VIZ Media Signs New International Publishers to Expand The Death Note Manga Into Europe

San Francisco, CA, September 27, 2006 - VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies has inked deals with Ediciones Glenat España in Spain, Panini in Italy, Tokyopop in Germany and Dargaud Lombard in France to publish the DEATH NOTE manga from Shueisha. It is scheduled for fall 2006 release.

DEATH NOTE is about Light Yagami an ace student with great prospects who is bored out of his mind. Then he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and Light vows to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer and he's hot on the heels of Light Yagami.

"We are excited to bring the DEATH NOTE series to Europe," said Daniel Marks, Senior Vice President, International, VIZ Media. "This series is wildly popular in Japan and the U.S. and we look forward to its success throughout Europe."

This ongoing manga series has sold over 8.2MM copies in Japan, and it is already translated and released in five other countries. The series creator, Takeshi Obata, won the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2003 and the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1999 for his work on HIKARU NO GO, also available from VIZ Media.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. 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), VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs, audio soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages.