| December
20, 2007
Recent Vertical Releases Make Holiday Shopping Easy!
Vertical has supplied the perfect
gift to you, its loyal readers, this holiday season by releasing
a quartet of titles to satisfy the ficklest of friends and family
members on your shopping list. Don’t let the anxiety of
buying something for that cranky old uncle get to you this year;
put down the nose-hair trimmer and send him to Northern Mongaul
with Guin and his intrepid band of allies as they flee an army
of 12,000 into the treacherous desert wastes of Nospherus with
The Guin Saga, Book 1: The
Leopard Mask. Disinterested teenagers on your list? Send
the girls to outer space with Keiko Takemiya’s galactic
epic, Andromeda
Stories (Volume 2 is out now!) and transport the boys
to Cheironia, where they can drool over bodacious babes and bathe
in the barbarian swordplay of The
Guin Saga Manga: The Seven Magi, Volume 1. You may be
surprised to catch a mumbled, “Thanks!” beneath their
seemingly unexcitable miens. Finally, for that engaged, newlywed,
or married person on your list there’s Asa Nonami’s
Now You’re
One of Us, voted one of the best reads of 2007 by fearsmag.com,
writing that it “does for marriage what Jaws did
for a day at the beach.” So give ’em a gift they won’t
return this year… give ’em a heaping healthy dose
of Vertical.
|
|
| November
27, 2007
Sneak a Peek at Vertical’s Latest Thriller... If
You Dare!
Now You’re One of Us
won’t be available to the public until December 18, but
you can read an exclusive excerpt right now at www.vertical-inc.com/books/nowyoureoneofus.
Asa Nonami’s suspense novel about the perfect marriage
delivers the kind of hair-standing-on-the-back-of-your-neck creeps
rarely experienced in today’s literary gore-fests. I’m
getting chills just thinking about it. Warning: newlyweds and
engaged couples are advised not to read this book!
|
|
| November
20, 2007
Let the Crafting Begin
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.
|
|
| November
16, 2007
Vertical Takes Manhattan
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!
|
|
| November
16, 2007
Exclusive Guin Masks to Debut at NY Anime Festival
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! |
|
| November
13, 2007
The Horror… The Horror…
Vertical-ites and J-Horror fans
rejoice! J-Horror author
David Kalat is making a rare New York City appearance at the first
annual New York Anime Festival, December 7-9, 2007, at the Jacob
Javits Center. Kalat’s book is an exhaustive, must-have
study of Japanese horror films, delving deeply into the details
of the film genre that has taken the world by storm. Did you know
that there are 10 Ring movies from 3 different countries? Ever
wonder why all those girls have hair in front of their faces in
Japanese horror films? Kalat’s book supplies these answers
and more. Kalat will be presenting a J-Horror panel at the Anime
Festival on Saturday evening from 5-6 pm and he will also have
two book signings at the show: Saturday evening (following his
panel) from 6:30-closing and Sunday afternoon (following the Vertical,
Inc. panel) from 12:30-2:30 pm. Be afraid... be very afraid...
that you might miss this scary-good opportunity, and plan accordingly.
|
|
| November
2, 2007
Out of the Boroughs and Into Vertical
We are thrilled to introduce our
new Assistant Production Manager, Glen Isip! Glen will be assisting
Hiroko in book production as well as updating our website and
creating ads. He is a pro borough-hopper who grew up in Staten
Island, attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, and is now finally
in Manhattan at Vertical. He loves the color orange even more
than Jessica does, and goes by the motto that life is good...
He really is always smiling. We are happy to have him here! |
|
| October
29, 2007
Guin Saga Manga, Volume 1 Preview Spotted on Vertical Website!
