CMX (comics)
Encyclopedia
CMX was a division of Wildstorm Productions, an imprint
of DC Comics
which in turn is owned by Time Warner
. It was DC's line of manga
translations.
CMX launched with the goal of providing a diverse selection of manga, and, potentially, manhwa
to the U.S. market. Wildstorm, along with its parent company, DC Comics, enthusiastically supported the line. Unlike many other imprints, CMX pursued older manga along with popular new works, feeling that these stories deserved widespread distribution and a chance at an American readership. The company's initial lineup included classics of the shōjo
genre, such as From Eroica with Love and Swan.
, many fans were livid that title had been edited contentwise and changed graphically to appeal to a "larger demographic"—in other words, edited to be acceptable to bookstores without shrinkwrap. Tenjho Tenge and CMX received a heavy amount of angry backlash for the edits.
CMX's announcement that all changes had been overseen and specifically approved by Oh! Great
, the manga artist
, did nothing to appease the vocal fans, who felt that changing the art removed a major plot point. Although other fans felt that not explicitly showing sexual violence did not actually harm the flow of the story, the fan community was in uproar. Some readers suggested a boycott of all CMX titles.
In the face of complaints, CMX had internal discussions about the possibility of publishing an unedited version of Tenjho Tenge, but decided to complete the current version. At the 2007 AnimeExpo, CMX announced that it planned to change Tenjho Tenges rating to Mature beginning with volume fifteen, but warned that it still would be edited, but more lightly.
Now, however, Viz Media
publishes TenTen uncut.
released a statement announcing its intention to shut the CMX brand down, with no new titles being published after July 1, 2010. Their statement, in full, was:
At the time of its statement, DC could not state what would happen to all current unfinished volumes affected by the July 1st shutdown date.
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
of DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
which in turn is owned by Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
. It was DC's line of manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
translations.
CMX launched with the goal of providing a diverse selection of manga, and, potentially, manhwa
Manhwa
Manhwa is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons . Outside of Korea, the term usually refers specifically to South Korean comics. The term, along with manga, is a cognate of the Chinese manhua...
to the U.S. market. Wildstorm, along with its parent company, DC Comics, enthusiastically supported the line. Unlike many other imprints, CMX pursued older manga along with popular new works, feeling that these stories deserved widespread distribution and a chance at an American readership. The company's initial lineup included classics of the shōjo
Shojo
The term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
genre, such as From Eroica with Love and Swan.
Controversy
One of CMX's initial launches was a title variously known as Tengo Tenge, Tenjho Tenge, and Ten Ten. When CMX released Tenjho TengeTenjho Tenge
is a Japanese manga authored by Ito "Oh! great" Ōgure. The story primarily focuses on the members of the Juken Club and their opposition, the Executive Council, which is the ruling student body of a high school that educates its students in the art of combat...
, many fans were livid that title had been edited contentwise and changed graphically to appeal to a "larger demographic"—in other words, edited to be acceptable to bookstores without shrinkwrap. Tenjho Tenge and CMX received a heavy amount of angry backlash for the edits.
CMX's announcement that all changes had been overseen and specifically approved by Oh! Great
Oh! great
Oh! great, whose real name is , is a Japanese manga artist most recognized for the manga series Tenjho Tenge and Air Gear. In 2006, he received the Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen for Air Gear. Oh! great also created the adult series Silky Whip...
, the manga artist
Mangaka
is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
, did nothing to appease the vocal fans, who felt that changing the art removed a major plot point. Although other fans felt that not explicitly showing sexual violence did not actually harm the flow of the story, the fan community was in uproar. Some readers suggested a boycott of all CMX titles.
In the face of complaints, CMX had internal discussions about the possibility of publishing an unedited version of Tenjho Tenge, but decided to complete the current version. At the 2007 AnimeExpo, CMX announced that it planned to change Tenjho Tenges rating to Mature beginning with volume fifteen, but warned that it still would be edited, but more lightly.
Now, however, Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
publishes TenTen uncut.
Shutdown
On May 18, 2010, DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
released a statement announcing its intention to shut the CMX brand down, with no new titles being published after July 1, 2010. Their statement, in full, was:
“Over the course of the last six years, CMX has brought a diverse list of titles to America and we value the books and creators that we helped introduce to a new audience. Given the challenges that manga is facing in the American marketplace, we have decided that CMX will cease publishing new titles as of July 1, 2010.
