Digital Manga Publishing
Encyclopedia
Digital Manga is a company that licenses and releases, in English, Japanese anime
, manga
, and related merchandise. The company has several subdivisions: Digital Manga Publishing, which publishes Japanese manga
, novels and instructional and illustration books in North America with multiple imprints, and 801 Media, a sister company that focuses on more explicit yaoi
manga works. Digital Manga also owns and operates eManga, a digital publishing
site for manga and light novels, that publishes both Digital Manga titles as well as e-book versions of works from other publishers. Non-publishing divisions include Pop Japan Travel, a tour service; Dream Shoppe, an import clothing retailer specializing in Lolita fashion
; and several e-retail sites for their books and for import products, including Akadot Retail and Yaoi Club. The company's headquarters are in Suite 300 in the 1487 West 178th Street building in Gardena
, California
, United States.
, including Berserk
, Hellsing, The Ring, and Trigun
.
Juné is DMP's yaoi
-oriented line of manga, novels, and other related books. Until April 2006, all of DMP's yaoi manga bore the DMP label, but starting with the release of The Art of Loving by Eiki Eiki, a new design was displayed on the dust cover of a white rose under the text Juné. The imprint was named after Jean Genet
, particularly the Japanese pronunciation of "Genet" as "Jooneh". The choice of name may also have been influenced by the early Japanese yaoi anthology magazine Juné
(also named after Genet); the popularity of this magazine led to "june" being used as a synonym for yaoi in the 1980s. Some Juné titles originally published by Taiyoh Tosho or Oakla Publishing are co-branded
with the Japanese publisher, whose logo appears on the spine.
In April 2009, DMP announced the DokiDoki line (the name being Japanese onomatopoeia
for a heartbeat), a co-branding operation with the Japanese publisher Shinshokan
to license yaoi
and shōjo manga from their Wings
, Dear and Dear+ anthologies.
Project-H is a new imprint of Digital Manga Inc. as of 2011 powered by 801 Media to publish solely explicit Seinen
hentai
manga which will carry a mature warning "For adults 18+ only".
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, and related merchandise. The company has several subdivisions: Digital Manga Publishing, which publishes Japanese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, novels and instructional and illustration books in North America with multiple imprints, and 801 Media, a sister company that focuses on more explicit yaoi
Yaoi
In careful Japanese enunciation, all three vowels are pronounced separately, for a three-mora word, . The English equivalent is . also known as Boys' Love, is a Japanese popular term for female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships, usually created by...
manga works. Digital Manga also owns and operates eManga, a digital publishing
E-book
An electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
site for manga and light novels, that publishes both Digital Manga titles as well as e-book versions of works from other publishers. Non-publishing divisions include Pop Japan Travel, a tour service; Dream Shoppe, an import clothing retailer specializing in Lolita fashion
Lolita fashion
is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian-era clothing as well as costumes from the Rococo period, but the style has expanded greatly beyond these two. The Lolita look began primarily as one of modesty with a focus on quality in both material and manufacture of garments...
; and several e-retail sites for their books and for import products, including Akadot Retail and Yaoi Club. The company's headquarters are in Suite 300 in the 1487 West 178th Street building in Gardena
Gardena, California
Gardena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 58,829 at the 2010 census, up from 57,746 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gardena is located at ....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States.
Digital Manga Publishing
The company has co-published several manga with publishing house Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
, including Berserk
Berserk (manga)
is a manga series written and illustrated by Kentaro Miura. Set in a medieval Europe-inspired world, the story centers around the characters of Guts, an orphaned mercenary, and Griffith, the leader of a mercenary band called the...
, Hellsing, The Ring, and Trigun
Trigun
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow, published from 1996 to 2008 and spanning 17 collected volumes....
.
Imprints
The DMP Books imprint is used for general-audience manga. The company prints various how-to books on drawing manga, as well as online tutorials and contests, under the "Manga Academy" imprint.Juné is DMP's yaoi
Yaoi
In careful Japanese enunciation, all three vowels are pronounced separately, for a three-mora word, . The English equivalent is . also known as Boys' Love, is a Japanese popular term for female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships, usually created by...
-oriented line of manga, novels, and other related books. Until April 2006, all of DMP's yaoi manga bore the DMP label, but starting with the release of The Art of Loving by Eiki Eiki, a new design was displayed on the dust cover of a white rose under the text Juné. The imprint was named after Jean Genet
Jean Genet
Jean Genet was a prominent and controversial French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. Early in his life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but later took to writing...
, particularly the Japanese pronunciation of "Genet" as "Jooneh". The choice of name may also have been influenced by the early Japanese yaoi anthology magazine Juné
June (manga magazine)
was the earliest yaoi magazine, which began in 1978 as a response to the success of commercially published manga such as the works of female artists Keiko Takemiya, Moto Hagio and Yumiko Ōshima. Other factors that influenced the founding of June were the rising popularity of depictions of...
(also named after Genet); the popularity of this magazine led to "june" being used as a synonym for yaoi in the 1980s. Some Juné titles originally published by Taiyoh Tosho or Oakla Publishing are co-branded
Co-branding
Co-branding refers to several different marketing arrangements:Co-branding, also called brand partnership, is when two companies form an alliance to work together, creating marketing synergy...
with the Japanese publisher, whose logo appears on the spine.
In April 2009, DMP announced the DokiDoki line (the name being Japanese onomatopoeia
Japanese sound symbolism
This article describes sound symbolic or mimetic words in the Japanese language. Most languages have such words; for example, "bang", "zap", "ding", "slither", "pop", etc. in English. Sound symbolic words occur more often in Japanese than in English—they are found in formal as well as vernacular...
for a heartbeat), a co-branding operation with the Japanese publisher Shinshokan
Shinshokan
is a Japanese publishing company. It was established on June 14, 1961. In April 2009, the US publisher Digital Manga Publishing announced a co-branding operation with Shinshokan, to license yaoi and shōjo manga from Shinshokan's Wings, Dear and Dear+ anthologies under the DokiDoki imprint .-Manga...
to license yaoi
Yaoi
In careful Japanese enunciation, all three vowels are pronounced separately, for a three-mora word, . The English equivalent is . also known as Boys' Love, is a Japanese popular term for female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships, usually created by...
and shōjo manga from their Wings
Wings (manga magazine)
is a shōjo manga magazine published by Shinshokan. The magazine is aimed at a female audience in the 16 to 20 year-old age range and tend to be action- or fantasy-oriented stories. Wings previously had a number of special editions such as Shinshokan South, or simply South, Phantom Club,...
, Dear and Dear+ anthologies.
Project-H is a new imprint of Digital Manga Inc. as of 2011 powered by 801 Media to publish solely explicit Seinen
Seinen
is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at a 20–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be older with some manga aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. In Japanese, the word Seinen means "young man" or "young men" and is not suggestive of sexual matters...
hentai
Hentai
is a Japanese word that, in the West, is used when referring to sexually explicit or pornographic comics and animation, particularly those of Japanese origin such as anime, manga, and computer games. The word hentai is a kanji compound of 変 and 態...
manga which will carry a mature warning "For adults 18+ only".