Tokyopop Takes Warcrft from the PC to the Page
TOKYOPOP INC. TAKES BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT®'S WARCRAFT® SERIES FROM THE PC TO THE PAGE WITH AN EXCITING NEW MANGA TRILOGY
Series to Feature Best-Selling Author Richard Knaak and Renowned Artist Jae Hwan Kim
Los Angeles, CA--TokyoPop Inc. and Blizzard Entertainment® are proud to announce a groundbreaking project based on the immensely popular Warcraft® game universe. The publishing powerhouse and gaming gurus have joined forces to develop a three-book manga series titled Warcraft - The Sunwell Trilogy! The Warcraft manga will be penned by New York Times best-selling fantasy author Richard Knaak--who is also writing a trilogy of Warcraft novels--and illustrated by Jae Hwan Kim, artist of TOKYOPOP's fan-favorite King of Hell series.
Set in the same rich universe as Blizzard's upcoming Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game World of Warcraft(TM), Warcraft - The Sunwell Trilogy is a fresh take on the events in Warcraft III using original characters and storylines. The three manga volumes follow the adventures of Kalec, a Blue Dragon who has taken human form to escape the forces that seek to destroy his race, and Anveena, a maiden with secrets of her own. What starts as a flight for survival turns into a quest to save the entire High Elven Kingdom from the forces of the Undead Scourge.
"Blizzard consistently produces the highest quality PC games on the market, and we brought together a winning, international creative team to uphold the Warcraft standard," said series editor Jake Forbes. "We knew Richard Knaak would be the best writer for the series, but we were still blown away by the magic and intrigue-filled story he delivered. Jae Hwan Kim, one of the most talented manga artists in Korea, was already a fan of the Warcraft games, and we love his take on the world...we know fans will too."
"We're very pleased to be entering into this partnership with TOKYOPOP," stated Paul Sams, Blizzard Entertainment's senior vice president of business operations. "We look forward to offering gamers a new perspective on events taking place within the Warcraft storyline while also introducing a new universe to manga fans."
Since its debut in 1994, the #1-selling Warcraft game series has won industry acclaim and has shattered sales records worldwide with over 14 million copies sold*. In 1995, Blizzard followed the well-received Warcraft: Orcs and Humans(tm) with the critically acclaimed Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness(TM), which won multiple Game of the Year awards and is still considered by many critics to be one of the best games ever made. In 2002, Blizzard expanded the boundaries of the epic Warcraft universe with the release of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos(TM). This third chapter in the legendary saga quickly reached the #1 position on sales charts around the world and has also since garnered Game of the Year awards from numerous gaming publications. The upcoming World of Warcraft is Blizzard's most ambitious effort to date, and will undoubtedly introduce millions of new players to the Warcraft universe.
Warcraft - The Sunwell Trilogy Volume 1: Dragon Hunt debuts in early spring 2005.
ABOUT TokyoPop Inc.
TokyoPop Inc. is the leading North American publisher of manga, the fastest growing segment within the publishing industry. With exclusive rights to hundreds of licensed and original book, video and music properties, the company has rapidly become a media convergence leader. TOKYOPOP has millions of books in print and publishes many hit manga series, including Fruits Basket, Princess Ai, D.N.Angel, Saiyuki, Rave Master, Initial D and Chobits. The company pioneered Cine-Manga(TM), releasing such titles as Finding Nemo, SpongeBob SquarePants, Lizzie McGuire and That's So Raven. TOKYOPOP television properties include Rave Master, GTO and Reign: The Conqueror. The company has also expanded its presence as a licensor, representing merchandising rights for Rave Master, Initial D, Stray Sheep and others. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.
ABOUT BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT
Best known for popular hits including the Warcraft series, StarCraft®, and the Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment (www.blizzard.com), a studio of Vivendi Universal Games, is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating many of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard's track record includes eight #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's free Internet gaming service Battle.net® is the largest in the world, with millions of active users.
