Massive Publishing House Continues Its Takeover Of The US Manga Market

Summary Penguin Random House secures major agreement with TOKYOPOP, becomes top manga distributor in the U.S.

Multi-year deal sets Penguin Random House to distribute TOKYOPOP's entire library globally.

Agreement solidifies Penguin Random House as a key hub for manga content, giving TOKYOPOP major distribution boost.

Book publishing giant Penguin Random House is moving aggressively to shore up its growing manga business with a new agreement with iconic manga publisher TOKYOPOP. The deal will make Penguin Random House one of the largest distributors of manga content in the United States, once more signaling how mainstream many has become to American culture.

As recently revealed in a May 15, 2024, post to the official X TOKYOPOP account and a Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS) press release posted to Anime News Network, PRHPS, a division of Penguin Random House, has agreed to distribute TOKYOPOP's entire library of published works including their current and newly released titles as well as their older, previously published titles.

Moreover, this is a multiyear agreement where PRHPS will offer TOKYOPOP content for purchase and distribution across all of its sales channels around the globe, including its physical bookstores, online retailers, digital platforms, and any other avenues where it officially sells its books. The agreement is set to commence on January 1, 2025.

The Deal Solidifies Penguin Random House's Position As A Hub For Manga Content

The Publisher Has Been Interested in Manga for Years

While news of an old-school, mainstream trade publisher agreeing to become a major sales and distribution channel for manga might appear surprising, the fact is that Penguin Random House has been seeking to establish and extend its manga footprint for years. In 2020, it agreed to sell and distribute content from American manga publisher Seven Seas Entertainment. In 2019, it inked an agreement with the American subsidiary of the Japanese manga publisher Square Enix Holdings.

In perhaps the most telling of its intentions in the manga space, in 2010, the company agreed to sell, distribute and publish manga content for Kodansha, one of Japan's largest publishers of manga content, including popular series such as Attack on Titan and Blue Lock, and the owner of Weekly Shōnen Magazine, one of Japan's two most popular manga anthologies. The agreement with TOKYOPOP makes PRHPS one of the largest publishers of manga content in the West and a serious rival of major manga publisher Viz Media.

Related 10 Best Kodansha Manga of All Time, Ranked Kodansha has published some of the best manga of all time, including Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga, which have transcended mainstream popularity.

The Deal Gives TOKYOPOP A Major Distribution Boost

Established in 1997, manga publishing pioneer, TOKYOPOP was instrumental in helping bring manga content, like Courtney Love's Princess Ai, and Saiyuki to the United States and the EU during the earliest days of the manga revolution. Despite shutting down its operation in the U.S. in 2011, TOKYOPOP continued actualizing its effort to make manga content available every day through its Great Britain and the EU divisions. As the X post reminded, TOKYOPOP's pioneering work introduced the word "manga" into the English language.

The deal with Penguin Random House and TOKYOPOP, however, not only allows the latter to reenter the American market from a position of strength but also facilitates its global distribution. This is an absolute win-win deal for the iconic manga publisher.

Source: @TOKYOPOP, Anime Network News