The shuttering of the CMX line does not affect the best-selling series Megatokyo which will continue publication, now as a DC Comics title with story and art by Megatokyo's award-winning creator Fred Gallagher.
We'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the efforts and dedication of the CMX staff and to thank our fans who have supported CMX.
–Co-Publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio
At the time of its statement, DC could not state what would happen to all current unfinished volumes affected by the July 1st shutdown date.
List of manga titles published by CMX
by- Crayon Shin-chanCrayon Shin-chanis a Japanese manga and anime series written by Yoshito Usui.Crayon Shin-chan follows the adventures of five-year-old Shinnosuke "Shin" Nohara and his parents, baby sister, neighbors, and friends and is set in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, Japan....
by Yoshito UsuiYoshito Usui, born in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, was a manga artist known for the popular manga Crayon Shin-chan. He and his wife raised two daughters; both had moved out of the house at the time of Usui's death.-Biography:... - CanonCanon (manga)is a Japanese shōjo manga by . The series was originally serialized between 1994 and 1996 in Akita Shoten's manga magazine Mystery EX, and the chapters were compiled into four bound volumes...
by - Chikyu MisakiChikyu Misakiis a 3 volume manga series by Yūji Iwahara, and was released in the United States by CMX Manga.The story follows young Makishima Misaki as she returns to her Grandfather's old house following his death. She is accompanied by her father, Kyoichi, an awkward widower...
by Iwahara Yuji - Cipher by Minako Narita
- Classical MedleyClassical Medleyis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Sanae Kana. It is published in Japan by Softbank.The series is licensed for an English language release in North America by CMX.-Manga:-Reception:...
by Sanae Kana - Densha Otoko - The Story of the Train Man Who Fell in Love With A Girl by Hitori Nakano (original creator) and Wataru Watanabe (art)
- The Devil Does ExistThe Devil Does Existis a shōjo romance manga based on school life written by Mitsuba Takanashi, it consists of 11 volumes.-Plot summary:High school is difficult for most kids. But for Kayano, a shy girl whose single mother seems to work all the time, it's even worse than usual...
(Akuma de Sōrō) by Mitsuba TakanashiMitsuba Takanashiis a female Japanese manga creator.- List of works : ; English translation: The Devil Does Exist ; English translation: Crimson Hero - External links :... - Dorothea (Dorothea - Majyo no Tettsui) by Cuvie
- Emma by Kaoru MoriKaoru Moriis a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo. She is the creator of popular manga such as Shirley and Emma. Many of her works are set in Britain, centering on characters who are maids...
- The Empty Empire (Kara no Teikoku) by Naoe Kita
- From Eroica with LoveFrom Eroica with Loveis a long-running shōjo manga by Yasuko Aoike which originally began publication in 1976 by Akita Shoten. The series ran irregularly in the Japanese anthology magazine Viva Princess from December 1976 to April 1979, then moved to the sister publication Princess beginning in September 1979...
(Eroica yori Ai wo Komete) by Yasuko AoikeYasuko Aoikeis a Japanese manga artist, born on July 24, 1948 in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi. Most of her works are shōjo manga, predominantly focused on romance, adventure, and light comedy, and many of them contain elements of shōnen-ai. She is included in Year 24 group.... - Gals!Gals!Gals! is a shōjo manga written and illustrated by Mihona Fujii. The manga was serialized in Ribon and published in the U.S. by CMX.An anime adaptation, , aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between 2001 and 2003, running a length of 52 episodes...
by Mihona FujiiMihona Fujiiis a Japanese shōjo manga artist. Her debut work was Mujaki na mama de, published in the 1990 autumn issue of Ribon Original. Her works have been published in Ribon and, recently, Margaret, where her latest series, Tokyo Angels runs.... - Go Go Heaven!! by Keiko YamadaKeiko Yamada (manga artist)right|thumb|Cover of the first volume [[Limited Lovers]] is a female Japanese manga artist, who has had all three of her serial manga picked up for English translation ....
- GonGon (manga)Gon is a tiny fictional dinosaur and the title character of a Japanese manga series created by Masashi Tanaka. The Gon series features the completely wordless adventures of the irascible title character as he interacts with the natural world, depicted by Tanaka in lush, realistic detail...
by Masashi TanakaMasashi TanakaMasashi Tanaka is a Japanese manga artist best known for Gon, his silent manga starring a miniature dinosaur. He began publishing Gon in 1991. He later worked on the game Street Fighter EX.-External links:... - I Hate You More Than Anyone (Sekai de Ichiban Daikirai) by Banri Hidaka
- Kamikaze Kaito JeanneKamikaze Kaito Jeanneis a fantasy shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Arina Tanemura. The story is about the adventures of a high school girl, Maron Kusakabe, who is the reincarnation of Jeanne D'Arc and transforms into a magical girl kaito—phantom thief—to collect the scattered pieces of God's power which...
by Arina TanemuraArina Tanemurais a Japanese manga artist who mainly does shōjo manga. Her debut work was a one-shot work titled , which was later reprinted in her anthology work Short-Tempered Melancholic. Tanemura gained fame with the 1997 publication of I.O.N, a high school romance with a supernatural twist... - Key to the Kingdom (Ohoku no Kagi) by Kyōko Shitō
- Kikaider Code 02 by Shōtarō IshinomoriShotaro Ishinomoriwas a Japanese manga artist who became an influential figure in manga, anime, and tokusatsu, creating several immensely popular long-running series such as Cyborg 009 and Himitsu Sentai Goranger, what would go on to become part of the Super Sentai series, and the Kamen Rider Series...
(original creator) and MeimuMeimuMeimu , real name , is a Japanese manga illustrator. While attending classes at Osaka University of Arts, he made his debut as a manga artist. Meimu's talents have been featured in various genres of storytelling, from science fiction to horror...
(story and art) - King of CardsKing of Cards (manga)is a nine volume shōjo manga written by the manga artist Makoto Tateno.-Plot:A high school student named Manami Minami is a beginner at the new line Trading Card Game, Chaos. Through a great stroke of luck, she obtains "Saghan the Mighty Sorcerer", an ultra rare card that is supposedly out of print...
(Card no Ō-sama) by Makoto Tetano - Land of the BlindfoldedLand of the Blindfoldedis a fantasy shōjo manga by Tsukuba Sakura. It was originally published in Japan by Hakusensha in LaLa magazine between 1998 to 2004 and collected in nine tankōbon volumes. It is licensed in English by CMX Manga in North America and Chuang Yi in Singapore...
(Mekakushi no Kuni) by Sakura TsukubaSakura Tsukubais a Japanese manga artist born in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.-Personal:Sakura Tsukuba was born on February 16 in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. She likes cooking, in which her favorite recipe is green curry. She also likes to do ethnic cooking... - Leader's High! by Arashi Shindoh
- Love for VenusLove for Venus, also known as Love for Venus, is a shōjo manga by . The series revolves around the lives of a group of students at Koutou University in Hyōgo Prefecture and primarily around the relationships of the main characters, Suzuna Ashihara and Eichi Uozumi...
(Venus wa Kataomoi) by Yuki Nakaji - Madara (full title: Mōryō Senki Madara) by Eiji OtsukaEiji Otsukais a Japanese writer. He writes the Multiple Personality Detective Psycho and The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service manga series. One of his first animation script works was Mahō no Rouge Lipstick, an adult lolicon OVA...
(story) and Shōu TajimaShou Tajima, born February 7, 1966 in Saitama, Japan, is a manga illustrator and anime character designer. He has done character designs for the anime Kai Doh Maru, Otogi Zoshi, the CGI OVA Galerians: Rion, as well as Kill Bill Chapter 3: The Origin of O-Ren....
(art) - Moon ChildMoon Child (manga)is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Reiko Shimizu. It was serialized in Hakusensha's magazine, LaLa. It is licensed in North America by CMX Manga. The manga has been adapted into a theatrical interpretation of itself by Studio Life.-Manga:...
(Tsuki no Ko) by Reiko ShimizuReiko Shimizuis a Japanese shōjo manga writer and illustrator. She made her professional debut in 1983 with Sansaro Monogatari in LaLa, and has written primarily for the publisher Hakusensha... - MegatokyoMegatokyois an English-language webcomic created by Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston, debuting on August 14, 2000, and then written and illustrated solely by Gallagher since July 17, 2002. Gallagher's style of writing and illustration is heavily influenced by Japanese manga. Megatokyo is freely available on...
