Coming out of Book Expo America taking place in Los Angeles, California comes a couple of press releases from Tokyopop about its latest acquisitions aimed at teenagers, and possibly film too.
Press releases follow the jump.
Book Expo America – Los Angeles, CA (May 29, 2008) ― A refrigerator packed with severed hands… a pit of decaying dogs… a voice recorded moments before a grisly death… a serial killer who becomes the talk of a stunned nation. This October, just in time for Halloween, TOKYOPOP will publish Otsuichi’s award-winning GOTH: A Novel of Horror, the story of two teenagers linked by a caustic fascination with murder and torture. GOTH: A Novel of Horror, winner of Japan’s Honkaku Mystery Prize, is a literary journey of mystery, obsession, and sheer terror all balled up into a spine-tingling read.
Additionally, in September, TOKYOPOP will release the one-volume manga adaptation by Kendi Ohishi (Welcome to the N.H.K., Calling You)–a truly graphic novel deluged with blood, guts, and awe–loosely based on the novel.
Fox Atomic has optioned the hit novel for feature film development, with horror director and videogame scribe J.T. Petty set to write and direct.
According to TOKYOPOP Senior Editor Jenna Winterberg, “Mastermind Otsuichi’s page-turner about two high school sociopaths and half a dozen murder cases will leave you breathless. And if the suspense doesn’t get you, the gore surely will.†Winterberg continues: “GOTH goes for the jugular. But it isn’t a B-movie blood bath: The psychological profiles are real and vivid, and the twists are guaranteed to blow your mind, turning perception on its head time and time again.â€
This genre-defying novel will be supported by an elaborate online marketing plan that will feature a macabre alternate reality game and viral campaigns across key social networking sites. GOTH: A Novel of Horror will appeal to fans of Japanese classics such as The Grudge and The Ring, and like all depraved, disturbing serial killings, will no doubt become the talk of the nation this fall.
Press Release #2
Book Expo America – Los Angeles, CA (May 29, 2008)―No cat’s got our tongue as TOKYOPOP and HarperCollins Publishers announce their 2008 new series release slate of co-branded manga. The fe-line-up begins this June with the release of Bad Kitty: Catnipped, the story of aspiring detective Jasmine Callihan, created by novelist Michelle Jaffe (Bad Girl, Loverboy). Come July, see what else the cat dragged in with Warriors: The Rise of Scourge, a single-volume story set in the super-popular Warriors novel world. In September, audiences will grin like Cheshire Cats with the release of the first volume of an all-new Warriors manga trilogy, Warriors: Tigerstar and Sasha, a continuation of the popular children’s book with nearly 2 million copies in print
According to TOKYOPOP Senior Editor, Lillian Diaz-Przybyl, “We’ve had the pleasure of working with HarperCollins Publishers for two years now, and it’s been an incredibly exciting relationship. I am lucky enough to be involved in the Warriors manga franchise, which keeps exceeding all expectations with each successive volume, and it’s been great working with my talented and caring editorial counterparts in New York to figure out new ways to bring popular novels series into the dynamic world of manga. They have really given us new insight into the market and how best to get kids excited about reading!”
About the Books
Bad Kitty: Catnipped, by Michelle Jaffe – (June)
All aspiring detective Jas wants to do is hang out with her pals and her superfantastico boyfriend (but don’t tell The Thwarter–aka, her dad–who’s trying to keep her under permanent lockdown). But her simple, straightforward plans will have to wait as a schoolmate’s lost purse, a jewelry store heist, the wrongly accused man, and the clueless cops put a lot more than brunch on Jas’s plate! Now it’s up to her and her mega-cool crew to catch the thief.
Warriors: The Rise of Scourge, by Dan Jolley (Warriors: The Lost Warrior), Erin Hunter (Warriors) and Bettina Kurkoski (My Cat Loki) – (July)
Learn the terrifying truth behind the cat who would become the greatest enemy ThunderClan has ever faced! What made Scourge into the monster who took down Tigerstar and almost fought Firestar to a stand-still? From his own roots as a runty kittypet to the fearsome leader of BloodClan, the band of rogues from Twolegplace who threaten the very existence of the forest cats, Scourge has presented a fascinating enigma to Warriors fans worldwide–and now his life story will finally be revealed!
Warriors: Tigerstar and Sasha, by Dan Jolley (Warriors: The Lost Warrior), Erin Hunter (Warriors) and Don Hudson (Star Trek) – (September)
In this first volume of the all-new Warriors manga trilogy, Sasha lives the life of a contented kittypet, knowing nothing of the Clans that lives in the forest…until one day when her elderly twolegs leave their comfortable home, and she is left on her own. Searching for a companion to share a life with her, she meets the charismatic and dangerous leader of ShadowClan, the fearsome Tigerstar. But her attraction to him is counterbalanced by his hatred of all kittypets. How can he pursue his plans of Clan domination and still love an outsider like her?
About TOKYOPOP
Founded by multi-cultural media visionary Stuart Levy, 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 the new social networking site www.TOKYOPOP.com, reading its books, which are licensed in 41 countries in more than 20 languages, 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.
