<img src="https://comicvibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/650x650_9e7b8e727d527b5aa9daf34cd83bcb8143d5abab9412717316a13cde.jpg” alt=””>
NEWS
MANGA WEEK – FALL 2026: MANGA MAVERICKS NAMES ERICA FRIEDMAN AS MANAGING EDITOR
Growing Publisher Brings Manga Expert on Board
Posted by Brigid Alverson on August 17, 2026 @ 7:38 pm CT
Manga Mavericks has brought manga expert Erica Friedman on board as their Managing Editor.
“With the launch of compelling indie titles in our catalog this year, including Horon of the Closed Country by Sen and FISHGOD by Chlona, Manga Mavericks experienced a strong period of growth” Manga Mavericks CEO Varun Gupta said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “Erica’s passion for manga and dedication to our mission to surface unique stories in the industry make her the perfect addition to our team. 2027 will be an even more aggressive year of growth for the company, with us releasing over 40 titles covering the span of alternative, shojo/josei, LGBTQ+, and classic manga from Japan. Erica’s drive and talent will be key in helping us make these goals a reality.”
Friedman is the author of By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga and a contributor to DK’s Manga: A Visual History. She is a staff writer for Anime News Network and has been writing about yuri manga at her own blog, Okazu, since 2002, and she has lectured at events at universities in the U.S. and Japan. She was also a contributor to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s guide to manga (see “CBLDF Manga Guide”).
Manga Mavericks is one of the founding members of the Independent Manga Alliance, which was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July. The organization was formed to help small manga publishers and independent creators with marketing, translation, and distribution and help them increase their readership globally. In addition to Manga Mavericks, the alliance includes Mahjong Pros, Strict Algorithm LLC, Red String Manga, and Curation Entertainment Partners Inc (B!Juku).
Manga Mavericks launched in 2025 (see “New Manga Publisher Announces First Three Titles”) and recently announced it had licensed an early work by Eisner Award-winning creator Taiyo Matsumoto (see “Manga Mavericks”). They are distributed by Pathway Book Services and Ingram in North America and Gazelle Book Services in the UK and EU.
For more ICv2 Manga Week – Fall 2026 coverage, click here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brigid Alverson
Contributing Editor. Alverson has been writing about comics since she launched MangaBlog in 2005. She wrote the Comics A.M. column for Robot 6 (now part of CBR), and currently edits the Good Comics for Kids blog at School Library Journal. In her earlier life, she had roles at magazine and book publishers.
MORE COMICS
Manga Week – Fall 2026: Nakama Nabs ‘Ace of the Diamond’ Omnibus
First English Print Edition for Baseball Manga
August 17, 2026
The baseball manga is available digitally in English, but this is the first print edition.
Rolling for Initiative — The Future of Distribution is Now
Column by Scott Thorne
August 17, 2026
This week, columnist Scott Thorne looks at the proposed settlement in the Diamond Comic Distributors consignment dispute, and at where distribution is going.
MORE NEWS
Manga Week – Fall 2026: Bushiroad Will Release ‘Re: Zero -Starting Life in Another World Vol. 3’ Booster Set
For ‘Weiss Schwarz TCG’
August 17, 2026
Bushiroad will release Re: Zero – Starting Life in Another World Vol. 3, a new booster set for Weiss Schwarz TCG, into retail.
Ultra PRO Reveals ‘Obsidian Series’ Line of TCG Accessories
Features Deck Box, Life Counter, Sleeves, and More
August 17, 2026
Ultra PRO revealed the Obsidian Series, a line of TCG accessories.
