Los Angeles, CA (July 6, 2005) � In a bold move that marks an industry first, two powerful entertainment giants - TOKYOPOP, the largest English-language publisher of manga in the world, and CosmoGIRL!, the fastest-selling teen magazine on newsstands�join forces to deliver to teens a monthly dose of manga with an-all new version of "The Adventures of CG!" Written and drawn by Svetlana Chmakova (creator of TOKYOPOP's upcoming release of Dramacon), this visionary and cutting-edge manga strip features a monthly snapshot of our spunky, every-girl hipster heroine, CG, a sophomore in college studying abroad in Tokyo. Adventure ensues when CG runs into cultural challenges, crowded subways, exciting city life, new friends, and maybe even love. Packed with humor, drama and emotion, all rendered beautifully in Svetlana's unique style, "The Adventures of CG!" will introduce a whole new audience to manga, the fastest-growing segment of the publishing business.
"Our six million CosmoGIRL! readers always have their fingers on the pulse," said Susan Schulz, editor in chief, CosmoGIRL! "They're spot-on in determining what's hot and what's not -- and what's hot is most definitely shojo manga. It's already struck a chord with a significant segment of our readers which is why we're so thrilled to partner with TOKYOPOP, the leader in the manga field."
"Since we sell hundreds of thousands of manga to teen girls every year, we are confident that the CosmoGIRL! readers will be drawn to this exciting manga," says Julie Taylor, senior editor of shojo manga at TOKYOPOP. "Shojo (girl-oriented) manga is definitely hot--and it's just going to get hotter now that it's appearing in the pages of CosmoGIRL!"
Russian-born Svetlana Chmakova is no stranger to making manga. She has lent her artistry to how-to-draw-manga books, toy designs, animation, book covers and illustrations. Her current works include two manga-style online comics: "Chasing Rainbows" on http://www.girlamatic.com and "Night Silver" at http://www.wirepop.com . Svetlana's very first TOKYOPOP project, Dramacon, a romantic dramedy about love in bloom set in the lively and colorful world of anime conventions, debuts in bookstores nationwide in October 2005
About CosmoGirl
CosmoGIRL! is published byHearst Magazines, a unit of The Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com, one of the world's largest publishers of monthly magazines, with a total of 18 U.S. titles and 142 international editions. Hearst's magazines are read by more U.S. adult women than any other monthly magazine publisher. The company also publishes 19 magazines in the United Kingdom through its wholly owned subsidiary, The National Magazine Company Limited.
About TOKYOPOP�
As the largest English-language publisher of manga in the world, TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand. TOKYOPOP's innovative product extensions include its pioneering Cine-Manga� book format, which features colorful flavors of pop culture's hottest films, television shows and music videos. The company has expanded its property reach beyond publishing - TOKYOPOP's television series have been broadcast in the United States on Cartoon Network, Showtime and G4Media, and are released on DVD, with consumer products available at all major retail outlets. The company's global reach has recently expanded to Europe, with new offices in the UK and Germany, in addition to its Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With nearly 28 million books in print, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties features more than 200,000 pages of manga compiled over nearly 1,000 manga volumes. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.
