Central Park Media
Encyclopedia
Central Park Media was an American multimedia
entertainment company based in New York City
, New York, that was active in the distribution of East Asian cinema, television series, anime
, manga
and manhwa
titles in North America prior to its bankruptcy in 2009. It was headquartered in the 250 West 57th Street building in Midtown Manhattan
, New York City.
and Dominion Tank Police as its first two anime titles, which were sub-licensed to CPM by Manga UK
who also provided the dubs. Together with AnimEigo
, U.S. Renditions
and Streamline Pictures
, CPM pioneered the distribution of anime for mature viewers in North America.
During its heyday, CPM incorporated MD Geist
as part of its U.S. Manga Corps logo. Curiosity by anime fans seeing the "corporate spokes mecha" in CPM's titles resulted in MD Geist becoming one of the company's bestselling titles. In 1996, CPM commissioned MD Geist creator Koichi Ohata
to write and direct a sequel; at the same time, Ohata made a director's cut of the first title, adding new scenes and expanding the storyline.
In 1992, CPM - through its Anime 18 division - released Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend
, which became the first animated film to be given the NC-17 rating. Since its release, Urotsukidoji has become a cult classic among fans of anime, science fiction and horror genres, while at the same time, being one of the first anime titles to introduce the western public to the hentai
genre. It was released in theaters across the United States in both subtitled and dubbed formats.
In the mid-1990s, CPM expanded to distributing manga
and manhwa
(Korean manga) through CPM Manga and CPM Manhwa, respectively. CPM Manga also featured adaptations of MD Geist, Armored Trooper Votoms
and Project A-Ko by American writers and artists.
convention. The following Monday, the company's managing director issued a statement acknowledging the lay-offs and attributing the cost-cutting to creditor problems following the January bankruptcy of the Musicland
group.
The previous year, in 2005, CPM had discontinued its CPM Manga and CPM Manhwa line, also due to monetary problems. But CPM representatives have said that they have had relaunched their Manga and Manhwa lines in January 2006.
On March 19, 2007, Japanese Yaoi Publisher Libre posted a notice on its website saying that CPM's Be Beautiful division was illegally translating and selling its properties. The titles in question were originally licensed to CPM by Japanese publisher Biblos which was bought out by Libre in 2006 after a bankruptcy.
and are still available through iTunes. Some of its titles were also acquired by various anime companies, such as ADV Films
, Bandai Entertainment, Funimation Entertainment
, and Media Blasters
, and were re-released from 2004 into the 2010s. Some of their titles were either re-dubbed, such as Here Is Greenwood
and Area 88
by Media Blasters
and ADV Films, respectively, or have retained the original dub. Funimation, which re-licensed Slayers
, used the same English dub cast for later installments, with the exception of David Moo
, who was then replaced with Michael Sinterniklaas
for the role of Xellos
. Bandai Entertainment, which re-licensed Agent Aika
, later licensed Aika R-16: Virgin Mission
and gave it an entirely new English dub via Bang Zoom! Entertainment
.
, an obscure OVA from the 1980s.
and Bubblegum Crisis
. They also released several anime titles under this product line, most notably The Slayers.
CPM Press (originally CPM Comics, then CPM Manga) was the manga
and manhwa
publication division. Manga titles were published under the label CPM Manga, and manhwa under CPM Manhwa. CPM also had an adult division under CPM Press known as Bear Bare Press, which largely published Americanized versions of some of their Anime 18 releases such as La Blue Girl
. This division started in 1996 and folded the same year releasing only La Blue Girl and Demon Beast Invasion
. Some of these titles were published under the Manga 18 imprint (see Anime 18).
Anime 18 was Central Park Media's distribution division for pornographic anime. A18 released its titles under several labels, with the main label - Anime 18 - used for hentai
anime, Manga 18 for manga and manhwa pornography, and Be Beautiful Manga for yaoi
manga. Some A18 titles were also being re-released under the Anime HotShots label. When Central Park Media went bankrupt in 2009, the licenses for some of Anime 18's products and movies were transferred to Critical Mass
.
