Nowadays, there is a self-titled manga series that has consistently charted on USA Today and Bookscan's best-seller lists and it comes in the form of Naruto.  Written and drawn by Masashi Kishimoto, it is presently one of the most popular offerings on the Cartoon Network.  Like other famed series, the craze just doesn't end there as clothing, toys, collectible card games, video games and other Naruto items now flood the market.

In line with the Naruto craze, Viz Media, publishers of the manga and anime, has raised the stakes significantly with the launch of Naruto Nation. The campaign, which includes the release of three new volumes of the hit series, coincides with the Japanese release schedule and attempts to accommodate fans clamoring for more Naruto.

"All the fans want to get caught up.  They want to get as much Naruto as possible," Viz Media's senior vice president of marketing, Liza Coppola, said.  "This is our chance to give the fans what they want and ... get caught up to what's already been out in Japan."

As reported previously, volumes 16 to 18 has already been released last week.  For the rest of the volumes, here is the release schedule:

October 2007 – volumes 19 to 21
November 2007 – volumes 22 to 24
December 2007 – volumes 25 to 27

Naruto has become one of Viz Media's most successful manga properties in terms of sales.  The series, which centers on the adventures of a young boy who trains to become a ninja, has sold more than 72 million copies in Japan since Shueisha Inc. began publishing the manga in 1999.

“We are excited to launch Naruto Nation as a bold publishing campaign to give Naruto fans what they want – more Naruto and a similar experience to Naruto readers in Japan!” Viz Media's product manager, Cammie Allen, said. “The tremendous success of the Naruto brand now includes manga, DVDs, novels and features in magazines like Shonen Jump.  This campaign is not just an accelerated publishing program — Naruto Nation is a highly-anticipated event, where for the first time, a publisher will offer three new volumes of a single ongoing graphic novel series every month.  Viz Media also plans a variety of captivating in-store displays, signage, and even a few special exclusive items that we will announce shortly.”


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Viz Media
(Image courtesy of Cartoon Network)