Del Rey Manga Announces Manga-Ka Hiro Mashima's Comic-Con International Schedule

New York, NY – June 27, 2008 – Del Rey Manga, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, announced today plans for popular Fairy Tail manga creator Hiro Mashima's first-ever US convention appearance at Comic-Con International in San Diego, California. During his appearance at the convention, which takes place from Thursday, July 24 through Sunday, July 27, Hiro Mashima will be featured on a panel hosted by Del Rey Manga. Mashima will also meet with fans at two separate signing events.

Mashima made his US debut with the series Rave Master, which made him one of the most popular manga artists in America. Mashima's second series, Fairy Tail, was one of the most highly anticipated Del Rey Manga launches this year. In a show of support and admiration of Mashima's work, Del Rey Manga launched the first two volumes of Mashima’s Fairy Tail at the same time in March 2008.

Del Rey Manga Presents: Hiro Mashima
Saturday, July 26, 2008
2:30-3:30 PM
Room 10, San Diego Convention Center
Join Hiro Mashima, Dallas Middaugh, Associate Publisher of Del Rey Manga, and Del Rey Manga's Director of Licensing and Acquisitions Mutsumi Miyazaki for a conversation on Mashima’s latest creation, Fairy Tail.

Signings with Hiro Mashima:
Friday, July 25, 2008
2:30-3:30 PM
Del Rey Booth (#1128), San Diego Convention Center
Saturday, July 26, 2008
4:30-6:30 PM
Official Autographing Area 1, San Diego Convention Center
*All signings with Hiro Mashima will be ticketed events. Tickets will be limited and on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets will be distributed at the Comic Cellar booth. Convention goers who purchase a copy of any of the first three volumes of Fairy Tail from the Comics Cellar booth will receive a ticket to one signing, limited to one ticket per customer. Mashima will be signing exclusive copies of Fairy Tail shikishi boards specially created for his San Diego convention appearance.

ABOUT KODANSHA LTD.:
Kodansha is the largest trade book and magazine publisher in Japan. Founded in 1909, the company by virtue of its long history, the quality of its publishing, and its established network of sales and marketing is regarded as the trade book market leader in the publishing business in Japan. Moreover, Kodansha has been recognized as the leading publisher with a mission to introduce Japan through its publishing business.

ABOUT DEL REY MANGA:
Del Rey Books (http://www.delreybooks.com) was founded in 1977 as an imprint of Ballantine Books, a division of the Random House Publishing Group, under the guidance of the renowned Judy-Lynn del Rey and her husband, Lester del Rey. Del Rey publishes the best of modern fantasy, science fiction, and alternate history. Ballantine Books is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, which is a publishing group of Random House, Inc, the U.S. publishing company of Random House, the trade book publishing division of Bertelsmann AG, one of the world's leading international media companies. In 2004 it expanded by launching Del Rey Manga (www.delreymanga.com), which has grown to be a major force in the U.S. graphic-novel field. Bestselling titles include Tsubasa, Negima, xxxHolic, and The Wallflower.