VIZ Media To Participate In A Variety Of Exciting Events

Industry Leader In Anime And Manga To Sponsor Manga Lounge In Booth 454 And Participate In Key Industry Panel Discussions At Highly Anticipated Convention

New York, NY, December 4, 2007 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced its participation and sponsorship of a variety of events at the inaugural 2007 New York Anime Festival (NYAF), taking place December 7-9, 2007 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City.

The New York Anime Festival is organized by Reed Exhibitions, the creators of the popular New York Comic-Con, and brings together more than 120 exhibitors, featuring the latest in anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music, and games, as well as the best of anime-influenced comics, animation, and film from around the world. The Festival is expected to be a packed event drawing thousands of fans from across the country.

VIZ Media will kick off the show as a key sponsor and participant in the ICv2 Conference on Anime and Manga, taking place on Thursday, December 6 from 1-5pm, the day before the Anime Festival opens. The conference will be a key industry event presenting a variety of panel discussions on important topics impacting the anime and manga markets in North America and beyond. Liza Coppola, Sr. Vice President of Marketing for VIZ Media, will be featured in "Marketing to the Otaku Generation," which will discuss how new anime and manga properties enter the U.S., reach the fan community, and achieve mass popularity. Elizabeth Kawasaki, Editorial Director at VIZ Media, will participate in "Girls – The Other Half of the Otaku Generation," a panel that will examine the popularity of shojo anime and manga and the increasing impact female consumers have on the market. Finally, Daniel Marks,­­ VIZ Media's Sr. VP of Strategy and Business Development, will contribute to a discussion on the ways technology impacts the delivery of content in "Technology and the Otaku - the New Media Frontier." These panels should foster healthy debate and provide insights on how companies like VIZ Media are adapting to a continually changing market landscape.

On the main show floor for The New York Anime Festival, VIZ Media will have a spacious Manga Lounge where visitors can decompress, meet fellow fans, and read a variety of free manga samplers highlighting upcoming and existing VIZ Media manga releases. Another highlight will be the VIZ Media Anime and Manga Panel, scheduled for December 8 at 3:00pm in Room 1A24. Wendy Shimamura and Manny Hronides of VIZ Media will be joined by Simon & Schuster's Nichole Beaulieu, to discuss a variety of current and upcoming releases, answer questions, and give a preview of what fans may expect from the company in 2008.

VIZ Media's popular animation and manga property BLEACH will figure prominently throughout the Festival with characters appearing on a variety of posters and event signage. Episodes 1 and 2 of the supernatural action series will screen in the Anime Screening Room, Saturday December 8 from 2:00-3:00pm. The first two episodes of the psychological crime drama DEATH NOTE, which recently debuted on DVD, will screen Sunday, December 9, also in the Anime Screening Room.

"The tremendous popularity of anime and manga at the New York Comic-Con spurred the launch of the New York Anime Festival, and we are pleased to sponsor and support the event in several events," says Liza Coppola, Sr. Vice President, Marketing, VIZ Media "There will be plenty for fans to feast on from anime screenings and panel discussions to VIZ Media-sponsored prizes and the opportunity to preview forthcoming releases in our Manga Lounge. As the holiday season begins, we anticipate the NYAF becoming a very successful and well-attended event."

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 (graphic novel) 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 and 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.