Tokypop is planning to launch a new line of full-color titles featuring “manga-influenced art and stories by artists from all over the world,” under the banner Tokyopop Graphic Novels (TGN). The 7×10 books will average about 120 pages with cover prices from $12.99 to $14.99.
Announcing the line, Tokyopop Publisher Mike Kiley said “We’ve always viewed ourselves as global cool hunters. We believe that manga exists in a number of different flavors and variant styles all over the world.” They plan to license works from French publishers Delcourt and Soleil, as well as from Chinese publisher Xiao Pan.
Talking of Tokyopop’s past and growth, he said “We cut our teeth on black and white manga from Japan, and it continues to be a huge component of who we are and continues to be our foundation.” However, the new imprint is “the next step” in the company’s “natural evolution.”
TGN will be distributed by HarperCollins in the US book market, and Diamond Comics Distributors for the comics shops market.
TGN will debut in February 2009 with Orange by Chinese creator Benjamin who uses a sophisticated palate of watercolor for his work. “These are very subtle, angst ridden tales of loss and romantic longing,” Kiley said. “It’s about youth in their late teens to early and mid-twenties who are struggling for their place in the world.”
Pixie, arriving in March, uses “a more playful approach to its illustrations.”
Also debuting in March will be Luna, a book first published by Soleil in France. Luna is “a coming of age story about a Native American princess who is learning how to deal with an ancient curse and her position in her tribe.” Luna is a three-volume series.