Getting to Know: Stuart Levy and TOKYOPOP Part 13

Please read Part 12 of the interview before reading Part 13

Afterwards continuation

Final words from Stuart Levy that he would to add to the interview:

One topic I’d like to mention is how I approach the marketing of characters or stories that I create. I read online somewhere that some people think I spent a disproportionate amount of money marketing Princess Ai because I was the creator. While I didn’t respond to that particular blog entry, I thought it would make sense to explain here that in my capacity as CEO, it would be foolish for me to make decisions that were influenced by ego. I compartmentalize my different roles and segment my decision-making based on what’s appropriate for each role. Case in point: Princess Ai has sold very well not only in America but also worldwide. Fans seem to be attracted to Ai’s character on different levels – she strikes a chord. On the other hand, another story I created Juror 13 while receiving critical praise, did not generate any fan excitement, so TOKYOPOP decided not to spend incremental marketing dollars on it. In fact, one of my titles, Karma Club, was cancelled after the first volume due to poor sales! So, clearly, the company’s decision-making is not executed any differently on titles I create versus titles that I do not. I just wanted to clarify that point.

Over the past few years, TOKYOPOP has gone out of its way to fund and provide a platform for manga creators in America and around the world to tell their stories. I believe strongly in supporting these creators’ voices and have invested much in that goal. From a business perspective, it has indeed been a tough challenge, which I always knew it would be, but I still very much believe in its importance.

To wrap up, my philosophy is still that of a DJ: discover new talent and present it to an audience while sometimes adding original work to the “mix.”

With everyone’s encouragement and support, TOKYOPOP will not only survive but revolutionize the industry again.

© 2010 Linda Thai

Thank you Christina Wong for the company logo! Thank you Stuart Levy for participating in the interview! Thank you for checking out Stuart Levy and TOKYOPOP!

For more information, check out the TOKYOPOP website