ADV Films To Publish Monthly Magazine

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From: ADV Films

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Japan's #1 Anime Magazine "Newtype" To Make Its English Debut In America This July

ADV Films To Publish Popular Monthly Magazine For American Audiences

HOUSTON, July 2, 2002 – A.D. Vision, Inc. ("ADV"), the #1 producer-distributor of Japanese animation in North America, is proud to announce the signing of a long term agreement with top Japanese publisher and multimedia company Kadokawa Shoten, LTD. to localize, publish and distribute an English language version of Japan's premiere anime magazine, Newtype, on an exclusive basis throughout America and the English speaking world.

Newtype USA will make its anticipated debut with a special collector's edition "Convention Teaser" at July's Anime Expo convention in Long Beach, California and the San Diego Comic-Con International in August. The first newsstand edition of Newtype USA will go on sale this fall, and will be available through subscription and at specialty stores across the nation.

"We're absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to bring Newtype to America," ADV President and CEO John Ledford said. "It's a tremendous magazine, and something we've needed here for a long time. American fans have been clamoring for years to get a magazine that offered a comprehensive look at the world of anime, up close and in depth. What better way to give them what they want than by bringing over Japan's authority on the subject? This is going to rock the anime industry to its very foundation."

Newtype has a monthly circulation of over 300,000 in Japan. ADV's marketing push for the magazine will reach potential subscribers through the upcoming Newtype website (www.newtype-usa.com), through ADV's massive customer database and through subscription cards inserted into the company's DVD titles. ADV forecasts over 1,000,000 new readers within the first two years of publishing.

With its comprehensive coverage and stylistic portrayal of the anime industry, the Newtype brand appeals both to the established fan base and to new initiates to the genre, and has played a tremendous part in the success of many top anime properties over its publishing history. Exposure from Newtype's regular manga reprints, a tradition that will be carried on in Newtype USA, has also turned many manga titles into successful entertainment franchises.

Newtype USA will be unlike any other anime magazine available today, in that it will be published in the Japanese right-to-left format, instead of the traditional English-language left-to-right format.

"We thought we could really enhance the reading experience by having Newtype USA mirror its counterpart's format," Ledford said. "I think it will be a really unique, fun thing that the fans will enjoy."

The Convention Teaser features a cover story on Japan's hottest television anime series, "RahXephon," spotlights on popular new American anime imports, feature stories on Japanese culture, behind the scenes interviews with creative talent, the English language premiere of the Full Metal Panic manga, and much more.

About ADV Films:

ADV Films is Anime-and more. In 1992 ADV Films (ADV) transformed a niche market into a global industry by bringing Japanese animation to North America and beyond. As the #1 distributor of Japanese animation, ADV's holdings include such premier titles as: Spriggan, Sailor Moon, Samurai X, Medabots, Robotech, Gasaraki and Neon Genesis Evangelion. ADV's commitment to genre programming, including popular science fiction programs such as Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, Farscape and Gamera: Guardian of the Universe has helped ADV become a burgeoning entertainment powerhouse. For more information, visit ADV on the web at www.advfilms.com.

About Kadokawa Shoten

Kadokawa Shoten has been a major multimedia force in Japan since its inception in November 1945, when the company founded by Genyoshi Kadokawa published its first book, the poetry volume Sidewalks. Since then, the company has expanded its publishing holdings to include entertainment and cultural magazines, manga comic books, and thousands of book titles. Kadokawa also maintains an extensive business network that includes the production and distribution of movies, home video and video game software; information technology services such as website and digital content creation; advertising operations; real estate leasing and management; and much more.