Cosmic Lion is an indie publisher hat has been making a bigger name for itself of late, and now they’re jumping into the manga pool for a new imprint, Comic Lion Manga. They first two projects are Side Quests to World Domination and the second half of the print edition of webtoon Half of the Crown. Both are due this summer.
The new imprint arrives after the publisher recently signed up with Prana Publishers to get wider distribution.
Ro Higashi will lead the line, along with Cosmic Lion publisher Eli Schwab, and she had this to say:
“The slogan for CLP is ‘Comics of Every Kind for Every Mind,’ and early on Eli and I discussed wanting to do the same for CLManga. We wanted to promote amazing mangaka and artists that made content that current manga readers are looking for—something unique. There are a lot of us working hard in the scene full-time, but not many publishers would take a chance on publishing our original works. Asian webcomics have done so much to make manga more accessible, but I believe physical print really brings things full circle for creators so they can get the spotlight they deserve. I’m honored to work on behalf of the creators and introduce amazing stories for our readers.”
“Opening the company up to Manga was a no brainer. Once we started working with Ro and she showed us what was possible, it would have been insane to say no,” Schwab added. “I always want the company to be able to grow and welcome new kinds of voices and CLManga helps us involve the whole world and the ever changing face of comics. I’m so excited to see what’s next!”
The line up includes:
Side Quests to World Domination:
Written and illustrated by Squire MacGuire, the story follows Lady Fravelon, a former tyrant who once ruled the Kingdom of Tyjus. Following their defeat at the hands of legendary heroes, she is banished and her dragon companion, Azalyr are banished to the modern world. Discovering that this new world is far less attuned to magic, Fravelon sees a chance to reclaim her former glory. Azalyr, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to spend his remaining days in peaceful retirement. Can the two of them ever learn to coexist?
Coming out on July 22nd, Side Quests will be published in a traditional manga style of black and white newsprint.
In August, Cosmic Lion Manga returns to the second volume of its first title, the popular WebToon series Half of the Crown, created by Ro Higashi:
When Penny Chiu, a girl haunted by the unseen world, is invited to a new school, she didn’t expect to be sharing a space with the standoffish yet kind Issei Devlin, much less her soul; however, their bond might be the deciding factor in an ancient conflict as it finally comes to a head.
The first volume of Half of the Crown was previously available through Diamond Comic Distributors, and will be available again in time for the release of Volume 2.
All the titles will be available via Lunar, Universal and Diamond UK.