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
entertainment company based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York, that was active in the distribution of East Asian cinema, television series, anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, 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...
and 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...
titles in North America prior to its bankruptcy in 2009. It was headquartered in the 250 West 57th Street building in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
, New York City.
History
Central Park Media was founded in 1990 by John O'Donnell as an anime supplier, with Project A-KoProject A-ko
is an animated movie that led to later releases set in the same series, and spinoff release as well. This parody series references a number of other works of anime from the 1970s and 1980s...
and Dominion Tank Police as its first two anime titles, which were sub-licensed to CPM by Manga UK
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...
who also provided the dubs. Together with AnimEigo
AnimEigo
AnimEigo is an American entertainment company that licenses and distributes anime, samurai films and Japanese cinema. The company was founded in 1988 in Ithaca, New York by Robert Woodhead and Roe R. Adams, III. It is now based in Wilmington, North Carolina, and run by Natsumi Ueki, Robert's wife...
, U.S. Renditions
U.S. Renditions
U.S. Renditions was a Special Projects Division of Books Nippan and one of the pioneers of anime home video distribution in North America. The division was originally founded in February 1987 by Kevin Seymour, David Keith Riddick, Sho Nagata and Satoshi Komatsu...
and Streamline Pictures
Streamline Pictures
Streamline Pictures was an American media company that was best known for its distribution of English dubbed Japanese animation. -Founding:Founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1988, Streamline Pictures was one of the first North American companies that was created primarily for the intention of...
, CPM pioneered the distribution of anime for mature viewers in North America.
During its heyday, CPM incorporated MD Geist
MD Geist
is an anime and manga about a post-apocalyptic world. The series is extremely violent, often depicting graphic scenes of human dismemberment and evisceration....
as part of its U.S. Manga Corps logo. Curiosity by anime fans seeing the "corporate spokes mecha" in CPM's titles resulted in MD Geist becoming one of the company's bestselling titles. In 1996, CPM commissioned MD Geist creator Koichi Ohata
Koichi Ohata
is a Japanese animation director and mecha designer, known for cult classics M.D. Geist and Genocyber.-Direct-to-video animation:* 1986 M.D. Geist* 1989 Cybernetics Guardian* 1994 Genocyber* 1996 M.D. Geist 2 – Death Force* 1996 M.D...
to write and direct a sequel; at the same time, Ohata made a director's cut of the first title, adding new scenes and expanding the storyline.
In 1992, CPM - through its Anime 18 division - released Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend
Urotsukidoji
is a Japanese manga and an Original Video Animation releases.-History:Urotsukidōji was created by Toshio Maeda, in 1986, and was a huge departure from his earlier works in that it mixed erotica with humor, and the supernatural...
, which became the first animated film to be given the NC-17 rating. Since its release, Urotsukidoji has become a cult classic among fans of anime, science fiction and horror genres, while at the same time, being one of the first anime titles to introduce the western public to the hentai
Hentai
is a Japanese word that, in the West, is used when referring to sexually explicit or pornographic comics and animation, particularly those of Japanese origin such as anime, manga, and computer games. The word hentai is a kanji compound of 変 and 態...
genre. It was released in theaters across the United States in both subtitled and dubbed formats.
In the mid-1990s, CPM expanded to distributing 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...
and 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...
(Korean manga) through CPM Manga and CPM Manhwa, respectively. CPM Manga also featured adaptations of MD Geist, Armored Trooper Votoms
Armored Trooper Votoms
is a 52-episode anime television series, created by Ryosuke Takahashi and Sunrise, featuring mechanical designs by Kunio Okawara. The series originally aired in Japan from April 1, 1983 to March 23, 1984 on TV Tokyo...
and Project A-Ko by American writers and artists.
Financial problems
On May 26, 2006, Central Park Media laid off many of its employees, and rumors erupted that the company was planning to declare bankruptcy, supported by a statement from a representative at the Anime BostonAnime Boston
Anime Boston is an annual three-day anime fan convention held in the spring in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The convention features a number of events which include a masquerade, an anime music video contest, video programming rooms, an artists' alley and art show, karaoke, game shows,...
convention. The following Monday, the company's managing director issued a statement acknowledging the lay-offs and attributing the cost-cutting to creditor problems following the January bankruptcy of the Musicland
Musicland
The Musicland Group, Inc. was an entertainment company which ran Sam Goody, Suncoast Motion Picture Company and the Media Play Superstore Chain. Musicland filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in January 2006. Trans World Entertainment which runs FYE, and sells CDs, DVDs, and video games, purchased...
group.
The previous year, in 2005, CPM had discontinued its CPM Manga and CPM Manhwa line, also due to monetary problems. But CPM representatives have said that they have had relaunched their Manga and Manhwa lines in January 2006.
On March 19, 2007, Japanese Yaoi Publisher Libre posted a notice on its website saying that CPM's Be Beautiful division was illegally translating and selling its properties. The titles in question were originally licensed to CPM by Japanese publisher Biblos which was bought out by Libre in 2006 after a bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy and liquidation
Central Park Media filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on April 27, 2009, and liquidated with a debt of over US$1.2 million. Officially, the company had plans to re-release some older titles in the future. Right up until its bankruptcy, CPM still licensed its anime titles for American television and VOD, despite having not released anything on video for over a year. Many of its titles have been shown on the Sci-Fi ChannelSci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
and are still available through iTunes. Some of its titles were also acquired by various anime companies, such as ADV Films
A.D. Vision
A.D. Vision was an American international multimedia entertainment company headquartered in Houston, Texas, prior to its collapse and distress sale to four other Houston-based companies in 2009...
, Bandai Entertainment, Funimation Entertainment
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
, and Media Blasters
Media Blasters
Media Blasters is an entertainment corporation founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz, based in New York City. They are in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American market manga compilations and anime and live-action movies and television series to home-video...
, and were re-released from 2004 into the 2010s. Some of their titles were either re-dubbed, such as Here Is Greenwood
Here is Greenwood
is a 9-volume Japanese manga written and illustrated by Yukie Nasu and six-episode anime OVA revolving around the activities of four boys in Greenwood Dormitory at a fictional prestigious Japanese all-boys' private school named Ryokuto Academy. The manga was serialized in Hana to Yume and published...
and Area 88
Area 88
is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 1979 and 1986. The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert of a war torn country...
by Media Blasters
Media Blasters
Media Blasters is an entertainment corporation founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz, based in New York City. They are in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American market manga compilations and anime and live-action movies and television series to home-video...
and ADV Films, respectively, or have retained the original dub. Funimation, which re-licensed Slayers
Slayers
is a series of over 52 light novels written by Hajime Kanzaka and illustrated by Rui Araizumi. It was later developed into several manga titles, five televised anime series, two three-episode original video animations , and five movies. It also spawned several console role-playing games for the...
, used the same English dub cast for later installments, with the exception of David Moo
David Moo
David Moo, is an American voice actor from Brookline, Massachusetts. He is best known for voicing Sanji in the 4Kids dub of One Piece, as well as Xellos in The Slayers, and Faraji Ngala in several episodes of the 2003-2009 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series. Moo also loaned his voice to...
, who was then replaced with Michael Sinterniklaas
Michael Sinterniklaas
Michael Tremain Sinterniklaas is a Dutch American actor, voice actor, ADR Director and script writer who has worked for Viz Media, Bandai Entertainment, Funimation Entertainment, DuArt Film and Video, 4Kids Entertainment, and Tripwire Productions...
for the role of Xellos
Xellos
is a fictional character and prevalent figure in the Slayers fantasy manga, light novels, and anime. He is a powerful Mazoku , who is both a help and a hindrance to protagonist Lina Inverse and her friends....
