Los Angeles, CA (August 12, 2009) – TOKYOPOP is pleased to announce the release of a number of its original series exclusively on TOKYOPOP.com. Modernizing the magazine serialization made famous by Charles Dickens, today TOKYOPOP will debut PSY*COMM volume 3, with a new chapter serialized weekly for free until the series concludes its story arc. The launch of this new volume of PSY*COMM marks the debut of TOKYOPOP’s online manga program that will include continuing volumes of BOYS OF SUMMER, EARTHLIGHT, KAT & MOUSE, PANTHEON HIGH, UNDERTOWN, GYAKUSHU, and others.

In PSY-COMM volume 3, Jason Henderson, Tony Salvaggio and Ramanda Kamarga conclude their thriller about the ultimate reality show: War. Set in a future where warfare is entertainment — scheduled, televised and rated — this critically acclaimed series (“[A] great story …a commentary on corporations, the media, war, and relationships, all wrapped in an interesting action manga with a driving plot and compelling characters.” –Ain’t It Cool News) concludes with a truly awesome finale.

“The Kindle, iPhone, web comics, and the like have dramatically changed the marketplace for online comics,” says TOKYOPOP’s Associate Publisher Marco Pavia. “With the launch of this online initiative, our goal is to increase visibility and demand for such critically acclaimed series as PSY-COMM, BOYS OF SUMMER and others that have, up until now, struggled to find their audience in a challenging retail environment. We are also exploring an on-demand model to satisfy print-edition demand for the online manga series. We’ll have more news in the not-too-distant future, so stay tuned.”

“We’re very grateful for the patience of our manga-ka friends,” adds TOKYOPOP Senior Editor Lillian Diaz-Przybyl. “Last year we discussed running a number of these original manga series online, so that they would be exposed to the widest possible audience. Now, with TOKYOPOP.com’s nearly one million unique visitors per month and the ability for anyone to embed the TOKYOPOP reader anywhere, we are definitely excited about the vast audience to which these and other series will be exposed.”

Following the time-honored tradition of New Comics Day, the first chapter of PSY*COMM volume 3 will debut Wednesday, August 12, with subsequent chapters releasing each following Wednesday. BOYS OF SUMMER will debut Wednesday, September 23, followed by EARTHLIGHT and KAT & MOURSE. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com/MangaOnline for the complete schedule, exclusively on TOKYOPOP.com.