TOKYOPOP STATE OF THE UNION: MIKE KILEY

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

Continuing our looks at 2005 and the coming year with publishers in the industry, we focus on TOKYOPOP. In the first of a two-part feature, we caught up with Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Mike Kiley for a look at what 2005 was and what 2006 looks to be.

Newsarama: The Totally Spies Cine-Manga series surpassed 200,000 copies last year. In today’s market, that’s considered a blockbuster hit. Looking back, what are the three most successful events in 2005?

Mike Kiley: Fruits Basket, Warcraft, OEL in general.

NRAMA: Cine-Manga versions of the original Star Wars trilogy were only made available in the U.K., Germany and Japan. Are there plans to bring these to the States even though the U.S. Star Wars license for comics is held by Dark Horse?

MK: Stay tuned for details...

NRAMA: What about Cine-Manga volumes based on the Clone Wars cartoons and Episodes I, II and III?

MK: Already done and released abroad.

NRAMA: The landmark 100th episode (entitled “The Gift”) of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer was released in a Cine-Manga volume in November. What’s in store for fans of Joss Whedon’s hit TV series?

MK: Totally dependent on fan response to 1st vol.

NRAMA: What about Angel? Again, the U.S. Angel license for comics is held by another publisher, IDW Publishing…

MK: No plans at the moment.

NRAMA: Last July saw the release of My Little Pony: Friends are Never Far Away, Sesame Street: Elmo and Zoe Fly a Kite, and Sesame Street: Happy Healthy Monsters, the first of three Junior Cine-Manga books aimed at readers three to six. How has the readers and consumers responded to this line?

Senior Editor Elizabeth Hurchalla: The Jr. Cine-Manga line has proved very popular with young readers. The follow-up My Little Pony release, A Very Minty Christmas, has been the best-selling TOKYOPOP book at Barnes & Noble for several weeks. My Little Pony: Friends Are Never Far Away has also been a top seller for us. Sesame Street: Happy, Healthy Monsters enjoyed a lot of press around Sesame Workshop's initiative to encourage healthy habits in kids and was well-received by booksellers since the book came out at the same time as the DVD release. And we expect the line will just keep growing with the release of Lady & the Tramp, Cars and Little Mermaid all appearing in Jr. Cine-Manga form this year!

NRAMA: In the initial years of TOKYOPOP, it was predominantly known as a license publisher, but in 2005 the fruits of your OEL works started hitting shelves and raising eyebrows. Is exclusive production of original content going to be in the future for TOKYOPOP, or will you always have a balance between licenses and original work?

MK: Always will be a balance. We will continue to acquire, develop, and publish manga all over the world.

NRAMA: Will original works come to the forefront in TOKYOPOP's schedule, given the joint ownership that TOKYOPOP has with the creators as opposed to the licensed books?

MK: They are already at the forefront, sharing top-billing with many of our licensed books, and among our bestselling titles for the year.

NRAMA: Are there plans to send any of these OEL manga back into Asia translated?

MK: Stay tuned for details ...

NRAMA: In the past, the American comics market really only catered to the teenage and young adult market. As the first wave of TOKYOPOP readers grow older, do you plan to offer more mature content?

MK: Always have, always will. We believe the manga readership will grow and mature and that tastes will reflect that evolution. TOKYOPOP will be here to meet that new demand.

NRAMA: Novels based on strong anime/manga properties have performed surprisingly well in the bookstore market in 2005. In another online interview, you said that the novel initiative will be a "huge initiative" in 2006. What’s the outlook for the new year then? Will this exclusively be work based on prior TOKYOPOP manga, or do you see TOKYOPOP doing original concepts in the novel form? Already announced is the two-volume Love Hina series of novels, with the first set to debut in April…

MK: Both licensed and original novels. We are constantly on the lookout for new formats for the manga-infused storytelling techniques that we are experts in.

NRAMA: Rounding things up, 2006 promises more Japanese manga such as Shonen Junai Gumi, the 31-volume prequel to GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka); Hatenko Yugi, a shoujo manga series created by Narumi Endo, which will be released in the States as Dazzle; Chibi Vampire, a five volume series by Yuna Kagesaki; Yubisaki Milk Tea, a four-volume series in which a cross-dresser discovers who loves him; Magical x Miracle, a four-volume series by Yuzu Mizutani about a girl at a wizard school; X-Kai, a two volume hard-boiled romance; Rozen Maiden, four-volume series by Peach Pit, a manga studio collective that also created the successful series DearS; Shrine of the Morning Mist, a four volume series by Hiroki Ukawa, about a boy whose left eye can see into the spirit world; and +ANIMA, a ten-volume series by Natsumi Mukai about a world in which some people (ANIMA) have animal characteristics.

After all these years, just why do you think that manga is not just a fad?

MK: Becasue it resonates all over the world. Kids from every country on the planet are responding to manga's unique graphic design and storytelling. The manga format is fresh and free and completely crazy - it inspires and is inspired by global pop culture. Its look and feel now inform many different art forms and it will continue to appeal to people looking for a new way to be entertained.

