East Meets West

Friday, March 13th, 2009

This Saturday, the Aranzi Caravan finally arrives in America!

Kicking off their U.S. tour, the Aranzi team is heading over to New York City. Fully stocked with books and crafts you can purchase, the tour starts off at Kinokuniya Books in Manhattan and remains on display until April 13th. After that, the Caravan moves to the West Coast, so if you can’t get to New York, you’ll still have a chance to see them! And for this Saturday (Mar. 14) only, you don’t want to miss out on an opportunity to see Ms. Kinuyo Saito; maybe she’ll even tell you what new project she’s working on!

Kinokuniya Books is ready and stocked with your favorite Aranzi titles, but they’ve hauled in some special goodies as well! Now you can have all the fun of Aranzi without the long ride to Japan!

We have a few photos of the New York City Caravan. Be sure to stop by!

’Tis the Season… for COMIC-CON!

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

This Friday marks the beginning of the three full days of non-stop manga and anime at NEW YORK COMIC-CON. Vertical will be there in the main hall at booth number 1626 so be sure to stop by on Saturday and Sunday. We’ll be arriving late on Friday due to schedule conflicts but we’ll be there in time for our 6:00 panel in room 1A22. There will be a giveaway at the end of the panel so be sure to check it, but if you can’t make it, there will be more free stuff at the booth! We hope to see you all in your best cosplay at the show!

Vote for Dororo and Black Jack!

Friday, January 16th, 2009

The polls are up and running at About.com’s Best Manga of 2008. There is one main page with all the categories, and we are pleased to spread the word that Dororo and Black Jack have been nominated in the Classic Reissue Group! Not only that, Black Jack has also been nominated for Best Manga of 2008. So tell your friends, and everyone else you come across, to go vote for their favorites of 2008 on About.com᾿s Manga Polls. It’s up to the readers to decide who’s the best of 2008!

Dororo and Black Jack in the Classic Reissue Poll
2008 Best Manga Poll

Is There a Doctor in the House?

Monday, June 30th, 2008

Perhaps you’ve heard the rumors? Felt the buzz? Black Jack is coming! Osamu Tezuka’s most popular creation amongst adults in Japan is setting up his practice with America’s premier publisher of Tezuka manga: Vertical, Inc. The adventures of the unlicensed, but highly-trained maverick surgeon who performs miracles and is scorned by his peers premieres this September in a handsome 288-page paperback volume containing 12 stories, half of which have never been translated in the U.S. Subsequent volumes will appear bi-monthly thereafter, 17 volumes in all, respectfully selected and published in the order Tezuka himself designated in a deluxe version proposed before his untimely death in 1989.

But nearly three months’ wait?! Relax… Vertical feels your pain and certainly doesn’t want any of its faithful Vertical-ites to get sick with waiting before the notorious scalpel-for-hire arrives. Soooo… we’ve provided a special never-before-published-in-the-U.S. preview episode of Black Jack to assuage those jones-ing for an immediate Black Jack panacea. Plus, there’s an exclusive preview comic containing another never-before-published-in-the-U.S. Black Jack story that will be freely available at consumer conventions and fairs that Vertical attends. Enjoy!

Author Signing!

Monday, May 12th, 2008

This Tuesday, May 13, Kinokuniya Bookstore in New York City will be hosting a signing for Nobuko Takagi, author of Translucent Tree. An amaranthine love affair written for the modern day romantic, Translucent Tree was released in stores May 6th. Alive with sexual exploration, Nobuko Takagi’s prose is the perfect by-the-beach romance novel. For all of you who did not get your copy of the book, here is your chance to get the book and an autograph from the author!

The signing will be held from 5PM to 7PM at Kinokuniya Bookstore, directly across from Bryant Park, between 40th and 41st St..

