This summer, Viz Media, LLC, North America's first-ever distributor of Japanese popular culture, turns 30. Founded in 1986 by the intrepid Seiji Horibuchi, who has since moved on to other projects, the company is now housed in the so-called Twitter building in downtown San Francisco and boasts the largest library of Japanese media content outside of Japan.
But don't expect buses festooned with Viz banners circling through town. Viz plans to celebrate through events with and for fans, says Chief Marketing Officer Brad Woods. That means special offers at North American anime cons, starting with July's Anime Expo in Los Angeles and Comic Con in San Diego, and rolling out through autumn 2016.
"We're not going to throw a ridiculous party," Woods says. "We just want to thank the fan base. That's what it comes down to. A high-five for the people involved who made us."