It looks like Star Trek will go to places it has not been before.
TOKYOPOP Inc., North America's top manga publisher, and Viacom Consumer Products have sealed the deal to produce a manga anthology based on Paramount Pictures Star Trek franchise. "To boldly go where no one has gone before(tm)"-the universe of manga-TOKYOPOP will draw from Star Trek: The Next Generation® to create a unique collection of original stories, new characters and amazing adventures.
"I'm hoping to surprise old Trek fans and wow the new ones," said TOKYOPOP editor Mark Paniccia. "Our anthology is going to explore the universe in exciting and new ways with an eclectic group of creators-imagine a manga treatment of Star Trek! This is going to be different and really, really cool."
The manga giant will collaborate with the most creative minds in the galaxy-cutting-edge Western and Japanese writers and some of Japan's hottest manga artists-to produce this intriguing and unforgettable look at the final frontier. And Paniccia is no stranger to the seminal franchise, having worked on previous Star Trek comics for two renowned publishers.
"Manga has quickly become a popular form of entertainment in the U.S," said Pam Newton, VP Marketing and Licensing, Viacom Consumer Products. "Star Trek fans continue to thirst for new, innovative treatments of our series, so TOKYOPOP was the natural choice to create a graphic anthology worthy of Star Trek fans' expectations. Personally, I can't wait to see the finished product!"
Scheduled to release on TOKYOPOP's Winter '04/Spring '05 list, the Star Trek manga anthology will comprise 250 pages and be available at an SRP of $9.99 in bookstores and major retailers nationwide.
