Media Blasters is an American 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 Asian movies, adult anime, monster movies, concert movies, independent movies and television series to home-video release. Their anime releases from Media Blasters include Berserk, Bakuman, Blade of the Immortal, Fushigi Yugi, Golden Boy, Green Green, Eiken, Ikki Tousen, Knight Hunters, Kurogane Communication, Magic Knight Rayearth, Mirage of Blaze, The Twelve Kingdoms, Midori Days, Kanokon, Loveless, Magic User's Club, Moribito: Guardian of Spirit, Night Head Genesis, Queen's Blade, Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan, Rurouni Kenshin, Voltron, Tweeny Witches, Simoun, Kite and Mezzo Forte. Their current releases are Squid Girl and the Yakuza Hunters series. Media Blasters and Nickelodeon also released Invader Zim on DVD.
The company has been releasing translated anime and concert films since May 1997. The company first release adult anime. In 2004, Media Blasters began publishing manga. The company first published shōnen manga titles for older readers, and later so they increased their yaoi manga line.
In early 2012, not long after Bandai Entertainment announced their restructuring plans, Media Blasters' John Sirabella announced the laying off of approximately ten employees, reducing their workforce by about sixty percent. Sirabella has said that this will not affect production rates. Digital distribution for Media Blasters' titles are not available on iTunes except the PlayStation Network.
Famous quotes containing the word media:
“Never before has a generation of parents faced such awesome competition with the mass media for their children’s attention. While parents tout the virtues of premarital virginity, drug-free living, nonviolent resolution of social conflict, or character over physical appearance, their values are daily challenged by television soaps, rock music lyrics, tabloid headlines, and movie scenes extolling the importance of physical appearance and conformity.”
—Marianne E. Neifert (20th century)