*Based on EDI sell-through, internal company estimates, and reports from key retail accounts around the world.
Series to Feature Best-Selling Author Richard Knaak and Renowned Artist Jae Hwan Kim
Los Angeles, CA--TokyoPop Inc. and Blizzard Entertainment® are proud to announce a groundbreaking project based on the immensely popular Warcraft® game universe. The publishing powerhouse and gaming gurus have joined forces to develop a three-book manga series titled Warcraft - The Sunwell Trilogy! The Warcraft manga will be penned by New York Times best-selling fantasy author Richard Knaak--who is also writing a trilogy of Warcraft novels--and illustrated by Jae Hwan Kim, artist of TOKYOPOP's fan-favorite King of Hell series.
Set in the same rich universe as Blizzard's upcoming Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game World of Warcraft(TM), Warcraft - The Sunwell Trilogy is a fresh take on the events in Warcraft III using original characters and storylines. The three manga volumes follow the adventures of Kalec, a Blue Dragon who has taken human form to escape the forces that seek to destroy his race, and Anveena, a maiden with secrets of her own. What starts as a flight for survival turns into a quest to save the entire High Elven Kingdom from the forces of the Undead Scourge.
"Blizzard consistently produces the highest quality PC games on the market, and we brought together a winning, international creative team to uphold the Warcraft standard," said series editor Jake Forbes. "We knew Richard Knaak would be the best writer for the series, but we were still blown away by the magic and intrigue-filled story he delivered. Jae Hwan Kim, one of the most talented manga artists in Korea, was already a fan of the Warcraft games, and we love his take on the world...we know fans will too."
"We're very pleased to be entering into this partnership with TOKYOPOP," stated Paul Sams, Blizzard Entertainment's senior vice president of business operations. "We look forward to offering gamers a new perspective on events taking place within the Warcraft storyline while also introducing a new universe to manga fans."
Since its debut in 1994, the #1-selling Warcraft game series has won industry acclaim and has shattered sales records worldwide with over 14 million copies sold*. In 1995, Blizzard followed the well-received Warcraft: Orcs and Humans(tm) with the critically acclaimed Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness(TM), which won multiple Game of the Year awards and is still considered by many critics to be one of the best games ever made. In 2002, Blizzard expanded the boundaries of the epic Warcraft universe with the release of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos(TM). This third chapter in the legendary saga quickly reached the #1 position on sales charts around the world and has also since garnered Game of the Year awards from numerous gaming publications. The upcoming World of Warcraft is Blizzard's most ambitious effort to date, and will undoubtedly introduce millions of new players to the Warcraft universe.
Warcraft - The Sunwell Trilogy Volume 1: Dragon Hunt debuts in early spring 2005.
ABOUT TokyoPop Inc.
TokyoPop Inc. is the leading North American publisher of manga, the fastest growing segment within the publishing industry. With exclusive rights to hundreds of licensed and original book, video and music properties, the company has rapidly become a media convergence leader. TOKYOPOP has millions of books in print and publishes many hit manga series, including Fruits Basket, Princess Ai, D.N.Angel, Saiyuki, Rave Master, Initial D and Chobits. The company pioneered Cine-Manga(TM), releasing such titles as Finding Nemo, SpongeBob SquarePants, Lizzie McGuire and That's So Raven. TOKYOPOP television properties include Rave Master, GTO and Reign: The Conqueror. The company has also expanded its presence as a licensor, representing merchandising rights for Rave Master, Initial D, Stray Sheep and others. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.
ABOUT BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT
Best known for popular hits including the Warcraft series, StarCraft®, and the Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment (www.blizzard.com), a studio of Vivendi Universal Games, is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating many of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard's track record includes eight #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's free Internet gaming service Battle.net® is the largest in the world, with millions of active users.
*Based on EDI sell-through, internal company estimates, and reports from key retail accounts around the world.
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