VIZ Media invites manga and anime fans of all ages to join the company for a very special Shonen Jump Alpha Meet-Up, taking place Friday, October 12th from 5:00pm – 8:00pm at the Kinokuniya Bookstore, located at 1073 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue between 40th & 41st Streets). The meet-up is FREE to attend, and coincides with VIZ Media’s appearance at the 2012 New York Comic Con taking place October 11th-14th at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. VIZ Media will be located in Booth 2042.
Making a special in-person appearance at Kinokuniya will be legendary creator and character designer Masakazu Katsura, who will meet fans and sign autographs from 7:00pm-8:00pm. A variety of door prizes will be given away, and visitors are also encouraged to take advantage of many Kinokuniya manga and anime products that will be specially discounted during the duration of the meet-up event.
Meet and mingle with other fans and the editors of Shonen Jump Alpha and be among the first to get the Shonen Jump Alpha Yearbook 2013. This is a very special premium, available only at New York Comic Con.
VIZ Media is also heading to Anime Expo 2012 this weekend, taking place in Los Angeles. They’re bringing an array of booth attractions, product giveaways, special guest appearances, and panel discussions scheduled to take place throughout the unique 4-day Southern California event. They’ll be located at booth 1401.
They’re welcoming Tiger & Bunny Executive Producer Masayuki Ozaki as its guest for a panel discussion to be held on Saturday, June 30th at 12PM in Room LP1. Joining the panel will be voice actors Yuri Lowenthall (Barnaby Brooks Jr. / Bunny), Travis Willingham (Rock Bison), Laura Bailey (Dragon Kid), Patrick Seitz (Sky High), John Eric Bentley (Fire Emblem) and Tara Platt (Agnes). After the panel there’ll be a special signing session at the South Hall Autograph Area, at 3:30PM.
You can also join company executives on Friday, June 29th at 2:00PM in Petree Hall (Hall CD) for the “Super Secret VIZ Media Anime Project” panel.
Sneak peeks at other upcoming anime and manga series, as well as news on newly licensed properties, will be a major focus of the VIZ Media Panel, scheduled for Sunday July 1st at 1:30PM in Room 515A.
Readers that sign-up at the booth for an annual membership of Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha during Anime Expo will be treated to a special free Yu-Gi-Oh! Shock Master collectable trading card. There’s limited quantities available, so get there early.
Fans are also invited to a fun Shonen Jump Alpha Fan Meet-Up scheduled for Sunday July 1st, at 5PM in Room 515A. Gift bags filled with a variety of fun collectables will be given away, while supplies last. Attendees can meet the Shonen Jump Alpha staff and other readers, and learn all about what the digital manga magazine has in-store for future issues.
VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES SHONEN JUMP ALPHA TRIVIA SWEEPSTAKES
Everyone Is Invited To Enter Contest For A Chance To Win A Pair Of 4-Day Passes To 2012 San Diego Comic-Con
VIZ Media invites manga fans to test their knowledge of the nation’s leading digital manga magazine with a just-announced new online SHONEN JUMP ALPHA Trivia Sweepstakes Contest, running exclusively at http://www.sjalpha.com/sja-trivia-contest through May 23rd, 2012. No WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA membership is required to enter the contest.
Contestants simply have to correctly answer 3 trivia questions on WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA to be entered into the sweepstakes drawing. The Grand Prize winner will receive two (2) 4-day show passes to the 2012 Comic-Con International, the nation’s largest comic book, science fiction and pop culture event. Comic-Con takes place July 12th-15th at the San Diego Convention Center, CA. (**Note: Prize package includes show passes only; winner is responsible for hotel, transportation, and other ancillary costs). The Second Place winner will receive an annual Membership to WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA, North America’s premier digital manga magazine.
Winners will be selected by random from all valid entries on May 24th and notified by email following the drawing.
