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.

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Panel, Convention Premiere of MARIA WATCHES OVER US & Screenings!

GRIMES, IA, June 26, 2008 – Anime producer and distributor Right Stuf, Inc. and Nozomi Entertainment unveiled their events schedule for Anime Expo 2008, which takes place July 3-6, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California.

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More Sneak Peeks From This Year's Hottest Show

Los Angeles, California (June 26, 2008) ‹ Want to see a different side of our official online coverage hosts from AXBackstage (www.axbackstage.org)? Want to get some hints on where to get cheap eats in downtown L.A.? Anime Expo® 2008 premieres 2 new videos on its site to show attendees some of the things they can expect in the excitement of the pending convention this 4th of July weekend. Anime Expo® 2008 will be held from July 3-6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. More information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.

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VIZ Media Licenses BLUE DRAGON Trading Card Game Rights To Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. For North America

San Francisco, CA, June 18, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, and Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. (KDE), a leading publisher of mass market video games and manufacturer of trading card games (TCG), today announced that KDE will exclusively manufacture and distribute the BLUE DRAGON Trading Card Game and Trading Card Game Accessories in North America.

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Originally known as Mixx, the well-known Tokypop is a company that licenses, publishes and distributes translated Japanese anime and manga as well as Korean mahn-wa and global manga. Stuart Levy, who still maintains position as owner to this day, originally founded the company in 1997. Tokyopop has since released hundreds of manga graphic novels in both English and German, including global manga and 'cine-manga' (manga styled graphic novels using images from animated shows).

A co-publishing agreement with HarperCollins Publishers in 2006 handed over the distribution rights for a portion of Tokyopop's inventory. Along with this came permission for Tokyopop to begin creation of global mangas based on HarperCollins Publishers' books. It was the largest corporate news heard from the manga-publishing giant until June 2008, when Tokyopop announced a restructuring of the company.

On June 3rd, 2008, Tokyopop representatives issued a press release stating that Tokyopop would be split into two separate companies. While one side will continues its lead focus on the publishing aspect of the company, the other, titled Tokyopop Media, will deal with the company's recent endeavours with its digital releases and comics-to-film division.

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SAN JOSE, CA – June, 2008 – DrMaster Publications announces the licensing of the fantasy shojo manga Divine Melody. Divine Melody is a fantastic tale set in mystical ancient China, where fairies and demons secretly coexist with humans. I-Huan, the popular author of Real/Fake Princess, creates another splendidly enchanting series that weaves swoon-worthy romances, heart-wrenching drama, and mystifying exhilarating action and adventure into her divine tapestry of artwork that will leave readers entranced in her fantasy world.

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San Francisco, CA, June 5, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings some of the hottest anime properties to the Licensing International Expo, taking place June 10 through June 12 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. VIZ Media will be located in Booth # 4505.

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June 5, 2008 (Cypress, CA) - Bandai Entertainment and American Cosplay Paradise are proud to celebrate the US release of LUCKY STAR and GURREN LAGANN at Anime Expo® 2008 in Los Angeles (July 3 ­ 6, 2008; Los Angeles Convention Center; www.anime-expo.org) Stop by Bandai's booth on Friday and Saturday in the exhibit hall, where you will be treated to various games testing your otaku knowledge, singing, and random prize giveaways! The highlight will be a performance from the LUCKY STAR Cheerleading Squad, featuring members of American Cosplay Paradise (ACP) as the cast. Whether you're a diehard fan of the show, someone who has no idea what LUCKY STAR is, or just someone that likes cheerleader outfits, there's a little bit of something for everyone, so don't miss out!

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Nation's Largest Anime and Manga Convention Welcomes Famed Character Designer

Anaheim, California (June 4, 2008) ‹Anime Expo® proudly announces famed character designer Akemi Takada as an official Guest of Honor to this year's Anime Expo® 2008 held from July 3-6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. More information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.

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Company To Offer A Dynamic Array Of Manga Titles For Children, Teens And Adults At Preeminent Publishing Event In Booth #1647

San Francisco, CA, May 30, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will highlight several notable upcoming manga (graphic novel) releases at the 2008 BookExpo America (BEA) show, taking place May 30-June 1, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. BEA is the preeminent yearly trade event for publishers and booksellers in North America. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 1647.

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