files/pictures/picture-35.jpgPress Release from TOKYOPOP
LOS ANGELES, CA. - December 20, 2010 - TOKYOPOP, the country's leading independent manga media company, Baker & Taylor Inc., the world's largest distributor of physical and digital books and entertainment products, and e-commerce solution leader MashON, today announced the launch of the new TOKYOPOP Shop at
www.TOKYOPOP.com . The new shop features manga-branded merchandise through MashON's e-commerce solutions and thousands of manga titles, including titles that were previously out-of-print, such as Arm of Kannon, Gorgeous Carat, and Liling-Po.
This launch with TOKYOPOP is Baker & Taylor's latest step in expanding TextStream's presence in the publishing community. TextStream provides publishers with a full range of print-on-demand / print-to-order services and a wide variety of binding formats and trim sizes.
"TOKYOPOP has an amazingly loyal, passionate fan base, and offering print-on-demand will allow fans to complete their collections of their favorite series with volumes that had been out-of-print," said Larry Bennett, Vice President of Digital Print Media for Baker & Taylor.
This partnership with MashON will allow TOKYOPOP to offer a wide array of merchandise with manga brand designs - already including iphone skins and mini-posters - with many new brands and products to be rolled out in the near future.
"As a technology provider, MashON has created a model for TOKYOPOP to integrate our eCommerce and Creative Platform with Baker & Taylor in such a way that it is the new benchmark for the publishing industry. It's exciting to see the offering resonate with TOKYOPOP's fans, especially when we consider that this initial launch is only a small fraction of the features to come. The combination of processes and technology which has been created and refined for TOKYOPOP, presents an incredibly attractive opportunity for publishers wishing to expand their product offering without increasing their inventory risk." said Andre Costa de Sousa, MashON's Head of Special Projects.
The new TOKYOPOP Shop is in an early beta stage and will be growing with new special discounts, bundle packages, and exclusive merchandise over the coming months. The Shop enters the marketplace at competitive pricing with a 30 percent storewide discount and free shipping on orders $25 or more.
Added Stu Levy, CEO and founder of TOKYOPOP, "We initially set out to build the TOKYOPOP Shop in order to provide our fans with a high-quality, price-competitive way to purchase our books online. It's an incredible bonus that we have partners who also have made it possible for us to offer print-to-order books and exclusive merchandise. We've always wanted to offer these features to our fanbase and now the technology is here for it."
The new TOKYOPOP Shop is now live in a beta version at
www.TOKYOPOP.com About Baker & Taylor
Baker & Taylor, Inc. (
www.baker-taylor.com ) is the world's largest distributor of books, digital content and entertainment products. The company leverages its unsurpassed worldwide distribution network to deliver rich content in multiple formats, anytime and anywhere. Baker & Taylor offers cutting-edge digital media services and innovative technology platforms to thousands of publishers, libraries and retailers worldwide. Baker & Taylor also offers industry-leading customized library services and retail merchandising solutions. Baker & Taylor is proud to power Blio (blioreader.com), the world's most flexible, engaging and revolutionary e-reading application. Charlotte, N.C.-based Baker & Taylor is majority owned by Castle Harlan Partners IV, L.P., an institutional private equity fund managed by Castle Harlan, Inc., a leading private equity investment firm.
Baker & Taylor and the Baker & Taylor logo are trademarks of Baker & Taylor, Inc.
About TOKYOPOP (
www.tokyopop.com )
Founded by multi-cultural media visionary Stuart Levy, TOKYOPOPis hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way teens experience pop culture. The company's global reach has expanded to Europe and Asia, with offices in the UK and Germany, in addition to its Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto the new social networking site
www.TOKYOPOP.com , reading its books, which are licensed in more than 50 countries in more than 30 languages, and watching its DVDs and television programs, TOKYOPOP's award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing teen entertainment marketplace. Visit
www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.
About MashON
MashON (
www.mashon.com ), a dba of Planetwide Games Inc, is a leading provider of web based creative, promotional applications and turnkey eCommerce solutions for more premium entertainment properties such as MGM, Henson Studio, EA, NFL, 4Kids TV, Moonscoop and TNA Wrestling. Leveraging its patented web based creative platform, MashON redefined online shopping for branded merchandise by combining traditional licensed products with user created merchandise under a single cohesive, branded and entertaining web store, providing a deeply immersive and consolidated shopping experience.
MashON has deployed its comprehensive technology platform, including eCommerce applications, promotional and social widgets, SEO and advertising campaign management and interactive advertising solutions to maximize the exposure and profitability of entertainment brands and content.