(from Volume 4) by Fred Gallagher - Monster CollectionMonster CollectionMonster Collection is a trading card game developed by Group SNE. Monster Collection was first published in 1997 by Fujimishobo...
(full title: Monster Collection Majūtsukai no Shōjo) by Hitoshi Yasuda (original creator) and Sei Itoh (story and art) - Musashi Number NineMusashi Number Nineis a Japanese manga series by Miyuki Takahashi about a secret agent working for a mysterious world organization known only as "Ultimate Blue". #9 is their one of their top agents, a 16-year-old girl who goes by the code name "Musashi #9". Her aliases include Shinozuka Kou and Shinosaki Kei...
(Kyūbanme no Musashi) by Miyuki Takanashi\ - My Darling Miss Bancho) (Ah! Itoshi no Banchousama) by Mayu Fujikata
- The Name of the Flower (Hana no Namae) by Ken Saitou
- Omukae desu by Meca Tanaka
- OrfinaOrfinaOrfina is a watch manufacturing company, known for its Porsche Design range. The company was founded in 1922.-Notable Appearences:* Lewis Collins' character in Who Dares Wins wears a Porsche design Orfina.* Tom Cruise wears an Orfina in Top Gun...
by Kitsune Tennōji - Oyayubi-hime InfinityOyayubihime Infinityis a shōjo manga series by Toru Fujieda. It was published in Japan by Akita Shoten starting in April 2004, and continuing for six tankōbon volumes until its conclusion in May 2006. The series was licensed by CMX manga for an English language release in North American starting in June 2006.- Plot...
by Toru Fujieda - Palette of 12 Secret ColorsPalette of 12 Secret Colorsis a manga authored by Nari Kusakawa. It is published in English by CMX Manga.-Overview:From CMX Manga: On the island of Opal live the world's most colorful birds. The birds have attracted a school for aspiring "Palettes" — wizards who have the ability to "borrow" color from one object and paint...
by Nari KusakawaNari KusakawaNari Kusakawa is the pen name for a Japanese manga artist and creator of The Recipe for Gertrude, Palette of 12 Secret Colors and Two Flowers of the Dragon, whose real name is unknown.... - Penguin RevolutionPenguin Revolution (manga)is a Japanese shōjo manga series by Sakura Tsukuba. It was serialized by Hakusensha in the shōjo manga magazine, LaLa with its collected volumes published under the Hana to Yume Comics imprint with seven complete volumes. It has been licensed in North America by CMX, an imprint of DC Comics for manga...
(Penguin Kakumei) by Sakura TsukubaSakura Tsukubais a Japanese manga artist born in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.-Personal:Sakura Tsukuba was born on February 16 in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. She likes cooking, in which her favorite recipe is green curry. She also likes to do ethnic cooking... - Pieces of a Spiral (Rasen no Kakera) by Tachibana Kaimu
- The Recipe for GertrudeThe Recipe for GertrudeThe Recipe for Gertrude is a complete 5 volume serialization that ran in LaLa starting in 2001. The manga is written by Kusakawa Nari. The North American serialization is available through CMX Manga .-Plot:...
(Gertrude no Recipe) by Nari KusakawaNari KusakawaNari Kusakawa is the pen name for a Japanese manga artist and creator of The Recipe for Gertrude, Palette of 12 Secret Colors and Two Flowers of the Dragon, whose real name is unknown.... - Seimaden by Yō HiguriYou Higuriis a Japanese shōjo and yaoi manga artist who has made several appearances at anime and manga conventions in the United States, as well as in Germany. Her first U.S. appearance was at the initial Yaoi-Con in San Francisco in 2001...
- Steel Fist RikuSteel Fist Rikuis a martial arts manga written and illustrated by Jyutaroh Nishino. CMX has released an English version of the manga in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.-Plot:...
by Jyutaroh Nishino - Stolen Hearts by Miku Sakamoto
- SwanSwan (manga)is a shōjo manga by Kyoko Ariyoshi. The shōjo magazine Margaret serialized the story in Japan during the seventies. 21 volumes were released. In North America the story is published by CMX...
by Kyoko AriyoshiKyoko Ariyoshiis a Japanese shōjo manga artist. She was born in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. She debuted by publishing her work Kitty and a Girl in Shukan Margaret in 1971.... - Sword of the Dark OnesSword of the Dark OnesSword of the Dark Ones is a manga by Tsukasa Kotobuki, and it is based on a story by Kentaro Yasui. This series is also known in Japan by the title . In North America the story is published by CMX.- Plot :...
