American Comic Book Writers to be Published Alongside Japanese Legends Thanks to New One-shot Venture
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 11, 2023) – Today, VIZ Media as part of its VIZ Originals line launches a one-shot submissions portal which will see American aspiring creators published alongside Japanese legends including Rumiko Takahashi, Junji Ito and Haro Aso via the Viz Manga digital service. The new platform will produce bite-size original manga stories covering a variety of interests from horror to comedy and from action to romance, all locally created by debut and seasoned writers.
The Japanese one-shot model for serialization boasts the most influential and successful track record on the planet for launching debut manga creators. It is a model in which a one-shot (a complete story running between 15 - 60 pages) is published for an already built-in audience who then determine whether it should go on to be serialized as a manga series.
Leading the acquisitions for the next big manga is former Weekly Shonen Jump Editor-in- Chief Hisashi Sasaki who oversaw Japan's prestigious Weekly Shonen Jump magazine at a time when some of the most iconic, beloved and highest grossing creators of all were being serialized including Eiichiro Oda's One Piece, Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto, and Tite Kubo's Bleach, amongst many others.
With Sasaki's guidance, creators whose submissions are selected will have the opportunity to work closely with the revered Japanese manga editor, making Viz Media the only publisher in the US to offer this experience domestically. Until now, mangainfluenced creators who aspire to work with Japanese editors have had to travel to Tokyo for such an opportunity.
"In Japan, a yomikiri or one-shot story has a proven track record for producing hit manga, and I'm thrilled to implement this method at VIZ for local writers in the U.S. I'm particularly excited to work with aspiring mangaka as Japanese pop culture continues to keep fans enthused and wanting more," said Hisashi Sasaki, Editor-at-Large.
Additionally, successful one-shots can access a wealth of capabilities at Viz Media including the licensing and establishing of an IP as an ongoing series for digital and print formats, producing their story into an anime, and the production of consumer products.
About VIZ Originals:
VIZ Originals delivers manga-inspired graphic novels as well as manga adaptations of existing pop-culture success stories from books, TV, and film. Since launching in 2020, VIZ Originals can now be found in 14 languages around the world and cover many interests such as slice-of-life, seinen, shonen, shojo, and BL. Highlights include Rainbow Rowell's manga adaptation of her coming-of-age award-winning novel Fangirl, while webcomic sensation Devil's Candy from Ren and Bikkuri has gone on to be serialized in Japan - a rare feat for American-made manga. Future key title Betwixt, featuring a cover and foreword by mangaka legend Junji Ito, is a first-of-it's kind international showcase of horror, publishing ahead of Halloween 2023 and bringing together Japanese and western creators such as Becky Cloonan, Ryo Hanada, Leslie Hung and Aki Shimizu.
VIZ Originals is thrilled to publish exciting new work by both debut and experienced creators, bringing legendary characters to life and nurturing the storytellers of today.
About Viz Media:
An international authority on manga for more than three decades, Viz Media is leading the way in what's now, new and next. Reaching one in four millennials and half of all GenZ manga readers, VIZ is at the forefront of America's Japanese pop-culture phenomenon, which today dominates multiple industries from publishing and animation to film and gaming.
VIZ is proud to be the #1 destination for manga in America and home to some of the most prestigious anime brands driving the industry. Combined with a market share footprint larger than household names collectively, VIZ has pivoted from a localization company to a market leading pop culture publisher and producer.
Viz Media is proudly certified as a Most Loved Workplace® in America and Inc Magazine's 2023 Best Workplaces. For more information on Viz Media visit: https://www.Viz.com/
