The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

Orbit, the top science fiction publisher which counts Iain M Banks, R. Scott Bakker, Charlie Stross and Mike Carey among its authors, has announced they will be working with their sister company the Hachette Book Group in America on the simultaneous publication of a new range of manga, the Yen Press. Yes, I know, some of you might be thinking another mainstream booktrade publisher is going to start doing manga, we’ve heard this sort of thing before, what’s different? Well, I share some of that cynicism, but I’ve known the folks at the Orbit crew for years and I know that they see their duties as more than a job – like most of us here they are fans too and that love of the genre shows up in their range of books, so I am automatically inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt in any undertaking. Secondly, unlike some recent manga lists from the booktrade publishers, the Yen list looks to be material new to UK and US readers. Thirdly Yen Press is headed by former DC VP Rich Johnson and Kurt Hassler, former manga buyer for Borders and once voted the most powerful person in US manga publishing in a poll by ICV2.

“Orbit has been watching the development of the manga market closely, and we’re confident that in Yen Press we have found the ideal publishing partner. Whilst the SF and manga markets are distinct, there are significant synergies, and we look forward to using our experience and expertise to establish Yen Press in the UK market,” George Walkley, Orbit Business Manager.

I’ve had a peek at the initial range of eight titles which will appear in the UK and US through October, November and December. Regular readers will know I’m not the biggest manga fan in the world and not as familiar with it as I am with other comics genres, but I’ve been trying recently (prompted not least by Ilya’s enthusiasm for the Mammoth Book of Best New Manga last year, which I really enjoyed – the second is due this November). The first wave of Yen manga looks to be quite varied – there’s fun for younger readers with Jaston T kruse’s World of Quest (Jason is also an animator and is currently overseeing a cartoon series version of the World of Quest) to a new series Zombie Loan by fan-favourite manga creators (even I know who they are!) Peach Pit. Perhaps aimed at the older, more mature reader is Keiko Tobe’s With The Light in which a mother comes to terms with the challenges – and joys – of raising a small child diagnosed with autism. With The Light picked up the Excellence Prize at the 8th Annual Japan Media Arts Festival and I have to say I find myself quite interested in having a look at it when it is released (I also suspect that is a title which has a lot of potential crossover appeal to non-comics readers too).

The initial line-up for the Yen range will comprise of With the Light by Keiko Tobe, Jason Kruse’s World of Quest, Zombie Loan from mangaka duo Peach Pit, Spiral from Eita Mizuno and Kyo Shirodaira, Alice on Deadlines by Shirou Ihara, Black God by Dall-Young Lim and Sung-Woo Park and Judith Park’s Y Square; all the titles can be found now on our shiny, new-look webstore.