MANGA ISSHO – Presentation of the publishers

ALTRAVERSE

The publishing house was founded in 2017 by Joachim Kaps, a seasoned expert with extensive experience at renowned publishers. In 2018, it kicked off with five licensed productions and has since grown rapidly to become the second-largest manga label in the German-speaking countries. Its portfolio not only includes popular manga titles but also trending webtoons. Additionally, the publisher stands out with a creative range of exclusive fan merchandise and trendy products, which have garnered great enthusiasm among its growing fan base.

STAR COMICS

Founded in 1987, Star Comics is Italy’s leading comic book publisher. Its catalog includes manga, manhwa, manhua, webcomics, comics and bandes dessinées, featuring titles such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, Sailor Moon, Demon Slayer, Kaiju No. 8, Solo Leveling, 300, Hellboy, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Sweet Paprika, and Beer Revolution. As of 2022, Star Comics is part of the Mondadori Group. Among the authors in the catalog are Akira Toriyama, Eichiiro Oda, Frank Miller, Hiro Mashima, Hirohiko Araki, Mike Mignola, Naoko Takeuchi, Mirka Andolfo, Rick Remender, Sean Gordon Murphy, Matteo Bussola.

PLANETA CÓMIC

Since 1982, Planeta Cómic has been publishing eclectic-themed editions. It features famous manga such as the shonen titles Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, Kaiju No. 8, Detective Conan, Dragon Quest, Naruto, One Piece, and Haikyu!, as well as kodomo titles (Doraemon, Super Mario) and shojo, BL, and yuri (Marmalade Boy, Bloom Into You, Veil). The catalog also includes masterpieces by legendary authors like Tezuka and Urasawa. Additionally, it has pioneered new formats, such as Planeta Manga, a successful Japanese comic magazine featuring national artists, which served as the foundation for creating Manga Issho. Planeta Cómic also holds major licenses like Star Wars and offers a wide variety of American comics (Saga, Paper Girls). In its Graphic Novel collection, it boasts brilliant literary adaptations (Fahrenheit, Patria, Nada), local works (Lola Vendetta, Lorca, Voices that Count), and international titles by top-tier authors such as Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman.

KANA

For nearly 30 years, Kana has been opening its doors to the Other. Other comics, those from Asia, in all their richness and diversity, with a strong desire to share them. And because Kana was founded by comic book publishers and enthusiasts of the 9th Art, we wanted to build bridges between different artistic practices and narratives, and it was obvious that we should support creative projects. For years, European authors have been immersing themselves in manga, its codes and grammar. It was only a matter of time before they were expressing themselves in this format, exploring its scriptwriting and graphic possibilities. Our role as publishers is to accompany them on this path. This role is all the more important in our eyes, as their artistic proposals evolve to include other themes and cultural references. They are the authors of our time, and their stories tune with current themes and changes in our societies. When you love manga, you want to share that passion, to communicate your enthusiasm for a new story, a new style of drawing. We also want manga to thrill us for many years to come. To do so, it needs to renew itself. And European creation has a key role to play in this process of enrichment. That’s why Kana couldn’t refuse Manga Issho adventure!