PR: Arina Tanemura to be guest at SDCC

Arina Tanemura is the creator of two of Viz’s most popular series, Full Moon and The Gentlemen’s Alliance +, so she’s a natural to be their guest at SDCC. If, like me, you’re not heading west next week, the August Shojo Beat will have a consolation prize: an interview with Tanemura and a bonus short story by her.

VIZ MEDIA WELCOMES SHOJO MANGA ARTIST ARINA TANEMURA AT 2007 COMIC-CON AND CELEBRATES HER WORK IN SHOJO BEAT™ MAGAZINE

Creator Of FULL MOON To Meet Fans In VIZ Media Booth# 4113 And Participate In SHOJO BEAT Panel Discussion While Magazine Plans Interview And Rare Manga Short Story For August Issue

San Francisco, JULY 13, 2007 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, will celebrate the work of famed manga artist Arina Tanemura throughout the month of July with a rare personal appearance at the 2007 Comic-Con International, plus a bonus short story and special cover (both by Tanemura) for the August issue of SHOJO BEAT magazine, which goes on sale nationwide on July 17. Tanemura is the creator of the mega-hit shojo series FULL MOON and the recently debuted THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE †.

Tanemura will make a personal appearance during the 2007 Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA to meet fans in VIZ Media’s Booth #4113 on Saturday, July 28. She will further discuss her work and experiences as a manga artist during the SHOJO BEAT magazine panel discussion set for Saturday, July 28 at 1:30pm. To further honor her visit at Comic-Con, VIZ Media will give an exclusive shikishi (four-color hard poster) of THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † as a bonus to fans who purchase one of the following products at VIZ Media booth: 1) Any Tanemura manga volume, or FULL MOON DVD; 2) SHOJO BEAT’s August Issue; or 3) an annual subscription of SHOJO BEAT.

The August issue of SHOJO BEAT (out July 17) will feature a special cover drawn by Tanemura, as well as the first domestic appearance of her manga short story, “Shojo Eve ☆Eve’s Applework 24 Hours,” and an additional article about the gorgeous worlds portrayed in her stories. For fans not able to attend Comic-Con, exclusive items autographed by Tanemura will be offered as contest prizes in upcoming issues of SHOJO BEAT magazine. In 2008, the magazine will include an exclusive interview with Tanemura conducted during her Comic-Con visit, as well as a Tanemura drawing lesson and a feature of fan art to be judged by the artist.

“We are honored to welcome Arina Tanemura at the 2007 Comic-Con International and to have her participate in the SHOJO BEAT panel discussion during the show,” says Marc Weidenbaum, Editor-in-Chief of SHOJO BEAT magazine and Vice President of VIZ Media’s Magazine Division. “FULL MOON and THE GENTLEMEN’S ALLIANCE † have developed a devoted following and this rare opportunity for fans to meet the artist in person is sure to delight. We also look forward to fans reading the never-before-released manga short story by Tanemura in our special August issue of SHOJO BEAT, which further celebrates the artist with a beautiful cover and feature coverage.”