Postponed, Not Canceled at Tokyopop? Is that like how ADV still publishes manga?
According to a new article published today at Publisher’s Weekly Comics Week, Tokyopop Marketing Director Marco Pavia has stated that many of the books listed as “canceled” in releases on blogs and from Diamond are not actually canceled, just postponed while awaiting a rescheduling.
“However, Pavia says the books on both lists were postponed, not permanently canceled. “We obviously have restructured our publishing program and are going month by month with fewer titles,” he says. That requires going back to the license holders to discuss the new schedules. “We are talking about either revising the schedule or looking at alternatives such as online [publication],” he says. While he did not rule out dropping some titles, he says, if that happens, “We will certainly let everyone know.” ” - Publisher’s Weekly Comics Week
I think it’s important to note that Tokyopop has refused to outright state that any title is canceled through any official channels, and the only public reports of complete book cancellations have come from the creators of affected work, like last week’s announcement from Shutterbox creator and Voice Of Gir Rikki Simmons that Shutterbox would not continue with Tokyopop. It’s entirely within Tokyopop’s right to be cagey about their publishing plans, they’ve got no impetus or even reason to announce that they’ve dropped a license… That’s exactly the sort of thing that gives your competitors a competitive edge.
That said, a complete list of cancellations was never released, was it? I sort of assumed that the list I got would’ve eventually leaked its way to the net but I suppose not. Well then, in the interests of clarity, here is a list of every title originally scheduled by Tokyopop for release to the book trade in Fall 2008 that is no longer being released to the book trade in Fall 2008. Whether these are eventually coming, or not, not even Tokyopop can say, apparently.
A FLAME INFERNO Volume 1 - Dal-Young Kim, Gwang-Hyun Kim
ADOMANT - Nam Kim
AFTERLIFE Volume 2 - Rob Steen, Stormcrow Hayes
AI YORI AOSHI: VOLUMES 1-3 COLLECTION - Kou Fumizuki
ARCANA Volume 10 - So-Young Lee
ASPIRIN Volume 2 - Eun-Jeong Kim
ATELIER MARIE AND ELIE -ZARLBURG ALCHEMIST- Volume 5 - Yoshihiko Ochi
BATTLE OF THE BANDS - Steve Buccellato
BECK:MONGOLIAN CHOP SQUAD Volume 13 - Harold Sakuishi
BECK:MONGOLIAN CHOP SQUAD Volume 14 - Harold Sakuishi
BEYOND THE BEYOND Volume 5 - Yoshitomo Watanabe
BLANK Volume 2 - Pop Mhan
BLAZIN’ BARRELS Volume 11 - Min-Seo Park
BLOOD SUCKER Volume 8 - Aki Shimizu, Saki Okuse
BOYS OF SUMMER THE COMPLETE SEASON - Chuck Austen, Hiroki Otsuka
BRAVE STORY Volume 6 - Miyuki Miyabe, Yoichiro Ono
CHIBI VAMPIRE: VOLUMES 1-3 COLLECTION - Yuna Kagesaki
CHRONICLES OF THE CURSED SWORD Volume 23 - Beop-Ryong Yeo, Hui-Jin Park
CIEL Volume 1 - Ju-Yeon Rhim
DARK MOON DIARY VOL 2 -
DEMON FLOWERS: KURUIZAKI NO HANA Volume 4 - Mizuki Hakase
DEMON FLOWERS: KURUIZAKI NO HANA Volume 5 - Mizuki Hakase
DISNEY’S FAIRIES: TINKERBELL -
DRAGON HUNTER Volume 19 - Hong Seock Seo
DRAGON SISTER! Volume 3 - Nini
DRAGON VOICE Volume 11 - Yuriko Nishiyama
EARTHLIGHT VOL 3 -
FEVER Volume 3 - Hee Jung Park
FORGET ABOUT LOVE Volume 2 - Sang-Eun Lee
FOXY LADY Volume 2 - Ayun Tachibana
FOXY LADY Volume 3 - Ayun Tachibana
FRUITS BASKET ULTIMATE EDITION Volume 4 - Natsuki Takaya
FULL METAL PANIC! (NOVEL) Volume 4: ENDING DAY BY DAY: PART 1 - Shikidouji, Shouji Gatou
GAKUEN HEAVEN-NAKAJIMA One Shot - Spray, You Higuri
GANKUTSUOU Volume 1 - Hidenori Matsubara , Hisashi Kagawa, Shuuichi Kouyama
GATCHA GACHA Volume 8 - Yutaka Tachibana
GENJU NO SEIZA Volume 8 - Matsuri Akino
GOOD WITCH OF THE WEST, THE (NOVEL) Volume 3 - Noriko Ogiwara
GOSICK Volume 2 - Hinata Takeda, Kazuki Sakuraba