Inspired by the 25-million bestselling
series in Japan—114 volumes and continuing— The
Guin Saga Manga is one of the most highly anticipated
manga titles of 2007. Though a scant six weeks away, fans are
clamoring for a peek, the wait harder to endure than the leopard
mask the series’ hero is cursed to forever wear. We at Vertical
feel your pain. So before you do anything rash, like buy one of
our competitors’ lesser titles, we have provided an exclusive
look. But be warned, Guin’s take-no-prisoners M.O. is not
for the squeamish, nor anyone under 16 years of age. Enjoy! |
|
| October
26, 2007
“Cute” Invades Texas
The cute quadrupeds of Aranzi
Aronzo took Texas by storm this past weekend at the Third Annual
Maker Faire. To help celebrate the fair that celebrates America’s
creative soul, Vertical had exclusive Aranzi Aronzo merchandise
shipped in from Japan. Sewing kits, mascot kits, and stationary
emblazoned with the “so-cute-they-should-be-illegal”
creatures were snapped up by eager attendees, who also grabbed
advance copies of Fun
Dolls and Cute
Dolls. Not much remained after the two-day festival,
just some bits of thread, a swatch of felt, and a couple of locals
muttering, “Who were those crafty critters?” |
|
| October
26, 2007
A “Shock”-ing Appearance
Vertical’s promotional posse
made a horrific appearance in Worcester, Massachusetts, October
13-14 . . . but in a good way. Marketing Manager Stephen Vrattos
visited the Rock & Shock convention to scare up some fans
with free hardcover editions of Japanese horrormeister Koji Suzuki’s
Dark Water
with an exclusive Vertical J-Horror bookmark included in each
copy. Four lucky fans also won autographed copies of Suzuki’s
Spiral.
Though the air was laced with suspense, and though he was in the
company of horror movie luminaries, Stephen was never more terrified
than when he saw the looks on people’s faces after telling
them he had run out of books. |
Lucky fan Brittany Moran
|
| October
11, 2007
Put a Machine Gun in Their Stocking This Christmas
The holidays are fast approaching
and what better way to spread cheer than by stuffing your stockings
with Aranzi Machine Gun! Each volume is packed with whimsical—oft
times hilarious—comics and photos, starring the scary-cute
characters that populate the world of Aranzi Aronzo. Each book
also contains instructions on how to make fanciful appliqués,
tissue-box covers, hand bags, and other useful items with the
dandy denizens. There are three volumes available. White Rabbit—in
an uncharacteristically foul mood—is featured on the cover
of one. Not to be outdone, Bad Guy is strangely all smiles on
the cover of volume two, while Sprite is his traditional too-cool-for-school
self on book three, the series' latest release. So do your part
to prevent humbuggery this Christmas: Give everyone you know a
Machine Gun! |
 |
| October
10, 2007
Cute Dolls/Fun Dolls to Debut at Maker Faire
Aranzi Aronzo fans rejoice! Fun
Dolls and Cute Dolls will soon be here. Both books
will be available on November 20, 2007, but a handful of each
book will be available at the Austin Maker Faire, October 20-21,
2007. That's right, a month ahead of schedule—30 days before
your friends can get their own copies—you can snag one and
have the entire pantheon of new, large-size Aranzi characters
and mega-size versions of Aranzi favorites created before your
drooling fans can even crack the spine on their copies of the
books. Oh, but it gets better. EXCLUSIVE Aranzi Aronzo merchandise—sewing
kits, mascots kits, and stationary sets, flown directly from the
crafty environs of the sisters themselves in Japan—will
also be available at the Vertical booth at the Maker Faire. The
Maker Faire is a yearly celebration of creators; from inventors
to crafters, robot builders to jewelry designers. So plan to be
there and start practicing your “Nyah-nyahs” for when
you see your friends after getting your hands on early editions
of Fun Dolls and Cute Dolls, and exclusive Aranzi
stuff . |
|
| October
9, 2007
MW… It's a Gas!
