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VIZ Media Opens Portfolio Reviews For New VIZ Originals Imprint

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Graphic Policy Team Leave a comment

VIZ Media reaches the next stage in the development of its VIZ Originals imprint! Aspiring artists and writers are invited to apply for portfolio reviews taking place at some of North America’s biggest pop culture shows. The VIZ Originals imprint will develop innovative, English-language creator-owned graphic novel content for a global market, and is committed to supporting independent artists and helping them execute their creative visions.

VIZ Originals portfolio review sessions will be led by Executive Editor, Fawn Lau, and will occur during the following 2019 shows:

Toronto Comics and Arts Festival – May 11-12
Anime Central – May 17-19
Anime Expo – July 4-7
Comic-Con – July 17-21
New York Comic Con – October 3-6
Anime NYC – November 15-17

Individuals MUST be at least 18 years old and already a registered/ticketed attendee. A VIZ Originals portfolio review appointment does not include show admittance. To be considered, complete the online form.

To give VIZ Originals the best idea of your talents and the scope of your work, please provide a portfolio that demonstrates:

Artists:

Samples of sequential works that best highlight your art style and storytelling
Best works that showcase composition, character expressions, and scene details
Include finished pieces, not only sketch or concept work
Include original character art pieces – some fan work is acceptable

Writers:

Samples of sequential works that highlight writing and story development
Samples and lists of creative writing work – prose and fan work is acceptable

VIZ Originals looks to collaborate with talented independent artists, creators and writers to develop original stories that ignite the imagination. Its titles will showcase dynamic paneling, skillful black and white artwork and compelling, diverse stories for both young adult and adult readers.

New Anime and Manga this April from VIZ Media!

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Graphic Policy Team Leave a comment

VIZ Media has some highly anticipated new home media and publishing releases debuting this month. New titles include set 1 of the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, as well as My Hero Academia: School Briefs, a short story collection based on the hit superhero action series created by Kohei Horikoshi. Nier:Automata: Short Story Long is the second novel adaptation based on the best-selling video game. Horror master Junji Ito’s Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection will contain thirteen manga stories and debut later in the month.

The last two titles set for release include The Art of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Nausiccaä of the Valley of the Wind Picture Book. Each book features vivid Studio Ghibli art from the legendary director Hayao Miyazaki.

New Home Media for April:

BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS SET 1

Blu-ray MSRP: $44.98 U.S. / $52.99 CAN · DVD MSRP: $39.99 U.S. / $51.99 CAN Available April 9^th

Meet Naruto’s son! His name is Boruto and he’s just like his dad – unfortunately. He’s rambunctious, rebellious, and more than a handful! He’s joined by the next generation of the Hidden Leaf Village – including Sarada, the daughter of Sasuke, and Mitsuki, a shinobi of mysterious lineage! Boruto and his friends have their hands full when they investigate a dangerous entity known as “The Ghost.” Can Boruto save the village just like dad? Dive into all of the action of Episodes 1-13 of the hit anime series in its first home media release. Special features include a BORUTO OVA, storyboards, art gallery and more!

New Publishing Releases for April:

MY HERO ACADEMIA: SCHOOL BRIEFS

By Anri Yoshi; Original Story by Kohei Horikoshi

MSRP: $10.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN · Available April 2^nd

The U.A. High School Hero Course teaches young hopefuls everything they need to become heroes. Between killer events like the Sports Festival and internships, there’s even Parents’ Day! That’s when all the kids get the chance to show their parents what they’re made of!

NIER:AUTOMATA: SHORT STORY LONG

By Jun Eishima and Yoko Taro

MSRP: $14.99 U.S. / $19.99 CAN · Available April 9^th

When alien forces invade with an army of Machines, the remnants of humanity must depend on Androids of their own design—the placid 2B and the excitable 9S—to survive.

SMASHED: JUNJI ITO STORY COLLECTION

By Junji Ito

MSRP: $22.99 U.S. / $32.00 CAN · Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens · Available April 16^th

Try not to be noticed when you eat the secret nectar, otherwise you’ll get smashed… What horrific events happened to create the earthbound—people tied to a certain place for the rest of their short lives? Then, a strange haunted house comes to town, but no one expects it to lead to a real hell… Welcome to Junji Ito’s world, a world with no escape from endless nightmares.

THE ART OF NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND

By Hayao Miyazaki

MSRP: $34.99 U.S. / $46.99 CAN · Available April 16^th

Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, based on his own manga, was released in 1984 and has been a cult classic ever since. In a long-ago war, humankind set off a devastating ecological disaster. The earth is slowly submerging beneath the expanding Sea of Decay, an enormous toxic forest that creates mutant insects and poisonous spores. Beyond the sea lies the Valley of the Wind, a kingdom of barely 500 citizens and home to Nausicaä, who risks everything to save her people and bring peace and health to the valley. Includes sketches, developmental water colors, cel animation, and more.