GRAND THEFT GALAXY Volume 2 - Jim Jimenez, Tricia Riley Hale
GUARDIAN HEARTS Volume 2 - Sae Amatsu
HANNAH MONTANA Volume 10 - Disney
HANNAH MONTANA Volume 7 - Disney
HANNAH MONTANA Volume 8 - Disney
HANNAH MONTANA Volume 9 - Disney
HARUKAZE BITTER BOP Volume 3 - Court Betten
HOTEL AFRICA Volume 3 - Hee Jung Park
I WISH… Volume 3 - Hyun-Joo Seo
I-DOLL Volume 3 - Mi-Ae Choi
INITIAL D Volume 33 - Shuichi Shigeno
JADE OF BANGO Volume 2 - Ae-Ju Yim, Jin-Ju Yim
J-POP IDOL Volume 2 - Original Story By Millenni+M, Script & Art By Toko Yashiro
KARMA CLUB Volume 2 - D.J. Milky, Mark Seidenberg, Michael Dobrzycki
KAT & MOUSE Volume 4 - Alex De Campi, Federica Manfredi
KINDAICHI CASE FILES, THE BURIAL FRANCS - Kanari Yozaburo, Sato Fumiya
KING CITY VOL 2 -
KINGDOM HEARTS(?) - Shiro Amano
KINGDOM HEARTS II(?) - Shiro Amano
KOIHIME SOUSHI One Shot - Koge Dobo
LAGOON ENGINE Volume 6 - Yukiru Sugisaki
LAGOON ENGINE Volume 7 - Yukiru Sugisaki
LIFE Volume 10 - Keiko Suenobu
LIFE Volume 11 - Keiko Suenobu
LILING-PO Volume 9 - Ako Yutenji
LITTLE QUEEN Volume 8 - Yeon-Joo Kim
LOVE MODE Volume 11: (YAOI) - Yuki Shimizu
MAGIC MOON LEGACY OF MAGIC MOON - Wolfgang And Heike Hohlbein
MAIL ORDER NINJA - Erich Owen, Joshua Elder
MARTIN AND JOHN Volume 2 - Hee Jung Park
MISSING (NOVEL) Volume 3: THE HANGED MAN: PART 1 - Gakuto Coda
MISSING (NOVEL) Volume 4: THE HANGED MAN: CONCLUSION - Gakuto Coda
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM ECOLE DU CIEL Volume 9 - Haruhiko Mikimoto
MY CAT LOKI Volume 3 - Bettina M. Kurkoski
NEVER GIVE UP Volume 9 - Hiromu Mutou
NOSATSU JUNKIE Volume 7 - Ryoko Fukuyama
OFF*BEAT Volume 3 - Jen Lee Quick
PANTHEON HIGH Volume 3 - Paul Benjamin, Steven Cummings
PICK OF THE LITTER Volume 5 - Yuriko Suda
PLANET BLOOD Volume 9 - Tae-Hyung Kim
POISON CANDY Volume 2 - David Hine, Hans Steinbach
PSY-COMM Volume 3 - Jason Henderson, Ramanda Kamarga, Tony Salvaggio
QUEEN’S KNIGHT, THE Volume 13 - Kim Kang Won
QUEEN’S KNIGHT, THE Volume 14 - Kim Kang Won
ROLLING Volume 2 - Geo, Ji-Sang Sin
RURE Volume 4 - Da-Mi Seomoon
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED Volume 8 - Ryo Saenagi
SAVER Volume 7 - Eun-Young Lee
SEDUCTION MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN LOVE Volume 3 - Hyun-Sook Lee
SESAME STREET Volume 4: ELMO AND ABBEY SEE A DINOSAUR - Sesame Workshop
SESAME STREET Volume 5: ELMO AND ABBEY IN WONDERLAND - Sesame Workshop
SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI (KAHN) Volume 3 - Kazuaki Yanagisawa
SHORT SUNZEN! Volume 3 - Susugi Sakurai
SILVER DIAMOND Volume 3 - Shiho Sugiura
SNOW Volume 2 - Morgan Luthi
SORCERER HUNTERS — 100% AUTHENTIC FORMAT Volume 11 - Ray Omishi, Satoru Akahori
SPEED GRAPHER - NOVEL Volume 1 - Gonzo, Minoru Niki, Yuusuke Kozaki
STAND BY YOUTH Volume 4 - Juder, Young-Bin Kim
STAR TREK ULTIMATE EDITION - Various
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION Volume 1 - Christine Boylan, David Gerrold, Diane Duane, Don Hudson, Fj Desanto
SUPPLI Volume 4 - Mari Okazaki
TEA FOR TWO Volume 3 - Yaya Sakuragi
THAT GUY WAS SPLENDID Volume 1 - Gwiyunni, Ji-Eun Kim
TOKYO TRIBES Volume 7 - Santa Inoue
TRINITY BLOOD - RAGE AGAINST THE MOONS Volume 4: JUDGMENT DAY - Sunao Yoshida, Thores Shibamoto
TRINITY BLOOD - REBORN ON THE MARS Volume 3 - Sunao Yoshida
UNDERTOWN VOL 2 -
V.B. ROSE Volume 5 - Banri Hidaka
WE SHADOWS Volume 2 - Sonny Strait
WHITE NIGHT MELODY Volume 2 - Selena Lin
YUBISAKI MILK TEA - Tomochika Miyano
ZIG*ZAG Volume 4 - Yuki Nakaji
Some Notes: Longtime readers of the site will notice several titles appearing here that were previously on the chopping block during Tokyopop’s first “maybe we’ll try and publish this stuff online” experiment, which resulted in me freaking out about not getting to finish Dragon Head, which I did, and which is great, btw.
