Anne Ishii, Director of Marketing and Publicity for Vertical Inc., has confirmed to ICv2 that the New York-based publisher will release the ground-breaking shojo manga science fiction series To Terra by Keiko Takemiya in three volumes with the first book in the series set for release in February of 2007. 

Vertical will publish To Terra in a deluxe softcover (not mass market) format with a cover price of $13.95.  Uber-designer Chip Kidd is creating the covers for the series.

The To Terra manga series was first published in Japan from 1977-1980.  Creator Keiko Takemiya is widely considered one of the most influential shojo artists, though unfortunately her work has not been previously available in the U.S.  However Viz did include an important interview with Ms. Takemiya in the April issue of Shojo Beat, which has been followed by a three-month series of 'tutorials' for aspiring artists, beginning in the June issue.  Keiko Takemiya is eminently qualified to engage in these sorts of educational efforts since she has been a professor at Kyoto Seika University (noted for its four-year manga program) since 2000.