Manga Giant Tokyopop Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Manga Giant TOKYOPOP Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Key Milestone Coincides with Launch of the Most Thorough Ratings System
Ever Developed by a Manga Publisher
Los Angeles, CA (February 20, 2007) - 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 ten-year
anniversary in 2007. To kick off the festivities, TOKYOPOP continues to
set industry standards in manga publishing as it proudly announces the
launch of the most comprehensive graphic novel ratings system ever
developed. Designed to help librarians, educators, parents, retailers,
and consumers make informed buying decisions in a way that is
unprecedented in the graphics novel category, TOKYOPOP has worked with
an outside, experienced consultant to develop a thorough ratings guide
that not only reflects the graphic novel industry as a whole but also
provides detailed explanations of its ratings, akin to the video game
industry's ESRB ratings.
Expanding upon its creation of the very first graphic novel ratings
system nearly ten years ago, which is now the industry standard,
TOKYOPOP's all-new ratings guide includes more than 40 content
indicators divided among five age ranges. In Fall 2007, a general set
of
content indicators in addition to the ratings icon will be printed on
the cover each new series; more specific information will be available
about ratings on the company's website, www.TOKYOPOP.com. With the help
of seasoned consultant Michele Gorman (Getting Graphic!: Using Graphic
Novels to Promote Literacy with Preteens and Teens and Connecting Young
Adults and Libraries), whose experience with graphic novels in the
library market has made her a respected expert in the field, the result
is the most methodical ratings system developed by a manga publisher to
date.
Blazing trails and setting industry standards is not new to TOKYOPOP.
Founded by Stu Levy a decade ago, TOKYOPOP introduced North America to
Japan's manga craze with the company's first release Sailor Moon.
Shortly thereafter, TOKYOPOP engineered prominent book distribution via
top retail stores, standardized book trim size, created a basic
industry-wide rating system, developed the first-ever retail manga
displays and introduced the world of graphic novels to a previously
untapped audience: teenage girls. TOKYOPOP continued to send the
publishing industry reeling with the launch of its line of 100%
Authentic Manga (printed right-to-left), an instant hit with consumers
that far exceeded sales expectations. In one of its most courageous
moves, TOKYOPOP launched the first-ever Global Manga Publishing Program
in 2003 via the introduction of its "Rising Stars of Manga" talent
competition which, as of today, has resulted in the creation of more
than 10,000 pages annually with hundreds of artists from all over the
world. Through the years, the company pioneered the Cine-Manga(tm)
format, a blend of cinematic properties and manga that uses actual
imagery from hit movies and television series, and successfully
launched
an international line of teen fiction novels under its "Pop Fiction"
publishing banner.
With offices in Los Angeles, Tokyo, London and Hamburg, and
partnerships
in Australia and China, TOKYOPOP boasts the largest worldwide manga
brand recognition, shipping approximately 8 million books globally,
with
more than 30 million books in print. TOKYOPOP currently syndicates
manga
to more than 40 newspapers and to the world's #1 teen fashion magazine,
CosmoGIRL! Additionally, TOKYOPOP has secured partnerships to
co-publish
manga with major entertainment brands including its distributor
HarperCollins, Paramount, Universal, Nickelodeon and Disney. Along with
its booming publishing business, the company licenses, creates and
co-creates a multitude of extended manga products including digital
entertainment (manga tones, manga pods, manga movies, manga-strology,
manga games, manga dating); merchandise (T-shirts, jewelry, toys);
music
(several albums of the hottest music available from TOKYOPOP Music on
i-Tunes); feature films (Priest, Lament of the Lamb, Princess Ai) and
TV
shows (Initial D, Rave Master, Reign: The Conqueror, GTO).
According to TOKYOPOP founder and CEO Stu Levy, "For 10 years, TOKYOPOP
has bridged cultures through the power of manga and our Manga
Revolution. As a result, a new generation is learning to respect and
appreciate--as well as enjoy--each other across the globe. The Manga
Lifestyle truly knocks down borders. What's ahead? Over the next 10
years, manga will literally jump off the page into computers, mobile
phones, TV screens, fashion, and theaters, and TOKYOPOP will be there,
leading the way. As we forge ahead into TOKYOPOP's second decade, I
would personally like to thank our dedicated staff, our business
partners, our fans and of course the passionate, talented creators who
are leading this global revolution with us. Viva Manga!"
