Unless you’re 13, this may not be what you think it is. Warriors is a series of fantasy adventure novels featuring cats in the leading roles. Back when Tokyopop and HarperCollins first announced their joint agreement, Tania del Rio mentioned this as one project in the works, and that garnered quite a bit of enthusiasm in my house. My daughter, who just turned 14, has been reading the series for at least two years and actually spends her own money to buy it in hardback. Tokyopop sent me a bound galley last week and she and her friends were very enthusiastic; I’m hoping to get some more specific critiques, but there was a big project on Australia due yesterday….
Anyway, the official press release is after the jump. By the way “Erin Hunter” is actually two people.
TOKYOPOP and HarperCollins Set to Bring Erin Hunter’s Bestselling Children’s Series to Manga Format
WARRIORS: The Lost Warrior!
-Manga Trilogy Marks First Release in Companies’ Co-Publishing Deal-
-Chronicles Never-Before-Told Tale of Beloved Character ‘Graystripe’-
-Series Launch Features Erin Hunter’s Special Note to Readers-
Los Angeles, CA (Feb 5, 2007)- TOKYOPOP, the leader of the Global Manga Revolution and HarperCollins Publishers, one of the top English-language publishers in the world, are pleased to announce the May 2007 release of Warriors: The Lost Warrior, the first graphic novel series to be launched under the two companies’ recently announced innovative co-publishing deal.
Drawn from Erin Hunter’s #1 nationally best-selling Warriors books, The Lost Warrior features a very special note from the author to Warriors fans. Warriors: The Lost Warrior manga series, created by Dan Jolley and James Barry, tells the untold tale of the feline hero Graystripe: his life with humans and his ultimate quest to be reunited with his clan. Graystripe’s story in the manga series bridges the gap between Hunter’s “The New Prophecy” and the next installment of the Warriors novel series “Power of Three.”
As Erin Hunter writes to Warriors fans: “Manga brings out the best in Graystripe. The drawings are so powerful and so direct. Alongside the punchy dialogue, they speak volumes. I love them, and I am so proud of the all-new action Graystripe. Well done, Graystripe! Well done, manga!”
In a word from TOKYOPOP Publisher Mike Kiley, “It is truly an honor to bring such a wonderful children’s series to manga form. Dan Jolley and James Barry have reveled in the Warriors universe I think the end result does this very special story proud.”
The Lost Warrior is the first of a trilogy. The second book will release in December 2007.
Thank you for the clarification. Although I must say, a Warriors manga based on the 1979, um, “cult classic” could be entertaining, too. Small wonder Tokyopop hasn’t tried it yet!
Although I must say, a Warriors manga based on the 1979, um, “cult classic” could be entertaining, too.
It would be too YANKI, and no wants to do that! *shakes fist at publishers*
Har. My Harper Collins editorial counterpart and I have been going back and forth on subtitles for vol. 2 of this series, and the temptation to go “cult classic cheesy” is very high. :-)
As was noted over in the Newsarama thread about this story, back when the TokyoPop/HarperCollins deal was announced as a broader co-publishing deal, where TokyoPop would do manga adaptations of various HarperCollins books, it was supposed that TokyoPop’s first manga-of-a-HarperCollins-book would be something by Meg “Princess Diaries” Cabot.
If this Warriors manga is indeed the first from the HaperCollins/TokyoPop association, one wonders if the Meg Cabot-manga project is still in the works. Might be some more news coming soon!
I think this is it: Avalon High, part 2, due out in July.