Each new digital edition of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA treats manga fans across North America to the latest chapters of some of the world’s most popular manga series only two weeks after they debut in Japan’s massively popular WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP magazine. Don’t miss the latest installments of hot series such as BAKUMAN｡, BLEACH, NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN, NARUTO, ONE PIECE and TORIKO as well as access to special editorial features and an extensive online fan-supported community.
WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA is available through an annual membership that provides 52 weeks of digital access to 48 weekly issues for just $25.99. Single issues of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA can be read for four weeks for only $0.99. Each issue may be read on VIZManga.com/sj-weekly, and also on the VIZ Manga App for iPad®, iPhone®, and iPod® touch. WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA members also receive an annual collector’s yearbook and access to exclusive content, including creator interviews and exclusive videos.
For more information on WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA and exclusive subscriber offers, please visit SJAlpha.com.
Contest Encourages Fans To Submit Photos Showing Their Passion For SHONEN JUMP; iPad 2 With WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA Membership And Other Prizes To Be Awarded
San Francisco, CA, March 16, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, invites fans to show their love for SHONEN JUMP with a brand new contest that will award a variety of valuable prizes to several lucky winners. Contestants are encouraged to upload a photo showing their love for SHONEN JUMP to the contest page at sjalpha.com/ipad2.
Encourage friends, family and other fans to vote for your entry during the two, week-long voting periods! Prizes will be given to the fan with the most votes for that given week. A Grand Prize will also be awarded to fan with the most overall votes.
The first contest submission period is from March 16th to March 23rd, with voting from March 24th to March 31st. The second contest submission period will be from April 1st to April 8th with contest voting from April 9th to April 16th. Winners will be notified via email.
The Grand Prize for the Show Your SHONEN JUMP Love Contest will include a brand new Apple iPad 2, plus an annual membership to the WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA (SJ ALPHA) digital manga magazine, along with a $100.00 credit for VIZManga.com. The runner up prize will be a SHONEN JUMP gift bag, valued at $250.00 and awarded to the fan with the most votes during each of the two submission periods.
“Has your manga collection overtaken your house? Do you have a running countdown until your next local anime convention? Want to show off your latest SJ Cosplay? Then the Show Your SHONEN JUMP Love contest is definitely for you,” says Tu Ly, Senior Digital Marketing Manager. “It’s all about our fans and their connection to the stories and characters they love. Manga and anime fans are by far the most creative people I’ve had the chance to meet and we’re really excited to see what comes out of this contest!
Each new digital issue of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA treats manga (comics) fans in North America to the latest chapters of some of the world’s most popular manga series only two weeks after they debut in Japan’s massively popular WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP magazine. Series include popular titles such as BAKUMAN｡, BLEACH, NARUTO, NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN, ONE PIECE, and TORIKO.
SJ ALPHA is available on VIZManga.com through an annual membership that provides 52 weeks of access to 48 weekly issues for just $25.99; single issues can be read for four weeks for only $0.99. Annual members will also receive an annual collector’s yearbook, collectable YU-GI-OH! game cards four times a year, and access to exclusive content, including creator interviews and videos. From now until April 30th, all members will also receive exclusive access to a special ONE PIECE x TORIKO crossover manga as a digital gift.
For more information on WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA and exclusive subscriber offers, please visit SJAlpha.com or VIZManga.com.
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.
North America’s First Weekly Digital Manga Anthology Debuts With A Special YU-GI-OH! Trading Card Promotion For All Subscribers
San Francisco, CA, January 30, 2012 – The wait is finally over! VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, launches the debut issue of its new digital manga (graphic novel) magazine – WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA – today! The first issue is available now through VIZManga.com; it will also be part of the upcoming update to the VIZ Manga apps for iPad®, iPhone®, and iPod touch®.
Each new digital edition of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA treats manga fans in North America to the latest chapters of some of the world’s most popular manga series only two weeks after they debut in Japan’s massively popular WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP magazine. The first issue of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA also includes part 1 of an exclusive of an interview with NARUTO creator Masashi Kishimoto, where he discusses the inner workings behind his creative process and how he creates a story that captivates audiences from all over the world.
