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Viz Media Ready for San Diego Comic-Con

Viz Media has quite a lot on tap for the San Diego Comic-Con this year as they intend to have a sizeable presence within the show.

With this year being the 5th anniversary of their Shonen Jump Magazine as well as the 40th Anniversary of Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan, they're pushing a number of properties that are featured in those particular releases. The biggest of them is likely to be the appearance by Tite Kubo at the convention as he rarely makes personal appearances anywhere, never mind the US itself. Kubo is set to do two one-hour signings on Saturday the 26th at 10:00 AM and 3:30 PM. The signings are very limited with only a hundred persons for each event. The first 50 fans who purchase a BLEACH item from the VIZ Media retail area each day from Wednesday through Saturday will each receive a special shikishi signing board and ticket as gifts. These gifts will qualify fans to attend one of the signing periods and receive an autograph from Kubo himself.

The convention isn't all about Bleach though, from what Viz Media says, as they're also looking to really introduce people to one of the better manga series out there with the September release of Slam Dunk. There are undisclosed games and events being prepared to promote the release of the manga but the ones that are being trumpeted right now is the appearance by NBA play Greg Oden of the Portland Trailblazers on Sunday from noon to 1:00 p.m for a signing. Two Los Angeles Laker Girls who will also be spending simt at the Viz Media booth on Friday between 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM.

Viz Media is also going to be running a number of panel discussions throughout the convention, such as a Shonen Jump specific panel on Friday as well as one dedicated to their Shojo Beat magazine on Saturday. A more generalized panel is set for Friday which will deal with their overall manga and anime-line-up. 

“This year’s Comic-Con International is especially significant for VIZ Media as 2008 marks the 40^th Anniversary of Japan’s best-selling manga anthology, Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, as well as the 5^th Anniversary of the widely-read North American counterpart, SHONEN JUMP, and we are excited to celebrate these double milestones,” says Evelyn Dubocq, Sr. Director, Public Relations. "VIZ Media will present a captivating array of fun activities, discussions, in-person appearances and product exclusives that will make each day of this year’s show a truly memorable event for new as well as veteran fans!”