A Chat with Lena Atanassova, Editor-in-Chief of TOKYOPOP
by Rebecca Silverman,
Can you tell us a bit about your background in manga and comics? How did you join TOKYOPOP initially?
LENA ATANASSOVA: I've been a manga fan since childhood (anyone else remembers reading manga on the floor at Waldenbooks? haha) and have always been a big reader in general, with my favorite genres leaning toward fantasy, sci-fi, and romance. I've always known I wanted to get into a career involving books, and after graduating with a B.A. in English, gravitated toward the publishing industry. I started my career with an internship at Digital Manga Inc., and then worked as a freelance editor for several years with various clients, including Aniplex of America.
Attending anime conventions is something I enjoy both professionally and as a fan, and during Anime Expo 2017, I was browsing the exhibit hall seeking merch and connections both… leading me to the TOKYOPOP booth and a chance meeting with the team there. Business cards were exchanged, we had some great conversations, and in 2018, I officially joined the TOKYOPOP team!
The LoveLove imprint is unusual in that it strives to put a variety of romance flavors and subgenres under a single banner. Was this your initial intent? How do you see LoveLove's inclusive brand as different from imprints that specifically only publish one subgenre of romance (BL, yuri, hetero, etc.)? What do you hope readers will take from this approach?
ATANASSOVA: This was indeed the initial intent and vision for the brand from the very beginning. Our team is very passionate about inclusivity and has a wide range of our own interests, of course; we had been having conversations about the way that certain genres are shelved together and others are separated, and the idea of “the Romance genre” being associated most strongly with a heterosexual couple is something we'd all noticed. LGBTQ+ romances are presented as separate from the overall Romance umbrella. We wanted to change that.
Of course, readers need to understand what kind of book they're picking up, and we follow basic practices for the industry like BISAC codes and more specific genre information on the back of the books; I would consider these something like a subgenre, within the broader genre of Romance. (I will note that, as of this writing, the BISAC code for Manga–Romance functions under the assumption that if there is no BL or GL code attached, it must necessarily be a heterosexual story.)
Once we started exploring the idea of inclusivity based on the type of main couple featured in the story, we also realized that there are so many different subgenres that are also romances. Romantasy (romance/fantasy) is obviously one that's been rising to significant prominence lately, but there's also romance in a horror setting, in a sci-fi setting — anywhere people connect. The LoveLove imprint is meant to be something that evolves and expands, and our hope for readers is that they will always be able to find something that speaks to them.
Is there any representation you'd like to see increased in translated manga? For example, there are fewer overtly asexual romances or yuri omegaverse titles – is this because they don't exist or because fewer publishers are willing to take a chance on them? How much does publisher reticence affect what gets licensed?
ATANASSOVA: Absolutely, there's so much room for more representation in the industry. I would love to see an increased offering of manga with asexual characters, especially lead characters – romance manga with those types of characters, specifically, but also other types of manga/comics/media in general. I think “incidental” representation is also so important and humanizing. The human experience is vast; no one can possibly represent everything at once, but the goal is to keep pushing for more and more representation of all kinds, be it on the main character stage or in the background (both, ideally!). The same goes for other types of characters and relationships we don't see much of, such as trans and gender nonconforming characters, bi/pan characters, disabled characters, characters with visibly darker skin tones, positive representations of BDSM communities, and polyamorous relationships.
The question of how much publisher reticence affects licensing vs what is available is a tricky one. In the manga industry specifically, where a large percentage of the content comes from Japan, there is a certain reliance on what is being published there that limits what is available. However, that's not to say that I don't believe these types of stories are being created. With the increasing ease of self-publishing online and the thriving fan communities making their appetite for variety clear, there's a huge amount of creative new stories that people are making and reading. There seems to be more content, more easily accessible than ever before.
When it comes to the release of physical manga and comic books, which is still where the majority of sales come from in the U.S., there are necessarily physical costs involved. As more and more reader interest moves into the digital sphere, I think there will be an opportunity for new stories considered “risky” traditionally to thrive, since the risk will be lower. Also, publishers have to keep in mind that longer series are more difficult to keep readers engaged in; buyer drop-off in later volumes can be significant. This also affects publisher decisions when it comes to licensing content.
I think the problem, then, is twofold: U.S. publishers that rely on strictly licensed content are limited by what's published and popular in the catalogs of their publishing partners overseas, while at the same time, there's an impossibly large amount of (free or low-cost) content online that's very difficult to keep up with. I'll take a small side note here to say that this is why it's so important for fan communities to send recommendations and make their interests and expectations of publishers clear.
We all benefit from the increased community! (Omegaverse yuri recommendations, anyone?)
