HarperCollins Doubles Down On Manga Ahead Of Comic-Con
In a major, pre-San Diego Comic-Con announcement, U.S. publisher HarperCollins has revealed its imminent acquisition of anime/manga company Crunchyroll’s publishing operations in France and Germany. HarperCollins is the second-largest consumer-book publisher in the world, and with this move will significantly expand its portfolio of manga properties.
In the days leading up to the 2024’s San Diego Comic-Con, HarperCollins announced that it would expand its HarperAlley imprint—launched in 2020 to publish graphic novels aimed at children—to include adult graphic novels, manga, and manhwa. Of the Crunchyroll deal, HarperCollins CEO and President Brian Murray, said—
As the only major western publisher operating in Japan, this acquisition strengthens our expertise and capabilities in this fast-growing category. This is a significant step toward broadening the HarperCollins manga program around the world, not only in the Europe, but the English language markets as well.
Who is Crunchyroll, and Do You Really Have to Ask?
Crunchyroll is a major player in the anime market, in the United States and abroad. Founded in 1994 as Funimation, it was originally intended to be a production company. Its first major hit series, Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z, became a major hit on Cartoon Network’s Toonami late-night programming block, which focuses on anime and American action series. In 2002, it became the exclusive home-video distributor for 4Kids, a deal that included distribution rights to Yu-gi-Oh!, Cubix, Cabbage Patch Kids, and others. Sonic X and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles joined the lineup shortly thereafter.
Crunchyroll’s on-demand over-the-top video streaming service debuted in 2006, initially as a pirate site but soon distributing licensed programming. Currently, Crunchyroll’s streaming service offers more than a thousand anime shows, including popular titles like Dandadan, Attack on Titan, Black Clover, Naruto, Given, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, among others, and has more than seventeen million subscribers.
Crunchyroll Manga, a digital manga anthology, launched in 2013 to provided readers with English-language editions of popular Japanese manga. Later in 2025, Crunchyroll will release a digital Crunchyroll Manga app.
It remains to be seen whether HarperCollins will release Crunchyroll Manga titles in print in the United States or Europe, but the mammoth publisher’s investment in manga is a sure sign that the popularity and influence of anime and manga is only continuing to spread.