The long wait for the Osamu Tezuka'
classic will soon be over as MW hits the stands on October
30, 2007. Steering clear of the cute designs and slapstick humor
that Tezuka defined in such known works as Astro Boy
and Kimba, MW is the manga pioneer's further
exploration at redefining and expanding the boundaries of the
graphic storytelling medium. Originally serialized in Big
Comic in 1976, MW presents the disturbing tale of
a man's loss of conscience and the dichotomous adult life he leads
as both society's darling and its worst nightmare. This decidedly
“anti-Tezuka” achievement nevertheless pulsates with
his unique genius. And
we've provided an advance preview of the first chapter to stave
off Tezuka withdrawal while you eagerly await release of this
masterpiece! |
 |
| October
2, 2007
Leave It to Bezer
Vertical has added a new publicist
to its roster...Jessica Hatakeda (neé Bezer). Jessica hails
from the gardens of New Jersey and graduated from Boston University
with a B.A. in East Asian Studies. Before landing at Vertical,
Jessica lived in Japan for five years, where she taught English.
Her ebullient spirit and infectious energy are welcome and sure
to come in handy whether speaking with potential reviewers or
hosting a Vertical event. |
 |
| October
2, 2007
Get a Free Taste of The Guin Saga
Did you know that The Guin Saga
is Japan's most successful heroic fantasy series with 114 books
strong and going, and more than 25 million in sales? In anticipation
of Vertical's launch of the series in trade paperback with book
1 in November 2007, the Guin
website page has been revised. It now features beautiful color
and B&W artwork from the original Japanese series by Naoyuki
Kato. Kato's incredible work captures the adventurous spirit of
the epic fantasy perfectly and will be featured in Vertical's
trade paperback editions. Also, the website offers visitors the
opportunity to read Book 1's introduction and first chapter. But
take heed. Once you read even this delectable tidbit of The Guin
Saga, you'll be compelled to buy the entire series. You've been
duly warned! |
|
| September
14, 2007
Schmancy’s Exhibit Features Custom “Cute”
Creations
Schmancy’s—purveyors
of quirky toys, collectibles, and original art in Seattle—will
showcase a pair of custom-made Aranzi Aronzo dolls as part of
their annual Plush You exhibit from October 12, 2007, to November
9, 2007. Plush You celebrates all things stuffed, and I don’t
mean your Uncle Morty at Thanksgiving. Each year they invite crafters
to submit original works of stuffed art. So what better dolls
to feature than a pair from the team that helped define Japanese
cute or “kawaii.” Custom-crafted versions of The Bad
Guy and Liar, each sporting a T-shirt displaying I
SEATTLE and I
PLUSH YOU, respectively, are on display. Schmancy’s will
also be selling exclusive Aranzi Aronzo merchandise, imported
from Japan, including sewing kits and tote bags. The exhibit runs
from October 12, 2007, to November 9, 2007, but why wait? All
the good Aranzi Aronzo stuff will be gone and this will be your
only chance to see dolls custom-made by the hands of the Aranzi
Aronzo creators. |
|
| September
13, 2007
Manga Pioneer Keiko Takemiya Makes Rare North America Appearance.
The Shojo
legend and author of manga classics To
Terra… and Andromeda
Stories will be making the following West Coast stops
to celebrate the 25th Anniversary and U.S. debut of Andromeda
Stories #1.
September
15, 2007
Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 1201 3rd St. (3rd
St. Promenade), Santa Monica, California from 3:00-4:00 PM
September 17, 2007
Powell’s Bookstore, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon from 7:00-9:00 PM
September 19, 2007
University of British Columbia (UBC) bookstore,
800 Robson St, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from 12:00-1:30
PM
September 20, 2007
Takemiya will give a lecture, "Shojo Manga
Power! Girl Comics from Japan," followed by a panel discussion
featuring manga critic and editor Fujimoto Yukari and Professor
Masami Toku at The Auditorium of the Asian Centre at UBC
September 21, 2007
Takemiya will give a lecture, "The Role of
Manga in Contemporary Culture," in the Main Theater at UBC's
Robson Square campus in downtown Vancouver, 800 Robson Street
(near the Vancouver Art Gallery), followed by a panel discussion.
Don’t miss your chance to
meet a true manga legend! |
|
| September
13, 2007
Preview One of Tezuka’s Greatest Books, Ode to
Kirihito.
