Get Viz-able

The story of Ichigo, a 15-year-old who can see ghosts, has sold 1.4 million copies in print and is now an anime series, Bleach, that airs as part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block. It's just one of the many manga properties that have successfully found greater fame in North America on television and in movies, and as toys, video games, apparel and novelty items.

Naruto, Inuyash, Zatch Bell!, Sonic X, Hamtaro…some of these titles may be familiar to you, perhaps others not so much. But one thing is certain—manga and anime continue to be popular with kids everywhere, and San Francisco-based publisher Viz Media is leading the pack among its producers.

"We have several programs on television and support each with a merchandising program appropriate to its demographic," says Carol Roeder, Viz's vice president of consumer products. "Bleach targets teens and adults and the licensing program reflects that audience. Naruto, which is seen on the Cartoon Network's Toonami block, has a broader audience, and will have a wider display of merchandise at retail. Recognizing that the fan base for Naruto and Bleach are Internet savvy, we have established dedicated sites."

New manga and DVDs for continuing series Bleach, Naruto, Inuyasha, Zatch Bell!, M.A.R., and Fullmetal Alchemist will be available this year, as will more licensed merchandise for the brands that have made the leap to television. "We will continue to release new merchandise in established categories (toys, video games, collectible card games) and will expand apparel and accessories to the mass market, with an emphasis on the back-to-school and holiday seasons," Roeder tells Playthings.

In the toy market, Viz is partnering with LeapFrog to release a Sonic X Leapster Learning Game System title due out this fall, while Disguise launches new costumes of character Kakashi from Naruto, a property that will hit the road this year on a live U.S. tour. The tour will feature video game play, collectible card tournaments, manga illustrations and other activities. Also, Ubisoft has developed an original Naruto game for Xbox 360, which will be released this fall.

Viz currently has strong merchandise programs with retailers like Hot Topic and Borders/Waldenbooks, plus others in the apparel, book and accessories markets, but Roeder says more toy stores and related retailers can still get in on the anime category. In 2007, she hopes to have the properties' products distributed across all retail channels.

Gonzalo Ferreyra, director of home video sales at Viz, tells Playthings that the company wants to broaden the market for its properties and licensed merchandise by educating retailers about manga and anime as much as possible in 2007. Catalogs, product samples and learning guides (i.e. Manga 101) are given to retailers to help them become familiar with properties and related product.

"We're seeing a tremendous surge in curiosity about both anime and manga from retailers who realize they're missing out and come to us for guidance," Ferreyra tells Playthings. "We're very happy to offer our opinions on what they should [stock] from us and other suppliers to create the most attractive manga and anime sections possible. Increasingly, retailers are realizing the potential of Japanese pop culture products in the U.S."