Cool Stuff From Tokyopop

I was just looking at Tokyopop's website today and noticed a lot of very cool upcoming items from the publisher that I wanted to talk about.



Comic Party
Sekihiko Inui
Street Date: 06.08.04

A promising sounding series about a young man whose friend drags him to a manga/comic convention, where he develops an interest in becoming a manga artist. The series promises to explore the life of a want to be creator, while also seeming to have some romantic entanglements. Given that his girlfriend seems less than supportive of his choice of vocations.



Crazy Love Story
Lee Vin
Street Date: 10.05.04

Isn't that just the coolest looking cover? The series description is of a young woman named Hae Jung Shi, who thinks the world is out to get her, so feels she can act or be however she may. She has a boyfriend who she has a volatile relationship with, and a friend who has a real mean streak.

When a young musician takes an interest in her, and decides to try and force his way into her life. Hae Jung and her friend, decide to make his life a living hell.

This just sounds like a concept that could be a lot of fun. I've always been interested in characters who didn't take the normal goody, goody role, yes I like Veronica over Betty, which this seems to promise to put on display.



Passion Fruit:Sweat & Honey
Various
Street Date HC: 7.6.04
Street Date SC: 9.14.04

Another gorgeous cover here. This is an anthology series promising to explore the innermost desires and secrets of the human condition. It is nice to see that Tokyopop has such diversity, so that they can have more fantasy oriented stuff like Chobits and the like. Yet have very personal, down to Earth type stories such as this.

As far as I know, releasing a hardcover version of one of their series before releasing the cheaper soft cover one later, is a new thing for Tokyopop. It is nice to see them willing to take chances and give new things a try, and a HC might make for a nicer piece to have.



The One I Love
CLAMP
Street Date: 10.12.04

I've only recently discovered the CLAMP family of books, but think it great to see an all female group of creators coming together to work. This book promises 12 individual stories and essays, dealing with the creators own experiences in love, insecurity, honesty, independence and more.

This should be a fascinating look into the lives and cultures of the creators, that I can hardly wait to try.