The Discovery of Anime and Manga - on Kickstarter!

We're returning to the blogosphere after a "brief" hiatus...to announce the 3rd adventure in our series The Asian Hall of Fame, which explores cool inventions from Asia.

The first was The Discovery of Ramen in 2017.

Then the co-authors Phil Amara and Oliver Chin teamed up again with the illustrator Juan Calle and graphic designer Joy Liu on the sequel in 2018: The Discovery of Fireworks and Gunpowder.

Now in 2019, we came up with another fantastic idea. This time we're going back to Japan to see how Japanese animation and comics were created.

The Discovery of Anime and Manga launched on Kickstarter this week. Check it out in the next month and let us know what you think!

Our terrific trio of the guide Dao (a cute red panda) and the kids Emma and Ethan have perfected time-travel tourism.

They teleport into the past and reappear in the land of the rising sun... hundreds of years ago. Then they zip through the decades to see how art and media advanced together to produce manga and anime.

Along the way, we see have anime and manga, intertwined like two strands of DNA, evolve together to entertain and educate the public. From newspapers and books to magazines and comics. From film and TV to home video and internet streaming. Fans become "otaku" across the seven seas.

Meanwhile some creators became "gods" as their characters became even more famous around the world!

Check out our crowdfunding campaign. Backers can pre-order an autographed copy and get amazing rewards!

As always, thanks for your support.

Justin Time: The Big Pet Story

The second adventure in our Justin Time book series is now out!

The Big Pet Story has Justin and his pals traveling all the way to India!

Like most kids, Justin really wants a pet...and the bigger the better. In no time flat, he and his buddy Squidgy find themselves on the Asian subcontinent. There their friend Olive is a royal pet keeper...and Justin is a rajah - an Indian prince!

Monarchy has its benefits as Justin discovers he does have a pet - an elephant aptly named Tiny. Now everyone discovers that caring for a pet takes a little bit more effort than they had imagined!

These official adaptations of Justin Time episodes are available at bookstores nationwide, including Barnes & Noble.

The TV series is gaining fans across the globe, including Netflix. The licensing of the property will debut at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas on June 18th.

new book: Justin Time: The Pancake Express

This fall we have many new stories to share with you. The first is our first book based upon an existing TV character!

Justin Time is a new animated TV series that is reaching more fans worldwide. In the USA it airs on PBS Sprout and NBC Kids on Saturday mornings. In Canada it broadcasts on Disney Junior's The Family Channel.

Justin is a kid just like us: he has a boundless imagination! So much so, that he can quickly imagine himself in a different place and time. There adventure awaits! Luckily his pals Squidgy and Olive accompany him, and together they learn about fun lessons about people, landscapes, animals, traditions, and cultures before returning to the familiar comforts of home.

Justin was created by Brandon James Scott and produced by Guru Studio in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Brandon now has created brand new illustrations for the first book adaptation of one of the episodes. The style hearkens to the classic Golden Books of our youth, but reflects the energy and expressiveness of Justin's 21st century can-do attitude.

In The Pancake Express, Justin likes trains so much that he wants to drive his own locomotive. Presto! He and Squidgy are now steaming through the Canadian wilderness and steering their own engine. They stop at Olive's junction, where she has an important delivery for them. She needs help to transport her and her delicious maple syrup to the Pancake Festival at Flapjack Falls on the double! Can they make it in time? Find out!

Meanwhile, the TV series' first two seasons have been picked up by Germany's Super RTL, which will premiere them this December, Estonia's ETV (November), and Disney Jr. Germany for Austria and Switzerland (March 2013). Already in Latin America, Australia and New Zealand, the show debuted on VRT in Belgium and on Pop TV's Tiny Pop in the U.K in October.

We're working on the next book sequel for March 2013...so stay tuned!

New 2012 book catalog

We've added 4 upcoming titles for your viewing pleasure!

Three are scheduled for publication in Fall 2012:

1. Justin Time: The Pancake Express by Brandon Scott (September).

This is a new series, adapted from episodes from the TV show of the same name, which began airing in the USA on PBS Sprout in April, and will broadcast on the Disney Channel in Canada in September. Watch a clip at www.justintime.net.

2. Animal's Don't, So I Won't by David Derrick (September).

This is Dave's 2nd story. His debut storybook was the humorous Sid the Squid and the Search for the Perfect Job.

3. The Treehouse Heroes, written by Phil Amara and illustrated by Alina Chau (October).

This original adventure is like an Asian version of The Teen Titans :) - penned by a veteran comics scribe and brought to colorful life by a popular professional animator.

Then the fourth will ring in the new year 2013:

4. The Year of the Snake, 8th in the Tales from the Chinese Zodiac series, written by Oliver Chin and illustrated by Jennifer Wood.

Peruse our catalog on the comfort of your own computer screen and download the Acrobat PDF.
http://www.immedium.com/products/immedium2012catalog.pdf

Octonauts TV show in Germany and Japan

The Octonauts search for fun around the globe. So, it is fitting that the TV adaptation continues to reach new fans in more continents.

Yesterday, the animated series launched as "Die Oktonauten" on the channel Super RTL in Germany. A few weeks earlier it had debuted in Deutschland on Disney Junior. The brave teammates are still the same but sport new handles such as Käpt'n Barnius and Professor Tintling. Hopefully something is found in translation :)

Fortunately for all the mädchen and jungen, the original Octonauts book stories are on their way, translated into German for their reading pleasure!

On the other side of the earth the crew recently docked in Japan on Disney Junior as well. There in Nippon, known as オクトノーツ to the locals, the eight pals will feel at home.

Their kawaii designs fit right in. I think a character's sure sign of acceptance is when they inspire the consumable contents of bento boxes.

Come to think of it, Captain Barnacles is ideal for sticky rice. Is that Peso Penguin on the starboard bow? That's very deft folding of the seaweed and a nice daikon beak!

After decades of a one-sided trade imbalance, we can now export bona fide cuteness back into the land of Hello Kitty and Pokemon. The Vegimals' have realized their dreams of bring smiles to little tummies for lunch.

Meomi and SKAFFS get Cute and Dangerous

Aficionados of the art of kawaii flocked to the debut of the group show Cute and Dangerous at the Seven Degrees Gallery in Laguna Beach, California this past weekend.

A headline attraction was the artist SKAFFS who was painting "live" on the wall and sharing his new illustrated book Chaff n' Skaffs: Mai and the lost Moskivvy.

Also featured was the art of Meomi, the authors of the increasingly popular series The Octonauts. From the plethora of colorful fan photos, it is clear that a swell time was had by all. The exhibition runs till August 31st, so take a gander if you're nearby in Southern California and you'll get some smiles to last awhile.