NRAMA: Despite the optimistic outlook, manga publishing houses have come and go. How is TOKYOPOP gearing itself up for the challenges ahead?

MK: Better books, cooler books, the best artists, the most diverse list, more media, more ways to experience our stories, and easier access to the world of TOKYOPOP.

Come back tomorrow for an interview with Editorial Director Jeremy Ross where we’ll talk about Original English Language (OEL) manga and more.

[BlueThunderArmy]

Tokyopop does some fun stuff. Can't go wrong with a free manga magazine. Plus, I won an ipod nano from them in the Manga promo. So I'm a fan.

[creatorman]

Tokypop is clearly a leader in Manga publications, but will they ever go the non-manga route? How about publishing a line of creator owned Graphic Novels? There's a lot of great properties out there and with the success Tokyopop has, I'm sure they can promote yet another wave of interesting and exciting projects.

[UberShep]

Originally posted by creatorman
Tokypop is clearly a leader in Manga publications, but will they ever go the non-manga route? How about publishing a line of creator owned Graphic Novels? There's a lot of great properties out there and with the success Tokyopop has, I'm sure they can promote yet another wave of interesting and exciting projects.

Becky Cloonan is getting one out soon from them, but she is heavily influenced by manga. Too much if you ask me.

[ex_mutants]

Originally posted by creatorman
Tokypop is clearly a leader in Manga publications, but will they ever go the non-manga route? How about publishing a line of creator owned Graphic Novels? There's a lot of great properties out there and with the success Tokyopop has, I'm sure they can promote yet another wave of interesting and exciting projects.

Uhm, their OEL program is basically the same as Graphic Novels they just aren't typically complete stories in one book. Now should they expand the content and style of what's in their OEL line? Yes. There are plenty of creators out there that are are more than capable of doing fresh new stories that aren'e derivative of the manga style (writing or art).

[Ayo]

Originally posted by ex_mutants
Uhm, their OEL program is basically the same as Graphic Novels they just aren't typically complete stories in one book. Now should they expand the content and style of what's in their OEL line? Yes. There are plenty of creators out there that are are more than capable of doing fresh new stories that aren'e derivative of the manga style (writing or art).

Brandon Graham seems to be a step in that direction.

[ejulp]

its funny how popular stuff like this is now, as opposed to when i got strange looks for it five years ago, back in high school lol. Paradise Kiss is currently my favorite Tokyopop book, it really bucks some plotting cliches a lot of manga usually gets stuck in(any chance on seeing more Ai Yawaza work, or has Viz snatched that up?), also enjoying my free quarterly magazine , keep up the good work.

[ejulp]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by ex_mutants
Uhm, their OEL program is basically the same as Graphic Novels they just aren't typically complete stories in one book. Now should they expand the content and style of what's in their OEL line? Yes. There are plenty of creators out there that are are more than capable of doing fresh new stories that aren'e derivative of the manga style (writing or art).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

anyone who doubts that american artists can't do manga inspired series should check out www.megatokyo.com (who recently got picked up by dc/cmx, formerly put in trade form by dark horse) it may not be your cup of tea, but it was the first comic of that kind that opened my mind to the idea of successful OEL's (the recent, "i luv halloween" by Giffen, was pretty nifty too).

[BlueThunderArmy]

Originally posted by ejulp
its funny how popular stuff like this is now, as opposed to when i got strange looks for it five years ago, back in high school lol.

n00b

When I was in high school, my friends and I thought we were cool for knowing about PokeMon. Of course, any time you find something new, there's still a million people who found it first—but hell, if it's good material then who cares. Happy to see Tokyopop and co. now have the mainstream attention to bring more stuff over & create new OEL work.

[BradyKiller]

"OEL in general"

Is that a push at this type of material since TP is the only manga publisher really doing this? Megatokyo is seeming the most popular one (but to be published by CMX)...but if Kiley is saying that OEL is as big as something like Warcraft manga or even Fruits basket - I would probably take the rest of his answers with a heaping spoon of salt.

If this came from CMX or Del Rey, I might tend to believe it more...I'm no manga snob but I cant see anybody in the US being able to top the stuff coming out from Japan. Sorry.

[YoungTrek]

What? A "state of the union" with Tokyopop and no questions on the status of their long awaited Star Trek book/s?

[Ayo]

Originally posted by BradyKiller
"OEL in general"

Is that a push at this type of material since TP is the only manga publisher really doing this? Megatokyo is seeming the most popular one (but to be published by CMX)...but if Kiley is saying that OEL is as big as something like Warcraft manga or even Fruits basket - I would probably take the rest of his answers with a heaping spoon of salt.

If this came from CMX or Del Rey, I might tend to believe it more...I'm no manga snob but I cant see anybody in the US being able to top the stuff coming out from Japan. Sorry.

