Penguin signs three year deal with Digital Manga by
Kit
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Penguin Group USA Inks Deal with Digital Manga Inc. to Publish Manga for Children and Adults.
Penguin Group USA has signed a three year deal to publish manga with Digital Manga Inc. The deal was brokered by Eloise Flood, Publisher of Razorbill, the newly launched teen imprint from Penguin Young Readers Group and Hikaru Sasahara, CEO of Digital Manga Inc.
The deal is a three year co-publishing venture. Penguin Group USA has committed to publishing 8-10 titles the first year and 15-20 per year thereafter. The first line is slated to launch in late Spring 2005. Razorbill will publish children's and young adult titles. Adult books will be published by Leslie Gelbman, President and Publisher of the Berkley Publishing Group.
Digital Manga, Inc., a Los-Angeles-based importer and publisher of Japanese Manga graphic novels, co-publish the bestselling manga series TRIGUN with Dark Horse.
Doug Whiteman, President of Penguin Young Readers Group has this to say about venturing into this relatively new publishing genre, "We are really happy to be in the manga business alongside Digital Manga Inc. We did a lot of research in an effort to find the right partner for our entry into this genre, and I feel sure that we have selected the ideal company in DMI."
Eloise Flood, Publisher of Razorbill adds, "We've watched with awe as manga has exploded on the American scene, and now we're very excited to enter the arena ourselves-especially with a partner as knowledgeable and well connected in the Japanese market as Digital Manga Inc."
Leslie Gelbman, President and Publisher of the Berkley Publishing Group, says, "Partnership with Digital Manga, Inc. gives us the advantage of entering the manga market confident that our books in this new format will be of the highest quality, in both content and production values."
Hikaru Sasahara, CEO of Digital Manga Inc. says, "Penguin has been a major powerhouse in the publishing industry. I believe our partnership with them will further strengthen manga among the core market as well as in the mainstream market. We are very certain that this bond will enable us to become the most successful manga publisher not only in the U.S. but overseas as well."
