In addition to the previously announced Stan Lee Ultimo press event scheduled for Friday, VIZ Media LLC will offer a variety of manga and animation-related activities at this weekend’s New York Comic Con. The publishing, animation and licensing company will participate in a number of exhibits, special events, programs, panels and industry roundtable discussions at this year’s event, taking place April 18-20 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.
VIZ will be present on the main show floor with their Manga Lounge at booth #1365, where a wide selection of some of the hottest graphic novel series sweeping Japan and North America will be available for visitors to read at their leisure. Also, Liza Coppola, senior VP of VIZ Media, will participate in the ‘State of The Manga Industry’ panel to take place on Friday at 1 p.m. in room 1E16. Another VIZ Media panel will preview a variety of upcoming releases on Saturday at 11 a.m. in room 1E03, where director of marketing Mark Chang will be joined by product manager Candice Uyloan and Simon & Schuster’s Nichole Beaulieu for an insightful discussion and Q&A session on what new titles fans may expect throughout 2008.
Animation screenings will include two episodes from the action series Bleach (rated T for Teens) on Friday, April 18 at 4 p.m. in Room 1E15, followed by a pair of installments of the hit crime drama Death Note (rated T+ for Older Teens) at 7 p.m. in Room 1E07.
VIZ is also returning as a sponsor and participant in pop culture publishing and consulting company ICv2’s annual Graphic Novel Conference, taking place today, just prior to the opening of the convention. This trade-only industry event examines a range of important topics including graphic novels for tweens, which will focus on the fast-growing tween market.
Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., VIZ Media is owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan Production Co. Ltd. (ShoPro Japan). The company publishes English-language versions of such Japanese magazines as Shonen Jump and Shojo Beat, as well as graphic novels, home video releases and audio soundtracks. In addition, VIZ and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial production, television placement and distribution to merchandise licensing and promotions.
For more information on the New York Comic Con, go to www.nycomiccon.com.
