Square Enix has partnered with Penguin Random House to launch Comic Partner, an initiative promoting manga in bookstores nationwide.

Comic Partner is available to retailers enrolled in the Penguin Random House Direct Partnership Program. The initiative includes in-store promotional materials, early access to new manga, and store manager education. “We’re committed to helping comic shop retailers who are interested in expanding to carry more manga and build those communities in their stores through this partnership,” says Morgan Perry, Marketing Manager, Square Enix Manga and Books. As part of the launch, Comic Partner retailers will receive On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance, Vol. 1 and Love in the Palm of His Hand, Vol. 1. as free advance galleys.

Manga and anime power sales of toys and collectibles. Chainsaw Man, a wildly popular anime, has been licensed by Funko, Jazwares, Bandai Namco, and BoxLunch. The program launches next month. The manga market will surpass $1 billion in revenue this year and is expected to exceed $3 billion by 2030.

“While we’re seeing significant market growth for manga among Western audiences, our retailers have expressed challenges with overwhelming options and knowledge gaps,” says Perry. “With the Comic Partner initiative, our aim is to make it easier for our comic shop partners to unlock the potential of manga sales by curating great content for them, providing marketing support, and educating sales associates about this art form — after all, manga are comics.”

Square Enix develops, publishes, licenses, and distributes manga in the Americas. The company’s portfolio includes popular video games Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Space Invaders. Final Fantasy has sold more than 200 million units, while Dragon Quest has sold more than 94 million units. 

For more information about Square Enix, visit square-enix-books.com. Interested retailers should contact their Penguin Random House account representative to participate in the program.