. Bandai Entertainment, which re-licensed Agent Aika
Agent Aika
Agent Aika, known in Japan as simply , is an adventure anime OVA series. Aika Sumeragi is a Japanese woman who works as a salvager for hire, but gets caught up in a plot for world domination...
, later licensed Aika R-16: Virgin Mission
AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission
AIKa R-16: Virgin Mission is an anime OVA series by Studio Fantasia. It is the prequel to the Agent Aika OVA series, also by Studio Fantasia. The series takes place 10 years before the events in Agent Aika...
and gave it an entirely new English dub via Bang Zoom! Entertainment
Bang Zoom! Entertainment
Bang Zoom! Entertainment is an audio post-production studio, located in Burbank, California, that has worked on several anime, video games, feature films, and directly-to-DVD projects...
.
US Manga Corps
US Manga Corps was the anime distribution division for Central Park Media, catering to high school students and older audiences. The US Manga Corps mascot is from MD GeistMD Geist
is an anime and manga about a post-apocalyptic world. The series is extremely violent, often depicting graphic scenes of human dismemberment and evisceration....
, an obscure OVA from the 1980s.
Software Sculptors
Another distribution division that specialized in anime-related software, such as screen savers featuring Ranma ½Ranma ½
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi with an anime adaptation. The story revolves around a 16-year old boy named Ranma Saotome who was trained from early childhood in martial arts...
and Bubblegum Crisis
Bubblegum Crisis
is a Japanese cyberpunk direct-to-video animated series. It displays strong influences from Blade Runner, also making occasional references to it.- Setting :...
. They also released several anime titles under this product line, most notably The Slayers.
CPM Press
- For a list of titles distributed by CPM Press, see the CPM Press category
CPM Press (originally CPM Comics, then CPM Manga) was the 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...
and 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...
publication division. Manga titles were published under the label CPM Manga, and manhwa under CPM Manhwa. CPM also had an adult division under CPM Press known as Bear Bare Press, which largely published Americanized versions of some of their Anime 18 releases such as La Blue Girl
La Blue Girl
is an erotic anime and manga series.Based on the manga by Toshio Maeda, the La Blue Girl anime, like his other hentai series , features a large amount of tentacle rape...
. This division started in 1996 and folded the same year releasing only La Blue Girl and Demon Beast Invasion
Demon Beast Invasion
is a manga series written and illustrated by Toshio Maeda, published by Wani Magazine. The series was adapted into a six-part original video animation of the same name in 1990, followed by in 1995.- Plot :...
. Some of these titles were published under the Manga 18 imprint (see Anime 18).
Anime 18
- For a list of titles distributed by Anime 18, see the Anime 18 category
Anime 18 was Central Park Media's distribution division for pornographic anime. A18 released its titles under several labels, with the main label - Anime 18 - used for hentai
Hentai
is a Japanese word that, in the West, is used when referring to sexually explicit or pornographic comics and animation, particularly those of Japanese origin such as anime, manga, and computer games. The word hentai is a kanji compound of 変 and 態...
anime, Manga 18 for manga and manhwa pornography, and Be Beautiful Manga for yaoi
Yaoi
In careful Japanese enunciation, all three vowels are pronounced separately, for a three-mora word, . The English equivalent is . also known as Boys' Love, is a Japanese popular term for female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships, usually created by...
manga. Some A18 titles were also being re-released under the Anime HotShots label. When Central Park Media went bankrupt in 2009, the licenses for some of Anime 18's products and movies were transferred to Critical Mass
The Right Stuf International
The Right Stuf International, Inc. is an American retailer based in Grimes, Iowa that markets and distributes anime and manga-related products throughout the United States and internationally...
.
See also
:Category:Central Park MediaExternal links
- Central Park Media (Archive)