Manga Studio 3.0 debuts; software publisher partners with Tokyopop

Posted: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Posted By: Shaun Manning

e frontier Announces Manga Studio 3.0 and Partnership with TOKYOPOP Inc.
Software Allows Artists to Create Digital Manga and Comics

Press Release

e frontier announces therelease of Manga Studio 3.0, a manga and comic book creation softwareprogram designed for aspiring and professional artists. Manga Studiocontains everything needed to create high-quality, manga-style comicswithout the use of other graphic software. e frontier is partnering withTOKYOPOP, the #1 publisher of manga in the U.S, to release Manga Studio 3.0 in the United States.

Some of the features included in Manga Studio 3.0 are the software'slarge selection of screen tones, single-click special effects, drag anddrop tools, word balloons and floating palettes. Once the manga or comicartwork is completed, it can be printed from any computer, sent to aservice bureau for publishing, formatted for the Web or exported forcoloring. Manga Studio was originally created in Japan as Comic Studioand has become the #1 selling manga software in Japan and worldwide.

Two versions of the software are available; Manga Studio DEBUT, for theaspiring artist or hobbyist and Manga Studio EX for those that requireexpert tools and professional results in one software package.

TOKYOPOP manga is now appearing in the Sunday comic section of manymajor US and international newspapers such as the LA Times, the DetroitNews and the Vancouver Sun. Beginning this summer, 30 newspapers in theUS and Canada will be begin a TOKYOPOP manga series titled, Van VonHunter, which is created with Manga Studio.Ron Kaulfersch, creator of Van Von Hunter said, "Manga Studio hasgiven me the chance to experiment and refine my manga toning techniqueswithout having to invest the time, expense and effort of working withtraditional hand-applied screen tones."

Some of the features of Manga Studio DEBUT and EX include:

Professional Screen Tones
Manga Studio allows artists to easily add, remove or replace tones.Manga Studio DEBUT contains over 1,800 tones and Manga Studio EX hasover 3,000 screen tones!

Digital Pen Tablets Allows Intuitive Drawing Results
The subtleties of drawing on paper are created with Manga Studio and pentablet (sold separately).

Multiple File Formats Supported
Manga Studio 3.0 can support a variety of image file formats includingBMP, JPEG and PSD. Original line art can be drawn by the artist,scanned-in or imported from other programs.

Artistic Control and Freedom
The large quantity of features and tools in the software make individualcreative techniques and treatments possible. Text and word balloons areeasily created and edited.

Built-in Page Templates
Over 80 templates provide an enormous collection of pre-defined sizesfor getting started quickly, including four-panel manga and multiplepostcard templates.

Additional Features of Manga Studio EX:

Vector Images
Original drawings in Manga Studio 3.0 EX are stored asresolution-independent vector images which can be resized whileretaining maximum image quality. Raster to Vector Conversion makes itpossible to export bitmap drawings to vector images. The software'svector-based native format can be written to JPEG, BMP, PNG, TGA and PSDfiles as well as output to a printer.

Create Images from Photos and Images
The 2D Line Tone Rendering feature automatically converts images anddigital photos to lines and tones.

Import 3D Figures, Models and Backgrounds
The 3D Line Tone Rendering can import 3D object data files (LWO, OBJ,DXF, LWS) for easy three-dimensional modeling and backgrounds.

The Action Palette
The Action Palette was designed to save time and tedious effort byorganizing multiple step operations into single-click commands for quickresults.

Custom Tools Palette
Frequently used tools and menu commands can be saved in custom palettesfor easy access and uniformity.

Automatically Smoothes Lines
SHD (Super High Density) Technology corrects and adjusts shakyhand-drawn lines, provides automatic anti-aliasing, smoothes jaggedlines and other imperfections in images for the ultimate clean,professional look.

e frontier's CEO, Hiroshi Sato, said, "We are very excited to beoffering the number one manga software program to the Western markets.It is a very timely release as manga is becoming very popular in the USand Europe. This release also further shows our commitment to thedigital artist and the art and graphic markets."

TOYKOPOP Editorial Director, Jeremy Ross said, "We are proud to partnerwith e frontier in bringing this essential software package to the US.TOKYOPOP is committed to nurturing a new generation of manga artists andoffering careers in creating manga that were never before availableoutside of Asia. Manga Studio is a valuable tool for aspiring mangaartists to learn their craft and develop professional skills. Many ofour artists use it. As we move into the digital age of manga, not onlyin print publication but online and on cell phones, Manga Studio filesgive us the greatest quality, flexibility and compatibility forprofessional multi-format publication."

Availability and Pricing:

Electronic downloads of Manga Studio 3.0 are now available in Windowsformat with boxes available by the end of mid Feb 2006. The Macintoshversion of Manga Studio 3.0 is due to be released in late Feb. 2006.Manga Studio can be purchased at reseller stores.

Pricing of Manga Studio 3.0 is as follows:

Manga Studio DEBUT: $49.99 (USD)

Manga Studio EX: $299.99 (USD)

For a limited time, Manga Studio EX upgrades are available for $199.99to existing users of Poser and Shade direct from e frontier.

Educational users can purchase Manga Studio EX for $99.99 and MangaStudio Debut for $29.99 thru authorized academic resellers.

Manga, comic and anime related web sites may sign up for e frontier'saffiliate program at www.e-frontier.com/go/affiliate.

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