Los Angeles, CA (September 16, 2003) - Building upon its long-standing relationship with CLAMP, TOKYOPOP Inc. is pleased to announce the May 2004 debut of Tokyo Babylon, one of the famed manga team's most beloved titles. Each of the series' seven volumes will feature CLAMP's signature cover designs and luxurious full-color foldouts-a detail certain to rouse a cheer from countless devoted fans. This exciting upcoming release not only complements TOKYOPOP's growing CLAMP collection, but also reinforces the company's position as the #1 publisher of CLAMP manga in America.
An introspective, character-driven series, Tokyo Babylon reads like a manga version of The X-Files. Its story-a modern-day fantasy-follows a young omyouji (spiritual medium) on his quest to protect Tokyo from evil spirits. Teenaged Subaru Sumeragi is the 13th head of the Sumeragi clan. Together with his twin sister Hokuto and the mysterious veterinarian Seishirou, Subaru travels around Tokyo, calming the ghosts that threaten the city. Tokyo Babylon spawned both an anime and a live action film in its native Japan, and its characters went on to appear in other CLAMP manga.
"This series is a prime example of the sheer talent that makes CLAMP such a publishing phenomenon here in the States," said John Parker, TOKYOPOP's President & COO. "We are thrilled by the opportunity to add Tokyo Babylon to our 2004 catalog, and we look forward to our continued relationship with manga's 'dream team' of creators."
Arguably the most popular manga creators on the planet, CLAMP has attained unprecedented success in America. TOKYOPOP has played a key role in this achievement, with several of its CLAMP series consistently ranking at the top of BookScan's Graphic Novel Bestseller charts. Chobits-for example-recently broke new ground for manga when it cracked the Top 20 Overall Trade Paperback list. Other hit CLAMP series from TOKYOPOP include Cardcaptor Sakura, Wish, Angelic Layer, Clover and Magic Knight Rayearth.
ABOUT TOKYOPOP Inc.
TOKYOPOP Inc. is the leading North American publisher of manga, the fastest growing segment within the publishing industry. With exclusive rights to hundreds of licensed and original book, video and music properties, the company has rapidly become a media convergence leader. TOKYOPOP has millions of books in print and publishes many hit manga series, including Love Hina, Chobits, Rave Master, Initial D, GTO, Battle Royale and Cowboy Bebop. The company pioneered Cine-Manga(tm), releasing titles such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Lizzie McGuire, Spy Kids 2, Kim Possible and Jackie Chan Adventures. TOKYOPOP television properties include Reign: The Conqueror and the upcoming Rave Master, both airing on Cartoon Network. As a licensor, TOKYOPOP represents merchandising rights for Rave Master, Initial D, Stray Sheep and others. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.
