendary Manga Series Available

VIZ Media announces the launch of VAMPIRE KNIGHT (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens), OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB (rated ‘T’ for Teens), OTOMEN (rated ‘T’ for Teens), and RUROUNI KENSHIN (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens), available now from the VIZ MANGA APP on the Apple® iPad™ mobile device. The VIZ MANGA APP is available for free download through the iTunes Store, and all manga volumes are available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada directly within the application for $4.99 per volume.

The recently launched VIZ MANGA APP is the leading application to read Japanese manga on the iPad, with a downloadable library of the most popular manga series in the world. Readers are encouraged to check the app regularly, as new additions to the store and free Chapter 1 previews of other forthcoming manga series for the iPad are featured.

Other series now available for download on the VIZ Manga App include volumes from BLEACH (rated ‘T’ for Teens), BAKUMAN｡ (rated ‘T’ for Teens), DEATH NOTE (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens), DRAGON BALL (rated ‘T’ for Teens), NARUTO (rated ‘T’ for Teens), and ONE PIECE (rated ‘T’ for Teens).

In OTOMEN, a romantic comedy by creator Aya Kanno, Asuka Masamune is a guy who loves girly things--sewing, knitting, making cute stuffed animals and reading shojo comics. But in a world where boys are expected to act manly, Asuka must hide his beloved hobbies and play the part of a masculine jock instead. Can Asuka ever show his true self to anyone, much less to Ryo Miyakozuka, the girl that he's falling for?

In the screwball romantic comedy OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB by Bisco Hatori, Haruhi, a poor girl at a rich kids' school, is forced to repay an $80,000 debt by working for the school's swankiest, all-male club--as a boy! There, she discovers just how wealthy the six members are and how different the rich are from everybody else...

Action, romance, and historical intrigue help make Nobuhiro Watsuki's RUROUNI KENSHIN, the tale of a wandering swordsman set against the backdrop of the Meiji Restoration, one of the most popular Shonen Jump titles among fans to date! Himura Kenshin, once an assassin of ferocious power, is now a humble rurouni, a wandering swordsman fighting to protect the honor of those in need.

In fan favorite hit VAMPIRE KNIGHT, by Matsuri Hino, Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires!

For more information on the VIZ MANGA APP, please visit www.VIZ.com/apps/.

"Van Von Hunter" Film Wins at MockFest 2010

First-time directors Stu Levy and Steven Calcote win Best Director for Van Von Hunter at Hollywood-based comedy film festival MockFest 2010

Los Angeles, CA (December 20, 2010) - TOKYOPOP, the leading manga-lifestyle entertainment company, is proud to announce that its mockumentary feature film Van Von Hunter won two awards at MockFest 2010, a festival celebrating the best comedies and mockumentaries from around the world.

Van Von Hunter, starring voice actor extraordinaire Yuri Lowenthal (Naruto, Ben 10), marks the feature film directorial debut of producer and entrepreneur Stu Levy, along with visual effects supervisor and filmmaker Steven Calcote. The pair wrote, produced, and appeared in the film.

Van Von Hunter was nominated in four categories at MockFest 2010; BEST DIRECTOR (Stu Levy and Steven Calcote), BEST MOCK FEATURE FILM, THEMED AWARD #1: What a Character Award! (Van Von Hunter, Yuri Lowenthal) and BEST EDITOR (Daisuke Kinouchi). The film took home awards for best director and a special "audience award" for best film.

"By recognizing Steven and my efforts on this film, MockFest has unleashed a monster," says Levy. "I hope they realize this means we'll keep making movies, documentaries, and combustible mixes of carbonated drink, egg nog, and aqua-colored slurpees. The world will know no end to the madness."

Inspired by and based upon the manga series created by Mike Schwark and Ron Kaulfersch, Van Von Hunter is a live-action comedy that follows its title character on a journey deep into the heart of manga and anime fandom. From the mythical world of Dikay, to the cold, hard streets of Hollywood, then across the ocean to Tokyo, this Van-tastic voyage is also filled with cameos of top manga and anime personalities as it embraces otaku culture around the globe.

Please watch the Van Von Hunter film for free on Hulu: http://www.hulu.com/van-von-hunter.

For Van Von Hunter updates and news, be sure to go to the Van Von Hunter Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/vanvonhunter.


Van Von Hunter
TOKYOPOP

Credits:
Director: Stu Levy, Steven Calcote
Screenwriters:Stu Levy, Steven Calcote
Based on the graphic novel by: Mike Schwark, Ron Kaulfersch
Producers: Stu Levy, Steven Calcote
Editor: Daisuke Kinouchi
Director of Photography: Jake Avignone
Visual Effects: Jason Milligan
Music: Benjamin Chan

Cast:
Van Von Hunter: Yuri Lowenthal
Holly O'Hara: Heather Marie Marsden
Patrick Shaunessey: Travis Stevens
Sho Matsuhashi: Himself
Hiromoto Sensei: Shin-ichi Hiromoto
Shoji Kawamori: Himself

Running Time - 102 minutes

About TOKYOPOP
Founded in 1997 by international media entrepreneur Stu Levy, TOKYOPOP established the market for manga in North America, introducing the term to the English language in the process. Over its history, TOKYOPOP has published over 3000 books, distributed anime and Asian films on home video and television, licensed merchandise to consumer goods companies, created graphic novels of major brands such as Warcraft, Star Trek, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Hannah Montana, and led the way digitally in social media, e-commerce and user-generated content. TOKYOPOP's brand expanded internationally with offices in Europe and Japan and a network of over 160 partners in more than 50 countries and 30 languages. Taking its Manga Revolution beyond the page, TOKYOPOP has begun producing live-action and animated film and television content based on its extensive intellectual property library, including Priest, Van Von Hunter, and another 20 projects currently in development, along with America's Greatest Otaku, an 8-episode reality show filmed during its 2010 summer-long, 28-city national tour. For more information, visit http://www.tokyopop.com/ as well as www.twitter.com/tokyopop and www.facebook.com/tokyopop.