The cancellations seem to be along strict sales lines, which makes the inclusion of two Kingdom Hearts volumes sort of baffling, until you realize of course that they will actually be rescheduled to keep the cash flow more consistent.
Several of the titles above were specifically mentioned as to be rescheduled, like the Chibi Vampire 1-3 collection and the Star Trek books.
I have to wonder if PW asked direct questions of TP or Pavia on this one about specific titles? I know Brigid (the article’s author) is a fan of some of these books, and I’d personally like to know if Beck, Tokyo Tribes, or Fruits Basket Ultimate Edition 4 are actually coming or not… Or if they’d answer the question even if they were asked directly.
- Christopher
August 12th, 2008 | by Chris
18 Responses
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August 12th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Hi Chris! I did ask Marco about Beck, and he said, “We are still publishing Beck.” However, given the fact that negotiations seem to be ongoing, I didn’t see too much point in pursuing a lot of individual titles.
Also, they’re doing a promotion on their website for the Star Trek ultimate edition right now. It’s scheduled for March 2009. Vol. 11 of Love Mode is listed as an Oct. 1 release, and I don’t see it on the Previews cancellation list.
August 13th, 2008 at 6:29 am
I know Brandon Graham was posting the unpublished chapters of King City on his blog. After the first chapter, he stopped, and said that “he would let us know” why later.
It’s hard to say what exactly the reasoning was. Maybe he was being pressured by Tokyopop to stop, but I’m thinking it’s equally likely that they are picking the book up again.
Who knows, maybe these books will see the light of day.
August 13th, 2008 at 7:34 am
[…] Kai-Ming Cha and Erin Finnegan cover Otakon in this week’s PWCW, and I talk to Tokyopop marketing director Marco Pavia about those cancellation lists that are making the rounds of the internets; Marco says the lists don’t mean anything as things are still in flux. Chris Butcher responds by posting a list of books that won’t be published this fall. This isn’t necessarily a contradiction, as Marco’s whole point is that many of these books will be rescheduled once rights are negotiated. In the PWCW article I also talked to him about some of the new titles due out soon and the trend toward thicker volumes, which is quite obvious this month. (Image is of the Otakon mascots.) […]
August 13th, 2008 at 8:13 am
[…] Christopher Butcher publishes a list of Tokyopop titles “on hiatus” (with the most hilarious headline). It’s taking off from a Publishers Weekly Comics Week article that’s supposed to reassure people about Tokyopop’s status — just like the PWCW article that tried to quell ADV speculation. I don’t think it’s working. Nice of PWCW to give the publishers space to speak, though, even if they’re not saying much (or not able to say much). […]
August 13th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Waah, this is the first time I’ve seen Silver Diamond and V. B. Rose on a list. I originally thought I’d escape with minimal impact (Suppli and Kindaichi).
August 13th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
I was liking Earthlight, but if there aren’t going to be any more volumes I see no reason to hang on to the two I already have.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I never heard they were canceling books, what I heard is they’re going to publish online to cut costs.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Yeah, it was scary seeing some individual titles on this list. I think everyone can find something on this list that they’ve enjoyed. I hope they all get re-scheduled so that all fans can rest peacefully.
I am also very unhappy that there is a lot of current Manhwa series’ on this list. I hope they’re not the first to go. I was in shock when I saw “Hotel Africa” on this list! If things go drastic for Manhwa, I can only hope that another publisher can pick those licenses up. (Or being that it is Manhwa, Tokyopop will make all those titles online-only. Remember that the Korean pubs make more than just the printing rights available to English pubs)
August 13th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Wait, Tokyopop can’t make money off something with Hannah Montana branding? What the fuck is wrong with them? The guys selling Hannah Montana Official Toilet Bowl Brushes turn their nose up at Tokyopop.
