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Abrams ComicArts Launches 'Kana' U.S. Manga Imprint
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Abrams ComicArts vice president and publisher Rodolphe Lachat stated the releases will take inspiration from how manga is published in Japan, including "a dust jacket, a first signature in color, and beautiful paper."
Abrams ComicArts first announced its intention to publish manga and other international comics at the same time that Abrams ComicArts transitioned from an imprint to a full division in April 2023 last year. At the time of the announcement, Abrams ComicArts stated that its first manga releases will ship in fall 2024. Lachat said in a statement at the time of the original announcement that the move to publish manga will be "Abrams' first manga program," and that the move will allow the division to leverage its relationship with French publisher Média-Participations (MPP), the parent company of Abrams Books. MPP itself publishes manga in France through different subsidiary companies.
All three of Kana's manga licenses have French editions by Éditions Ki-oon, and include: Shiro Kuroi's Léviathan (serialized in Shonen Jump+), Yumeji's Eden of Witches (serialized in Kadokawa's Harta), and Tetsuya Tsutsui's Manhole (serialized in Square Enix's Young Gangan).
Kana's French comic licenses include Yoann Vorniere's Silence, Brandon Arias' Scars, and ZD's Space Punch.
Hachette will be the distributor.
Abrams Books founded the Abrams ComicArts imprint in 2009. The imprint focuses on graphic novels and books about comic book history. The imprint became a full division of Abrams Books in April 2023.
Sources: Publishers Weekly (John Maher), The Beat (Beat Staff, with contributions by Heidi MacDonald and Deb Aoki)
