Tokyopop Announces Princess AI Continuation
TOKYOPOP LIGHTS UP THE SUMMER WITH "LUMINATION"
THE CONTINUATION OF #1 SERIES PRINCESS AI
With Nearly 28 Million Books in Print, Next Volume in Best-Selling
Trilogy Marks 1000th Manga Release in Company's History
Anime Boston, MA (April 28, 2005)-TokyoPop Inc.,the country's number
one graphic novel publisher with nearly 28 million books in print, has
planned a summer befitting royalty for its best-selling series Princess
Ai
One year after the series' coronation at #1 in Nielsen BookScan sales
reports, TOKYOPOP is releasing Princess Ai: Lumination, the second book
in the Gothic fantasy thrillogy, created by an unparalleled royal manga
family that includes writer-producer D. J. Milky (the upcoming Juror
13),
renowned Japanese artist Misaho Kujiradou, rock and film star Courtney
Love and celebrated international manga-ka Ai Yazawa (Paradise Kiss).
Marking a crowning achievement for TOKYOPOP, the release of Princess
Ai's second installment brings TOKYOPOP's tally of manga volumes to one
thousand...and counting! In celebration of this seminal moment in its
history, the company is thrilled to announce a cosplay contest at San
Diego Comic-Con on July 16, 2005. Fans are encouraged and challenged to
create their favorite Princess Ai outfit for the chance to receive
fabulous prizes, including free cell phones, wallpaper downloads,
T-shirts-all of which are part of the full line of Princess Ai
merchandise that also includes posters, calendars and bookmarks.
And the royal merchandise treatment doesn't stop there! Bleeding Edge,
a cutting-edge Los Angeles-based collectible doll manufacturer, is
launching a line of Princess Ai 12" fashion dolls and 7" vinyl dolls.
Featuring the unique fashions that Princess Ai sports, along with her
mysterious locket and signature ripped stockings, each doll will come
with a sampler of Princess Ai: Lumination. In addition, Princess Ai:
Lumination will feature pages that depict the process of designing,
sculpting and manufacturing the dolls.
Princess Ai: Lumination continues the amazing journey of Ai, a
mysterious alien who is lost in our world. Throw in a group of
assassins
hot on her tail, crowds of protesters, and an adventure filled with the
unexpected risks of fame, Lumination is shaping up to surpass the
success of the series' debut volume.
"It has truly been a privilege to work with such an amazing group of
creators on this very special project," said D. J. Milky, co-creator of
the series. "Courtney is really a visionary who has gone through many
trials and tribulations, Yazawa-san was so incredibly creative that it
blew me away, and seeing Kujiradou-san's storyboards and pencils come
through chapter by chapter has been nothing short of magical."
"I think last year's release of Princess Ai raised the bar in manga
storytelling, with its unique blend of out-of-this world fantasy mixed
with a cool, lyrical authentic narrative," added Rob Tokar, TOKYOPOP
senior editor. "We have an unmatched creative team behind the franchise
and fair warning to all, for the next volume, we have many more twists
and turns up our sleeves!"
Princess Ai: Lumination will be available beginning in July at all
major
book, comic, video, specialty and music stores nationwide at $9.99
(SRP).
ABOUT TOKYOPOP(r)
As the largest English-language publisher of manga in the world,
TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand.
TOKYOPOP's innovative product extensions include its pioneering
Cine-Manga(r) book format, which features colorful flavors of pop
culture's hottest films, television shows and music videos. The
company
has expanded its property reach beyond publishing-TOKYOPOP's television
series have been broadcast in the United States on Cartoon Network,
Showtime and G4Media, and are released on DVD, with consumer products
available at all major retail outlets. The company's global reach has
recently expanded to Europe, with new offices in the UK and Germany, in
addition to its Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With nearly 28
million books in print, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed
and original properties features more than 200,000 pages of manga
compiled over nearly 1,000 manga volumes. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.
THE CONTINUATION OF #1 SERIES PRINCESS AI
With Nearly 28 Million Books in Print, Next Volume in Best-Selling
Trilogy Marks 1000th Manga Release in Company's History
Anime Boston, MA (April 28, 2005)-TokyoPop Inc.,the country's number
one graphic novel publisher with nearly 28 million books in print, has
planned a summer befitting royalty for its best-selling series Princess
Ai
One year after the series' coronation at #1 in Nielsen BookScan sales
reports, TOKYOPOP is releasing Princess Ai: Lumination, the second book
in the Gothic fantasy thrillogy, created by an unparalleled royal manga
family that includes writer-producer D. J. Milky (the upcoming Juror
13),
renowned Japanese artist Misaho Kujiradou, rock and film star Courtney
Love and celebrated international manga-ka Ai Yazawa (Paradise Kiss).
Marking a crowning achievement for TOKYOPOP, the release of Princess
Ai's second installment brings TOKYOPOP's tally of manga volumes to one
thousand...and counting! In celebration of this seminal moment in its
history, the company is thrilled to announce a cosplay contest at San
Diego Comic-Con on July 16, 2005. Fans are encouraged and challenged to
create their favorite Princess Ai outfit for the chance to receive
fabulous prizes, including free cell phones, wallpaper downloads,
T-shirts-all of which are part of the full line of Princess Ai
merchandise that also includes posters, calendars and bookmarks.
And the royal merchandise treatment doesn't stop there! Bleeding Edge,
a cutting-edge Los Angeles-based collectible doll manufacturer, is
launching a line of Princess Ai 12" fashion dolls and 7" vinyl dolls.
Featuring the unique fashions that Princess Ai sports, along with her
mysterious locket and signature ripped stockings, each doll will come
with a sampler of Princess Ai: Lumination. In addition, Princess Ai:
Lumination will feature pages that depict the process of designing,
sculpting and manufacturing the dolls.
Princess Ai: Lumination continues the amazing journey of Ai, a
mysterious alien who is lost in our world. Throw in a group of
assassins
hot on her tail, crowds of protesters, and an adventure filled with the
unexpected risks of fame, Lumination is shaping up to surpass the
success of the series' debut volume.
"It has truly been a privilege to work with such an amazing group of
creators on this very special project," said D. J. Milky, co-creator of
the series. "Courtney is really a visionary who has gone through many
trials and tribulations, Yazawa-san was so incredibly creative that it
blew me away, and seeing Kujiradou-san's storyboards and pencils come
through chapter by chapter has been nothing short of magical."
"I think last year's release of Princess Ai raised the bar in manga
storytelling, with its unique blend of out-of-this world fantasy mixed
with a cool, lyrical authentic narrative," added Rob Tokar, TOKYOPOP
senior editor. "We have an unmatched creative team behind the franchise
and fair warning to all, for the next volume, we have many more twists
and turns up our sleeves!"
Princess Ai: Lumination will be available beginning in July at all
major
book, comic, video, specialty and music stores nationwide at $9.99
(SRP).
ABOUT TOKYOPOP(r)
As the largest English-language publisher of manga in the world,
TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand.
TOKYOPOP's innovative product extensions include its pioneering
Cine-Manga(r) book format, which features colorful flavors of pop
culture's hottest films, television shows and music videos. The
company
has expanded its property reach beyond publishing-TOKYOPOP's television
series have been broadcast in the United States on Cartoon Network,
Showtime and G4Media, and are released on DVD, with consumer products
available at all major retail outlets. The company's global reach has
recently expanded to Europe, with new offices in the UK and Germany, in
addition to its Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With nearly 28
million books in print, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed
and original properties features more than 200,000 pages of manga
compiled over nearly 1,000 manga volumes. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.
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