VIZ Media Highlights An Array Of Spooky Manga Series To Keep The Scare In Halloween

San Francisco, CA, OCTOBER 7, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has highlighted a diverse collection of horror and supernatural-themed manga (graphic novel) titles now available that make a perfect complement for Halloween. The series include an array of stories ranging from the creepy and paranormal to the humorous and include COWA!, ROSARIO + VAMPIRE, NIGHTMARE INSPECTOR: YUMEKUI KENBUN, CAT EYED BOY, VAMPIRE KNIGHT and the recently released DEATH NOTE live-action film on DVD.

"Halloween is a perfect occasion to explore a range of spooky manga titles from VIZ Media," says Evelyn Dubocq, Sr. Director, Public Relations, VIZ Media. "The horror genre continues to be one of manga's most unique and diversified categories. Acclaimed series like CAT EYED BOY, from horror manga mastermind Kazuo Umezu, offer a creepy and exotic tale guaranteed to deliver chills for the season while COWA!, by famed creator Akira Toriyama, delivers a more comedic and kid-friendly supernatural story with a main character that is a half-vampire half-werekoala. Fans of DEATH NOTE also shouldn't miss the just-released live action DVD from VIZ Pictures that brought the popular supernatural crime thriller to the big screen in a whole new way. As the season of witches, vampires, costumes and candy approaches, we invite readers of all ages and interests to check out this exciting collection of appropriately-themed titles!"

CAT EYED BOY • Rated "T+" for Older Teens
Cat Eyed Boy is a half—human, half—monster child whose mostly human appearance bans him from the demon world. He lives hidden in the shadows of the human world, hated by humans and demons alike. Wherever he goes, awful events occur as the humans and demons interact. In 11 stories of revenge and retribution full of disturbing images, Cat Eyed Boy acts as a trickster, saving the innocent and helping the wicked receive the punishment that fate metes out. The first volume contains four stories and the first part of a fifth and longer story. CAT EYED BOY was created by Kazuo Umezu, the undisputed master of Japanese horror manga and creator of the critically acclaimed DRIFTING CLASSROOM (also published by VIZ Media). Cat Eyed Boy offers up a concoction of dark vignettes dripping with the macabre and the absurd.

COWA! • Rated "A" for All Ages
A spooktacular manga story famed creator Akira Toriyama (DRAGONBALL, BLUE DRAGON) that is suitable for all ages. COWA! introduces readers to Paifu, a half-vampire half-werekoala, who is always getting into trouble with his best buddy, José the ghost. But when the Monster Flu sweeps through town, the fun and games are over. If the monsters don't get the medicine soon, everyone will die! With all the adults sick, it's up to the kids to save the day!

NIGHTMARE INSPECTOR: YUMEKUI KENBUN • Rated "T" for Teens
For those who suffer nightmares, help awaits at the Silver Star Tea House, where patrons can order much more than just Darjeeling. Hiruko is a special kind of private investigator, he's a dream eater, and he'll rid you of your darkest vision – for a price. Each chapter of NIGHMARE INSPECTOR is a self—contained story that offers a glimpse of mankind's folly and gradually reveals a little more about Hiruko and his dark past. A popular new series with a gothic edge, NIGHTMARE INSPECTOR was published in Japan by Square Enix, the publisher of the first manga series from Shin Mashiba. Fan—buzz has abounded on this series and comparisons have been made to Neil Gaiman's Sandman and DC's classic House of Mystery/House of Secrets.

ROSARIO + VAMPIRE • Rated "T+" for Older Teens
All-around average teenager Tsukune can't get accepted to any high school save one, but on his first day, he finds the rest of the student body doesn't appear average in the least. Best of all, the cutest girl on campus can't wait to fling her arms around his neck! Wait a sec', are those her teeth around his neck too? Tsukune's going to have one heck of a hickey when he gets home from Monster High! But does he have a chance in hell of raising his grades at a school where the turf war isn't between the jocks and the nerds but between vampires and the werewolves? Find out in the new series from Akihisa Ikeda.

VAMPIRE KNIGHT • Rated "T+" for Older Teens
Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorm, they cross paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires!

DEATH NOTE LIVE ACTION DVD •
Based on the hit supernatural action mystery manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, the DEATH NOTE live action feature film was released in Japan in 2006 and mirrors the manga's story of Light Yagami, an ace student with great prospects who is bored out of his mind. All of that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god named Ryuk. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals mysteriously begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to investigate, and he is soon hot on the trail of Light, who must now reevaluate his one noble goal. Both Light and L believe themselves to be on the side of justice, and the two match wits trying to show exactly which of them is "good" and which of them is "evil."

And...
VIZ Media sponsors BLOOD MANOR in New York!
VIZ Media will again be a sponsor this year of Blood Manor, New York City's premier Halloween attraction. A special VIZ Media evening is scheduled for October 26th and the first 500 attendees to Blood Manor will receive special collectible canvas VIZ Media gift bags filled with premiums from SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT such as SHONEN JUMP magazine samplers, VAMPIRE KNIGHT pen cases, BLEACH key chains, DEATH NOTE key chains, special manga samplers and more. Blood Manor unveils a freaky facelift for 2008 with a complete makeover of eight newly themed horror experiences, dozens of cutting-edge animatronics and scores of state-of-the-art props. The Manor is a haunted labyrinth that combines over 19 horror-themed rooms with a pitch black maze and a new haunted 3-D maze where guests don 3-D glasses to view ghastly images as demons, monsters and ghouls stalk them. VIZ Media is also running a special online promotion for Blood Manor fans! We will give away three limited edition DEATH NOTE figures from Japan. Blood Manor will be located at 542 W. 27th Street, New York City, NY 10001. More information about this exciting haunted attraction that is open throughout the month of October is available at www.bloodmanor.com. To enter the online sweepstakes, go to http://www.shonenjump.com/dnfiguresweeps/.

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-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages.