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.
Source: ICv2