August 13th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
LOVE MODE 11!??!
That’s the final volume.
*head smacked into desk repeatedly*
August 14th, 2008 at 12:35 am
@Dave Lartigue:
Glad you liked Earthlight. Volume 3 should be readable on the TokyoPop site in November. Supposedly if a book gets huge amounts of traffic, they might actually print it, but that’s quite a long shot. People will get to read the last part of the story, but it sucks that I won’t have the 3 volume set available at conventions.
Hopefully “postponed” doesn’t mean “stuck on the web” for everything else…
August 14th, 2008 at 1:42 am
I’m not much of a betting man, but I’d wager that a big part of the ‘renegotiations for scheduling’ actually have to do with acquiring digital publishing rights for a lot of these titles. Essentially, they can do whatever they want with the OEL, they own that outright (except when they don’t–Shutterbox). It’s much, much cheaper to “publish” work online, particularly if you’re going to find a way to charge for it even nominally… I’d bet that they’re going to see if their contracts for a lot of the low-performing stuff let them not actually publish print editions, because I can’t imagine a mature Japanese manga publisher is going to just throw those rights in, or not tie the rights together…
They’ve also used the words “publishing” to mean both print and online, which is a little duplicitous in my mind…
Oh, and to the commenter who was worried about LOVE MODE 11, at the BLU blog they said that one has actually been rescheduled. I don’t have a link handy but if you google it you should find it.
August 14th, 2008 at 1:45 am
Oh, and Brigid, thanks for asking about BECK. If you get a chance to do follow-up, I’d love to know if “publishing” means “printing”, or if they’re trying for e-printing.
ALSO! About Love Mode, this was in the JUL08 Previews for items shipping in September (and October):
–
TOKYOPOP
PLEASE NOTE: The following titles are offered in the July PREVIEWS, but have been cancelled by the publisher after PREVIEWS went to press: Atelier Marie And Elie -Zarlburg Alchemist Volume 5, Blazin’ Barrels Volume 11, Blood Sucker Volume 8, Dragon Voice Volume 11, Forget About Love Volume 2, Gakuen Heaven-Nakajima, Gosick Volume 2, I Wish… Volume 3, Kat & Mouse Volume 4, Liling-Po Volume 9, Love Mode Volume 11, Missing (Novel) Volume 4: The Hanged Man, Mobile Suit Gundam Ecole Du Ciel Volume 9, Nosatsu Junkie Volume 7, Pick Of The Litter Volume 5, Planet Blood Volume 9, Poison Candy Volume 2, Rure Volume 4, Saver Volume 7, Shin Megami Tensei (Kahn) Volume 3, Snow Volume 2, Sorcerer Hunters — 100% Authentic Format Volume 11, Suppli Volume 4, That Guy Was Splendid Volume 1, Trinity Blood - Reborn On The Mars Volume 3, and Zig*Zag Volume 4. In addition, Star Trek: The Next Generation Volume 1 has been postponed until Spring 2009. While these items are listed in the catalog, they are not available for order. Please use caution when placing your Tokyopop order.
–
So, yeah. I don’t know what to tell you, but as a retailer I was not even allowed to place orders, so I don’t know HOW they’re shipping that for the first week of October.
Best,
- Chris
August 14th, 2008 at 1:49 am
Ah, apparently LOVE MODE 11 was offered in a previews update, how about that.
MAY088287 E LOVE MODE GN VOL 11 (OF 11) (A) (C: 1-0-0) (PP #826)
New code folks! Tell your retailer! I almost missed it…
August 14th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Hey Chris,
I have been told by TOKYOPOP that Beck will see a print run next year. But it could possibly come in a new format. And expect to even see Kindaichi back as well.
That said not every title will come back or so I have been told. With certain publishers having having stronger ties with Tokyopop.
August 17th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
WTF are they thinking “publishing” manga in e-format? The only thing that makes fanscans threaten manga less than fansubs threaten anime is the vast difference in quality of experience between holding a book and reading a manga off of a computer screen. E-format only releases are going to drive fans away towards the fanscans that are (seemingly at this point) faster, more reliable, and free. How is losing all these customers going to cut their costs? Also, canceling series that are so close to finishing is going to end up giving them ADVmanga-esque diminishing returns, where the fans don’t trust them to finish a series and stop buying the few comics they do continue to print.
October 18th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Wtf, they postponed or cancelled Pick of the Litter 5!? OoO I was waiting FOREVER for that!! Ugh, the lincense problem with Kino no Tabi was already really bad!! TT-TT Just 2 more volumes and Pick of The Litter will be over!!! Shoot.. ;-;
October 18th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Great, they CANCELLED PICK OF THE LITTER!!!