The Inner Chambers Versus 47 Ronin

I read Ôoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 5 (Ooku: the Inner Chambers)

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

#IReadsYou Review: TIME BOMB #3

TIME BOMB #3

 

RADICAL PUBLISHING

CREATORS/WRITERS: Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray

ART: Paul Gulacy
COLORS: Rain Beredo
LETTERS: John J. Hill
COVER: Paul Gulacy and Rain Beredo
56pp, Color, $4.99

Time Bomb is a science fiction comic book created and written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray (Jonah Hex, Power Girl) and drawn by still-going-strong industry veteran, Paul Gulacy. The series opens in the year 2012 and finds that the human race has 72 hours to live! Why? The Omega Bomb, a relic of Nazi Germany, was accidentally launched, unleashing a horrible virus.

Jack McCrea, team leader; Ken Weinhauser, tech-ops specialist; Peggy Medina, deadly science expert; and Christian Grainger, strategist are four specialists assigned by the New World Order to save the world. They are sent back in time and their target is the day before the bomb was discovered, in an attempt to prevent the disaster. However, the Time Bomb sends them back seven decades earlier and drops them in the heart of Germany towards the end of World War II.

In Time Bomb #3, the mission to save the world comes to an explosive conclusion. Jack and a lovely double agent are imprisoned in the underground bunker where the Omega Bomb sits. Jack is also about to learn the shocking true identity of the Omega Bomb’s sinister creator. Meanwhile, Ken, Peggy, and Christian make an attempt to rescue Jack, but their own freedom is also in jeopardy. And a legendary player enters the game.

One can praise Time Bomb for being consistently good, but what it was consistent at was being freaking good. If I could describe the speed at which I read this to driving, that comparison would be that I read Time Bomb #3 at breakneck speed. It’s easily one of the very best comic books of the year, and it is certainly way better as an action comic book than many films were as action movies. Also, with his excellent art for this series, Paul Gulacy proves that after four decades drawing comic books, he is still at the top of his game, which is above many other artists’ games.

A+

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New Shonen Jump Not Quite the Old Shonen Jump

VIZ MEDIA’S SHONEN JUMP MAGAZINE EVOLVES FOR 2011 WITH A FRESH NEW LOOK AND EXPANDED PRINT AND ONLINE CONTENT

 

North America’s Most Popular Manga Monthly Begins The Year With Plenty Of New Upgrades Fans Won’t Want To Miss

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, announces the relaunch of its popular SHONEN JUMP monthly manga (graphic novel) magazine, and also grows the publication’s online presence. Beginning with the January 2011 issue, available now from retailers, SHONEN JUMP magazine welcomes the new decade with a fresh, contemporary look, and expanded print and web content.

As part of this upgrade, the magazine also launches several new subscriber-only initiatives on the SHONEN JUMP website at: www.ShonenJump.com. Among these features will be digital subscriber-only premiums and content, as well as the debut of a brand new manga series, NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN (rated ‘T’ for Teens) that will be serialized online. This will be SHONEN JUMP’s first title to be serialized digitally on ShonenJump.com.

For its print counterpart, SHONEN JUMP, which continues to be the best-selling manga anthology in North America, debuts 2 new series - the science fiction thriller, PSYREN, and fan favorite YU-GI-OH! 5D’S. As a special treat to both current and new readers, the January 2011 issue will also include a free YU-GI-OH! trading card, The Winged Dragon of Ra, printed with the autograph of original YU-GI-OH! creator Kazuki Takahashi. These titles join other current monthly SHONEN JUMP series, BLEACH, NARUTO and ONE PIECE.

Manga previews are a cornerstone of SHONEN JUMP coverage and this will continue with newly expanded sneak peeks, both online and in print, starting with massive online manga previews of popular series TORIKO and BAKUMAN｡. VIZ Media also plans to deliver plenty of fan appreciation throughout 2011 with a variety of contests, sweepstakes and inside information about the exciting and ever-changing world of manga and anime.

“Paying careful attention to all the input from our loyal fans, the SHONEN JUMP team has revamped the magazine, keeping what devotees already know and love and adding in more awesome stuff than before!” says Christopher Boily, Editor-in-Chief. “The world of media and comics is changing and we’re excited to explore the opportunities that now exist for the magazine and our manga. New series like NURA and PSYREN will fit in right alongside NARUTO and BLEACH to create the best manga mix we’ve ever had, both in print and online. And the new look and feel of the magazine is exactly what our fans have been asking us for!”

For more information on SHONEN JUMP Magazine and other Shonen Jump titles, please visit http://www.shonenjump.com/.

Mark Texeira Sketchbook Now Available

Press release:

 

"Mark Texeira: Nigthmares and Daydreams" Sketchbook

 

From Master Illustrator, Mark Texeira, take a journey on the dark side as we explore many of Mark's covers and sketches with a decidedly "bent" viewpoint--from his creator-owned character Pscythe, to monsters and babes--full of brawn and beauty-- this is volume doesn't repeat any art appearing in any other retrospective. A must have for any fan of fine art! And, who knows, you might even find a few of the cast showing up in your own slumberland. Great for Halloween and Beyond!

Artist(s): Mark Texeira
Bio notes: Renee Witterstaetter
Hardcover Full Color 48 Pages

Signed Edition:ISBN: 978-1-4507-1734-2
$39.99

Sketch Edition:ISBN: 978-1-4507-1735-9
$150.
(Featuring an original sketch by Mark Texeira)