DEL REY MANGA NEWSLETTER – JULY 2008

I've been preparing all weekend for San Diego Comic Con—and not just by loading up on Airborne and Pocky. I've been attempting to cultivate the most advantageous mental state, which is something between  extreme fangirl zeal (Joss Whedon! Adrian Tomine! Gerard Way! Not to mention Dean Koontz and Hiro Mashima…read on to learn more) and a serene and monkish acceptance of the soul-searing trials of sleep-deprivation, convention hall-food, and constant and total exhaustion that await. It has required a round-the-clock IV drip of Internet news (I got rickrolled clicking on a link to a Wolverine trailer), obsessive planning (my packing checklist reads, in part: Nintendo DS/charger; iPod/charger; laptop/charger,  Sony reader/charger…), pre-emptive caffeination, and non-deity-specific and yet increasingly desperate prayer. I have almost achieved pure Comic Con nirvana; I'll only need to walk out on the show floor to ascend to the next level of geek heaven.

Here's another cause for pre-show hyperventilation: Del Rey Manga's special guest at the show this year is Hiro Mashima, the creator of blockbuster manga series Fairy Tail. We're honored to bring this brilliant  manga-ka to the States to meet his many American fans. Mashima will be signing autographs…and answering questions at his very own panel!

Meet Mashima-san:

Friday, July 25th

2:30-3:30 p.m. Del Rey Booth #1128

SIGNING: Hiro Mashima (Fairy Tail)
***This is a limited signing; autographing tickets can be obtained with purchase from Comic Cellar Booth #806***

Saturday, July 26th

2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Room 10

PANEL: Del Rey Manga presents Hiro Mashima! Join Hiro Mashima (Fairy Tail), Dallas Middaugh (Associate Publisher, Del Rey Manga), Mutsumi Miyazaki (Director of Licensing and Acquisitions, Del Rey Manga), for a conversation on Mashima-sensei's latest creation, Fairy Tail.

4:30-5:30 p.m. Autographing Area

SIGNING: Hiro Mashima (Fairy Tail)
***This is a limited signing; autographing tickets can be obtained with purchase from Comic Cellar Booth #806***

Dean Koontz @ San Diego Comic Con

What do you do if you're Dean Koontz? You're already one of the world's master storytellers and bestselling authors. You've already accomplished more than billions of your fellow mortals. If you're Dean Koontz, though, you don't just retire to Aruba and taste-test every daiquiri flavor at the tiki bar. You  electrify your career by launching your most popular and critically acclaimed series yet, the Odd Thomas novels. And you charge on in search of new worlds to conquer. This time, it's manga. Koontz collaborated with Queenie Chan (The Dreaming) on In Odd We Trust, a new graphic novel set in the world of the Odd Thomas series—which just hit #1 on the graphic novel list!

Dean is taking a little time off from world-conquering to celebrate at this year's San Diego Comic Con. Come see him at his panel or get your copy of In Odd We Trust signed:

Saturday, July 26th

11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Ballroom 20

PANEL: Spotlight on Dean Koontz Dean Koontz (In Odd We Trust) has had 48 novels on the New York Times bestseller lists, many in the number one position, and has been published in 36 languages. Find out more about what makes him tick in this talk and Q&A session.

1:00-3:00 p.m. Autograph Area

SIGNING: Dean Koontz (In Odd We Trust)
***This is a limited signing; Line ticket drawing will be held in the autographing area at 10:30 a.m.***

In the meantime, take a look at the In Odd We Trust trailer here and read an excerpt here.

More Del Rey @ San Diego

We brought you Hiro Mashima and Dean Koontz to San Diego in the same year. And here are many more reasons to love Del Rey and Del Rey Manga: Check out our amazing panel, during which we'll talk about new Del Rey Manga and Del Rey titles, as well as some new Villard graphic novels!

Thursday, July 24th

6:00-7:00 p.m. Room 10

PANEL: It's the Random House Publishing Group! Join staffers from the Random House Publishing Group—including Betsy Mitchell (editor-in-chief, Del Rey), Dallas Middaugh (Associate Publisher, Del Rey Manga), Mutsumi Miyazaki (Director of Licensing and Acquisitions, Del Rey Manga), Chris Schluep (Senior Editor, RHPG), and Tricia Narwani (Editor, RHPG)—discuss upcoming titles from Del Rey, Del Rey Manga, Ballantine, and Villard Graphic Novels.

