Wanibooks collaborates with popular comedians to launch Comics Yoshimoto

Wanibooks will launch on June 19 a comics magazine titled Comic Yoshimoto, which will showcase Yoshimoto Kogyo's brand of comedy in manga form. Namely, the contents will feature original works authored by Yoshimoto Kogyo comedians working in collaboration with manga artists.

The publication hopes to increase sales by raising publicity through introducing entertainers into their editorial and sales fold by having them become directly involved in collaborations, production, advertising, and promotional events.

The first issue is expected to see a release of 250,000 copies and at Yoshimoto, a sales campaign team has been formed to oversee the establishment of branch offices in the six major cities of Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka. Each of the branches is to be helmed by celebrity branch managers, who will be in charge of leading young entertainers in their promotional attempts to be carried out on the theatrical stage, at events, and on TV programs.

With plans for transit advertising underway as well, the company intends to set forth a large-scale PR strategy. "While comics oriented toward young men are going through a slump, we intend to storm in for a fight with our launch by making the most of every available media," says Hiroshi Higashihara, the Managing Director of Wanibooks. The magazine's core readers are expected to be men in their 20s through 40s.


*Some of the book titles are tentative translations.
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