To further celebrate the launch, WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA has joined forces with Konami to delight Duelists and manga fans with a special offer! Fans that sign up for an annual membership to WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA will receive highly collectable YU-GI-OH! game cards four times a year, delivered right to their doorstep before anyone else has them.
Debut manga chapters featured in WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHAinclude:
BAKUMAN｡(rated ‘T’ for Teens) Chapter 162:
With their new series Reversi doing well in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, Akito and Mashiro are invited to an important industry party. The duo seems on the verge of getting their first-ever anime series, but what hurdles still stand in their way…?
BLEACH(rated ‘T’ for Teens) Chapter 476:
After regaining his true Soul Reaper powers thanks to Rukia and the captains from the Soul Society, Ichigo begins his final battle against Kugo Ginjo. As the fight heats up, both use Bankai to reveal their most powerful forms.
NARUTO(rated ‘T’ for Teens) Chapter 569:
Naruto has been swallowed by the Four-Tailed Beast. He’s transported to another world where he as a deep discussion with the biju, who asks for Naruto’s help from freeing it from the influence of the man masquerading as Madara. Is Naruto strong enough to help a Tailed Beast?!
NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN(rated ‘T’ for Teens) Chapter 185:
On the human front, it looks like girl trouble for Rikuo as Tsurara starts showing some jealousy over his relationship with Kana. And on the yokai front, the battles may be won, but the war is always on as Ryuji shows up with the news that the Nenekirimaru weapon is complete…and Rikuo must go with him to Mt. Osore to check out the brewing situation.
ONE PIECE(rated ‘T’ for Teens) Chapter 652:
After a tough fight, the Straw Hats were able to defeat the New Fish-Man pirates and bring peace to Fish-Man Island. The crew celebrates with a grand feast, but trouble looms as Luffy challenges an even bigger threat in the form of one of the four emperors, Big Mom.
TORIKO(rated ‘T’ for Teens) Chapter 171:
Pumped up – literally! – by their victory at Gourmet Casino, Toriko and company journey to the capital of Jiddal in search of information on foods that will power them up to enter the savage Gourmet World. But will the King of Jiddal and his personal chef keep the info Toriko needs a secret?
WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA is available through an annual membership that provides 52 weeks of access to 48 weekly issues for just $25.99. Single issues of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA can be read for four weeks for only $0.99. Each issue may be read on VIZManga.com, and once available, on the updated VIZ Manga App for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Subscribers to WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA will also receive an annual collector’s yearbook and access to exclusive content, including creator interviews and videos.
For more information on WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA and exclusive subscriber offers, please visit SJAlpha.com.
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.
Free Event In Los Angeles Gives Fans A Sneak Peek Of Upcoming Debut Of North America’s First Digital Weekly Manga Anthology
San Francisco, CA, January 11, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, invites Southern California manga/anime fans and pop culture enthusiasts to a very special launch event for the new WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA (WEEKLY SJ ALPHA) on Saturday, January 28th at the West Hollywood Library in Los Angeles, CA.
The event is FREE to attend and takes place between 2:00pm-5:00pm in the library’s Community Room. The West Hollywood Library is located at 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069. Additional library details are available at:
Each new digital issue of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA will treat manga (comics) fans in North America to the latest chapters of some of the world’s most popular manga series only two weeks after they debut in Japan’s massively popular WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP magazine. The first issue of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA goes on sale January 30, 2012, and will be available through VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga apps for iPhone®, iPod® touch and iPad®. Debut series will include BAKUMAN｡, BLEACH, NARUTO, NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN, ONE PIECE, and TORIKO.
During the event, attendees will be able to preview the first issue of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA content on several iPads that will be available, meet VIZ Media staff, and take advantage of fun photo opportunities with the world’s most popular ninja, Naruto, and BLEACH’s Kon. Gift bags will be given away (while supplies last) and attendees can enter to win other fun prizes in a special raffle contest. Japanese snacks such as Pocky provided by Ezaki Glico USA and other refreshments will also be served while supplies last.