A free preview of the Eisner,
Quill, and Harvey Award-nominated masterpiece of arrogance, brutality,
greed, love, loss, and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit
is now available. Experience this taste of genius, then contact
a bookseller immediately to get your own copy before the DTs set
in.
|
|
| August
29, 2007
Monster Appearance Wows Fans
Vertical was back on the road last
weekend scaring up excitement at MonsterMania in Cherry Hill,
New Jersey. Horror-fied fans screamed with delight at the free
copies of J-Horror mastermind Koji Suzuki’s Dark Water
that marketing manager Stephen Vrattos was handing out, each book
containing an exclusive and terrifying Vertical J-Horror bookmark.
Stephen also had autographed copies of Ring that fans
were eager to take a stab at winning. Stephen’s verdict
on the three-day event: “We killed ’em!” |
|
| August
28, 2007
BOY Marks Debut
Internationally renowned film auteur
Takeshi Kitano’s BOY is the first literary work
by Japan’s “Renaissance Man” to be translated
into English. Quentin Tarantino introduced Kitano’s cinematic
genius to America years ago, but his equally brilliant word-craft
has been a well-kept secret outside his native Japan…until
now. Kitano’s beautiful, lyrical anthology of short stories
exemplifies the theme of “boyhood,” found in all his
works. Fans of Kitano, Tarantino, or anyone in love with solid
thoughtful writing will devour this impressive collection. It’s
a literary meal not to be missed. |
|
| July
16, 2007
EXCLUSIVE: Andromeda Stories Preview
Long before the Terminator
and Matrix trilogies, the story of machines gaining sentience
and subjugating humankind was told in Andromeda Stories,
manga pioneer Keiko Takemiya’s thrilling space opera. Now
you could wait until mid-September for Volume I to hit the stands
or you could satisfy your craving for mind-blowing manga right
this second with this exclusive sneak
preview. |
|
| July
2, 2007
To Terra… Now Complete!
The third and final volume to the
space-spanning saga is now on sale. Manga pioneer Keiko Takemiya’s
exciting tale of a dystopian future where computers control the
propagation of the human race, and an exiled society of telepaths’
struggle to return home concludes this month. Is Jomy the hero
destined to save the Mu? Will Physis’s visions come to fruition?
What of the future of the human race? What are you waiting for?
Get your copy today! |
|
| June
27, 2007
Vertical Celebrates Milestone
Nearly four years ago, a fledgling
company began publishing Osamu Tezuka’s landmark manga series
Buddha, the 8-volume saga which chronicles the life of
one of the most important and influential figures in history.
Whether the series was perceived as too demanding or not commercial
enough is unknown, but no other publisher attempted an English
adaption of the Tezuka classic in the title’s history. It’s
probably a good thing too, because only the high exacting production
standards of Vertical could have done the series justice. This
June, Vertical will publish the paperback edition of Buddha,
Volume 8, completing the definitive collection of the manga
magnum opus. Buddha remains one of Vertical’s signature
titles, a perennial bestseller and one of the company’s
proudest achievements. |
|
| June
25, 2007
Vertical Makes Big Splash at Renegade
Craft Fair
The Renegade Craft Fair held its
4th Annual event June 16-17 at McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn.
Actually it took place in the pool. Originally opened
in 1936, the public facility covers three Olympic-size swimming
pools. Today, it no longer serves as a pool, but rather as a unique
place at which events are held. Given the humidity and soaring
temperatures of the two-day event, there were many at the Fair
who wished the pool were filled, including Vertical Marketing
Manager Stephen Vrattos, who showcased the Aranzi Aronzo craft/humor
line and Higher Sudoku and O’Ekaki puzzle
books. No surprise, the books were a hit, and many a happy customer
walked away with their hands full of goodies, including To
Terra… bookmarks, Aranzi Aronzo mini-posters, O’Ekaki
samplers, and exclusive Vertical canvas bags and mechanical pencils. |
|
| June
20, 2007
Apollo’s Song . .
. On Sale June 26!
