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News & Press Releases
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Valerie D'Orazio, long time comics pro, "Occasional Superheroine," and president of Friends of Lulu, has given GOOFYFOOT GURL 1 - 4 a wonderful review --
I thought for this installment of Manga Mondays I'd put the spotlight on one of the more unique forms of manga that is out there: Christian Manga
GOOFYFOOT GURL
Vols 1-4
Realbuzz Studios/Thomas Nelson
Realbuzz Studios calls itself "The World's Premier Inspirational Manga" publisher, and their manga is distributed by Thomas Nelson, one of the biggest names in Christian books. Despite its connection with Nelson, Realbuzz's GOOFYFOOT GURL is pretty light in preaching, choosing to focus more on relationships. And just so it's really clear right off the bat that GOOFYFOOT GURL is not exclusively for Christian audiences, it is established at the beginning of the first volume that the Gidget-like main character, Suki, speaks Yiddish.
That said, GOOFYFOOT is a surfing soap-opera like The OC but with a 7th Heaven vibe. There's no sex, but a bunch of surprisingly nuanced and mature relationship issues and generalized teen angst. The storylines interconnect really well and the diverse cast of characters, as written by Allison Barrows (famous for her PreTeena comic strip), act believably. As Barrows commented regarding GOOFYFOOT GURL on a cartoonists' forum, "I write clean but not stupid."
The true showstopper of the book, however, is the stunning art by Tony Weinstock. Weinstock totally nails the manga "feel" while at the same time giving it an unique, painterly quality. Think manga rendered in pastels. And I guess my fear is that readers, put off by their preconceptions of what Christian manga might be, won't give this book a chance and see what tremendously beautiful and innovative work Weinstock has done here.
GOOFYFOOT GURL is a great read for a teenage girl, with all the appropriate elements of fun and melodrama. For both young and older readers, however, I think the luminescent art is a feast for the eyes and expands the boundaries of what manga can do.
 GOOFYFOOT GURL
Realbuzz’ first year launch
Finally, the first serious faith based franchise that doesn’t need to heft a large dose of faith at you to be successful! That, of course, is a reference to 5 out of 5 Goofyfoot Gurl (whose Volume 1 is a slice of life drama smathered with humor, solid dialogue, strong friendships and not a single bible reference or content in sight). Looking forward to Realbuzz year two with Serenity Volume 7 to 10 (formerly the spinoff series Serenity : Life! Camera! Action!), Hits & Misses Volume 1 to 4 AND (drum roll) a brand spankin NEW GOOFYFOOT GURL (Volume 5 is slated to be part of the second wave of releases from what I’ve seen of upcoming books!) Can I hear an “oh yeah” from the congregation out there? Yes!
Check out the article here.
February 2, 2007
Contact: Carrie Wagneer | Publicist
Tel: (615) 902-2704 Fax: (615) 902-2746 Email: cwagner@thomasnelson.com
WESTBOW SIGNS REALBUZZ TO MULTI-YEAR MANGA DEAL
Thomas Nelson's Christian Fiction Division Will Re-Launch
Best-Seller "Serenity" and Other Series
(NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE) Thomas Nelson Incorporated and Realbuzz Studios would like to announce an exclusive multi-year contract to release a minimum of 26 manga titles, immediately making Thomas Nelson the market leader of faith-based manga content.
Ten manga novels will release in 2007 within the Serenity and Goofyfoot Gurl series.Realbuzz Studios created the Christian/Inspirational manga category in 2005 with their best-selling teen series, SERENITY, a break-out hit in the manga community outselling two-thirds of the titles on the mainstream manga and graphic novel best-seller lists.
Previously published by Barbour, Thomas Nelson will simultaneously re-launch the first six SERENITY graphic novels in April 2007 and will continue the series with four new Serenity volumes in 2008.
SERENITYis “a clean, inspiring teen-aged Christian comic done in a hip, contemporary way,” says Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-man, X-Men, The Hulk, and The Fantastic Four. Acclaimed Young Adult author Melody Carlson praises Serenity's “action-filled art” and “realistic text” for creating “a fast-paced read.” Goofyfoot Gurl, praised as “insanely unique” by Manga Punk, a secular review site for graphic novels, will make its debut splash in September 2007 with the simultaneous publication of the first four volumes.
Manga, a form of graphic novels imported from Japan, is one of the fastest growing fiction categories among tween and teen girl readers in North America. Manga enjoyed over $300 million in sales in 2005 and has seen steady double digit growth for the last five years. “Teen girls are notoriously underserved by the American comic book and graphic novel industry,” explains Allen Arnold, Publisher for WestBow Press, “Realbuzz Studios is on the cutting edge of changing that trend with their award-winning, original English language manga with content that is real, relevant, and from a Christian worldview.”
Faith-based entertainment company Good News Holdings in Sherman Oaks, California is working with both Thomas Nelson and Realbuzz Studios to promote across multiple platforms Serenity and Goofyfoot Gurl. "This is an important moment in the faith-based teen space," says Thom Black, co-founder of Good News Holdings. "We see this as a wonderful opportunity to coordinate the strengths of Thomas Nelson and Realbuzz into creating popular manga entertainment that is both emotionally satisfying and spiritually uplifting and that translates into the mobile and internet worlds."
Realbuzz Studios is based in Los Angeles, California and has been acclaimed as an innovative media content company, developing and creating original stories, art, and media under the guidance of co-founders Buzz Dixon and Marlon Schulman.
Serenity 1-6 Available May 14, 2007 WestBow Press 96 Pages, 5 1/2x8, Juvenile Fiction/Comics & Graphic Novels/General
1. Bad Girl in Town, ISBN 978-1-59554-383-7
2. Stepping Out, ISBN 978-1-59554-384-4
3. Basket Case, ISBN 978-1-59554-385-1
4. Rave-n-Rant, ISBN 978-1-59554-386-8
5. Snow Biz, ISBN 978-1-59554-387-5
6. You Shall Love, ISBN 978-1-59554-388-2
Goofyfoot Gurl 1-4 Available September 11, 2007 WestBow Press Trade Paper, $10.99 96 Pages, 5x7, Juvenile Fiction/Comics & Graphic Novels/General
1. Let There Be Lighten Up!, ISBN 978-1-59554-389-9
2. When Dolphins Fly, ISBN 978-1-59554-390-5
3. Come and Play!, ISBN 9 | 78-1-59554-391-2
4. Out of the Soup, ISBN 978-1-59554-392-9
Believing in the power of story, WestBow Press delivers entertaining, culturally-relevant stories told from a Christian worldview. From one of the world’s largest publishers comes the imprint that is changing the face of fiction. WestBow Press – Enjoy the story.
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Download a printable version of this press release.
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