“This launch event for WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA will give fans an exclusive advance look at our new manga magazine while offering a fun afternoon to celebrate its debut,” says Alvin Lu, Senior Vice President & General Manager. “Our new digital anthology will set an important new benchmark by offering the latest editions of some of the world’s most successful manga titles just a couple of weeks after their Japanese debut. We invite fans to join us on Saturday January 28th in West Hollywood for this exciting launch event!”
WEEKLY SJ ALPHA will be made available through an annual membership that provides 52 weeks of access to 48 weekly issues for just $25.99. Single issues of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA can be read for four weeks for only $0.99. Each issue, once received on one device, can be read on all other enabled devices through the easy-to-use integrated VIZ Manga platform which includes the VIZ Manga Apps for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch as well as VIZManga.com.
To prepare fans for the debut of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA, VIZ Media is also offering the SHONEN JUMP DIGITAL WARP, a limited collection of digital graphic novel speed-ups that will bring North American readers up-to-date with Japanese releases, in some cases jumping ahead of the print releases in North America. The SHONEN JUMP DIGITAL WARP is ongoing on VIZ Manga with NARUTO Volume 55-57, BLEACH Volumes 49-52 and ONE PIECE Vols. 61-63 available now (print editions forthcoming).
For more information on WEEKLY SJ ALPHA and exclusive subscriber offers, please visit SJAlpha.com or VIZManga.com.
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.
WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA Brings Fans The Most Popular Manga In The World Faster Than Ever Before
San Francisco, CA, October 14, 2011 – VIZ Media, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in the North America, announces the countdown to the launch of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA (WEEKLY SJ ALPHA), a weekly serial anthology of some of the most popular manga series in the world: BAKUMAN｡, BLEACH, NARUTO, NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN, ONE PIECE, and TORIKO. The first issue of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA goes on sale January 30, 2012, and will be available through VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga apps for iPhone™, iPod™ touch and iPad™.
Each new digital issue of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA brings manga fans in North America the latest chapters of their favorite series only two weeks after it debuts in Japan’s massively popular WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Magazine. Currently, Japanese releases are often several months to years ahead of North American print titles; WEEKLY SJ ALPHA eliminates the delay in unprecedented fashion.
“Simultaneously publishing an official translation of the most popular comics magazine in the world has been a dream since manga publishing began in North America in the 1980s,” said Alvin Lu, Senior Vice President & General Manager. “This is how manga is meant to be read in English – weekly, current, authorized and on the go. Now with WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA, it’s about to happen for real.”
WEEKLY SJ ALPHA will be made available through an annual membership that provides access to 48 weekly issues for 52 weeks for just $25.99. Single issues of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA can be read for a four-week rental from the time the reader purchases it for only $0.99. Each issue, once received on one device, can be read on all other enabled devices through the easy-to-use integrated VIZ Manga app and website.
To prepare fans for the debut of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA, VIZ Media is also offering the SHONEN JUMP DIGITAL WARP, a limited collection of digital graphic novel speed-ups that will bring North American readers up-to-date with Japanese releases. In some cases, the digital speed-ups will jump ahead of the print releases in North America. The SHONEN JUMP DIGITAL WARP will begin with NARUTO Volume 53 (available now) and BLEACH Volume 49 (coming soon).
As more fans migrate to the digital WEEKLY SJ ALPHA edition, VIZ Media plans to phase out the print edition of SHONEN JUMP Magazine. The popular, one-of-a-kind monthly magazine led the rapid growth of the manga market for much of the last decade and was VIZ Media’s flagship publication since it launched in 2003. The farewell April 2012 issue hits newsstands March 2012.
For more information on WEEKLY SJ ALPHA and exclusive subscriber offers, please visit ShonenJump.viz.com or VIZManga.com.
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Media Contacts:
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.
