Tokyopop Announces Multi-Book Deal With Vietnamese Manga Creator

Los Angeles, CA (March 5, 2008)–TOKYOPOP, the leader of the global manga revolution, is thrilled to announce a multi-book publishing deal with Korea’s hottest female manga creator, Hee Jung Park. In 2008, TOKYOPOP will release Fever (March), Hotel Africa (April), Martin and John (July) and Too Long (August). The company will premiere each of these stunning new series on its web site (www.TOKYOPOP.com) as well as on its MySpace profile (www.Myspace.com/TOKYOPOP). The free previews are part of a year-long effort–which will also include contests and giveaways, convention promotions, and online features–to promote the luscious artwork and sophisticated storytelling of this innovative global manga creator.

According to TOKYOPOP Editor-in-Chief Rob Tokar, « Hee Jung Park is a phenomenal talent as well as a manga superstar. Along with her bestselling sequential art, her work has been collected in art books and gallery shows around the world. « Inventive », « unusual » and « sophisticated » are words that often arise in discussions about Ms. Park’s manga classics and we are both excited and proud to publish them. »

About the Books:

Fever: (March)
High school student Hyung-in has never been the same since her friend committed suicide. Fed up with her prestigious school and the expectations of her family, she just wants out. And, when she meets an orphan and a strange country-boy on the bus, she begins an unexpected journey into the unknown, at a mysterious place called « Fever. »

Hotel Africa: (April)
Alone, in the middle of the Utah desert, lies the Hotel Africa, where anything is possible. A world of joy, heartache, and friendship has traveled through its doors. Follow along with Elvis, our narrator, as he brings the history of this desolate hotel to life, weaving tales of his widowed mother, an unlikely pair of vagabonds, and a strange hotel guest…

Martin and John: (July)
Three different stories about three different men named Martin and three different men named John…Confused? So are they…about love, relationships and especially their feelings. This collection of stories take place in different places, in different times–all about a man named Martin and a man named John, and the struggle for love between them.

Too Long: (August)
A girl who seems to attract suicide victims, a shy record store customer in love with a female employee, the star of a band who’s in love with an average girl–these are just a few of the characters encountered in this collection of poignant short stories!

ABOUT TOKYOPOP
TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision that transcends countless platforms. 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 has changed the way teens experience pop culture. The company’s global reach has expanded to Europe and Asia, with recent offices opening in the UK and Germany and upcoming partnerships in Australia and China, in addition to its original Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto the new social networking site www.TOKYOPOP.com, reading its books, which are licensed in 41 countries in more than 20 languages, and watching its DVDs and television programs, TOKYOPOP’s award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing teen entertainment marketplace. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.