VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES AN ARRAY OF EXCITING PLANS FOR 2008 NEW YORK COMIC CON INCLUDING STAN LEE PRESS EVENT

Company Will Welcome Comics Legend For A Special Press Event On Historic New Manga Collaboration As Well As Offer Attendees A Relaxing Manga Lounge And A Variety Of Screenings And Insightful Panel Discussions

NEW YORK, NY, April 18, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced its plans to participate in a variety of exhibits, special events, programming, panels and related industry roundtable discussions at the 2008 New York Comic Con, taking place April 18-20 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. New York Comic Con has emerged as the East Coast's biggest and most popular pop culture convention covering the latest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television.

VIZ Media will welcome comics legend Stan Lee, creator of numerous iconic superheroes including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men, for a very special press event on April 18 in Room#1E09 to discuss ULTIMO – the historic collaboration between Lee and with Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of the popular SHAMAN KING manga series, published in North America by VIZ Media. The event, attended by Stan Lee, Takanori Asada (Editor, Jump SQ.), and SHONEN JUMP Editor-in-Chief Marc Weidenbaum, will highlight the collaboration and shed further light on the development of ULTIMO and the partnership with Hiroyuki Takei, as well as announce exciting news not yet shared regarding this title.

VIZ Media will also be present on the main show floor with a Manga Lounge in Booth#1365 where a comprehensive selection of some of the hottest manga series sweeping Japan and North America will be available for visitors to read at their leisure.

VIZ Media's Sr. Vice President Liza Coppola will be participating in the "The State of The Manga Industry" panel to take place on Friday, April 18th at 1:00 p.m. in Room # 1E16. Another VIZ Media Panel that will preview a variety of upcoming releases is scheduled for Saturday, April 19 at 11:00 a.m. in Room 1E03, where VIZ Media’s Director of Marketing, Mark Chang, will be joined by Candice Uyloan, Product Manager, and Simon & Schuster’s Nichole Beaulieu for an insightful discussion and question/answer session on what new titles fans may expect throughout 2008.

Screenings are always a popular attraction at New York Comic Con, and VIZ Media will offer two episodes from the action series BLEACH (rated T for Teens), on Friday, April 18 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. in Room 1E15 and two episodes of the hit crime drama DEATH NOTE (rated T+ for Older Teens), on Friday, April 18 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. also in Room 1E07.

VIZ Media will also return as a sponsor and participant in pop culture publishing and consulting company ICv2’s annual Graphic Novel Conference taking place on Thursday, April 17, just prior to the opening of the convention. This trade-only industry event will examine a range of important topics including “Graphic Novels for Tweens,” which will focus on the fast-growing tween market for graphic novels and include commentary by VIZ Media’s Sr. Vice President, Liza Coppola.

“We are extremely pleased to return to New York Comic Con and participate in a variety of events,” says Evelyn Dubocq, Sr. Director, Public Relations. “Welcoming the legendary Stan Lee for a special press conference related to the new project ULTIMO will be a huge attraction and press attendees can expect some additional big news to be announced at the event. We also invite fans to relax and decompress from the frenzy of the show in our Manga Lounge, which will be stocked with samplers of hit VIZ Media series. This, combined with our participation in panels, screenings and more should make for a very exciting show this year.”

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan Production Co., Ltd. (ShoPro Japan), VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs and audio soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone (415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086; and web site at www.VIZ.com.