Comic Yoshimoto Indefinitiely Suspends Publication

Comic Yoshimoto Indefinitiely Suspends Publication

Shinbunka reports entertainment agency Yoshimoto Kogyo's first of a kind manga effort Comic Yoshimoto will suspend publication indefinitely from the 7th issue to be released on September 18th. As we reported back on January 16th, the agency announced it was "making a raid on the manga field". On January 4th president Isao Yoshino gave a speach at the Swiss hotel Namhae Osaka where the new Comic Yoshimoto magazine was announced. 20-25 different serials all penned by professional mangaka were to be published therein. Plots were based around member celebrities of the agency such as former wrestler Razor Ramon (HG - Hard Gay) (inncidently Go Nagai (Cutey Honey) illustrated his serial). The circulation was a twice a month affair (released on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday) with a 320 Yen pricetag. 250,000 debut issues were printed and released on June 19. The sales network consisted of bookstores and convenience stores nationwide. Subsidiary Yoshimoto Books was formed in March established by existing publisher "Crocodilian Books". Isao Takenaka of PR mag Monthly Yoshimoto served as editor and chief. President Yoshino planned to have the company invest 500 million Yen on the project. The target demographic was men 20-40-years old. Although their official position is "no comment" at this time, declining sales are said to have contributed to the apparant end of the magazine. Although 250,000 #1 issues were printed up only around 30% of that number were actually sold upon release. Afterwards the circulation was scaled down to 135,000 per issue and towards the end Yoshimoto was only seeing sales of 10-20,000 copies per issue.