Early this summer Wizard Entertainment published Anime Invasion, a one-shot magazine that gave the 'Wizard Magazine' treatment to the increasingly popular and influential flood of anime and manga titles (see 'Wizard Readies Anime Invasion').  Evidently the publishing experiment was a success, since Wizard has announced that Anime Invasion will become a quarterly publication starting this November.  The first quarterly issue will be solicited in the September issue of Diamond Previews.  With the increasing popularity of anime on the Cartoon Network and the Kids' WB, the time was obviously right for a glossy, collector-oriented magazine in the Wizard tradition.

 

The first issue of the new quarterly features news on top anime properties like Akira, Dragonball Z, as well as an update on the eagerly anticipated Ghost in the Shell sequel.  In addition the issue will include an interview with veteran manga artist Go Nagai (Devilman), as well as a Holiday Anime Buyer's Guide and a list of the top 25 manga titles.  The magazine will come with two covers, one of which will feature Dragonball Z, while the other will have Gundam robots drawn by ace comic artist J. Scott Campbell (Danger Girl).

 

Wizard's entry into the anime/manga field should be food for thought for any pop culture retailer who isn't already carrying anime and manga.  Even retailers who believe that they are carrying the 'key' titles might want to check out the offerings in Anime Invasion.  Anime and manga remain among the key growth areas in the pop culture arena (see 'Graphic Novels, Anime, Japanese Toys Up').