(also Ragnarok) by Kentaro Yasui (story) and Tsukasa KotobukiTsukasa Kotobukiis a Japanese character designer for various games and anime series such as Saber Marionette J, VS Knight Lamune & 40 Fire, Cyber Team in Akihabara and Battle Arena Toshinden. He also did the art for Sword of the Dark Ones.-External links:* with a Tsukasa Kotobuki...
(art) - Tears of a LambTears of a Lambis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Banri Hidaka. It was originally serialized in Hana to Yume in 2001, with the individual chapters collected and published in seven tankōbon volumes by Hakusensha. The story focuses on Kei Hasumi, an anorexic teenager girl in love with her...
(Hitsuji no Namida) by Banri Hidaka - Tenjho TengeTenjho Tengeis a Japanese manga authored by Ito "Oh! great" Ōgure. The story primarily focuses on the members of the Juken Club and their opposition, the Executive Council, which is the ruling student body of a high school that educates its students in the art of combat...
by Oh! greatOh! greatOh! great, whose real name is , is a Japanese manga artist most recognized for the manga series Tenjho Tenge and Air Gear. In 2006, he received the Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen for Air Gear. Oh! great also created the adult series Silky Whip...
(Re-licensed by Viz MediaVIZ MediaVIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
) - TenRyu: The Dragon Cycle by Sanami MatohSanami Matohis a popular manga artist and writer. Hugely popular in Japan, especially among teenage girls. Matoh debuted as a manga artist in 1990 with Next to an Angel published by Akita Shoten. Her other works include -Fake-, By the Sword, and Black x Blood. She has also written quite a few dōjinshi, mostly...
- TestarothoTestarothois a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Kei Sanbe. The manga is licensed in English by CMX Manga. The manga is licensed for a French-language release by Vegetal Soleil.-Characters:*Garrincha is the feared inquisitor of Neo Arsen...
by Kei Sanbe - Time Guardian by Daimuro Kishi (story) and Tamao Ichinose (art)
- Tower of the FutureTower of the Futureis a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Saki Hiwatari. The manga was serialised in Hakusensha's Hana to Yume and collected in eleven tankōbon volumes which were released between March 1995 and April 1999. The series has been licensed in North America by CMX Manga, which released the manga's...
(Mirai no Utena) by Saki HiwatariSaki Hiwatariis a Japanese shōjo manga artist. Her first work, Mahōtsukai wa Shitteriu was published in the weekly shōjo anthology Hana to Yume in 1982. Hiwatari is probably most well known for Please Save My Earth, a 21-volume series concerning several alien scientists who are reincarnated as high school... - Two Flowers of the Dragon (Ryū no Hana Wazurai) by Nari KusakawaNari KusakawaNari Kusakawa is the pen name for a Japanese manga artist and creator of The Recipe for Gertrude, Palette of 12 Secret Colors and Two Flowers of the Dragon, whose real name is unknown....
- VarianteVarianteis a Japanese horror manga by Ikura Sugimoto . The manga is divided into four volumes, each one having a cliffhanger that leads to the events in the next volume.-Story:...
by Igura Sugimoto - Venus CapriccioVenus Capricciois a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mai Nishikata about a tom-boyish girl and her childhood friend who take piano lessons together...
by Mai Nishikata - VSVS (manga)is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Keiko Yamada. It was serialized in Akita Shoten's shōjo magazine Princess Comics. The individual chapters were released in 7 tankōbon volumes between June 1999 and December 24, 2001...
(Versus) by Keiko YamadaKeiko Yamada (manga artist)right|thumb|Cover of the first volume [[Limited Lovers]] is a female Japanese manga artist, who has had all three of her serial manga picked up for English translation .... - The Young MagicianThe Young Magicianis a fantasy shōjo manga written and illustrated by Yuri Narushima.-Plot:Incorporating multiple sub-plots, The Young Magician focuses on two young men—Carno Guino, a magician whose soul fuses with demons, and Ibuki Shikishima, who practices Shinto—who find themselves entangled in a complex war...
by Yuri NarushimaYuri Narushimais a female Japanese manga artist best known for her series Planet Ladder, licensed in English by Tokyopop, and The Young Magician, licensed in English by CMX.- Manga :*Replica Master...