Press Release

CENTRAL PARK MEDIA ANNOUNCES GRAPHIC NOVEL SLATE FOR EARLY 2006 RELEASE

New introductions as well as perennial favorites included in the line-up with all books priced at $9.99 SRP.
 

NEW YORK, NY (November 17, 2005) Central Park Media, which is one of the oldest manga publishers in the country, announced its slate of mainstream manga and manhwa graphic novels scheduled for release in January and February of 2006. Among the titles to be released early next year are: Nambul: War Stories 4 by renowned manhwa author Hyun Se Lee, the continuing comedic adventures of Narue in The World of Narue Book 4, and the new romantic fantasy Masca 1. All books will be priced at only $9.99 SRP.

The World of Narue Book 4
ARE YOU A MAN OR A MOUSE?
Things get weird when NARUE and KAZUTO are transported to the far-flung future and transformed into cute, cheese-eating mice. Weirder still is that they quickly become the much-beloved pets of a fully-grown HAJIME, who has become a successful manga author. Can our lovebirds get back to their own time/world and back to their original bodies before they become dinner for a hungry tabby? But that's not all! There's also a bizarre cosplay contest featuring BLITZ GIRL AUSF-CHAN, we learn the secret of how Narue's Mom and Dad first met and fell in love, and Narue's sister KANAKA learns all about the birds and the bees. Let's hear it for heartwarming comedy-adventure-romance!

Masca Book 1
The Devil's Castle is a dark and somber place, until the good-hearted apprentice ASARELLA stumbles into this abode on a goodwill mission, against the wishes of her master, the Arch-Mage, ELIWHO. Things sour quickly, and soon Asarella is bound in a blood pact with The Devil. Little does she know that the mage harbors a secret love for her, which will only complicate her training to prepare her for the apocalyptic battle to come, and which sets up the most unusual love triangle of any place or time.

Tag - You're It! Book 1
What happens when you want to kiss your girlfriend, but you have rotten teeth? If you wanted more attention from your loved one, would you play "hard-to-get?" How much courage does it take to go after the things you desire? These questions and more will be answered in 5 hilarious short stories about high school crushes, first kisses, summer jobs and best friends!

Princess 1
A TALE OF LOVE AND DESTINY
The prosperous Kingdom of Lamilla begins an historic time as the King decides to choose a princess for his son, the Prince. Now villagers from all over the land, as well as neighboring kingdoms, flock to Lamilla to flaunt their daughters as candidates to the throne. From the daughters of government officials to the hired help, everyone is trying to be the chosen one. But the Prince has his own ideas as to who he wants to be his princess, and will defy royal decree to get what he desires. This sets into motion a series of events which will rock the kingdom to its core, as secrets from the past are brought to light... secrets that will weigh heavily on the future!

Nambul: War Stories 4
The bloody war between Japan and Korea continues as families are torn apart and cities are burned to the ground. Meanwhile, Hae-Sung is blacklisted in the war camp and is tortured for information he doesn't have. But this horror is nothing compared to what Uhmji and Ri Hae have to face, as they are forced to sell their bodies to the sadistic guards at the prison camp in order to survive.

The Sword of Shibito 2
RIVERS WILL RUN RED WITH BLOOD when the undead warrior SHIBITO appears, sword in hand to face a stone mask of woeful despair. By his side is the pharmacist KINZOU, who's been tasked with guiding Shibito through the realm of the living until such time as the warrior's mind and body have completely melded as one. But their mission of bloody conquest is interrupted when they encounter a small band of pilgrims who've become the targets of bloodthirsty bandits, and even Shibito's unliving heart cannot deny its righteous anger when confronted with the sight of butchered children. Will the man-monster put aside his agenda of conquest and despair long enough to help them? And are the pilgrims better off with the devils they know, or this newfound ally stitched together from the body parts of a dozen corpses?

About Central Park Media
Central Park Media is a 15-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, www.cpmpress.com and www.bebeautifulmanga.com for more information.