ICv2 has the first interview with Rich Johnson, the new co-main man at Hachette’s Yen Press. If our email is any indication, Johnson is the new most popular man in comics, but he’s probably so busy being the new most popular man that theinterview reads as if it was done on speaker-phone while Johnson was unpacking his matching desk set.
The name of the imprint, Yen Press, certainly sounds like you will be concentrating on manga?
It will certainly be an integral part of the publishing program along with more traditional American-style graphic novels, Webcomics collections, and some books for younger readers.
Are you thinking of publishing OEL (original English language) manga?
If possible sure, but it’s awfully early to say exactly what we will do. We are not going to be limited to manga, if there is a good graphic novel out there (of any kind) I hope we would publish it.
I found another Zelda rap:
How did that end up here?