Speaking of brilliantly accomplished, there's also Jason Thompson. The author of Del Rey Manga's Manga: The Complete Guide, Jason is surely the world-record holder for "most volumes of manga read ever." Now Jason can add a new jewel to his crown as King Otaku: Eisner Award nominee. Jason was nominated for "Best Comics-Related Publication" for Manga: The Complete Guide. Congratulations, Jason!

At AnimeExpo, Del Rey Manga got to take a bow at that convention's annual SPJA Awards. Sponsored by the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation, these awards are voted on by fans. So, it's you, Devoted Reader, that we have to thank for our two glorious wins. Thanks for voting for us, and for:

Best Manga, Comedy—Negima!  by Ken Akamatsu

Best Manga, Action—Tsubasa by CLAMP

Kasumi is an example of truly global manga. It's the result of a unique creative partnership between an American writer (living in California) and a Japanese artist (living in Tokyo)—it took the Internet and a really great translator to bring them together. Learn the story behind this amazing collaboration in creator Surt Lim's interview at About.com with Deb Aoki. And visit the official Kasumi site for previews, character bios, creator blogs, and more! Visitors to San Diego Comic Con will get a chance to win a special, Kasumi-themed prize: a beautiful Kasumi hairclip! Stop by the Del Rey Manga booth for your chance to win.

Suvudu

DO YOU SUVUDU? You will soon. Watch for more details at SUVUDU.com

Zaregoto — In Stores July 22nd!

NISIOISIN is already known to many of you as the author of the amazing Death Note: Another Note novel. Now experience the authentic genius of one of Japan's most popular authors in the series that made him a major star: Zaregoto, Book One: The Kubikiri Cycle.

Zaregoto is a manga-tastic riff on the classic mystery story: Try to imagine a Sherlock Holmes mystery, as narrated by Holden Caulfield, but with blue-haired girls, deranged geniuses, and a serial killer obsessed with decapitation—and you'll still be a galaxy or two away from being in NISIOISIN's seriously demented mindspace. With gorgeous, ultramodern illustrations by take, Zaregoto is a definite summer must-read.

Phoenix Wright contest

In this newsletter, I usually talk about my enthusiasm, as the editor, for new projects. But in the case of our Phoenix Wright manga, I have to take a backseat to another Del Rey Manga staff member. Even my passion for the project looks like so much tentative whatevering compared to the radiant glow of Phoenix Wright love that haloes April Flores, our publicist. As our lead Phoenix Wright fangirl, April's devotion to Phoenix Wright has inspired us all.

Fans of Capcom's Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney game all feel the same way. This game has created its own tender-loving cult, thanks to its addictive mystery plots, wacky humor, and memorable characters. So it only makes sense that our Phoenix Wright: Ace AttorneyOfficial Casebook is for fans, by fans. It's an anthology of Phoenix Wright shorts by doujinshi artists—sort of the manga equivalent of the best fanfic ever created. It features everyone's favorite Phoenix Wright characters: not just Nick, Pearls, Maya, and Miles, but even Adrian Andrews, Wendy Oldbag, and Maggey Byrde! Because to true fans, there are no minor characters—only underappreciated ones.

Send your emails to delreymanga@randomhouse.com with PHOENIX WRIGHT in the subject line, including your full name and address in the body of the e-mail (NOTE: your personal information will not be used for any purpose other than this contest). Ten (10) lucky winners will be selected at random and will receive a copy of the book when it is published. All submissions must be received by Wednesday, August 20, 2008.

Kasumi Contest Winners

Winners of the Kasumi contest, take a bow! The following lucky readers will each receive 1 free copy of Kasumi, by Surt Lim and Hirofumi Sugimoto:

Anh Nguyn (Austin, TX)
Amber Barnes (Watauga, TX)
Dottie Brown (Bolingbrook, IL)
Mohamoud Nur (Tucker, GA)
Wendy Mitchell (Chapman, KS)
Brittney Fowler (Stevensville, MI)
Christy Hawkes (Tremonton, UT)
Tonya Yu (Puyallup, WA)
Richie French (West Monroe, LA)
Sandy Sumner (Oxford, OH)

