Viz Media Nominated In Multiple Categories For The 2009 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

NAOKI URASAWA'S MONSTER, SOLANIN, CAT EYED BOY And COWA! Among The Titles Nominated

San Francisco, CA, April 9, 2006 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, announced today that four of their manga titles have been nominated in several categories for the 2009 Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards, as unveiled by Comic-Con International on April 7, 2009.

Named for pioneering writer and comic artist Will Eisner, the awards recognize exemplary comics, graphic novels and other pop writings, and are given each year as part of the annual Comic-Con International convention. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on the evening of Friday July 24th during Comic-Con, at which VIZ Media will be a major exhibitor and participant in the programs offered. VIZ Media took home the 2008 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Japan for its release TEKKONKINKREET: BLACK & WHITE, by acclaimed creator Taiyo Matsumoto.

The nominated titles from VIZ Media are:

CAT EYED BOY, by Kazuo Umezu

• Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Japan

COWA!, by Akira Toriyama

• Best Publication for Kids

NAOKI URASAWA'S MONSTER, by Naoki Urasawa

• Best Continuing Series
• Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Japan

SOLANIN, by Inio Asano

• Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Japan

"We are absolutely thrilled that some of the more sophisticated titles from our VIZ Signature imprint have been recognized as well as the recent hit title for young readers -COWA!," states Elizabeth Kawasaki, Sr. Editorial Director, VIZ Media. "These awards recognize excellence in the comics industry, and we are honored to be considered among such a diverse group of nominees."

CAT EYED BOY -- by Kazuo Umezu -- VIZ Signature -- Rated "T+" for Older Teens
CAT EYED BOY is a chilling concoction of dark vignettes dripping with the macabre, the grotesque and the absurd. 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. CAT EYED BOY was created by Kazuo Umezu, the undisputed master of Japanese horror manga and creator of the critically acclaimed THE DRIFTING CLASSROOM (also published by VIZ Media).

COWA! -- by Akira Toriyama -- SHONEN JUMP -- Rated "A" for All Ages
COWA!, is a spooktacular manga for kids! Paifu, a half-vampire half-werekoala, 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! Akira Toriyama is also the creator of the much-beloved DRAGON BALL and DRAGON BALL Z (also published by VIZ Media under the SHONEN JUMP imprint).

NAOKI URASAWA'S MONSTER -- by Naoki Urasawa -- VIZ Signature -- Rated "T+" for Older Teens (NOMINATED IN TWO CATEGORIES)
The award-winning NAOKI URASAWA'S MONSTER weaves the riveting story of brilliant Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a famous surgeon with a promising career at a leading hospital. Tenma risks his reputation and promising career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy. Unbeknownst to him, this child is destined for a terrible fate. A string of strange and mysterious murders begin to occur soon afterward, ones that professionally benefit Dr. Tenma, and he emerges as the primary suspect. Conspiracies, serial murders, and a scathing depiction of the underbelly of hospital politics are all masterfully woven together in this compelling manga thriller. VIZ Media has recently started releasing the first volumes of Naoki Urasawa's two newest series, NAOKI URASAWA'S 20TH CENTURY BOYS and PLUTO: URASAWA X TEZUKA.

Solanin -- by Inio Asano -- VIZ Signature -- Rated "T+" for Older Teens
Critically acclaimed SOLANIN tells the story of Meiko Inoue, a recent college grad working as an office lady in a job she hates. Her boyfriend Naruo is permanently crashing at her apartment because his job as a freelance illustrator doesn't pay enough for rent. And her parents in the country keep sending her boxes of veggies that just rot in her fridge. Straddling the line between her years as a student and the rest of her life, Meiko struggles with the feeling that she's just not cut out to be a part of the real world. In addition to SOLANIN, VIZ Media will also be releasing Inio Asano's two-volume WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD! later this year.

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, 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.