Tokyopop recently announced that Lena Atanassova, the former LoveLove imprint Brand Editor, will be taking on the role of Editor in Chief. In her new position, Atanassova will oversee the editorial team, manage the production of all titles, and work on expanding Tokyopop’s catalog to include horror, manhwa, and webtoon-originated titles. Additionally, she will be responsible for overseeing the production of manga and graphic novels based on licensed IP from companies like Disney and Ubisoft.
Atanassova has been with Tokyopop since 2018 and played a key role in the establishment of the LoveLove imprint in 2020, which focuses on romance stories, including both straight and LGBTQ+ narratives.
This announcement comes on the heels of Tokyopop’s recent sales and distribution agreement with Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS), set to begin on January 1, 2025. This partnership will see PRHPS distributing Tokyopop’s entire frontlist and backlist across all sales channels worldwide.
Founded in 1997 by Stu Levy, Tokyopop, originally known as Mixx, made a name for itself by publishing manga in its Mixxzine magazine. Over the years, Tokyopop has been a pioneer in the manga industry, introducing the concept of “unflipped” manga and establishing divisions in the UK and Germany. While the North American publishing operations were shut down in 2011, Tokyopop continued to collaborate with other companies to release manga and world manga.
The company made headlines in 2015 when it announced plans to resume publishing manga in 2016, eventually revealing new manga licenses in 2018. With Atanassova at the helm as the new Editor in Chief, Tokyopop is poised to continue its legacy of bringing diverse and engaging manga and graphic novels to readers worldwide.
