Acclaimed Manga Artist Moyoco Anno to be Spotlight Guest at NYCC

ACCLAIMED MANGA ARTIST MOYOCO ANNO TO BE
SPOTLIGHT GUEST AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

Anno To Attend In Cooperation With Vertical, Inc.

Norwalk, CT, September 19, 2012: New York Comic Con (NYCC) is today proud to announce Ms. Moyoco Anno, the writer and illustrator of numerous acclaimed Japanese comics including Sakuran, Sugar Sugar Rune, Flowers and Bees and Hataraki-man, will appear at this year's NYCC as a Spotlight Guest. New York Comic Con will take place October 11 - 14, 2012 at NYC's Javits Center. NYCC is one of New York's largest annual events, last year attracting over 100,000 attendees. Ms. Anno joins a broad range of already-announced guests including Yoshitaka Amano, Brian K. Vaughan, Mike Mignola, Joshua Gates and Anne Rice. Anno's appearance at New York Comic Con is in partnership with Vertical, Inc., publisher of Sakuran in the US.

Moyoco Anno is one of the most respected names in Japanese comics today and is also regarded highly worldwide as one of the most important figures in josei manga (women's comics). Her nearly twenty comic properties have attained enormous popularity since her debut in 1989, especially among young women in Japan, where she is equally known for her iconic design work as her writing, which often covers the topics of women and beauty. Though she is primarily known abroad for her women's comics, her most popular title in the United States has been Sugar Sugar Rune (published by Del Rey), which was targeted at primary school-aged girls. For this work, she earned the prestigious Kodansha Manga Award in 2005. Anno has also written a number of titles for men's anthologies in more recent years, including Flowers and Bees (VIZ Media), and one of her most popular works, Hataraki-man, which would eventually be adapted into live-action and animated TV series.

Sakuran, her most recent work in English (Vertical, Inc.), is a beautifully drawn tale of Japanese courtesans, and it has already received accolades since its July 2012 release, including being selected as one of BookExpo America's Great Graphic Novels of 2012.

Anno will participate at New York Comic Con on October 13 and 14, speaking about her career and signing autographs for attendees. Full details about her panel and signings will be made available in the near future.

"I am honored to welcome Ms. Moyoco Anno to New York Comic Con," notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for NYCC. "When many Americans think comic books, they think muscled men in capes and tights. Ms. Anno is responsible for a very different kind of comic that is acclaimed around the world. We hope her time at NYCC rewards her existing fans in America as well as introduces her to many, many new readers."

Tickets for New York Comic Con 2012 are currently available for purchase at www.NewYorkComicCon.com. Companies interested in exhibiting at New York Comic Con should contact Larry Settembrini, Larry@ReedPOP.com. Other information about the show, as well as news about ReedPOP, which organizes a range of pop culture events, is available at facebook.com/NewYorkComicCon and twitter.com/NY_Comic_Con . Officials note that more details about Ms. Anno's appearance as well as additional guests and scheduling information will be announced over the coming weeks and fans should keep their eyes on NYCC's website for additional announcements.

ABOUT VERTICAL, INC: Vertical translates the best contemporary Japanese books. We select our popular novels, graphic novels and quality nonfiction from a rich, variegated stock: Japan's huge and vibrant book market. In fields like animation and video games, Japanese entertainment thrills people worldwide. The Japanese book world's offerings are equally entertaining. Until now, however, most Japanese books translated into English have either been literary classics or introductions to traditional culture meant for a limited circle of Japanophiles. Vertical publishes exciting titles that require no prior knowledge of Japanese culture and are not intended to primarily familiarize readers with it; we choose good reads with universal themes. Read different. Read Vertical.

ABOUT REEDPOP: ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) Prime & East, Star Wars Celebration, Fantasy Football Fest and the UFC Fan Expo. In 2013 ReePOP will add Star Wars Celebration Europe and PAX Australia to its rapidly expanding portfolio of international events. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.

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New York Comic Con Press Release