Del Rey Manga is bringing Rave Master and Fairy Tale artist Hiro Mashima to Comic-Con International in San Diego, where the manga-ka will make his first-ever U.S. convention appearance that will include both a panel appearance and booth signing.  Mashima’s Rave Master manga, which debuted here in 2004, was one of Tokyopop’s lead titles and his Fairy Tale, which Del Rey launched by releasing the first two volumes simultaneously in March, has already made a major impression on the market—it is ranked at #22 on the latest ICv2 “Top 50 Manga Properties List,” the highest ranking by far for any series that has debuted in 2008 so far.

 

Mashima’s dynamic artwork and his gift for creating intriguing fast-paced narratives are a perfect fit for his fantasy and adventure shonen subject matter.  He is also one of the most prolific modern manga creators.  Currently his Fairy Tale is running in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine while his video game-based Monster Hunter Orage has debuted in Kodansha’s Shonen Rival Magazine.