THE ART OF NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND

NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND PICTURE BOOK

By Hayao Miyazaki

MSRP: $29.99 U.S. / $39.99 CAN · Available April 30^th

In a long-ago war, humankind set off a devastating ecological disaster. The earth is slowly submerging beneath the expanding Sea of Decay, an enormous toxic jungle filled with mutant insects and poisonous spores. At the edge of the sea lies the Valley of the Wind, home to Nausicaä, who risks everything to save her people and bring peace and health to her people. Studio Ghibli picture books capture the magic of the legendary studio’s animated films with easy-to-read text, full-color pictures direct from the film, and a family-friendly oversized hardcover format.

NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND PICTURE BOOK

Underrated: The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Part 1

Posted on March 23, 2019 by Alex K Cossa

This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way.

This week: the first part of the manga adaptation of Nintendo’s The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time.

Released in 1998 on the Nintendo 64, The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time was lauded for years as The Best Game Ever. In many ways the game remains highly revered and fondly thought of by those who played it upon its release. By the time I had finally bought an N64 in 2000, the game was often listed as the Must Have game for the console in the videogame magazines of the time (this was still when information was still largely spread through print rather than on the internet). Although I was exposed to considerably less hype for the game than I would be had the internet been around when I picked it up, there is no denying that the game had a reputation of being one of a handful of games worth buying the console for.

Amazingly, it lived up to the hype.

Despite the game having been surpassed in visual quality and scope over the decades that have followed (including by its own sequels), it remains very high on my Best Game Ever list. Mostly because of the impact it had on me and the influence it continues to have – there is a reason I prefer action RPGs over shooters – but also because it remains a very good game in its own right.

When I had the opportunity to pick up the manga adaptation of the game, I did so without a second thought. Split into two volumes published by Viz Media, and written and drawn by Akira Himekawa (a collaboration of two women A. Honda and S. Nagano), the edition I have reads from the right to left – meaning the manga is presented in its original form with English translation. I was oddly happy about that because it meant that Link remained a lefty in the story, rather than him being a right handed swordsman if the booked had been flipped to read left to right.

If you’ve played the game itself, then you’ll be more than familiar with the story – or at least the bones of it. Akira Himekawa have modified the things that wouldn’t work as well in print as they do in a game (the Great Deku Tree dungeon is much shorter here than when I played it, but the story doesn’t suffer at all for the modification), and they’ve also handled the tough challenge of giving the essentially blank slated Link a personality whilst still feeling familiar to those of us who were (are still?) slightly obsessed with the game remarkably well.

As a person who doesn’t read manga in its original form much, this is a fantastic way for me to get used to reading the pages starting on the right, because for the most part I know the story, so I don’t mind having to concentrate on where my eyes should be going – as an introduction to manga, this is as ideal for me; a story I already love about one of the games that epitomizes my childhood. The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Part 1 might not be everybody’s gateway, but as a comic book fan dipping their toes into the world of manga, this is a pretty underrated starting point. Because most comic book based videogame adaptations tend to be less than stellar.

Which isn’t the case with this. So if you want to start reading manga, but don’t know where to begin… maybe look for a volume that has some common ground with an interest you already have.

Join us next week when we look at something else that is, for whatever reason, Underrated.

VIZ Media Details Activities & Guests for C2E2

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Graphic Policy Team

VIZ Media heads to Chicago’s premier pop culture and comics convention, Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo for panels, signing sessions, and more. C2E2 2019 takes place March 22^nd – 24^th in the South Building at McCormick Place in downtown Chicago.

VIZ Media celebrates all things Boruto at this year’s C2E2. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations voice actors Robbie Daymond (Mitsuki) and Cherami Leigh (Sarada) will participate on the VIZ Media and SHONEN JUMP panels, autograph sessions, and a livestreamed interview on C2E2’s Live Stage.

Friday, March 22^nd

1:30pm Official VIZ Media Panel
Panel Room S404

Join VIZ Media as we share thrilling tales of upcoming releases and other exciting announcements from North America’s largest distributor of manga and anime! Special BORUTO voice cast guests Robbie Daymond (Mitsuki) and Cherami Leigh (Sarada) will also stop by so don’t miss out!

2:45pm BORUTO Voice Cast Signing
Autographing Table 39

In celebration of the upcoming home video release of BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS, Robbie Daymond (Mitsuki) and Cherami Leigh (Sarada) will be autographing free limited edition posters for fans of the show.

Saturday, March 23^rd

2:45pm Official SHONEN JUMP Panel Featuring BORUTO
Panel Room S401

Come hang out with us and BORUTO voice talent Robbie Daymond (Mitsuki) and Cherami Leigh (Sarada)! We’ll be making announcements and discussing SHONEN JUMP manga and anime. There may be a fun game or two and a chance for you to join in for very cool prizes. Don’t miss it!

4:15pm BORUTO Voice Cast Signing
Autographing Table 39

A special encore autograph session with Robbie Daymond and Cherami Leigh. Attendees will receive afree autographed limited edition poster. Stop by!

6:30pm BORUTO Voice Cast Interview
SyFy Wire Live Stage

Head to C2E2’s Live Stage for a special livestreamed interview with BORUTO voice cast members Robbie Daymond and Cherami Leigh.

Conventions

VIZ Media Details Activities & Special Guests

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Graphic Policy Team

VIZ Media hosts a weekend of panel events and autograph sessions at Emerald City Comic Con 2019, which takes place March 14^th-17^th at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA.

This year at ECCC, VIZ Media welcomes special voice actor guests Amanda Miller of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (Boruto) and One-Punch Man’s Zac Aguilar (Genos). Both Amanda Miller and Zac Aguilar will participate on VIZ Media panels as well as special signing sessions.

Saturday, March 16^th

5:15pm Official VIZ Media Panel

Room TCC L3-R3

We’re ready tell you the latest and greatest on upcoming releases and other Earth-shattering announcements from North America’s largest provider of manga and anime! Special guests Amanda Miller (Boruto) and Zach Aguilar (Genos) will also stop by so don’t miss out!

6:30pm SHONEN JUMP Signing with Amanda Miller and Zach Aguilar

Autograph Area Level 2

In celebration of VIZ Media favorites BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS and ONE-PUNCH MAN, Amanda Miller and Zach Aguilar will autograph free limited edition posters.

Sunday, March 17^th

12:15pm Official SHONEN JUMP Panel

Room TCC L3-R3

Come hang out with us and awesome voice actors Amanda Miller (Boruto) and Zach Aguilar (Genos) to talk all things SHONEN JUMP! Catch some special announcements and updates on the latest SHONEN JUMP manga and anime. There might also be some games and prizes so join us!

1:30pm SHONEN JUMP Signing with Amanda Miller and Zach Aguilar

Autograph Area Level 2

Your last chance to meet Amanda Miller and Zach Aguilar and receive an autographed limited edition poster.

Conventions

Around the Tubes

Posted on March 5, 2019 by Graphic Policy Team

It’s new comic book day tomorrow! What’s everyone excited about? What are you getting? Sound off in the comments below! While you think about that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web.

The Beat – Marvel’s shocking history of promoting itself at SXSW – If you read one thing today, make it this.

CBR – Netflix’s The End of the F–ing World Season 2 is in Production – Nice.

ICv2 – VIZ Sent Google Over 200 Million URL Takedown Notices – That’s a lot of notices.

Review

The Beat – Marvel Action: Spider-Man #1

Around the Tubes

VIZ Media Announces New Manga for the Fall

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Graphic Policy Team

VIZ Media has announced new manga publishing acquisitions set for release this coming fall.

New fall titles joining the VIZ Signature imprint include Cats of the Louvre, the latest masterpiece from Eisner Award-winning creator Taiyo Matsumoto. Acclaimed author Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human is adapted into chilling graphic novel form by the famed horror manga creator Junji Ito.

Additional acquisitions include Levius, a hardcover deluxe edition of the science fiction battle manga and its ongoing sequel series, Levius/Est. The Way of the HouseHusband is an action-packed comedy about a former yakuza legend trying to lead a law-abiding, domestic life as a househusband. And in No Guns Life, a gritty new action series, a former soldier with a cyborg body finds the war never ends for people with bodies like his. Finally, the Assassination Classroom Complete Box Set rounds out the new releases, collecting all 21 volumes of the hit high school action-adventure-comedy from Shonen Jump.

CATS OF THE LOUVRE

A surreal tale of the secret world of the cats of the Louvre by Eisner-Award winning creator Taiyo Matsumoto. The world-renowned Louvre museum in Paris contains more than just the most famous works of art in history. At night, within the darkened galleries, an unseen and surreal world comes alive – a world only witnessed by the small family of cats that live in the attic. Until now…

NO LONGER HUMAN

Plagued by a maddening anxiety, the terrible disconnect between his own concept of happiness and the joy of the rest of the world, Yozo Oba plays the clown in his dissolute life, holding up a mask for those around him as he spirals ever downward, locked arm-in-arm with death. Osamu Dazai’s immortal—and supposedly autobiographical—work of Japanese literature, is perfectly adapted here into a manga by Junji Ito. The imagery wrenches open the text of the novel one line at a time to sublimate Yozo’s mental landscape into something even more delicate and grotesque. This is the ultimate in art by Ito, proof that nothing can surpass the terror of the human psyche.

LEVIUS

It’s the 19th Century and the world has entered the Era of Rebirth, recovering from the devastating flames of war. The sport of Mechanical Martial Arts has galvanized many nations. Cybernetically augmented fighters turn their blood into steam and their bodies into brutal fighting—and killing—machines. Young Levius is one of those arena battlers, hellbent on winning so he can simply survive.

LEVIUS/EST

In this ongoing series that picks up where LEVIUS ended, things look bleak in the aftermath of the Mechanical Arts arena battle. A new arrival inspires a sense of hope – but she might also signal the end of everything!

THE WAY OF THE HOUSEHUSBAND

It’s a day in the life of your average househusband – if your average househusband is the legendary yakuza the “Immortal Dragon”!Yes, this former yakuza legend has left it all behind to become your everyday househusband. But it’s not easy to walk away from the gangster life, and what should be mundane household tasks are anything but!

NO GUNS LIFE

After the war, cyborg soldiers known as the Extended were discharged. Juzo Inui is one of them, a man whose body was transformed, his head replaced with a giant gun! With no memory of his previous life—or who replaced his head and why—Inui now scratches out a living in the dark streets of the city as a Resolver, taking on cases involving the Extended.

ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM COMPLETE BOX SET

The complete box set collection includes all 21 volumes of Assassination Classroom along with a premium two-sided color poster and a 32-page full-color mini artbook.

Ever caught yourself screaming, “I could just kill that teacher”? What would it take to justify such antisocial behavior and weeks of detention? Especially if he’s the best teacher you’ve ever had? How about blowing up the moon and threatening to do the same to Mother Earth—unless you take him out first?! Plus a reward of a cool 100 million from the Ministry of Defense!

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Complete Four-Panel Comics Debuts from VIZ Media March 12

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Graphic Policy Team

Fullmetal Alchemist: Complete Four-Panel Comics

VIZ Media has announced a new addition to one of manga’s greatest series with the release of Fullmetal Alchemist: The Complete Four-Panel Comics on March 12^th.

The Fullmetal Alchemist: The Complete Four-Panel Comics features a complete collection of four-panel comic strips from Hiromu Arakawa’s original Fullmetal Alchemist series (which is published in English by VIZ Media) and never-before-seen bonus strips from Japan. The title is rated ‘T’ for Teens and carries a print MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN.

In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Though the Elric brothers’ circumstances are tragic, in these spoofs penned by author Hiromu Arakawa, the duo’s quest to reclaim their bodies is completely hilarious!

Yaoi Manga Publisher SuBLime Announces Candy Color Paradox

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Graphic Policy Team

SuBLime has announced a new romantic comedy from Isaku Natsume with the release of Candy Color Paradox on March 12^th.

Candy Color Paradox is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers. Print editions will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN each. Digital editions of Candy Color Paradox will carry an MSRP of $6.99 U.S. per volume. Readers have two methods of digital access to the series on SuBLimeManga.com – a DRM-free downloadable PDF, viewable on any enabled eReader device and computer, as well as via the online manga viewer. Fans can also purchase a digital version through NOOK, Kindle, Kobo, Google Play, and ComiXology. SuBLime will publish subsequent volumes of Candy Color Paradox on a quarterly basis.

Satoshi Onoe, a reporter for a weekly magazine, has a new stakeout partner, and he’s anything but thrilled about it. Photographer Motoharu Kaburagi’s unconventional reporting methods and overall bad attitude are enough to drive Onoe insane. But the more the two work together, the closer they get.

Junji Ito Heads to TCAF 2019

Posted on February 11, 2019 by Graphic Policy Team

Japanese manga creator and horror sensation Junji Ito will participate in TCAF (Toronto Comic Arts Festival) as a featured guest and is also the poster artist of the 2019 festival. TCAF is being held May 11-12, 2019 in Toronto, Canada.

Junji’s works include Uzumaki, Gyo, Tomie, and “The Enigma of Amigara Fault,” and he’s heading to the show to support his new short story collection Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection, to be published this April by VIZ Media.

Junji Ito will participate in an on-stage interview, live drawing, and special ticketed autograph sessions whose details will be announced later.

Featuring more than 350 exhibiting creators, the Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2019 runs Saturday May 11th, 9am-5pm, and Sunday May 12th, 10am-5pm, at the Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, Toronto, Canada. Attendence is free to all events. Some events with Junji Ito will require ticket, info TBA.

Check out this year’s poster below.

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