VIZ MEDIA WELCOMES BLEACH CREATOR TITE KUBO, THE LOS ANGELES LAKER GIRLS AND NBA STAR GREG ODEN TO 2008 COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL
Array of Notable Personal Appearances and Events in Booth 4113 Celebrate Dual SHONEN JUMP Anniversaries and Showcase Hit Manga Series BLEACH, REAL And SLAM DUNK
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced an exciting agenda of personal appearances, screenings and convention exclusives for the 2008 Comic-Con International taking place July 23-27 at the Convention Center in San Diego, CA. VIZ Media will be located in Booth #4113.
The year 2008 marks the 5th Anniversary of VIZ Media's SHONEN JUMP Magazine and also the 40th Anniversary of Japan's largest manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, the source of some of the world's most popular manga. These double milestones mean loads of events, appearances, announcements and many show-only exclusives during Comic-Con International 2008!
Highly anticipated by many excited fans will be an ultra-rare, in-person appearance by Tite Kubo, creator of the smash-hit BLEACH manga series, in the VIZ Media booth for two one-hour signing sessions on Saturday, July 26 at 10:00am and 3:30pm. This is the first time he will appear at any North American convention. Each signing session will be limited to 100 persons each. The first 50 fans who purchase a BLEACH item from the VIZ Media retail area each day from Wednesday through Saturday will each receive a special shikishi signing board and ticket as gifts. These gifts will qualify fans to attend one of the signing periods and receive an autograph from Kubo-sensei himself.
VIZ Media will also welcome Kubo-sensei, along with his editor, Mr. Atsushi Nakasaki, for a unique panel discussion about his work on Saturday from 1:00pm to 2:00pm in Room#7AB. Panel attendees will receive a limited edition BLEACH poster while supplies last. Throughout the convention, the VIZ Media Prize Patrol will be awarding prizes to fans dressed in BLEACH attire. Kubo-sensei is the creator of the wildly successful manga series BLEACH and ZOMBIEPOWDER. Both series are published domestically by VIZ Media and BLEACH is also currently serialized in SHONEN JUMP magazine.
A free theatrical screening of the BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY will be held on Friday, July 25 at 7:00pm at the Gaslamp 15 theatre located in downtown San Diego. A limited number of free passes to attend this special event will be available. Fans are encouraged to come by the VIZ Media booth to pick up one of the free passes while supplies last. Greeting guests at the screening will be KON, the lovable character from the BLEACH manga series. BLEACH THE MOVIE: MEMORIES OF NOBODY is rated T for Teens.
The September release of Takehiko Inoue’s riveting basketball-themed manga series – SLAM DUNK – is also anticipated by many fans, and VIZ Media will highlight this upcoming title throughout Comic-Con with a variety of fun games and events including a very special in-person appearance by NBA star Greg Oden of the Portland Trailblazers on Sunday from 12:00pm to 1:00pm. Also attending to celebrate the release of SLAM DUNK are two of the famed Los Angeles Laker Girls, who will be at the VIZ Media booth on Friday, July 25 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm. SLAM DUNK is rated T for Teens.
VIZ Media will also headline a variety of panel discussions throughout the convention, beginning with a SHONEN JUMP panel on Friday from 10:00am to 11:00am in Convention Center Room #2. Don't miss out on this opportunity to meet the editors and find out what they've got up their sleeves for 2009. Also on Friday, the VIZ Media Anime and Manga Panel will be happening from 3:00pm to 4:00pm in Room #2. The SHOJO BEAT magazine panel discussion is scheduled on Saturday from 3:30pm to 4:30pm in Room #10.
Finally, VIZ Media is pleased to have the work of three significant manga creators – Takeshi Obata, Naoki Urasawa and Taiyo Matsumoto – nominated in three categories for the 20th Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, which are considered the Oscars of the comic book industry. Mr. Obata is nominated in the Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team category for his work on DEATH NOTE and HIKARU NO GO. NAOKI URASAWA'S MONSTER is a contender for Best Continuing Series and Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Japan. Mr. Matsumoto’s, TEKKONKINKREET: Black & White is also nominated in the Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Japan. The awards are scheduled for Friday, July 25 in Ballroom 20 at the Convention Center.
“This year’s Comic-Con International is especially significant for VIZ Media as 2008 marks the 40th Anniversary of Japan’s best-selling manga anthology, Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, as well as the 5th Anniversary of the widely-read North American counterpart, SHONEN JUMP, and we are excited to celebrate these double milestones,” says Evelyn Dubocq, Sr. Director, Public Relations. "VIZ Media will present a captivating array of fun activities, discussions, in-person appearances and product exclusives that will make each day of this year’s show a truly memorable event for new as well as veteran fans!”
VIZ Media will also be available for portfolio reviews on Sunday, the 27th, from 2:00pm to 4:30pm in the Portfolio area of the Convention Center. Artwork will be reviewed by Marc Weidenbaum, Vice President of Original Publishing and Eric Searleman, Senior Editor at VIZ Media.
