TOKYOPOP has announced that it has been named among the Fast-Growing Independent Publishers for 2024 in a new article by the leading industry trade, Publishers Weekly.
According to the PW feature by Jim Milliot, TOKYOPOP’s growth, which began in earnest in 2021, continued into 2023. The manga and graphic novel publisher followed up huge sales increases in 2021 and 2022 with a 36% jump last year over 2022, giving it a 173% sales gain between 2021 and 2023. This is the second consecutive year that TOKYOPOP has made the annual Publishers Weekly roster of Fast-Growing Independent Publishers.
One factor is the steady rise in TOKYOPOP’s title count, from 44 in 2021 to 61 in 2022 and 81 last year. The increase in output, which includes both books and single-issue comics, was accompanied by strong demand for TOKYOPOP’s Disney manga titles, according to COO and publisher, Marc Visnick.
Among the more than 50 Disney titles published by TOKYOPOP, The NightMARE Before Christmas did particularly well, as did the STITCH books. The NightMARE Before Christmas: BATTLE FOR PUMPKING KING appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list and several Disney titles also received boosts after being selected by Scholastic for its fairs and clubs.
Beyond the Disney line, TOKYOPOP saw sales climb in its LoveLove inclusive romance imprint after refining packaging and branding. TOKYOPOP also expanded its print and digital distribution channels. Key bricks-and-mortar additions included FYE, Hot Topic, Target, and Walmart, while a digital sales increase of 40% over 2022 was helped by agreements with new global retailers and subscription partnerships, Visnick says. Sales also received a lift from the launch of a redesigned website last year, which includes an online store.
“We are happy and very honored to be recognized for the second year in a row as one of North America’s Fastest Growing Independent Publishers by PW,” says TOKYOPOP COO and publisher, Marc Visnick. “The roster recognizes our hard work and ongoing efforts to expand the TOKYOPOP brand and our network of sales channels. The publishing industry continues to face many challenges both domestically and globally but the passion of our fans and readers motivates the entire TOKYOPOP team to continue to release unique and compelling graphic novel and manga content.”
Source: Press Release