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.
Key Milestone Coincides with Launch of the Most Thorough Ratings System
Ever Developed by a Manga Publisher
Los Angeles, CA (February 20, 2007) - 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 ten-year
anniversary in 2007. To kick off the festivities, TOKYOPOP continues to
set industry standards in manga publishing as it proudly announces the
launch of the most comprehensive graphic novel ratings system ever
developed. Designed to help librarians, educators, parents, retailers,
and consumers make informed buying decisions in a way that is
unprecedented in the graphics novel category, TOKYOPOP has worked with
an outside, experienced consultant to develop a thorough ratings guide
that not only reflects the graphic novel industry as a whole but also
provides detailed explanations of its ratings, akin to the video game
industry's ESRB ratings.
Expanding upon its creation of the very first graphic novel ratings
system nearly ten years ago, which is now the industry standard,
TOKYOPOP's all-new ratings guide includes more than 40 content
indicators divided among five age ranges. In Fall 2007, a general set
of
content indicators in addition to the ratings icon will be printed on
the cover each new series; more specific information will be available
about ratings on the company's website, www.TOKYOPOP.com. With the help
of seasoned consultant Michele Gorman (Getting Graphic!: Using Graphic
Novels to Promote Literacy with Preteens and Teens and Connecting Young
Adults and Libraries), whose experience with graphic novels in the
library market has made her a respected expert in the field, the result
is the most methodical ratings system developed by a manga publisher to
date.
Blazing trails and setting industry standards is not new to TOKYOPOP.
Founded by Stu Levy a decade ago, TOKYOPOP introduced North America to
Japan's manga craze with the company's first release Sailor Moon.
Shortly thereafter, TOKYOPOP engineered prominent book distribution via
top retail stores, standardized book trim size, created a basic
industry-wide rating system, developed the first-ever retail manga
displays and introduced the world of graphic novels to a previously
untapped audience: teenage girls. TOKYOPOP continued to send the
publishing industry reeling with the launch of its line of 100%
Authentic Manga (printed right-to-left), an instant hit with consumers
that far exceeded sales expectations. In one of its most courageous
moves, TOKYOPOP launched the first-ever Global Manga Publishing Program
in 2003 via the introduction of its "Rising Stars of Manga" talent
competition which, as of today, has resulted in the creation of more
than 10,000 pages annually with hundreds of artists from all over the
world. Through the years, the company pioneered the Cine-Manga(tm)
format, a blend of cinematic properties and manga that uses actual
imagery from hit movies and television series, and successfully
launched
an international line of teen fiction novels under its "Pop Fiction"
publishing banner.
With offices in Los Angeles, Tokyo, London and Hamburg, and
partnerships
in Australia and China, TOKYOPOP boasts the largest worldwide manga
brand recognition, shipping approximately 8 million books globally,
with
more than 30 million books in print. TOKYOPOP currently syndicates
manga
to more than 40 newspapers and to the world's #1 teen fashion magazine,
CosmoGIRL! Additionally, TOKYOPOP has secured partnerships to
co-publish
manga with major entertainment brands including its distributor
HarperCollins, Paramount, Universal, Nickelodeon and Disney. Along with
its booming publishing business, the company licenses, creates and
co-creates a multitude of extended manga products including digital
entertainment (manga tones, manga pods, manga movies, manga-strology,
manga games, manga dating); merchandise (T-shirts, jewelry, toys);
music
(several albums of the hottest music available from TOKYOPOP Music on
i-Tunes); feature films (Priest, Lament of the Lamb, Princess Ai) and
TV
shows (Initial D, Rave Master, Reign: The Conqueror, GTO).
According to TOKYOPOP founder and CEO Stu Levy, "For 10 years, TOKYOPOP
has bridged cultures through the power of manga and our Manga
Revolution. As a result, a new generation is learning to respect and
appreciate--as well as enjoy--each other across the globe. The Manga
Lifestyle truly knocks down borders. What's ahead? Over the next 10
years, manga will literally jump off the page into computers, mobile
phones, TV screens, fashion, and theaters, and TOKYOPOP will be there,
leading the way. As we forge ahead into TOKYOPOP's second decade, I
would personally like to thank our dedicated staff, our business
partners, our fans and of course the passionate, talented creators who
are leading this global revolution with us. Viva Manga!"
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.
bookmark/share with:
