Post by Talon Karrde on Aug 9, 2007 16:23:27 GMT -5
WMA SIGNS MANGA GIANT TOKYOPOP
BEVERLY HILLS, CA (August 2, 2007) -- The William Morris Agency (WMA) has signed TOKYOPOP, the #1 publisher of manga graphic novels in North America and largest supplier of manga entertainment in the world. WMA will represent TOKYOPOP’s original intellectual property for film, television, digital, merchandising, and game development.
"WMA's partnership with TOKYOPOP presents a fresh opportunity for our clients and TOKYOPOP to create new characters and ideas through the dynamic world of manga," said WMA President Dave Wirtschafter. "Our agency's resources coupled with the unique world of TOKYOPOP, allows for a global exchange between traditional content creators and manga, anime and beyond."
“We are excited to join forces with WMA as we further develop the TOKYOPOP brand worldwide,” said Stu Levy, the company’s CEO and Chief Creative Officer. “This partnership takes us one step closer to realizing our dream of merging the leading edge of manga entertainment with Hollywood.”
With Levy at the helm and creative executive Noah Stern onboard, the newly-formed TOKYOPOP Pictures is off and running. Film projects in development include the company’s hit properties, Lament of the Lamb, a gut-wrenching horror story of a young man who shockingly discovers he may be the last in a bloodline of vampires, and The Ai-Land Chronicles, a groundbreaking blend of live action and animation based on the company’s successful manga franchise, Princess Ai.
Hailed by the New York Times as “the American pioneer of manga,” TOKYOPOP, the company responsible for igniting the worldwide manga boom, is proud to celebrate its 10-year anniversary in 2007. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP is recognized on all fronts as a trailblazer in the manga business and a true global pop culture brand.