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Sweatdrop launch self-help manga

Date: 2007 September 18 16:39

Posted by Joe

The Sweatdrop crew have always been inventive with the titles they've released and they've sent us details for some titles due in April 2008 and June 2008 (that's a while away isn't it? We don't normally get details for titles that are 6 months ahead anyway...).

They'll be releasing 4 books next year:

- Be creative by R. Bevan, J. Middleton & T. Wright
- Find true love by S. Dosani, L. Helmanis and P. Cross
- Beauty secrets for babes by L.Helmanis
- Sort out your money by J. Middleton

All the lovely artwork will be done by Sonia Leong, and we'll be curious to see how they do this.

Will they have an otaku take on things? Eg: Sort out your money - buy less DVDs and manga to save money. Beauty secrets for babes - wear cat ears. Be creative - draw more stuff. Find true love - ermmm, otaku aren't exactly good at that, erm, join a relatives house which happens to be populated by lots of hot babes and enjoy the hilarity that ensues.

We look forward to seeing what these guides will look like next year.

Full Story

Press release as follows:

Infinite Ideas and Sweatdrop Studios pioneer self-help manga!

Oxford and Cambridge, UK, 5 September 2007

Oxford indie Infinite Ideas will launch self-help books in manga format in a groundbreaking new venture with the UK's leading manga collective Sweatdrop Studios. Set to hit the shelves in April 2008, manga versions of Be creative and Find true love will marry manga images with tried and tested expert ideas in a stunning mixture of art and advice that takes self-improvement to a new level and is guaranteed to win a new generation of readers. Two further titles will follow in June 2008.

Each title is packed with information in 52 small but perfectly formed chapters, each with their own unique graphic identity, with manga drawings enhancing and illustrating the ideas featured. This exciting collaboration is the first of its kind in the self-help genre and is set to make waves as brilliant ideas meet inspired manga in a creative explosion of the very best kind.

Sweatdrop member and award-winning artist Sonia Leong ( Manga Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet and Tokyopop Rising Stars of Manga UK winner) is illustrating the first two titles. "Having a manga comic page alongside written advice not only makes it easier to understand and relate to, but much more fun and enjoyable," she says. "It puts problems and situations into context and drives you to find new solutions. There will be a cast of recurring characters throughout the books which we hope to entertain you with!"

Infinite Ideas’ Publishing Director Katherine Hieronymus commented: "We are thrilled to be partnering with Sweatdrop Studios on this exciting project. Sweatdrop were the UK's first independent original English-language manga publisher and distributor, with a roster of some of the most talented artists in the UK. We’re confident that our life-enhancing content will reach a new generation of readers through this combination of expert advice and brilliant, fast-paced graphics."

BookScan data suggest that UK sales of manga and graphic novels have more than doubled in the last three years, and now stand at well over £6 million. Given that US sales are around $250 million there is clearly enormous potential for growth in the UK.

About Sweatdrop Studios

Based in Cambridge, UK, Sweatdrop Studios is a group of over twenty UK-based manga artists. In four years Sweatdrop has produced over one-hundred titles, including several anthologies. Sweatdrop’s primary focus is on original titles, with completely original stories, characters and ideas. Sweatdrop aims to develop a market which recognises the appeal of comics that rely upon the storyline and characters over and above the appeal of the subject matter. Visit www.sweatdrop.com for further information.

About Infinite Ideas

Infinite Ideas is the publishers of the 52 Brilliant Ideas series. Founded in 2004 Infinite Ideas has over 120 titles in print and brand partnerships in 20 languages. Visit www.infideas.com for further information.

About Sonia Leong

Sonia Leong is a professional comic artist and illustrator specialising in Anime/Manga. A core member of Sweatdrop Studios, the leading UK manga collaborative and independent publisher, her work includes the graphic novel Manga Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet, and the Sweatdrop projects Draw Manga, Once Upon a Time and Cyborg Butterfly. Sonia is a multiple award-winning artist, featured in Tokyopop's first UK Rising Stars of Manga competition (2006) and in NEO Magazine's Manga competition (2005). Visit www.fyredrake.net for further information.

About the Manga Life series

Series name: Manga Life
Format: paperback, 210 x 148mm, 112pp,
Price : £6.00
Publication date: April and June 2008

Title: Be creative by R. Bevan, J. Middleton & T. Wright
ISBN: 978-1-905940-77-6
Illustrator: Sonia Leong

Title: Find true love by S. Dosani, L. Helmanis and P. Cross
ISBN: 978-1-905940-78-3
Illustrator: Sonia Leong

Title: Beauty secrets for babes by L.Helmanis
ISBN: 978-1-905940-79-0
Illustrator: Sonia Leong

Title: Sort out your money by J. Middleton
ISBN: 978-1-905940-80-6
Illustrator: Sonia Leong

Source: Sweatdrop Studios

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