Tricia Narwani
delreymanga@randomhouse.com

IN STORES IN JULY

	AIR GEAR 9 by Oh!Great The last phase of the ultimate battle between the underdog Kogarasumaru and the fearsome Behemoth has begun—and it's up to Ikki and Agito to seal the deal and achieve Air Treck glory.
	DRAGON EYE 5 by Kairi Fujiyama Issa is a powerful warrior who is sworn to protect his city against Dracules—deadly, virus-infected monsters. But now someone is smuggling them into the city—and the culprit may be one of Issa's colleagues.
	KASUMI 1 by Surt Lim and Hirofumi Sugimoto Kasumi is a special girl—and not just because she�fs a super-cute high schooler with a heart of gold. She has a major secret: She can turn invisible when she holds her breath. But when she transfers to an elite private school, it gets harder to keep her superpowers secret!
	GACHA GACHA: THE NEXT REVOLUTION 7 by Hiroyuki Tamakoshi Just when Akira is about to abandon all hope of receiving anything for Valentine's Day, Yurika surprises him with a homemade chocolate bar. Inside the treat is a redeemable golden ticket that promises Akira a Valentine's Day to remember!
	KAGETORA 10 by Akira Segami Kagetora the ninja is in love with his master's daughter, Yuki. But Kagetora's strong sense of duty has kept him from confessing his feelings…until now. He has decided that nothing's more important than love and he's ready to tell Yuki just how he feels.
	KUJIBIKI UNBALANCE 1 by Kio Shimoku and Koume Keito Chihiro has been cursed with bad luck all his life. But all that changes when he wins a mysterious lottery that earns him a spot at the prestigious Rikkyoin High School, a strange place where everything is decided by chance—even who gets appointed to the student council.
	ME AND THE DEVIL BLUES 1 by Akira Hiramoto A phantasmagoric reimagining of the life of legendary blues great Robert Johnson, Me and the Devil Blues follows the journey of a man who really did sell his soul to the devil. Why not come along for the ride?
	PARASYTE 5 by Hitoshi Iwwaaki Shinichi, an ordinary high school student, is the only one who knows that aliens have invaded Earth and are controlling the minds of thousands of unwitting victims. But when he meets Kana, a brave young girl with a strange gift that may allow her to detect the alien parasites, has he found an ally to combat these creatures?
	PASTEL 11 by Toshihi Kobayashi When Mugi's dad is called away to work, he leaves behind his new fiancée, a cute young hottie named Mako-chan. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for Mugi to get to know his new mom. But she may be too interested in getting to know him!
	PSYCHO BUSTERS: THE NOVEL – BOOK TWO by Yuya Aoki The explosive supernatural fantasy novel that inspired the blockbuster manga thriller! The trouble began when Kakeru found a beautiful teenage psychic named Ayano in his room in desperate need of help. She and her equally gifted friends had just escaped from a secret organization whose agents train young psychics to carry out their fiendish plans. Now psychic thugs have been ordered to hunt down the runaways—and they're after Kakeru, too!
	SCHOOL RUMBLE 10 by Jin Kobayashi Tough-guy Harima takes a nap backstage during the school festival. Unbeknownst to him, his bed is a prop in the stage version of Sleeping Beauty, and he is unwittingly about to make his debut as the princess!
	SHIKI TSUKAI 3 by Yuna Takanagi Akira has an awesome destiny: he's the Shinra, a magical hero who can control the very forces of nature. He's still learning to use his gifts, but this apprentice had better become a master soon: a band of villains has a plan to use Akira to destroy all of humanity!
	TOTO! 2 by Yuko Osada Kakashi's dreams of adventure seem to have come true when he meets Toto, a little dog with a big secret—he can transform into a gigantic magic dragon. But it turns out that Toto actually belongs to the Nassau Imperial Army, and these ruthless killers want their secret weapon back!
	TSUBASA 18 by CLAMP In the world of Infinity, Princess Sakura has become a Chess Master and the other travelers are her pieces. But the Mafia is running the game, and they don't care if Sakura's opponents break the rules or murder Sakura's companions!
	WALLFLOWER 16 by Tomoko Hayakawa The four hottest boys in Japan have just one goal: Turn the goth-girl Sunako into a true lady. And suddenly they're making progress! Is Sunako finally shedding her dark disposition?
	ZAREGOTO by NISIOISIN On Wet Crow's Feather Island, a tiny speck in the Sea of Japan, lives Akagami Iria, the exiled daughter of a powerful family. Born into great wealth, she was a princess of the highest pedigree until she was cut off by the leader of the Akagami Foundation. For the last five years, she's lived on Feather Island with her maids. But she hasn't been alone. She has invited the best minds Japan has to offer to come and stay with her.

The Del Rey Manga newsletter is copyright 2008 by Del Rey Books. This newsletter may be reproduced only in its entirety, and not for profit.