(Press Release) San Francisco, CA, May 5, 2015 – Coming right after news of NARUTO manga (graphic novel) creator Masashi Kishimoto’s first international appearance outside of Japan, set to take place at the 2015 New York Comic-Con, VIZ Media has announced several forthcoming new NARUTO titles that longtime fans and readers will not want to miss.

VIZ Media and ReedPOP, the organizers of the New York Comic Con, will welcome Kishimoto sensei for a very special series of appearances at the massive pop culture convention that will take place October 8^th-11^th at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media) is the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America. The company is the master North American licensor for the incredibly influential ninja action property, publishing the bestselling NARUTO manga series as well as distributing the popular NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime series and related feature films.

The NARUTO manga series finale, Volume 72, will be released in print and also digitally in October, and brings the long-running ninja action adventure to its thrilling conclusion. Following its release, VIZ Media also will offer fans UZUMAKI NARUTO: ILLUSTRATIONS, a new softcover art book set to be released in November showcasing the artwork and characters from the manga series’ concluding story arc.

November 2015 sees the debut of NARUTO: KAKASHI’S STORY, the first of three new NARUTO prose novels focusing on key characters from the series that will be complemented by original cover illustrations from Masashi Kishimoto. The other two novels include NARUTO: SHIKAMARU’S STORY, set for release in February 2016, and NARUTO: SAKURA’S STORY, which is scheduled for release in May 2016. VIZ Media will release the third and final NARUTO comprehensive manga box set in January 2016.

“Masashi Kishimoto and his seminal series forever changed the manga landscape, and NARUTO has become one of the world’s most successful entertainment properties, with millions of passionate international fans,” says Andy Nakatani, Editor in Chief, WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP. “We’re very proud to welcome him for his first ever professional appearance in North America at the 2015 New York Comic-Con, an event that will coincide with the eagerly anticipated release of the final volume of the manga series. And there’s plenty more NARUTO excitement in store with the brand new spin-off serial NARUTO: THE SEVENTH HOKAGE AND THE SCARLET SPRING, running currently in WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP, as well as an upcoming illustration book, three novels, and the third and final manga box set!”

NARUTO, Vol. 72 ·

Rated ‘T’ for Teens · Print MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN; Digital MSRP: $6.99 · Available October 2015  

The peace following Kaguya’s defeat is short-lived as Sasuke tries to take total control. Can Naruto change his old friend’s mind and bring true peace to the ninja world in the final volume of NARUTO?

UZUMAKI NARUTO: ILLUSTRATIONS ·

Print MSRP: $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN · Available November 2015  

Experience Masashi Kishimoto’s artwork in all of its colorful glory in this collection of images from the conclusion of the best-selling Naruto manga! Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi and all your favorite characters appear in nearly a hundred pages of gorgeous full-color images. The book also features commentary from creator Masashi Kishimoto, a beautiful double-sided poster and a sticker sheet!

NARUTO: KAKASHI’S STORY (Novel) ·

Print MSRP: $10.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN · Available November 2015 

A year has passed since the Fourth Great Ninja War, and Kakashi’s appointment to Hokage looms. But first he heads to the Land of Waves for a dangerous mission rescuing hostages from a top-secret airship. There he confronts a ninja whose heart is frozen by tragedy. Having lost both his friend’s eye and his greatest abilities, can Kakashi really protect anyone? What is the true meaning of the will of fire gained in the distant heavens? Kakashi finds these answers and more as he opens the door to a new ninja era.

NARUTO MANGA BOX SET Vol. 3 ·

PRINT MSRP: $185.99 U.S. / $214.99 CAN · Available January 2016

The third and final NARUTO Box Set contains the thrilling conclusion to one of the most popular manga series of all time. The set features volumes 49-72 at a substantial savings over buying them individually, along with exclusive premiums.

Author/artist Masashi Kishimoto was born in 1974 in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Like many of his peers, he was first inspired to become a manga artist in elementary school when he read Akira Toriyama’s DRAGON BALL series. After spending time at art school, Kishimoto won the Hop Step Award for new manga artists with his story, Karakuri. After considering various genres for his next project, he decided on a story steeped in traditional Japanese culture. His first version of NARUTO, drawn in 1997, was a one-shot story about fox spirits; his final version, which debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, quickly became the most popular ninja manga in the world. The series also spawned multiple anime series, movies, novels, video games and more. Having concluded the series in late 2014, Masashi Kishimoto has kept himself busy this year with a new side story NARUTO: THE SEVENTH HOKAGE AND THE SCARLET SPRING and writing the latest NARUTO anime feature film, both of which will focus on the title character’s son, Boruto.

Additional information on NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN is available at www.Naruto.com.

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