The Osamu Tezuka classic about
the destructive power of hate, and love’s ultimate triumph
gets the Vertical treatment: a single, beautifully-bound paperback
edition capturing the entire saga. Check
out Vertical’s exclusive sneak peek. |
|
| June
18, 2007
O'Ekaki and Higher Sudoku
Samples, Tips, and Instructions Now Available!
Bored with predictable, computer-generated
Sudoku puzzles? Vertical now offers downloadable samples of its
Higher Sudoku and O’Ekaki: Paint by Sudoku
puzzles, along with easy-to-understand instructions and tips for
you to take your Sudoku puzzle skills to the next level. Vertical’s
Sudoku puzzles are cleverly conceived by the Japanese puzzlemaster
and O’Ekaki inventor, Tetsuya Nishio, “the Japanese
Will Shortz,” and are designed to bedevil and delight even
the veteran Sudoku enthusiast. O’Ekaki puzzles result in
surprising pictures, but don’t be fooled; they are just
as challenging and fun. The first five people to send
us a correctly-solved example of our O’Ekaki puzzle will
receive a free copy of O’Ekaki: Paint by Sudoku
and an exclusive, Vertical mechanical pencil. Send your
completed O'Ekaki puzzle (from our puzzle page) to: Vertical's
O'Ekaki Puzzle Challenge, 1185 Avenue of the Americas 32FL, New
York, NY 10036. After you've tried our puzzles, send us your comments;
you may see them posted on our Vertical puzzles page!
Just look for the “Samples,
tips, and instructions” button on our Sudoku webpage to
download your own pdfs: www.vertical-inc.com/books/puzzle |
|
|
 |
 |
| June
6, 2007
Call
Off the Hounds!
The search is over: Vertical has
found its new Marketing Manager. Publishing journeyman Stephen
Vrattos brings oodles of experience derived from stints at Marvel
Entertainment, HarperCollins Children’s Books and the New
York Post among others. He cites the quality of the line as what
lured him into the Vertical fold. Stephen looks forward to verbally
sparring with Ioannis, picking up after Anne, and making Aranzi
Aronzo dolls. |
 |
| June
5, 2007
BEA
Returns to NYC and Vertical Is There
Things really heated up at Book
Expo America this year. And even when the Javits Center’s
air-conditioning finally started working, it remained hot at the
Vertical booth. Thousands of librarians and sellers attended the
annual four-day event, many stopping by to discuss Vertical’s
impressive line of books, including the popular Aranzi Aronzo
series. Some picked up a free preliminary printing of renowned
film auteur and Quentin Tarentino god Takeshi Kitano’s short
story collection Boy. Other lucky visitors scored a copy
of Shinjuku Shark, a new crime novel by leading Japanese
hardboiled detective novelist Arimasa Osawa; while still others
walked away, happily clutching a copy of an exclusive sampler
of Vertical’s upcoming manga titles. Good thing the show
comes around only once a year; it’ll take the Vertical crew
that long to recuperate. Whew!
|
|
| June
5, 2007
Eisners
and Harveys Honor Ode to Kirihito
Osamu Tezuka’s legendary
saga of a modern-day Odysseus fighting his away back home against
incredible odds and obstacles garnered an Eisner Award nomination
for Best Archival Collection and a Harvey Award nomination for
Best American Edition of Foreign Material. The Eisner Award winners
will be announced the evening of Friday, July 27 in conjunction
with the 2007 Comic-Con International and the Harvey Award winners
will be announced in conjunction with the 2007 Baltimore Comic-Con
the evening of Saturday, September 8. For more information on
Ode to Kirihito go to www.vertical-inc.com/books/kirihito. |
|
| March
14, 2007
Welcome to the World of Aranzi Aronzo
crafts!!
