ACF 421: More VIZ Holiday Gift Ideas

MONTHLY MANGA ANTHOLOGY SHONEN JUMP JOINS ART,
SCIENCE FICTION, AND BIOGRAPHICAL RELEASES TO MAKE FOR
UNIQUE GIFT IDEAS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

VIZ Media completes several recent announcements about some of the hottest anime and manga releases for kids, teens and adults – all available in time for the holidays – with a spotlight on a few other noteworthy gift ideas.

These include a 2010 subscription to North America’s leading monthly manga magazine - SHONEN JUMP – now available at a special low holiday rate that is 50% off cover price. Other releases include STARTING POINT: 1979-1996, a collection of biographical essays and interviews by and about Hayao Miyazaki, one of Japan's most beloved animation directors, as well as a new art book for his latest film, PONYO. The latest two Japanese science fiction novels – USURPER OF THE SUN and ZOO – are also new from VIZ Media’s Haikasoru imprint.

SHONEN JUMP MAGAZINE

Give the gift of SHONEN JUMP (12 HUGE issues) at a special LOW HOLIDAY RATE of only $29.95 (Canadian price: $41.95), a 50% off the cover price. Subscribers also receive 2 free YU-GI-OH! cards – Genesis Dragon and Orichalcos Shunoros – with each paid subscription. Please allow 6 - 8 weeks for delivery.

STARTING POINT: 1979-1996 · MSRP of $29.99 U.S. / $34.99 CAN · Available Now

This insightful collection of essays covers the first half of director and Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki’s legendary career, during which he rose from humble beginnings to create some of the most-loved animated features ever made, including Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind, Castle In The Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Porco Rosso. A fitting introduction is offered by John Lasseter, the Chief Creative Officer at Pixar and Walt Disney.

THE ART OF PONYO · MSRP: $34.99 U.S. / $39.99 CAN · Available Now

A comprehensive softcover edition featuring striking watercolor and pastel concept sketches and layout pages from the film, as well as interviews with production principals and the complete screenplay to give an inside look at the entire creative process behind PONYO, the acclaimed film from Hayao Miyazaki. The movie is a wondrously imaginative retelling of the timeless Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Little Mermaid,” starring a little fish-girl named Ponyo, whose father happens to be a great sorcerer of the seas.

ZOO by Otsuichi · MSRP: $13.99 U.S. / CAN $16.00 · Available Now

ZOO presents eleven tales of dark fantasy and science fiction by one of Japan’s hottest authors. "The White Hut in the Forest" is the story of a man with a hole in his head and a charming home made from some strange materials. "Song of the Sunny Spot" is a rendition of the classic story of the Earth's last man...and his charming companion. And in the book’s eponymous tale, a man sees his dead girlfriend’s corpse decompose, one gristly Polaroid snapshot at a time. ZOO sold over 740,000 copies in Japan and was also turned into a successful Japanese film.

USURPER OF THE SUN by Housuke Nojiri · MSRP: $15.99 U.S. / CAN $18.99 · Available Now

Aki Shiraishi is a high school student working in the astronomy club and one of the few witnesses to an amazing event—a mysterious tower being built on the planet Mercury. Soon after, the enigmatic Builders construct a ring around the sun, and the ecology of Earth is threatened by its immense shadow. Aki is inspired to pursue a career in science, and the truth. She must determine the purpose of the ring and the plans of its creators, as the survival of both humanity and the alien Builders hang in the balance. A compelling new hard science fiction novel, USURPER OF THE SUN won a coveted Seiun Award in 2002 for Best Science Fiction Novel of the Year.