ACF 291: VIZ announces Shonen Jump "Naruto Shippuden Collector"

VIZ MEDIA DELIGHTS NARUTO FANS WITH THE NEW

SHONEN JUMP NARUTO SHIPPUDEN COLLECTOR

New Comprehensive Release For Summer 2009
Is The Ultimate Guide For Naruto Shippuden
Manga, Anime, Video Games, Trading Cards And More

San Francisco, CA, MAY 4, 2009 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced that SHONEN JUMP is releasing Naruto Shippuden Collector for Summer 2009 on May 5th. The volume is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

This exciting edition covers everything about the exotic world of Naruto, from the first-ever in-depth look at the new Shippuden anime story arc to an 11-volume manga guide. It also examines the latest Naruto Shippuden video games, card game and merchandise releases, and is loaded with puzzles, activities and a bonus 17-page manga preview. Also included are two double-sided full-color pinups, a Might Guy promo card, a 100+ Shippuden episode guide, and breakdowns on Series 12 and 13 of the Naruto Trading Card Game.

“The Naruto phenomenon is dominating many manga and literary best-seller lists across the US,” says Grant Lowery, Editor-In-Chief, SHONEN JUMP Magazine. ”This special Naruto Shippuden Collector is the ultimate guide for both casual and die-hard fans. New fans will love the informative introduction to the world of Naruto Shippuden while experts will be engrossed with the detailed insider coverage of the manga and anime series, as well as video games, trading card games, and merchandise. This is the ultimate must-own collection for any Naruto fan!”

More than 4.4 million copies of Naruto manga have been sold in North America alone and the property recently held the top 7 spots on The New York Times Manga Best Seller List (April 24, 2009).

Created by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto was first introduced in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in Japan in 1999 and quickly became that country’s most popular ninja manga targeting tweens and teens and has sold more than 85 million copies to-date. The manga series (rated ‘T’ for Teens) and animated counterpart (Naruto rated ‘T’ for teens, and Naruto Shippuden rated ‘T+’ for older teens), is one of VIZ Media’s most successful properties and has captivated millions of fans across North America, Europe and South America. Naruto is a co-production of TV TOKYO, VIZ Media parent company Shueisha Inc., and Pierrot Co., Ltd.

Naruto Shippuden episodes are currently available for free at http://www.nnaruto.com/ and through a variety of other web-based, video streaming outlets that have partnered with VIZ Media, including Joost and Hulu.

For more information on Naruto please visit the official Naruto website at http://www.naruto.com/.