CPM Cuts Line Following Lay-Offs

The anime and manga company Central Park Media has hit the news a couple of days in a row, which is usually a good thing. In this case, however, the news is of a nature that if the current trend continues tomorrow a vagrant expires in the CPM company bathroom and Friday the warehouse blows up.

After the announcement of staff layoffs comes news that several manga titles have been canceled (scroll down to Monday afternoon at 3:11 PM). Here's a cobbled-together list of the titles, hopefully none of them screwed up too badly:

Angel Shop Graphic Novel 1
Couple Graphic Novel 4
Duck Prince Graphic Novel 4
Full House Graphic Novel 4
Geobreeders Graphic Novel 4 (2nd Ed)
Kung Fu Jungle Boy Graphic Novel 1
Masca Graphic Novel 2
Nambul: War Stories Graphic Novel 4: Desperation
Princess Graphic Novel 1
Slayers: King of Ghost City Graphic Novel
Sword of Shibito Graphic Novel 2
Yongbi the Invincible Graphic Novel 5
Zzim! Graphic Novel 1

Not knowing the company that well, I eavesdropped on those who do. They indicate a couple of potentially troubling permutations. One, that some of these titles were just announced, and two, that some of these are perceived money-makers and at least one was near series completion. I imagine there may be some re-scheduling involved rather than outright cancellations, but a the very least this is a change in release strategies.

With Studio Ironcat already going down, this may indicate a rough year for smaller manga and anime companies. Thanks to a great catch by Kevin Melrose, we know that Dallas Middaugh is leaving Seven Seas to his partner in that endeavor Jason DeAngelis and taking a full-time position at Del Rey. Seven Seas announced itself just this past September. No matter how anyone might spin it you have to file a move like that in the "Signs and Portents" file.

Finally, this seemed inevitable.
 
posted 6:57 am PST | Permalink
 

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