Kinokuniya Bookstore
1073 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10018
Tel: (212)869-1700

Start Spreadin’ the News…

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

Vertical will once again be exhibiting at the New York Comic Con, April 18-20, 2008. Marketing Manager Stephen Vrattos and Publicist Jessica Hatakeda will be the usual suspects manning the booth, giving away tchotchkes, doo-dads, and assorted ephemera to the rabid throngs that will most assuredly be descending upon the coolest booth at the show. As always, we’ll be offering your favorite Vertical titles at unheard-of show prices; it’s the perfect time to stock up on Aranzi Aronzo craft books, Osamu Tezuka classics, The Guin Saga, J-Horror trades, and more. Plus, there will be advance copies of upcoming titles available, including volume 1 of our latest Tezuka release (Hint: It begins with D and ends with ORORO). This year, be the one to tell others what they missed!

On the Road Again… Destination: Boston

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008

Too long have us Vertical-ites been cooped up at the home office. We miss our adoring fans! Fortunately, Anime Boston is right around the corner to bail us out with their annual Bacchanalia of all things anime/manga-related, one of the biggest and most highly regarded in the country. Marketing Manager Stephen Vrattos and Publicist Jessica Hatakeda will be on hand to give out free Guin masks, To Terra… and Apollo’s Song bookmarks, Aranzi Aronzo mini-posters, mechanical pencils, and answer any questions you may have about Vertical books and our publishing plans for 2008 (We love talking about ourselves!). We’ll also be selling stuff at incredible convention discounts, so start saving your shekels and mark these dates on your PDA: Friday, March 21 to Sunday, March 23 at Boston’s Hynes Auditorium. Hope to see you there!

Let the Crafting Begin

Tuesday, November 20th, 2007

The wait is over. Cute Dolls and Fun Dolls are now on sale, just in time for the holidays. Whether you’re an old school craftster or a neophyte, you’ll enjoy these magazine-size craft books. Each book is filled with colorful instructions, patterns, and pictures for making more than 20 “scary-cute” characters in large huggable sizes. Cute Dolls features such popular critters from The Cute Book as Sprite, Bad Guy, and Pinkie, plus new favorites, such as Spritekin and Munky. Fun Dolls stars an all-new cast, such as Rabbity Rabbit and Silky Kay, and the Unmotivated Kids. And even if your idea of crafting is making the bed, the whimsical “model” shots and descriptions make these how-to tomes a delight. Grab up copies for all your friends this holiday season, and make sure everyone knows they’re at the top of your list.

Vertical Takes Manhattan

Friday, November 16th, 2007

December 7-9, 2007, marks the first annual New York Anime Festival, and Vertical will be there. Held at the Jacob Javits Center, the show is a celebration of classic and cutting-edge anime, manga, and Japanese culture. Vertical will be featuring some of its most popular titles at incredible NY Anime Festival discounts, including advance copies of The Guin Saga, Book 1 paperback, The Guin Saga Manga, Volume 1, and Andromeda Stories, Volume 2. Be one of the first to hear about Vertical’s 2008 publishing plans at the Vertical, Inc. panel on Sunday morning from 11:00 am-12:00 pm, and don’t miss J-Horror scribe David Kalat’s J-Horror panel on Saturday evening from 5-6 pm. There will also be free giveaways, like Aranzi Aronzo posters and the much-ballyhooed Guin masks (see previous “What’s New” item). But most importantly, we look forward to sharing some face time with our fans and hearing all your comments and suggestions. Hope to see you there!

Exclusive Guin Masks to Debut at NY Anime Festival

Friday, November 16th, 2007

In celebration of the dual release of The Guin Saga, Book 1: The Leopard Mask and
The Guin Saga Manga: The Seven Magi, Volume 1 on December 18th, Vertical has created stylish Guin masks that will be handed out to attendees at the NY Anime Festival, December 7-9, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. Fans there will have a chance to buy copies of the books more than a week before they officially hit the shelves. Lucky Verticalites will also be able to purchase other titles at special show prices. So text your friends and make a special note to visit the Vertical booth at the NY Anime Festival!