A New Imprint and Web Site Launch Rumiko Takahashi's Newest Series RIN-NE Gets Its First Volume

San Francisco, CA, July 8, 2009 - VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the launch of a brand new imprint, SHONEN SUNDAY. Featuring the works of some of the top shonen manga creators in the world today, the Shonen Sunday magazine in Japan provides the content for this imprint. The magazine recently celebrated its 50th anniversary since its first issue arrived on newsstands in March of 1959.

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Visit The Official Rumiko Takahashi English Language Web Site - TheRumicWorld.com On April 22nd For The Latest Work From One Of The Greatest Creative Forces In Manga

San Francisco, CA, Date April 15th, 2009 - VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, announces the debut of a new manga series from legendary creator Rumiko Takahashi. The series, titled RIN-NE, will be launching simultaneously April 22nd exclusively in Japan in WEEKLY SHONEN SUNDAY magazine and online for North American audiences on www.TheRumicWorld.com, the brand new official North American web site for all Rumiko Takahashi-related news and information. Through this unprecedented collaboration, a new chapter of RIN-NE will be released each week for English-speaking manga fans to enjoy at the same time as their Japanese peers.

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According to the latest issue of Shounen Sunday, a new series by Rumiko Takahashi, mangaka of Ranma and Inuyasha, will debut in the spring. At the moment no title or plot were given.

Source: Rumic World

VIZ MEDIA PARENT COMPANY SHUEISHA INVESTS IN JAPANESE PUBLISHER SHOGAKUKAN’S LICENSING AND MERCHANDISING SUBSIDIARY TO FORM NEW PARTNERSHIP – SHOGAKUKAN-SHUEISHA PRODUCTIONS CO., LTD.

New Entity Will Help Streamline Operations And Increase Flexibility To License Titles For Global Manga And Anime Markets

San Francisco, CA, June 19, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced that one of its parent companies, Japanese publisher Shueisha, Inc., has made an investment in Shogakukan Production Company Ltd., the licensing and merchandising subsidiary of Japanese publisher Shogakukan, Inc., another of VIZ Media’s parent companies. ShoPro will be renamed Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Ltd.

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Rumiko Takahashi's long-running manga, Inuyasha, will be ending it's 12 year run in Shogakuan's Shonen Sunday No.29 (to be released the Wednesday after next).

Source: Furinkan

According to Yahoo! Japan, Shogakukan is considering suspending its weekly seinen manga magazine Young Sunday due to declining sales. ANN has more:

According to Mainichi, Shogakukan's public relations staff confirmed that the magazine's fate is under review, but also emphasized that absolutely no final decision has been made.

Recently the Japanese news program "Broadcaster" ran a report on the anniversary collaboration between Shonen Sunday and Shonen Magazine. Rumiko Takahashi's Urusei Yatsura was mentioned in the report as the key to Shonen Sunday's sucess in the 1980s.

Source: Rumic World

From Canned Dogs comes an story about the troubles of Wakaki Tamiki, a Shounen Sunday manga artist responsible for series like Seikesshou Albatross. According Tamiki's latest blog post, he is extremely short on money at the moment, with less than 10,000 yen in his bank account:

He would have no money to pay the utilities bills, but he managed to get an advance from Shounen Sunday for the manga that's starting serialization in the next issue.

ANN is reporting that Shogakukan plans to celebrate Sho-Comi's 40th anniversary by making 4,000 pages of manga from 400 series available on Yahoo! Comic Japan for free:

The lineup includes Yuu Watase's Absolute Boyfriend, Fuyumi Soryo's Boyfriend, Chie Shinohara's Red River, Kotomi Aoki's Boku wa Imōto ni Koi o Suru, Kazuko Fujita's Rising!. The website is also hosting a free online version of Shojo Comic with new installments added on the 5th and 20th day of every month. This free online "magazine" includes a side story of Boku wa Imōto ni Koi o Suru.

Celebrating Shonen Sunday's and Shonen Magazine's 50th anniversary, Kodansha an Shogakukan are collaborating on a variety of special features.

In order to keep the English fans up-to-date on the special features and events, Rumic World has created a special page to keep track of everything that's coming out, as well as translations of the press conference and others.