Aranzi Aronzo has long been followed
by the underground crafts community online, and now finally the
books will be available in English, from Vertical. The Aranzi
characters have all rallied forces and convened at http://www.vertical-inc.com/aranzi_aronzo
where you can see sample spreads and covers of current and upcoming
Aranzi Aronzo books, and where you can leave comments and upload
pictures! So cute it’s scary! |
|
| February
21, 2007
To
Terra... Is Now Available
The much anticipated sci-fi manga
classic To Terra...
is out now, available wherever books are sold.
|
|
| February
9, 2007
Vertical
Panel Discussion On the Future of Manga at the New York Comic-Con
With six new manga properties slated
for release throughout 2007, and potentially more in the coming
years, Vertical is poised to be a serious player in the manga
translating game. What does this mean for a company whose reputation
has been built on releasing manga “classics”? As the
manga market matures, will Vertical clear a place in the future
of manga with more deluxe editions or redefine the mass market
format?
Vertical at The NY Comic-Con, Sunday
February 25, 3-4pm.
|
| January
23, 2007
The
Battle of Lepanto and Buddha 5 paperback now on sale
Vertical is kicking off the New
Year with the releases of the final installment to Nanami Shiono’s
epic East Mediterranean Trilogy, The Battle of Lepanto
and Buddha Volume Five: Deer Park in paperback. Find
them at your local bookstore or online and keep your eye out next
month for To Terra…, Aranzi Aranzo’s Cute
Book, and more! |
|
 |
| January
1, 2007
Buddha
6 Hardcover Out of Stock!
Check online or your local bookstore
for your last chance to own what is sure to become a collector's
item! |
|
|
October
16, 2006
Starred
Review for Ode to Kirihito in Publishers Weekly
This week's Publishers Weekly has
a starred review of Ode to Kirihito, which they describe
as a combination of "medical melodrama and anguished debates
about guilt and redemption...While Kirihito struggles with himself
and other vividly drawn characters, the operatic plot swirls from
one passionate scene to the next, reinforced by Tezuka's apparently
simple but strikingly expressive line work." Ode to Kirihito
comes out October 24. |
|
| September
20, 2006
EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITY
Vertical, Inc. is seeking an Editorial
Director to review and select contemporary Japanese literature
for publication in U.S. They will oversee editors and translators.
The position requires a master’s degree plus 2 yrs experience,
and fluency in Japanese. 40 hrs/wk, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. Resume
to Anne Ishii, Vertical, Inc., 1185 Avenue of the Americas, New
York, NY 10036.
|
| August
30, 2006
Buddha
2, Out In Paperback Now
The multi-award winning Buddha
series continues to make its way out in paperback, with the release
of Volume Two: The Four Encounters, out now. Find it at your local
bookstore or buy it online. |
|
| August
30, 2006
Our
Spring 2007 Catalog Is Ready!
Our Spring 2007 list has been finalized
and includes some hot items like To Terra… by shojo-manga
pioneer Keiko Takemiya, and J-Horror: The Definitive Guide
to The Ring, The Grudge and Beyond. Write to info@vertical-inc.com
for a copy. |
|
| August
30, 2006
We’re
Going To The Harvey Awards, September 9
The
Harvey Awards are given out annually to celebrate the best
in comics, and Vertical’s been nominated for a second year
in a row for its Buddha series. This year’s Harvey Awards
take place at the Baltimore
Comic-Con on September 9, so if you’re attending, don’t
forget to look for us walking around with our award on September
10.
|
| July18,
2006
Vertical
Hires Second Tokyo-office Representative
Mr. Iwamoto mostly worked in the
administrative department during his eighteen-year career at Recruit
Co. Ltd., the largest information service company in Japan. Versed
in finance, accounting, public relations, corporate planning and
assistance to the president, he is an all-round player in corporate
management. |
|
|
June
16,
2006
Vertical
Hires New Marketing Manager
Vertical is proud to announce the
hiring of our new Marketing Manager, Eddie Stemkowski, who comes
to us from Central Park Media, where he was the Canadian Sales
Director. Welcome, Eddie!
|
| May
25, 2006
Buddha
Now Available in Paperback!
The two-time Eisner-winning graphic
novel series has been nominated yet again, for volumes 5-8, and
just in time to launch its paperback release! Buddha
paperback will be coming out in bimonthly installments, and Volume
1: Kapilavastu is already in stores, so if you couldn’t
manage to fork out the $24.95 for the hardcover, go get the $14.95
trade paperback now! |
|
| May
25, 2006
Vertical
at BEA and more!
