Famous Japanese Artists CLAMP Coming to the United States

Famous Japanese Artists CLAMP Coming to the United States

First Ever U.S. Appearance Planned for Anime Expo 2006

FORT WORTH, Texas, April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- CLAMP, the renowned Japanese manga artists famous for their very popular and unique style, will make their first tour of the United States at this year's Anime Expo. For manga and anime fans in the United States and throughout the world, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see this influential group. The visit is being co- sponsored by Anime Expo, Del Rey Manga, FUNimation Entertainment and TOKYOPOP, and details of the itinerary are to be announced soon.

CLAMP consists of four women artists, Satsuki Igarashi, Ageha Ohkawa, Tsubaki Nekoi and Mokona, who create their own original story and characters in the Japanese graphic novel form known as "manga". They made their debut as manga artists in Japan in 1989 and since then have become bestselling authors, and animation films based on their work have been prominent on both TV and the cinema screen.

CLAMP has also been at the spearhead of the current flux and rise in popularity of Japanese anime and manga in the United States, with titles such as Magic Knight Rayearth, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Chobits. Among the manga and anime audience, CLAMP is one of the single most recognized names. The two series that they are currently writing in Japan, Tsubasa and xxxHOLiC, are both being published in English.

CLAMP will be the guests of honor at this year's Anime Expo held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA, from July 1 - 4. They will be involved with the opening ceremonies, there will be a discussion panel as well as limited autograph sessions for their U.S. and international fans. CLAMP will also present a premiere screening of the highly anticipated Tsubasa anime at the Anime Expo. The Tsubasa and xxxHOLiC anime DVDs are expected later this year.

"Anime Expo is pleased and honored to welcome CLAMP to the United States. We are so excited that they are joining our attendees and other special guests for our 15th Year Crystal Anniversary," Liyin Liang, Anime Expo 2006 Vice Chair.

"CLAMP is one of the most acclaimed groups of artists in Japan. We are extremely excited to be working with everyone to bring their unique art to the United States," said Gen Fukunaga, president and CEO of FUNimation.

About the co-sponsors of the event
Anime Expo(R)

Located in Anaheim, California - Anime Expo(R), the North America's largest anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the industry to conduct business. AX 2006 will be held July 1 - 4, 2006 at the Anaheim Convention Center. More information can be found at its official website ( http://www.anime-expo.org/ ).

The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more popularly known by its entertainment property -- Anime Expo(R).

Del Rey

Del Rey Books ( http://www.delreybooks.com/ ) was founded in 1977 as a division of Ballantine Books under the guidance of the renowned Judy-Lynn del Rey and her husband, Lester del Rey. Del Rey publishes the best of modern fantasy, science fiction, alternate history and manga. Ballantine Books is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, which is a publishing group of Random House, Inc, the U.S. publishing company of Random House, the trade book publishing division of Bertelsmann AG, one of the world's leading international media companies. In the summer of 2003, Random House joined together with Kodansha in a creative partnership to bring some of Kodansha's top properties to the United States, making Random House the first major trade book publisher in the United States to do so.

FUNimation Entertainment

FUNimation(R) Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation, is a brand management company and one of the nation's leading independent home video entertainment companies. The company's most recent initiative is the FUNimation Channel(SM), a new, 24-hour digital network featuring programming from the top anime brands in the United States. FUNimation has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution. For images, or more information on FUNimation Entertainment, the FUNimation Channel, or any of FUNimation's properties, contact Jeff Dronen at 817-788-0627, ext. 251 or pr@funimation.com.

TOKYOPOP

TOKYOPOP(R) is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way teens experience pop culture. The company's global reach has expanded to Europe and Asia, with recent offices opening in the UK and Germany and upcoming partnerships in Australia and China, in addition to its original Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto http://www.tokyopop.com/ , reading its books, and watching its DVDs and television programs, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing teen entertainment marketplace. Visit http://www.tokyopop.com/ for additional information.

Source: FUNimation Entertainment

CONTACT: Jeff Dronen of FUNimation Entertainment,
+1-817-788-0627, ext. 251

Web site: http://www.funimation.com/
http://www.tokyopop.com/
http://www.delreybooks.com/
http://www.anime-expo.org/

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