TOKYOPOP, HARPERCOLLINS FORM CO-PUBLISHING AGREEMENT

[MattBrady]

Tokyopop and HarperCollins jointly announced today that the two companies have formed a co-publishing agreement which will see HarperCollins’ young adult and middle grade novels turned into manga, as well as HC selling and distributing the entire Tokyopop line in North America.

The first line of titles to be produced under the co-branded manga will be adaptations of Meg Cabot’s novels. To date, Cabot’s works have sold more than six million copies, and the author is widely acclaimed for her young adult stories. Tokyopop will develop and adapt the novels into manga, which will be under Cabot and her HC author’s supervision.

Other HC novels looking to make the jump include other young adult and middle grade novels. The first titles coming from this venture are scheduled for publication in 2007, and both companies are looking to release as many as 24 titles per year. HarperCollins’ list in this category is impressive, with franchises and authors such as the Lemony Snickett series, the Warriors series, Terry Pratchett, Victoria Ashton, and dozens and dozens of others calling the publisher home.

“This collaboration is indicative of our commitment to grow our authors in new and exiting ways, as well as to offer our consumers a wider range of formats in which to enjoy their favorite books and authors. This is really what Publishing+ is all about,” said Jane Friedman, President and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide in a statement. “We have been eager to enter the manga marketplace, and can think of no more powerful way than to join forces with Tokyopop, a company we have long admired as the leading manga publisher in North America.”

“Tokyopop is proud to begin this exciting new partnership with HarperCollins, the most innovative and diverse mainstream publisher in America,” added Stu Levy, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Tokyopop. “Together our companies will be able to expand the manga lifestyle into mainstream youth culture, building a new paradigm in entertainment, where East meets West and a new generation of multi-ethnic creators can flourish.”

As of mid-June, HarperCollins will begin selling and distributing all Tokyopop books to the North American trade book market. All back office functions including customer service, warehousing, billing and credit will be performed by HarperCollins.

“HarperCollins continues to invest in new people and technology to offer world-class client services,” said Glenn D’Agnes, COO, HarperCollins Publishers. “We will increase Tokyopop’s reach in the marketplace to capitalize on the high-growth manga sector, while simultaneously increasing its service levels to its customer base.”

“Our partnership with HarperCollins will allow us to take the Manga Revolution to the next level,” said Mike Kiley, Publisher of Tokyopop. “The combination of HarperCollins’ world-class systems and market penetration with Tokyopop’s groundbreaking creativity will create a compelling new force in publishing.”

[BlueThunderArmy]

Sounds interesting. I might pick up some Terry Pratchett adaptations...

[sequart]

HarperCollins’ list in this category is impressive, with franchises and authors such as the Lemony Snickett series, the Warriors series, Terry Pratchett, Victoria Ashton, and dozens and dozens of others calling the publisher home.

I'm a 6th grade teacher and I KNOW that the Lemony Snickett adaptations would be utter sell outs when they hit the shelves. Every third kid in my school has read that series.

[Gordon McAlpin]

This is pretty huge! I just kind of which the artists weren't all going to be "manga artists." (I hate using the term "manga" to describe a style, but... well, everybody else seems to.) Sometimes the art just looks so derivative that it doesn't have any personality of its own.

The best manga artists (Otomo, Miyazaki) have their own distinctive style, but so much manga -- especially OEL manga -- just blurs together for me.

[exar khun]

now that prose novels are going the graphic novel route (i.e tokyo pop, dark towers, etc) it would only be some time that we will have the harry potter GNs....

i too am very interested in the Terry Pratchet and Meg Cabot GNs.....it would be great if they attached some sample art to the PR...

so these would be direct translations of the prose to the sequentail art, right?

another thing i noticed is that they're targeting the teens bracket....i just wish some publisher (Oni Press / Top Shelf) can get to adapt other mature prose from the likes of Michael Crichton or Dan Brown or Robert Ludlum and that they produce new material instead of direct adaptation...

[Simon DelMonte]

I would be shocked if PTerry let anyone adapt his novels into manga. it's already strange enough that he's sold the rights to Wee Free Men for a movie. Manga seems too big a leap for this author.

[exar khun]

Originally posted by Gordon McAlpin
This is pretty huge! I just kind of which the artists weren't all going to be "manga artists." (I hate using the term "manga" to describe a style, but... well, everybody else seems to.) Sometimes the art just looks so derivative that it doesn't have any personality of its own.

The best manga artists (Otomo, Miyazaki) have their own distinctive style, but so much manga -- especially OEL manga -- just blurs together for me.

I totally agree with you....i just hope Tokyopop will not do this is the "manga" style...that's why i still prefer Oni/Top Shelf to do those mature-themed adaptations....

...and wouldn't it be great if Ted Naifeh could adapt the Lemony Sniket series or Andi Watson get to do the Meg Cabot novels....oooooh....

[Mike S Miller]

Wow. We're working with HC division Zondervan on some Manga projects, I hope TP doesn't try to bulldoze the rest of HC.

Not that I think they would, this is just an interesting development.

[Ray Dillon]

Jeez, Tokyopop is just gonna rule the world eventually.

[TRaik]

Originally posted by exar khun
now that prose novels are going the graphic novel route (i.e tokyo pop, dark towers, etc) it would only be some time that we will have the harry potter GNs....

Probably, eventually. But I still doubt there will be Harry Potter GNs while Rowling's still working on the prose series (and perhaps not until after the film adaptations are completed.)

Originally posted by Mike S Miller
Wow. We're working with HC division Zondervan on some Manga projects, I hope TP doesn't try to bulldoze the rest of HC.

Zondervan is Christian book publishing, right? I'd bet you're pretty safe, at least for now. Tokyopop probably has some thoughts about doing manga for the Christian book market, but it may not be the first direction they'll be moving toward.

What're you doing with Zondervan? Sounds intriguing...

[Ayo]

Originally posted by Ray Dillon
Jeez, Tokyopop is just gonna rule the world eventually.

What do you mean "eventually?"

[Mike S Miller]

Originally posted by TRaik
Zondervan is Christian book publishing, right? I'd bet you're pretty safe, at least for now. Tokyopop probably has some thoughts about doing manga for the Christian book market, but it may not be the first direction they'll be moving toward.

What're you doing with Zondervan? Sounds intriguing...

I think Zondervan will be doing the official Press Release, but we're (Alias and our Christian division, Cross Culture Entertainment) working with them on developing three series of Manga, each running 8 books per series. I'm actually writing and drawing one of them, which will be fun, since it's a style that's outside of my comfort zone, it will force me to learn new tricks. Old dog that I am. lol.

The books are Christian in nature, one is a manwha (Korean Manga) that we're translating, and the other two are original books. Former Wildstorm artist Mat Broome and Sixgun Samurai artistHarold Edge will be handling art chores on one of them, with Hedge Knight and Lullaby scribe Ben Avery at the writing helm.So needless to say, it'll be awesome.

I had actually heard from someone inside Tokyo Pop that they are developing some Christian manga. It should be interesting to see if they fly. That market is very self-protective, and it's not as easy to get in as saying 'this is a Christian book'.Though with HC on their side, might make it a little easier.

[ATKokmen]

For those following this story, ICv2 has posted a brief interview with Tokyopop Publisher Mike Kiley about this new deal.