After a year of being absent, Vertical
was happy to come back with a bang to the publishing
event of the year – Book Expo America. We came to Washington,
D.C. with Koji
Suzuki and Team
Sudoku (Mr. Testuya Nishio, Mr. Kenji Onishi and Ms. Meishuku
Ishimura), along with our two new Vertical-Tokyo officers, Mr.
Satoshi Suzuki and Mr. Shuji Iwamoto. We left with high hopes,
a million new friends, and tons
of photos.
After BEA, Vertical Inc. came back
to New York City a little tired but very excited, and Team Sudoku
gave a standing-room only presentation at Borders in the Time-Warner
Center. The whole weekend was capped off with a killer party at
Vertical Art Director Chip Kidd’s notoriously perfect apartment.
Those pictures are here. |
|
| May
1, 2006
Vertical
Hires New Editor
In the company’s latest effort
to expand, Vertical has brought on a new editor. Kerim Yasar joins
Vertical as of May 1, taking on full editorial duties alongside
Editorial Director Ioannis Mentzas. He is a PhD candidate from
Columbia University, where he specialized in modern Japanese film
and literature. Having spent a cumulative handful of years in
Japan, Kerim also comes to Vertical with a wealth of experience
in translation, most notably Vertical’s Naoko and
The Fall of Constantinople.
|
|
| April
11, 2006
Vertical
at the Random House Sales Conference in Sanibel Harbour Florida
Vertical President Hiroki Sakai
and Marketing Director Anne Ishii attended their first Random
House Sales Conference this past weekend, to present the Fall
2006 list. Though the stay lasted all of 36 hours and the return
flight involved zooming through turbulent stormy weather, the
experience was definitely something to write home about. Special
guests included Senator Barak Obama and Dan Brown (see
picture), and of the hundreds of other attendees, we were
able to rub elbows with many friendly dozens. On top of all that
we got to sunbathe by the beautiful Sanibel Harbour on a working
Monday!
|
|
| March
27, 2006
Vertical
re-opens a Tokyo office, hires Director Satoshi Suzuki
Vertical has re-opened an office
in Tokyo to be closer to our current and upcoming authors. Our
satellite division will handle all Japan operations except distribution.
Manning the office is the Director of operations-Japan, Mr. Satoshi
Suzuki. Suzuki comes to us from Nippan Distribution and boasts
a long international career in publishing, including several years
spent in Dusseldorf and Shanghai. |
|
| February
27, 2006
Vertical
at the first New York Comic-Con
The First Annual New York Comic-Con
at the Javitz Center went without a hitch for Vertical, who gave
out hundred of posters, catalogs, bookmarks etc. This event was
a first in many ways for Vertical, who has won two Eisners and
a Harvey but has yet to exhibit at the San Diego Comic-Con or
the MoCCA Art Festival - respective locations of those awards
ceremonies. We hope the success of our first convention appearance
marks just the beginning of a future in exhibitions. Check out
the many pictures we took, here.
|
|
| February
23, 2006
Vertical
does Tokyo
Vertical’s president, editorial
director and marketing director took a trip to Tokyo a couple
weeks ago to celebrate the re-opening of their Japan-office, as
well as to herald the recent Naoki Prize our author Keigo Higashino
won. Check us out in action.
|
|
| February
9, 2006
Vertical
goes to Rome.
Vertical President Hiroki Sakai
and Editorial Director Ioannis Mentzas recently made a trip to
Rome to experience the creative world of narrative historian
Nanami Shiono. Shiono, who resides in Rome, is the author of The
Fall of Constantinople, published by Vertical last Fall,
the sequel of which, The Siege of Rhodes, is coming out
in November 2006. Shiono is a household name in Japan, where fans
include the likes of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Sakai and
Mentzas were happy to announce that Shiono is offering complete
faith in our publications, and is at least as excited as we are
to show America what's up when it comes to embellished nonfiction.
See pictures!
|
|
|
