FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SIMON & SCHUSTER AND VIZ MEDIA RENEW SALES AND DISTRIBUTION PARTNERSHIP
Global Publishing Leader To Continue To Offer Retail And Wholesale Distribution And Develop New Markets For North America’s Foremost Manga Company
NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO, November 12, 2012 – Simon & Schuster, Inc., a global publishing leader, and VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga, graphic novels, and anime in North America, today announced a renewal of their sales and distribution partnership.
Simon & Schuster has been the exclusive distributor of VIZ Media manga titles (graphic novels) for the U.S. and Canadian markets since June 2004, providing retail and wholesale distribution services including warehousing, fulfillment, customer service, and accounts receivable collection for its vast library of titles.
Under the terms of the agreement, Simon & Schuster will continue to manage distribution for all of VIZ Media’s imprints, including Shonen Jump, Shonen Jump Advanced, Shojo Beat, VIZ Kids, VIZ Signature, Studio Ghibli Library and Haikasoru.
“We are dedicated to bringing an extensive cross section of first class titles to a worldwide audience of readers, and we are very gratified by the extension of our successful relationship with VIZ Media,” says Michael Selleck, Simon & Schuster Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing. “Manga continues to have a strong and growing fan base, and we look forward to working with VIZ Media to insure its presence in our existing and new retail channels for current and future readers.”
“Simon & Schuster has been instrumental in helping VIZ Media to substantially grow sales and maneuver through an ever-changing landscape of brick and mortar retailers, and they have always demonstrated an eagerness to effectively grow the North American manga market,” says Alvin Lu, VIZ Media Executive Vice President, Publishing. “Simon & Schuster has been a tremendous partner for VIZ Media for the past 8 years, and we look forward to continuing our successful collaboration for many years to come.”
For more information on Simon & Schuster, please visit: www.simonandschuster.com.
For more information on VIZ Media, please visit www.viz.com.
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ABOUT SIMON & SCHUSTER
Simon & Schuster, a part of the CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children‘s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital and international companies in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.simonandschuster.com.
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.
