Los Angeles, CA (November 26, 2002) - TOKYOPOP, the leading and most prolific U.S. graphic novel publisher, is about to publish five new properties from the "rock stars of manga," CLAMP: CLAMP School Detectives, The Man of Many Faces, Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders, Miyuki Chan in Wonderland and Shirahime-syo: Snow Goddess Tales. The most popular manga creators in America, CLAMP sells millions of graphic novels every year. Other great TOKYOPOP series to CLAMP's credit include Angelic Layer, Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits, Clover and Magic Knight Rayearth, each followed passionately by readers. This quartet of fabulous females never fails to create best-selling manga, and the following five short series are no exception.

Three of the five new stories take place in the fictional "CLAMP School Universe," an elite, self-contained city within Tokyo that is divided by educational levels and has its own banks, hospital and transportation system:

CLAMP School Detectives
This story follows the antics of a trio of pre-teen sleuths whose unique abilities allow them to help girls in distress around their school campus. The team is made up of Student Body President and resident brainiac, Nokoru Imonoyama, who is able to detect a woman crying from 2 km away; Student Body Secretary Suoh Takamura, a fifth grade master martial artist; and fourth grader Akira Ijyuin, a debonair master thief, who is also known as the "Man of 20 Faces."

The Man of Many Faces
The debonair Akira Ijyuin reappears in this shoujo romantic comedy that follows the master thief and the girl who loves him from grade school into adulthood. The story begins with Akira as a CLAMP School third grader, who lives with his two mothers and is ordered to steal bizarre items at their whim. When he's forced to hide from the police one night, he takes refuge in the room of a young girl, who falls in love with him in spite of their four-year age difference.

Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders
This is CLAMP at their most wacky! High school freshmen Kentaro and Takeshi are members of an elite police force that protects the CLAMP School from otherworldly invaders. The "Defenders" take their orders from beautiful but merciless Elli Chusonji, who keeps the boys in line with threats (they're more afraid of her than their villains). When they hear a certain song play over the intercom, they don their armor, grab their weapons and set off on the next adventure. Their nemesis: Sinister Kotobuki, an alien who leads a secret organization hoping to take over the Earth.

Miyuki Chan in Wonderland
In this story (which has also been released as an anime), CLAMP has created a loose, sexy retelling of Alice in Wonderland and its sequel, Through the Looking Glass. Things get a little bizarre as young Miyuki-Chan encounters scantily clad female equivalents of the famous fairy tale's cast, all of whom make a pass at her. The book features over a dozen full-color art pages, including character designs from the cult classic anime.

Shirahime-syo: Snow Goddess Tales
A unique, stand-alone volume, this is an anthology of folktales about the "Snow Goddess," whose tears create snow. The art style is a departure from typical CLAMP artwork, being made up of brushstrokes and naturalistic backgrounds. TOKYOPOP plans to release Shirahime-syo: Snow Goddess Tales as a special edition hardback before the book debuts in paperback form.

About TOKYOPOP

TOKYOPOP®, founded in 1996, is the leading North American publisher of manga, the fastest growing category in the publishing business. With exclusive rights to hundreds of book, video and music products, the company has become a media convergence leader. TOKYOPOP® has millions of books in print and publishes several hit properties based on popular Cartoon Network and Kids! WB programs. TOKYOPOP® titles include Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing, Initial D, Real Bout High School, Stray Sheep and Cowboy Bebop, among others. With rapidly growing U.S. demand for its properties, TOKYOPOP® is actively expanding into television, film and licensed goods. For more information, visit www.TOKYOPOP.com.