Speaking of, what are your thoughts on omegaverse? There's definitely been an uptick in manga, manhwa, and webtoons using that as a setting. What do you think it brings to the table for readers?
ATANASSOVA: I'm a fan! The omegaverse setting offers a unique way to explore relationships and societal issues, such as gender roles, marginalization, and class inequality. Within the consistent rules of this universe, readers can think about real-world problems through these established fantasy politics and character dynamics.
Also, let's be honest - there's a strong element of kink and desire here too, wrapped up in a setting that can be far enough removed from the real world to allow people to enjoy and explore these parts of themselves through fiction. While there are definitely stories that focus on the politics and societal issues in the omegaverse genre, many creators use the world in shorthand style, knowing readers will understand the background setting so that they can focus on the specific character relationship and explore kinks common within this subgenre.
The success of omegaverse content is also a great example of fan communities directly affecting what's getting published. Omegaverse has been thriving in the realms of fanfiction and fanart for years, and fan excitement, suggestions, and support are the reason it's a thriving subgenre now. (Side note: I hear you, cakeverse fans! I know you're out there too!)
Alongside the LoveLove line, TOKYOPOP has a few other imprints dedicated to specific groups, like Comics That Matter and International Women of Manga. Can you tell us a bit about those imprints and where you'd like to see them go in the future?
ATANASSOVA: As TOKYOPOP has grown and we continue to listen to what readers and fan communities want, the company has necessarily gone through some changes. One of these was a realization that International Women of Manga, which was founded out of a sincere desire to uplift women creators (especially those making manga outside of Japan), was actually a bit more limiting in concept than where the goals of the company have landed now. As of this writing, there are no plans to continue publishing under the IWOM imprint. This does not mean our commitment to supporting women and other marginalized creators has lessened in any way, only that, as an imprint, IWOM has been reimagined.
Instead, the Comics That Matter collection is a term we're using to highlight stories we think have a broader significance in what they're saying about society. This isn't an official imprint as of this writing, but rather an initiative (intended to be more inclusive and flexible) that allows for increased visibility of these books on our webpage and marketing materials. Examples of books within this collection are the nonfiction manga Why I Adopted My Husband: The true story of a gay couple seeking legal recognition in Japan and At 30, I Realized I Had No Gender. There are also fiction books in this collection, including A Smart and Courageous Child, which examines the fears and hopes of an expectant mother, and PEREMOHA: Victory for Ukraine, an anthology is a collection created by Ukrainian artists during the first weeks of the Russian invasion.
My hope is that the future of Comics That Matter sees this collection evolving to contain more timely stories by a wider variety of artists and writers. I would especially like to publish more nonfiction manga or comicalized accounts of real events. Manga and comics offer readers a way to explore complex and thought-provoking content in a generally more accessible and engaging format. Nonfiction books, in particular, are often seen as dry or less enjoyable, especially for readers who typically prefer fiction. By using manga to present nonfiction or tackle challenging real-world topics, we aim to provide a way for readers to connect with the material they might not otherwise engage with if it were presented in a traditional format.
At one point, TOKYOPOP's reputation with readers wasn't particularly good. What would you say to those readers who still remember the end of the previous era? How is TOKYOPOP working to maintain reader trust?
ATANASSOVA: To those readers, I will honestly say: I was a big TOKYOPOP fan growing up, and I remember the rocky ending of the previous era. As editor-in-chief of 'TOKYOPOP 2.0,' I'm doing my best to come from a place of understanding as a manga fan myself. I hope that my own background and passion for manga – and storytelling in media in general – will be some reassurance that our team cares very deeply about the stories we publish, and we value readers' opinions, suggestions, and respect and understand their past frustration. I want to make our readers feel heard. During panels and interviews, I always ask for fan feedback and suggestions, and I can sincerely say these suggestions are examined and considered by the team. For example, we've heard feedback from our fan community that we need to focus on improving our communication with readers, and the company is taking significant steps toward tackling that problem in the new year.
A majority of the TOKYOPOP team are fans who have grown up reading manga and comics, watching anime, and participating in fan communities. My goal is to continue growing the company in this same way: with a focus on heart and passion, and a commitment to diversifying our team as well as the stories we publish. I'd also like to reassure readers that we will not be licensing any series we aren't 100% committed to seeing through to the end. While I can't see the future (I wish!) or make sweeping guarantees that nothing will ever go wrong, I want to say that I'm absolutely committed to publishing the series we represent with integrity and dedication to the very best of our ability.
What is it about comics (be they manga, manhwa, webtoons, or anything else) that you love?
