30th Anniversary of "Voltron: Defender of the Universe" to Include New Book

VIZ MEDIA’S PERFECT SQUARE IMPRINT PREVIEWS SPECIAL VOLTRON® 30th ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE EDITION SET FOR FALL RELEASE

VOLTRON DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO – A 30th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Explores The History And Impact of The Classic ‘80s Sci-fi Animated Epic

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, marks the 30th Anniversary of the launch of VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE with the announcement of the upcoming release of a comprehensive new edition exploring the entire VOLTRON® universe and its notable impact on pop culture.

VOLTRON: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO, A 30th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION will be released in print on October 28th from the company’s Perfect Square imprint. The book will carry an MSRP of $29.99 U.S. / $34.99 CAN.

Thirty years ago, Voltron: Defender of the Universe hit the airwaves, and the world of pop culture hasn't been the same. Now, VOLTRON: FROM DAYS OF LONG AGO chronicles the story of VOLTRON and its cultural relevance, taking a detailed look at the story behind the show and the many related toy releases, the mythology of both Lion Force and Vehicle Voltron (with a nod to Albegas), and concludes the exciting Voltron Force saga. This new book is truly for fans, by fans: authored by Brian Smith, writer on Perfect Square's VOLTRON FORCE® series of original graphic novels, Marc Morrell, co-host of the popular "Let's Voltron!" podcast, and Joshua Bernard, founder of CollectionDX; with a comic written by Smith and illustrated by Jacob Chabot, illustrator of the VOLTRON FORCE series; and a foreward by Jeremy Corray.

“To celebrate VOLTRON's 30th, we wanted to do something really special,” says Traci Todd, Senior Editor. “There are so many fans out there, and we wanted to both honor their devotion and invite them to be part of this project. The book starts almost like a yearbook of fan memories and then dives right in with archival images, celebrity interviews, and an examination of the Voltron mythology that will blow your mind. Everyone who worked on this book is a huge Voltron fan. And we all hope you love Voltron: From Days of Long Ago as much as we love bringing it to you!”

VOLTRON® is a hugely successful brand that is recognized globally ever since it was introduced in the early 1980’s. VIZ Media’s Perfect Square imprint also publishes VOLTRON FORCE®, a full-color original graphic novel series that complements the animated series that airs on Nicktoons. The first season of VOLTRON FORCE debuted in 2011 and became the highest rated series premiere ever for the network. DreamWorks Animation has become the licensing agent for the Voltron brand and is planning a year-long celebration of Voltron’s 30th anniversary, launching in Fall 2014. Since the classic cartoon’s debut, related products have generated over $225 million in sales.

VOLTRON writer Brian Smith is a former Marvel Comics editor whose past credits include The Ultimates, Ultimate Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, and dozens of other comics. Smith is also the co-creator/writer behind the New York Times best-selling graphic novel The Stuff of Legend, and the writer/artist of all-ages comic The Intrepid Escape Goat.

Smith is also the illustrator of The Adventures of Daniel Boom AKA LOUDBOY!, named one of The Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youths 2009 by Booklist Online. His illustration clients include Time Out New York Magazine, Nickelodeon, MAD Kids Magazine, Harper Collins, Bongo Comics, Grosset & Dunlap, and American Greetings.

Marc Morrell is co-host of the "Let's Voltron!" podcast and head writer for ToonBarn.com

Joshua Bernard is the founder of CollectionDX, a site devoted to the best coverage of Japanese toys, action figures and pop culture.

Jacob Chabot is a New York City-based cartoonist and illustrator. His comics have appeared in publications such as Nickelodeon Magazine, Mad Magazine, Spongebob Comics, and various Marvel titles. He also illustrated Voltron Force: Shelter from the Storm and Voltron Force: True Colors for VIZ Media. His comic The Mighty Skullboy Army is published through Dark Horse and in 2008 was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Book for Teens. More examples of Jacob's work can be found at www.beetlebugcomics.com.

Additional information on VOLTRON FORCE or other graphic novel titles published by Perfect Square is available at www.PerfectSquare.com.

For more information on manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About Voltron®
In a galaxy plagued with chaos and evil, five robotic lions, piloted by a team of brave space explorers, combine to form the mighty robot hero, Voltron®. After blazing onto TV screens in 1984, Voltron: Defender of the Universe quickly became a top-rated animated series. The hit series inspired a best-selling toy line and made Voltron a pop-culture icon. An all-new 2D/CGI animated series, Voltron Force®, is currently airing in the U.S. on Nicktoons. Follow Voltron on Twitter @Voltron or join the official Voltron Facebook page at Facebook.com/VoltronOfficial for all the latest news.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.