Press Release
CENTRAL PARK MEDIA SIGNS WITH CONSORTIUM BOOK SALES & DISTRIBUTION

North American Distribution of Manga, Manhwa, and Yaoi to Commence June 1, 2006

New York, NY (May 18, 2006) – Leading U.S. independent graphic novel publisher Central Park Media (CPM) is proud to announce that it has contracted with Consortium Book Sales & Distribution (CBSD) for the sales and distribution of its books throughout the U.S. and Canada.  CBSD will begin handling distribution of CPM titles as of June 1, 2006.

Central Park Media plans an extensive slate of new book releases and maintains an active backlist of top-selling graphic novels. Publishing under the imprints CPM Manga (dedicated to works originating in Japan), CPM Manhwa (devoted to the works of top Korean creators), and Be Beautiful (dedicated to the wildly popular yaoi genre), CPM publishes such fan-favorite graphic novel titles as Lee Hyun Se's Nambul (the best-selling manhwa in Korean publishing history) and Kia Asamiya's Dark Angel.  Under its Be Beautiful imprint, the company also publishes popular yaoi manga such as the best-selling Kizuna: Bonds of Love (the best-selling yaoi title in Japanese publishing history).

“We are very impressed with Consortium’s reputation in the publishing community,” said CPM Director of Book Sales Ali T. Kokmen. “CBSD has a well-established tradition of bringing a broad range of literature to the book market. Our graphic novels are a perfect complement to that literature, and we are delighted at the platform for growth CBSD will provide to our publishing program.”

Consortium’s CEO Don Linn added, “We’ve been looking for a strong participant in this growing market and are delighted to have found just the one in CPM. Their record of creativity and growth along with the incredible market reception of some of their newer titles and series makes this a very exciting addition to our catalogue.”

About Central Park Media
Central Park Media is a 16-year-old Manhattan-based independent video and book publisher focused on Japanese and Korean animation and graphic novels.  Central Park Media has been a leading supplier of anime in the United States since 1990, and a major publisher of manga since 1994.  The company currently manufactures and distributes animated video programming under several label names, including U.S. Manga Corps, Be Beautiful, Software Sculptors and Central Park Media, as well as live-action Asian feature films under its Asia Pulp Cinema label. 

With exclusive rights to hundreds of graphic novels, the company has become a leading North American publisher of Japanese manga and Korean manhwa.  Among CPM's fan-favorite graphic novel titles are Lee Hyun Se's Nambul (the best-selling manhwa in Korean publishing history), and Kia Asamiya's Dark Angel.  Under its Be Beautiful imprint, the company also publishes popular yaoi manga such as the best-selling Kizuna: Bonds of Love (the best-selling yaoi title in Japanese publishing history).  Visit www.centralparkmedia.com, www.cpmpress.com and www.bebeautifulmanga.com for more information.

For high resolution, downloadable artwork and information, please visit CPM's electronic press kit at www.centralparkmedia.com./cpmdb/presskit.cfm .

About Consortium Book Sales & Distribution:
Founded in 1985, Consortium Book Sales & Distribution, Inc. is the exclusive distributor for more than 100 of the top independent publishers from around the world.