ATANASSOVA: As I mentioned, I've always been in love with reading. I was glued to books as a child from as soon as I could read, and with the increasing popularity of manga, soon included these in my reading repertoire. Being able to experience new worlds, see through the eyes of characters unlike yourself, and think about ideas that you wouldn't have come up with on your own are all included in the joy of reading (and, more broadly, interacting with media and art). It's that joy and wonder that I love about books – and manga is no exception.
Manga, comics, webtoons, and similar formats are often more accessible than traditional novels today. That isn't to say I think it's “better” to read one or the other – I just mean that in a world where most of us are strapped for time, being able to experience the joy of reading in a shorter and more accessible format is a great thing. The unique strength of manga and comics lies in their visual nature, blending art and writing to create a rich experience where readers can appreciate both. A lot can be conveyed through body language and expression, resonating with people on a fundamental level. Additionally, the art-driven format of these mediums helps overcome language barriers, making them easier to translate and accessible to learners of new languages.
For a lot of people, the world is a scary place right now, and many don't feel seen or like they're free to be their authentic selves. How do you think the LoveLove and Comics That Matter lines can help reassure readers? Is that too much to ask of our entertainment reading?
ATANASSOVA: The concept behind both LoveLove and Comics That Matter stems from a desire to highlight diverse perspectives and topics that resonate with readers on a deeply human level. This doesn't mean our books carry some grand, lofty significance. Rather, we aim to meet readers where they are, offering content they want, expect, and can enjoy—content that reflects them and allows them to see themselves in the stories, fostering a sense of authenticity both in the book and within themselves. Earlier, I spoke about the importance of incidental representation. The more we include people from all walks of life in media, storytelling, and art, the more we normalize the varied experiences that make up the world around us. Entertainment has the power to provide comfort during tough times, acting as a mirror to the world and allowing readers to process their feelings or digest reality through fiction. It also offers a joyful escape, something to look forward to.
While entertainment may not directly solve the world's problems, it certainly has the potential to be a tool for understanding and a source of solace during difficult moments.
If you could leave one lasting legacy for the manga publishing world (or TOKYOPOP in particular), what would you want that to be? Why?
ATANASSOVA: My personal hope is that, someday, media as a whole (manga included, of course!) will be able to represent an even wider variety of human experiences and voices from all walks of life. I hope to see a willingness within the publishing industry to reach beyond the traditional categories readers expect and spark curiosity and interest in genres they might not have found before. I hope that my efforts in encouraging these types of conversations, pushing these boundaries, and creating visibility for underserved stories will help to open up those efforts and create more interest in the industry idk.
Where do you see TOKYOPOP going in the future? Are there any changes you'd like to see or foundations you'd like to shore up?
ATANASSOVA: As I mentioned earlier, I'd like to see TOKYOPOP continue expanding our catalog and offering a wider variety of content for readers. In recent years, our focus on growing LoveLove, with great support from readers, has unintentionally meant that other genres haven't received as much attention. To address this, we're increasing internal resources and bringing on team members with diverse interests to help us offer more variety. We also plan to dedicate more resources to developing original content. Personally, I'm committed to building a stronger fan community and guiding the company in a direction that supports this. Additionally, we're working to bring more exciting products directly to fans through our website, including exclusive merchandise.
Do you have a favorite title to recommend to our readers? (I know that's a tough question!)
ATANASSOVA: It is tough! I'll cheat a little and say I can narrow it down to a couple…
The first one is Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide, a boys' love series that follows two men on a journey around the world with plans to get married at the end of their travels. It's a delightful adventure for readers as well, offering glimpses of different cultures (and mouthwatering food!). The series also thoughtfully explores the challenges the couple faces in places that are less welcoming or safe for LGBTQ+ individuals. On a more uplifting note, they also visit areas where they experience greater acceptance, support, and the chance to meet other gay couples and gender-nonconforming people.
The second is the girls' love series Futaribeya, which holds a special place in my heart because it resonated with me on a deeply personal level (plus, it features the first bi-woman I've personally encountered in manga). It follows the relationship of two girls who become roommates and, over the years, continue to spend their days together as best friends, partners, and something deeper. Their connection is never explicitly labeled, which is part of what makes the story so beautiful. It offers a nuanced, thoughtful (and often relatable and funny) portrayal of how our lives intertwine with those closest to us, showing that labels aren't always necessary or even desired. To me, it's a comforting and realistic story about two people who love each other deeply, without caring what others think or feel the need to explain their relationship to the world.
Thanks for talking with us, and we're wishing you all the best in your new position!
ATANASSOVA: Thanks so much, Rebecca! It's been a pleasure. I look forward to the future of TOKYOPOP and would like to extend a big, heartfelt THANK YOU to our readers throughout the years!
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