ROBOT: Super Color Comic Returns!

UDON and d/visual Join Forces to Continue Popular Artbook Series

Toronto, ON - Oct 29, 2007 - Conceived and edited by Range Murata ("Last Exile", "Blue Submarine No.6"), and published in Japan by Wanimagazine, ROBOT is a unique, full color anthology series which unites Japan's greatest Manga creators, many of whom are experimenting with color stories for the first time. New volumes of the series' English language version have been absent from store shelves for nearly a year. Now, UDON Entertainment and d/visual have teamed up to continue bringing the series to English readers, starting with ROBOT Volume 4 in December 2007.

The artwork of the ROBOT series is of unparalleled quality, with cutting-edge storytelling styles that bring awe-inspiring fairy-tale landscapes and exciting sci-fi worlds to life. The series' compiler and editor Range Murata created ROBOT with the goal of showing the world the hidden talents of the Japanese art world, and to give exposure to these skilled, up-and-coming artists. At the same time, many of Japan's more popular creators have also used the series' unique anthology format to experiment with their own original ideas. ROBOT Volume 4 features the work of such greats as yoshitoshi ABe(Serial Experiments Lain), Kouji Ogata (Boogiepop Phantom) and over a dozen more of Japan's finest artists.

Originally published by Digital Manga Publishing, the English edition of ROBOT premiered in 2005 to rave reviews from both manga readers and fans of great artwork. The first volume of the series went through several printings. Unfortunately DMP published only 3 volumes of the popular series, and now UDON Entertainment and d/visual are ready to pick up right where things left off. "Pretty much everyone at UDON is a huge fan of the ROBOT series," says UDON Chief Erik Ko. "d/visual has already done a spectacular job bringing ROBOT to Italian, and Chinese readers, so when they asked us if UDON wanted to co-produce and continue ROBOT in English we jumped at the chance. We're quite excited to be working alongside d/visual and with Wanimagazine."

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue releasing the English edition of ROBOT", says d/visual director Federico Colpi. "In only three years, d/visual has become one of the most valued publishers in Europe and Asia in the field of art books, classic manga, and innovative Japanese graphic novels. We have also been selected by many publishers worldwide as a printing service. We are glad that books we have printed in the past such as ROBOT #2 and #3 and the 'yoshitoshi ABe illustrations’ art book, released last year by DMP, have been so well received by North American audiences. Most of all, we are excited to partner with UDON Entertainment, a company we love for their astounding comics and videogame work."

Koshi Yamazaki, president of Wanimagazine Inc., commented as well: "It was a real shame that a successful series such as the English edition of ROBOT was stopped after only three volumes, so I am incredibly happy about the return of ROBOT to North America and to the worldwide English audience. It is a pleasure to start this new venture with a skilled partner such as Udon Entertainment, and of course with d/visual, with which we already enjoy a strong relationship. Most of all, I am happy to know that our English readers around the globe will once again have a chance to enjoy the works of our outstanding artists."

ROBOT, which has previously been released roughly annually, will now be moving to a quarterly release schedule. With 9 volumes of ROBOT already released in Japan (and more to come!), English readers have a lot to look forward to. Look for ROBOT Volume 4 everywhere artbooks, comics, and manga are sold in December 2007.

ROBOT Volume 4
Release: December 2007
US Price: $29.95
ISBN: 978-1897376744
Diamond#: OCT073852
Format: 160 pgs, Full Color, Artbook, 8 ¾ X 11 ¾ inches
Cover Artwork:
Robot Vol.4 Cover

ABOUT UDON ENTERTAINMENT
(www.udonentertainment.com)
UDON is an award-winning Canadian-based art collective formed in 2000 to provide high-quality creative services to the entertainment industry. Its client list reads like a who's who of the business and includes Alliance/Atlantis, Capcom, DC Comics, Gamepro, Harmony Gold, Hasbro, Konami, Marvel Comics, Nintendo, Random House, Score, TDK Interactive, ToyBiz, White Wolf, Wizards of the Coast and Wiz Kids amongst others. In addition to client work, UDON also publishes official comics, manga, and artbooks based on Street Fighter®, Darkstalkers™, Rival Schools™ and Exalted.

ABOUT D/VISUAL
(www.d-world.jp)
D/VISUAL INC. is a Japanese company formed by Mr. Federico Colpi, the first westerner to bring Japanese manga to Europe in 1990, and Mr. Kazuhiko Murata. Born as the International Division of Go Nagai’s Dynamic Planning in 1994, d/visual brought popular animation such as "Dragon Ball", "Neon Genesis Evangelion", "Cowboy Bebop", "Inuyasha" etc. to European audiences before becoming independent from Dynamic Planning and establishing their own publishing business. d/visual books and animation are currently available in many European and Asian countries. ROBOT represents d/visual’s first step into the North American market.

ABOUT WANIMAGAZINE INC
(www.wani.com)
Wanimagazine is a Japanese publisher established in June 1971. The quarterly "ROBOT" magazine was created by Wanimagazine's director Koshi Yamazaki, and is widely considered to be the premiere showcase for all Japanese graphic artists of the new generation.

Wanimagazine also has a great reputation in Japan for their care and attention to the printing and binding of their art books, such as Range Murata's "like a balance life", "futurhythm" and "formcode" and yoshitoshi ABe's "gaisokyu". In particular, "futurythim" has won the 38th Grand Prix of the President of the Association of Japanese Publishers for the Quality of Printing and Binding in the comics category).

ROBOT is currently the only Japanese magazine to be released worldwide in English, Chinese, Italian, French and Spanish. Other outstanding books for Wanimagazine's extensive library, such as Katsuya Terada' "Rakuda's Laughing" and "yoshitoshi ABe lain illustrations" have also been translated and released abroad.