History shows that when people like something from another culture, they will emulate it and eventually create their own versions of the "exotic" thing in question. History shows that people will support domestically created works even if they are based on a genre that is originally foreign or exotic.

Anyway, he says that OEL are among the top sellers, not that they are the top sellers of the company.

[BradyKiller]

Originally posted by Ayo


Anyway, he says that OEL are among the top sellers, not that they are the top sellers of the company.

No he doesnt even say they are top sellers - the question was the MOST SUCCESSFUL EVENTS of 2005 - and c'mon when you put OEL into such huge sales hits like Fruits Basket and Warcraft the implication is pretty obvious...

[beta-ray]

MORE SGT. FROG!!!!

That is all.

[Ayo]

Originally posted by BradyKiller
No he doesnt even say they are top sellers - the question was the MOST SUCCESSFUL EVENTS of 2005 - and c'mon when you put OEL into such huge sales hits like Fruits Basket and Warcraft the implication is pretty obvious...

Okay, I was looking at the wrong section.

However, look at what he's saying, you seem to have mixed up the context. The three most successful things, he notes are two manga titles and the general category of OEL.

OEL is a relatively new project for Tokyopop, stretching back a couple of years, and 2005 was clearly a breakthrough year in the project. So it's one of the company's top successes.

Something that's new and that does well in a market is generally looked at as a "success" from a business standpoint. So even if there are other Japanese titles that are doing better than the "OEL in general," The OEL clearly gets a special mention because it's an entire program and a strong one at that.






He's not saying that ALL Original English Language books are outselling all the other books on their line.

[BradyKiller]

Originally posted by Ayo
Okay, I was looking at the wrong section.

However, look at what he's saying, you seem to have mixed up the context. The three most successful things, he notes are two manga titles and the general category of OEL.

OEL is a relatively new project for Tokyopop, stretching back a couple of years, and 2005 was clearly a breakthrough year in the project. So it's one of the company's top successes.

Something that's new and that does well in a market is generally looked at as a "success" from a business standpoint. So even if there are other Japanese titles that are doing better than the "OEL in general," The OEL clearly gets a special mention because it's an entire program and a strong one at that.






He's not saying that ALL Original English Language books are outselling all the other books on their line.

Nope still not convinced - he lumps it together to make the casual reader believe it is as hot as their (and manga in general's) best selling titles - he should have said biggest SURPRISE or MOST IMPROVED are the OEL not lump it in with the Best Succeses of 2005 because 100,000 copies of Fruits Basket and 5,000 of an OEL does not a success make.

Anyways, its up to the buyer and most buyers have spoken...OEL is OK, but not as good as the Japanese manga - and for someone like me who is non-purist its just a fact that the Japanese manga reads so much better than any derivative - and even better than 90% of the US comics too...kind of like Image's stuff was all derivative pap of the Big 2.

[Ayo]

Originally posted by BradyKiller
Nope still not convinced - he lumps it together to make the casual reader believe it is as hot as their (and manga in general's) best selling titles

Ummm look again. They ARE among Tokyopop's best selling titles. He didn't say "the absolute top three," he answered the question of what's the biggest successes of the year.

- he should have said biggest SURPRISE or MOST IMPROVED are the OEL not lump it in with the Best Succeses of 2005 because 100,000 copies of Fruits Basket and 5,000 of an OEL does not a success make.

He.
Did.
Not.
Say.
That.
The OEL.
Were.
The.
Same.
Figures.
As.
Fruitsbasket.

They're AMONG the top selling and since they're a new project, that makes them a success. C'mon, do you know what success means? It's a relatively new product and it did well...OEL as a program didn't tank, which means that Tokyopop took a risk and didn't fail.

That's pretty successful.

Also, all reports have shown that the top OEL are outselling a lot of Japanese manga. So...I don't know where you're getting this idea that they're merely "improved" or something. It's a huge occasion for celebration.

Anyways, its up to the buyer and most buyers have spoken...OEL is OK, but not as good as the Japanese manga - and for someone like me who is non-purist its just a fact that the Japanese manga reads so much better than any derivative - and even better than 90% of the US comics too...kind of like Image's stuff was all derivative pap of the Big 2.

That's like...your opinion. Apparantly, a LOT of people don't share it because OEL is selling well.

[Benjamin Ong]

Originally posted by YoungTrek
What? A "state of the union" with Tokyopop and no questions on the status of their long awaited Star Trek book/s?

Um, did you check out Part Two?
TOKYOPOP STATE OF THE UNION II: JEREMY ROSS
http://www.newsarama.com/forums/show...threadid=62056

[YoungTrek]

Originally posted by Benjamin Ong
Um, did you check out Part Two?
TOKYOPOP STATE OF THE UNION II: JEREMY ROSS
http://www.newsarama.com/forums/show...threadid=62056

Nope, hadn't seen that. Thanks.

Of course, it didn't really say anything. "Stay tuned." (No offense, but I've been staying tuned for two years now I think.)