Penguin Random House unveils Inklore, a new imprint aimed at bringing manga, manhua, and manhwa to western fans
The line will be overseen in the US by Vault Comics and Boom! Studios veteran Rebecca Taylor
Penguin Random House is getting into the manga business, with the announcement of a new imprint titled Inklore, created to publish manga, manhwa, and manhua — those last two are Korean and Chinese comics, respectively — as well as webcomics, light novels, and additional genre fiction.
The new imprint will be overseen by former Boom! Studios and Vault Comics editor Rebecca “Tay” Taylor, who’ll serve as the editorial director of the imprint in the U.S., with Kate McHale and Ben Brusey overseeing the line in the UK, where it will be part of Del Rey UK. Both U.S. and U.K. teams are actively acquiring titles for the imprint.
In a statement about the news, Taylor said, “At Inklore, we are building a new home for creators of emotionally rich, visually dynamic, and transportive stories from around the world. As an imprint of Random House Worlds, Inklore will offer creators a multitude of opportunities to connect with a voracious global audience. We welcome storytellers from all backgrounds whose stories rekindle the effortless pleasure of reading for fun.”
“Inklore is dedicated to connecting amazing storytellers and creators from around the world to a global community of readers,” added McHale in her own statement. “These are emotive and visually stunning stories that will transport you, captivate you and that you’ll want to share. We are hugely excited to be partnering with our talented US colleagues on this global venture, and building on our success with Del Rey UK. We cannot wait to publish the titles we have signed so far — as well as those to come.”
Inklore will launch with a romantic comedy from Japan called My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999, created by Mashiro, which is currently available in English via the digital app Mangamo. (The description of the series is genuinely wonderful: “Recently dumped, Akane is just about to quit the game she used to play with her boyfriend, when she meets Yamada in the same RPG. Yamada in real life turns out to be somewhat of a legend. The only problem is - he is only interested in the game. As Akane's feelings grow, will Yamada's focus stay on the game?”)
Additional launch titles include Cherry Blossoms After Winter by Bamwoo (available digitally on Tappytoon), Under the Oak Tree by Kim Suji (currently available digitally on Manta), and two non-Asian titles: Northern Lights, a Norwegian YA fantasy series by Malin Falch originally published under the name Nordlys, and The Heavens, a series of graphic novels co-created by Lev Grossman and Lilah Sturges set to debut in 2027.
The line will launch in early 2024, according to PRH.
Revisit the manga roundtable from San Diego Comic-Con 2022, featuring representatives from VIZ Media and Penguin Random House.
