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Shoto Press Graphic Novels Delayed

Posted: Thursday, September 25
By: Markisan Naso

Shoto Press, a small press imprint specializing in speculative fiction and graphic novels, recently announced that retailers who placed orders for their titles, The Golden Vine and The Ghost of Silver Cliff, via Diamond Comic Distributors' May Previews catalog will be notified shortly of an Order Adjustment for their original orders.

Due to unexpectedly high demand for both titles via direct sales and book trade wholesalers, Shoto Press has had to obtain additional inventory for the books in order to meet Diamond's orders. Shoto's inventory takes time to replenish due to the press's use of an overseas printer, a relationship Shoto plans to continue in order to maintain the high production values and low cost of its titles.

"For Shoto Press, it's a good sort of problem to have, that demand for our books from so many sources is so high, much higher than our original projections," said Shoto production manager and chief editor Ivan Chan.

"Nevertheless, we deeply regret any inconvenience to retailers and readers who ordered the book through Diamond. Predicting orders for titles is more art than science; regardless, our books are published to be read and treasured for the stories they contain and the quality of book design, not for scarcity."

Chan emphasized that the delay is not due to Diamond's ordering process: "We take full responsibility for the delay. Diamond has worked closely with us to resolve this situation and ensure that everyone who ordered these two books will get them."

Diamond's Order Adjustment will allow retailers to increase their original orders for both books between October 22 and 31, with anticipated ship dates in mid-November. Both books will retain their original Diamond order codes, MAY032409 for The Golden Vine (retail price $24.99) and MAY032410 for The Ghost of Silver Cliff (retail price $6.95).

The Golden Vine is an alternate history based on the empire of Alexander the
Great. It was written by Jai Sen and illustrated by three Japanese artists:Umeka Asayuki, Seijuro Mizu, and Shino Yotsumoto. The Golden Vine received wide exposure in all major online comics news and review media, due in part to the 2002 Eisner nomination of Sen's first Xeric award-winning graphic novel, Garlands of Moonlight, and its successful sequel, The Ghost of Silver Cliff.

Garlands of Moonlight and The Ghost of Silver Cliff are both part of Shoto Press's ten-book, folklore-inspired limited series, The Malay Mysteries, which has earned acclaim from esteemed critics such as Johanna Draper Carlson of Comics Worth Reading and library reviewer Kat Kan. The lead artist on The Malay Mysteries, Indonesian talent Rizky Wasisto Edi, was also nominated for a Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award.

Book stores, Amazon.com , and Shoto Press's online store (URL: www.shotopress.com/store.html) continue to have limited inventory of both books while the inventory levels for Diamond's anticipated order are arranged.