KH: There's definitely some great Korean entertainment out there, movies like Old Boy and so on.
I personally feel like every manga is unique, that it has a heart of its own. So I focus on that, more than where it was created. Are there differences between manga and manhwa? Absolutely. But there's differences between various kinds of manga produced in Japan.
And there's no point in saying one is better than the other – neither one is better than the other. I think that you have creators who put their heart into their work, and you have to appreciate that regardless of where they're from.
Q: So speaking of creators putting their heart into their work, I noticed that you're a manga creator yourself. (Hassler is the author of Sokora Refugees, published by TokyoPop.) With so much on your plate, you're obviously one busy guy. Do you plan on continuing your manga series?
KH: Yes, actually. I've completed Sokora Refugees and the artist is finishing up the final volume. I'm also looking at some other projects to work on in the future.
Q: Yen Press has a few exciting OEL manga projects on tap, including, a new series by Svetlana Chmakova (creator of Dramacon). Can you tell me a little more about that?
KH: When we announced Yen, Judy Hansen approached us about the project. I've been a fan of Svet's since the early days. I did one of the first online reviews of Dramacon when it came out. So when we had an opportunity to work with her, we were all over it.
We've got the core concept done, and she's working on third volume of Dramacon. Once that's done, we roll into full-on production of Night School. The goal is to have Night School debut as part of our anthology magazine next summer.
Q: One thing that Japanese publishers do to nurture new talent is they have talent searches. Is that something Yen Press will do as well?
KH: Yes, absolutely. I've had discussions with Ju-Youn and she thinks it's an absolute necessity. And we're considering proposals all the time.
Q: So to close here, are there any particular titles from Yen Press' lineup that you'd like to draw attention to, that you'd most like readers to pick up?
KH: The whole list! I have to say I love our initial list, and every book has something going for it. With The Light is very new and different and worth looking at.
The titles we're publishing with Square Enix, Zombie-Loan, Spiral, Black God, Alice on Deadlines are all fantastic titles. Readers have been waiting anxiously for more work from Square Enix. Spiral is one that fans have been eager to read for a while now, and as a fan of that series, I can't wait to put it out there.
Zombie-Loan is the latest from Peach-Pit. Peach-Pit has a lot of dedicated fans in this country and this is something that's very different for them. Honestly, I think that’s going to be one of the biggest titles to be released this year. I can't endorse it highly enough.
-----------------Get a sneak peek at the new and upcoming manga from Yen Press in our Yen Press preview gallery.
