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Media Blasters

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Media Blasters
Company typePrivate
IndustryManga
Anime
Asian Films
Adult Anime
Monster Movies
Concert Films
Independent Films
Horror Films
Exploitation Films
FoundedMay 5, 1997
FounderJohn Sirabella
Sam Liebowitz
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
United States
Number of employees
50[1]
Websitewww.media-blasters.com

Media Blasters is an American entertainment corporation founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz, based in New York City. It is in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American market manga and anime compilations, Asian films and television series, adult anime, monster movies, concert films, independent films, horror films and exploitation flms.

The company has been releasing translated anime and concert films since May 1997. The company first released adult anime. In 2004, Media Blasters began publishing manga. The company first published shōnen manga titles for older readers, and later so it increased its yaoi manga line.[2]

In early 2012, not long after Bandai Entertainment announced its restructuring plans, Media Blasters' John Sirabella announced the laying off of approximately ten employees, which reduced its workforce by about sixty percent. Sirabella has said that this will not affect production rates.[3] Digital distribution for Media Blasters' titles are available on PlayStation Network, Xbox, Netflix, and Vudu.

History

Founded in 1997, Media Blasters is a New York-based-company that has several divisions that target different aspects of the video market.[4] Media Blasters licenses works for release and is involved in the production, localizing, and distribution of works.[4] The Animeworks division was created in 1997, and focuses on localization and distribution of anime titles, but has also licensed non-anime works such as Invader Zim.[4][5] The adult label Kitty Media was also started in 1997 and features explicit hentai works. Created in 1998, Tokyo Shock is Media Blaster's Asian cinema division, which is responsible for American localization of works such as Zatoichi:The Blind Swordsman of the Zatoichi franchise.[4] Another division, Shriek Show, was founded in 2001 to focus on re-mastering horror titles for DVD release.[4]

At the height of its success, Media Blasters released around five titles a month and had about 50 employees, but as the market decreased so did the company. As of April 2012, the company was listed as dissolved by the New York Department of State.[1]

Divisions

Anime works

Anime Works is the label used for the bulk of anime titles including Kite, Moribito, Bakuman, and the first season of Ah! My Goddess. In addition, it also released the informative show Cosplay Encyclopedia in 1999, which showcased the world of cosplay for North American audiences.

Currently licensed

Formerly licensed

Kitty Media

Not to be confused with Kitty Films.

Kitty Media specializes in adult anime and pornographic films.[6] Kitty Media also specializes in films and anime series that contain scenes of rape and graphic sexuality as well as licensing the director's cut versions of Kite and Mezzo Forte. Its first release, and the first release by Media Blasters as a whole, was Rei-Lan: Orchid Emblem. Recently, the division began releasing some H-anime titles previously licensed by NuTech Digital, which lost the licenses because of royalty litigation as well as the Lady Ninja Kasumi series. Media Blasters also publishes both hentai and yaoi manga under the Kitty Media imprint. Kitty will continue to distribute releases online. It has also released several titles formerly released by Central Park Media's Anime18 imprint.

In 2011, Kitty Media entered a licensing partnership with Fakku to stream select titles, starting with Immoral Sisters.[7]

Currently licensed

Tokyo Shock

The Tokyo Shock label covers live action movies and television series from Japan and other Asian markets, such as several notable films from Toho Co. Ltd and the renowned Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd including but not limited to the following:

Shriek Show

The Shriek Show label handles obscure horror and exploitation films such as Ultimo mondo cannibale, Cannibal Holocaust, Grizzly, Day of the Animals, Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell, The Anthropophagus Beast, La notte del terrore, 1981's Scream, and Zombi 2.

Fever Dreams LLC

Fever Dreams specializes in original films such as:

References

  1. ^ a b "Pardon the Interruption for a message!". Media Blasters. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  2. ^ Cha, Kai-Ming (March 13, 2007). "Media Blasters Drops Shonen; Adds Yaoi". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  3. ^ "Media Blasters Lays Off 60% of Staff". Anime News Network. January 10, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Media Blasters History". Media Blasters. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  5. ^ "Media Blasters Acquires Invader Zim". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  6. ^ Patten, Fred (July 1998). "The Anime 'Porn' Market". Animation World Magazine. 3 (4): 27–29. Retrieved 3 June 2011. Also available here and here (PDF version of the issue).
  7. ^ Jacob Grady (2011). "Kitty Media Partnership, Immoral Sisters Streaming Press Release". Retrieved 2011-07-23.
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