ADV is offering direct market retailers a Cromartie High P.O.P. Floor Display, which includes limited edition copies of the Cromartie High School manga that come with a free Mini-DVD containing the first two episodes of the Cromartie High anime series. Created by manga-ka Eiji Nonaka, Cromartie High School won the Kodansha Manga Award, sold some 4.6 million manga volumes in Japan and has been made into a popular anime TV series. The story of a normal kid who finds himself in a high school full of delinquents, this shonen comedy series parodies every tough guy fighting anime and manga series known to man. ADV is planning a simultaneous launch of the Cromartie High School anime series here in the U.S. and retailers who order the floor display will also receive a free full-length Cromartie High School Vol. #1 DVD with every P.O.P. ordered. The Cromartie High School Floor Display is listed in the January issue of Diamond's Previews catalog.
The free standing Cromartie High School P.O.P. includes 4 each of 8 ADV manga titles, a total of 32 books in all. Four of the titles are number ones including Cromartie High School, By the Sword (a new series from the creator of Fake), Orphen (which ties in to the popular anime series), and Noodle Fighter Miki (a wild mixture of slapstick comedy and ultra violence). The other four books in the display are all A-List ADV releases including Chrono Crusade Vol. #4, Peacemaker Kurogane Vol. #3, Gunslinger Girl Vol. #2 and Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok Vol. #2.
When contacted by ICv2 concerning the ADV display offer retailer Jim Mortenson of Comix Revolution in Chicago said: 'ADV goes out of their way to offer the direct market retailers the same deal that they give the book trade -- they make it a very level playing field in both what they offer and in the way they make sure to reach the various channels of trade at the same time. I especially like the Mini-DVD bonus and the fact that it's a limited time offer. I think it will push traffic and accelerate sales.' Joel Pollack of Big Planet Comics in Bethesda, Maryland commented: 'The ADV dump display deal is the best one I've seen yet. Any retailer that doesn't avail himself of this great display (and free DVD!) is leaving money on the table.'
