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DEL REY MANGA TO PUBLISH FAN GUIDE ABOUT SUPERSTAR MANGA CREATOR COLLECTIVE
CLAMP
Publication to coincide with CLAMP’s 20th anniversary in 2009


NEW YORK, NY – August 1, 2008 – Del Rey Manga, an imprint of Ballantine Books
at the Random House Publishing Group is pleased to announce a new
collaborative project, CLAMP IN AMERICA-a one-of-a-kind fan guide about the
popular manga creators and their influence in the United States.

2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the world-renown manga creators. CLAMP
consists of four female artists, Igarashi Satsuki, Mokona, Nekoi Tsubaki, and
Ohkawa Nanase, who have created some of the most memorable and unique
characters and storylines in the manga world. Since their debut in Japan in
1989, CLAMP has become one of the single most recognized names in manga.
CLAMP has also been at the spearhead of the current flux and rise in
popularity of Japanese anime and manga in the US, with titles such as Magic
Knight Rayearth, X, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles.

CLAMP IN AMERICA, an extensive one-volume work, will feature:

*        A history of CLAMP from their humble beginnings as doujinshi
(fanzine) creators to international manga superstars;
*        A detailed guide to their work, from RG Veda to Tsubasa, and beyond;
*        Behind-the-scenes looks at how the members of CLAMP work, together
and separately;
*        CLAMP’s part in the explosive success of manga in America, and the
effect of their manga on U.S. distribution and marketing;
*        Their work with American publishers Tokyopop, Viz, Del Rey Manga and
Dark Horse;
*        Their 2006 visit to America;
*        Interviews with the American manga creators they’ve influenced;
*        Interviews with the editors and publishers who have had the
opportunity to work with CLAMP.

The launch of the Del Rey Manga imprint in 2004 included two CLAMP titles,
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles and xxxHOLiC. Both titles continue to be among
Del Rey Manga’s top bestselling series. Del Rey Manga Associate Publisher
Dallas Middaugh helped make CLAMP IN AMERICA a reality.

“CLAMP was one of the greatest influences in the creation of the manga market
in America, and it’s past time we took a closer look at how and why that
happened,” says Middaugh.  “On behalf of Del Rey Manga, I’m proud to be
publishing this book and for the opportunity to work closely with CLAMP
again.”

CLAMP IN AMERICA will be written by Shaenon Garrity, manga editor for Viz
Media, award-winning webcartoonist and editor of the webcomics site
ModernTales.com.

ABOUT DEL REY MANGA:
Del Rey Books (http://www.delreybooks.com <http://www.delreybooks.com/> ) was
founded in 1977 as an imprint of Ballantine Books, a division of the Random
House Publishing Group, under the guidance of the renowned Judy-Lynn del Rey
and her husband, Lester del Rey. Del Rey publishes the best of modern
fantasy, science fiction, and alternate history. Ballantine Books is an
imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, which is a publishing group of
Random House, Inc, the U.S. publishing company of Random House, the trade
book publishing division of Bertelsmann AG, one of the world’s leading
international media companies. In 2004 it expanded by launching Del Rey
Manga(www.delreymanga.com), which has grown to be a major force in the U.S.
graphic-novel field. Bestselling titles include Tsubasa, Negima, xxxHolic,
and The Wallflower.