Jungle Emperor Leo Face Cushion

PREVIEWSworld recently announced that Tezuka Productions has signed a deal for Diamond Comic Distributors to distribute its comics, toys, T-shirts and a variety of other merchandise worldwide outside of Japan.

“Tezuka Osamu often said that manga and animation were just like the international auxiliary language of Esperanto, which increases understanding of peoples around the world, “said Mr. Yoshihiro Shimizu, Tezuka Productions’ General Manager. “Now his words and stories can be more broadly known as TEZUKA and fans around the world can connect with and enjoy their beloved characters more easily. I take off my hat to the skilled Asian craftsmen who make such excellent Japanese pop-culture goods and encourage retailers and fans to obtain those products through the thousands of stores in Diamond Comic Distributors’ global network.”

“Fans have enjoyed the stories of the many character creations of Tezuka for decades,” said John Parker, Diamond’s VP of Business Development. “Now, Diamond has collected the many products for Astro Boy, Black Jack, Jungle Emperor, and the many others into a broad program that will satisfy those fans and collectors for many years. We are excited to bring the many products for these famous characters to the vast number of fans in countries outside Japan that have previously had only limited access to these national treasures.”

A list of product offerings, which can be pre-ordered now at your local comic shop and will start to ship in February 2013, can be found on www.toychestnews.com.