The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan and Tokyopop Join Hands
Comic-Con - San Diego, CA (July, 2006)-When 16-year-old Tessa Victoria
Weyh, diagnosed with a brain tumor, was given the opportunity to
request
a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation(r), she did not have to think
very long. A lifelong fan of TOKYOPOP manga, the Detroit native's wish
was to create and publish her own manga. Now, TOKYOPOP is proud to
announce the release of Reign over Destiny, the all-new original manga
by Tessa Victoria Weyh, Blaer Ransburg (Tessa's best friend since 7th
grade), and artist Mara Aum, a recent Savannah College of Art and
Design
graduate. A 20-page pilot of Reign Over Destiny will debut exclusively
on www.tokyopop.com July 2006.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation, the largest wish-granting charity in the
world, grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical
conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.
"When Make-A-Wish comes into your life, one doesn't think about being
sick, one thinks about the whole wide world and his or her part in it,"
said Tessa "I began writing Reign Over Destiny with Blaer in middle
school, as a way to express a fantastical life. The characters have
taken me to so many exciting places in this story that my dream is to
give those places along with the characters, a true form in which to
live. I thank Make-A-Wish and TOKYOPOP for making it happen."
"The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan is incredibly grateful to
TOKYOPOP for helping to make Tessa's dream become a reality. Not only
have they helped to ensure her manga gets published, they have also
gone
over, above and beyond to provide a wonderful and memorable experience
for Tessa and her family at Comic-Con 2006," said Jeannette Tarcha,
Director of Media and Public Relations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation
of
Michigan.
In a word from Jeremy Ross, Director of Manga Development at TOKYOPOP,
"When Make-A-Wish first approached us with Tessa's wish for her Reign
Over Destiny story to be made into a manga, we realized that it was our
destiny to turn her dream into reality. Tessa's compelling letter
touched our hearts and her manga story excited our editorial team.
Everything came together when Tessa met artist Mara Aum. Mara worked
night and day making Tessa's world come to life on the page -- ensuring
that every detail reflects her vision."
To learn more about Tessa and her manga, Reign Over Destiny, TOKYOPOP
invites you to join Tessa and her family at San Diego Comic-Con on July
21 at 2:00pm in Panel Room #9.
ABOUT TOKYOPOP
TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and
an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision
that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the
first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the
development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film,
television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way
teens
experience pop culture. The company's global reach has expanded to
Europe and Asia, with recent offices opening in the UK and Germany and
upcoming partnerships in Australia and China, in addition to its
original Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans
logging
onto www.TOKYOPOP.com, reading its books, and watching its DVDs and
television programs, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and
original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing
teen entertainment marketplace. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional
information.
About The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan
Celebrating 22 years of Making Magic, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of
Michigan is the nonprofit organization that grants the wishes of
children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human
experience with hope, strength and joy. Since its inception in 1984,
the
Michigan chapter has granted wishes to more than 4,700 children and has
offices in Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids with a new office opening soon in
Detroit. For more information, please call 800.622.9474 or visit
www.wishmich.org
Weyh, diagnosed with a brain tumor, was given the opportunity to
request
a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation(r), she did not have to think
very long. A lifelong fan of TOKYOPOP manga, the Detroit native's wish
was to create and publish her own manga. Now, TOKYOPOP is proud to
announce the release of Reign over Destiny, the all-new original manga
by Tessa Victoria Weyh, Blaer Ransburg (Tessa's best friend since 7th
grade), and artist Mara Aum, a recent Savannah College of Art and
Design
graduate. A 20-page pilot of Reign Over Destiny will debut exclusively
on www.tokyopop.com July 2006.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation, the largest wish-granting charity in the
world, grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical
conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.
"When Make-A-Wish comes into your life, one doesn't think about being
sick, one thinks about the whole wide world and his or her part in it,"
said Tessa "I began writing Reign Over Destiny with Blaer in middle
school, as a way to express a fantastical life. The characters have
taken me to so many exciting places in this story that my dream is to
give those places along with the characters, a true form in which to
live. I thank Make-A-Wish and TOKYOPOP for making it happen."
"The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan is incredibly grateful to
TOKYOPOP for helping to make Tessa's dream become a reality. Not only
have they helped to ensure her manga gets published, they have also
gone
over, above and beyond to provide a wonderful and memorable experience
for Tessa and her family at Comic-Con 2006," said Jeannette Tarcha,
Director of Media and Public Relations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation
of
Michigan.
In a word from Jeremy Ross, Director of Manga Development at TOKYOPOP,
"When Make-A-Wish first approached us with Tessa's wish for her Reign
Over Destiny story to be made into a manga, we realized that it was our
destiny to turn her dream into reality. Tessa's compelling letter
touched our hearts and her manga story excited our editorial team.
Everything came together when Tessa met artist Mara Aum. Mara worked
night and day making Tessa's world come to life on the page -- ensuring
that every detail reflects her vision."
To learn more about Tessa and her manga, Reign Over Destiny, TOKYOPOP
invites you to join Tessa and her family at San Diego Comic-Con on July
21 at 2:00pm in Panel Room #9.
ABOUT TOKYOPOP
TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and
an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision
that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the
first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the
development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film,
television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way
teens
experience pop culture. The company's global reach has expanded to
Europe and Asia, with recent offices opening in the UK and Germany and
upcoming partnerships in Australia and China, in addition to its
original Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans
logging
onto www.TOKYOPOP.com, reading its books, and watching its DVDs and
television programs, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and
original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing
teen entertainment marketplace. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional
information.
About The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan
Celebrating 22 years of Making Magic, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of
Michigan is the nonprofit organization that grants the wishes of
children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human
experience with hope, strength and joy. Since its inception in 1984,
the
Michigan chapter has granted wishes to more than 4,700 children and has
offices in Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids with a new office opening soon in
Detroit. For more information, please call 800.622.9474 or visit
www.wishmich.org
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