Central Park Media Corporation,often abbreviated asCPM,was an Americanmultimediaentertainment company based inNew York City,New Yorkand was headquartered in the 250 West 57th Street building inMidtown Manhattan(on the corner ofCentral Park,hence their name). They were one of the first companies to be active in the distribution ofEast Asiancinema, television series,anime,manga,andmanhwatitles in North America, notably helping to makehentaipopular in the region. Over its history, the company licensed several popular titles, such asSlayers,Revolutionary Girl Utena,theTokyo BabylonOVAs,Project A-ko,andDemon City Shinjuku.
 Central Park Media's logo, depicting the skyline of New York City in the background | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Multimediaentertainment |
| Genre | Anime,East Asianfilms,hentai,manga,manhwa,yaoi |
| Founded | April 11, 1990 |
| Founder | John O'Donnell |
| Defunct | April 27, 2009 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
| Headquarters | New York City, New York |
Area served | United StatesandCanada |
| Divisions |
|
| Website | centralparkmedia.com 2009 archive |
They had multiple divisions, each of which focused on offering different types of products and services. While a majority of their divisions handled anime and manga distribution, they also offered anime-relatedsoftwareand ran a website forUFO conspiracy theorists.
CPM filed for bankruptcy on April 27, 2009 but remainsnominallyactive as of July 3, 2023 without holding many of its former assets.[1]Since their bankruptcy, many of their former titles have been re-released by other companies.
History
editFounding and growth
editCentral Park Media was founded in 1990 by John O'Donnell as an anime supplier.[2]During its heyday, CPM incorporatedMD Geistas part of its U.S. Manga Corps logo. Curiosity by anime fans seeing the "corporate spokes mecha" in CPM's titles resulted inMD Geistbecoming one of the company's bestselling titles. In 1996, CPM commissionedMD GeistcreatorKoichi Ohatato write and direct a sequel; at the same time, Ohata made a director's cut of the first title, adding new scenes and expanding the storyline.[3]
In 1992, CPM – through its Anime 18 division – releasedUrotsukidōji: Legend of the Overfiend,which became the first animated film to be given theNC-17rating. Since its release,Urotsukidojihas become a cult classic among fans of anime, science fiction and horror genres, while at the same time, being one of the first anime titles to introduce the western public to thehentaigenre. It was released in theaters across the United States in both subtitled and dubbed formats.[4]
In the mid-1990s, CPM expanded to distributingmangaandmanhwathrough CPM Manga and CPM Manhwa, respectively. CPM Manga also featured adaptations ofMD Geist,Armored Trooper Votoms,andProject A-koby American writers and artists.[5]
Central Park Media headquarters was in the Fisk Building, located at 250 West 57th Street inMidtown Manhattan.[6][7]They started out with just 3,400 square feet, but grew to 7,000 square feet in 1996 and would expand further to 10,000 square feet in January 2000.[8]Through its history, the company has employed numerous figures in the video retail industry like Steven Kramer,[9]Peter Castro,[10]and Tom Reilly.[10]In 2003, John Davis, Allen Rosenberg, and Stacey Santos were hired as account executives.[11]
Financial problems
editOn May 26, 2006, Central Park Media laid off many of its employees, and rumors erupted that the company was planning to declare bankruptcy, supported by a statement from a representative at the conventionAnime Boston.The following Monday, the company's managing director issued a statement acknowledging the lay-offs and attributing the cost-cutting to creditor problems following the January bankruptcy of theMusiclandgroup.[12]
The previous year, in 2005, CPM had discontinued its CPM Manga and CPM Manhwa line, also due to monetary problems. But CPM representatives have said that they had relaunched their manga and manhwa lines in January 2006.[13]
On March 19, 2007, Japanese yaoi publisherLibreposted a notice on its website saying that CPM's Be Beautiful division was illegally translating and selling its properties. The titles in question were originally licensed to CPM by Japanese publisherBiblos,which was bought out by Libre in 2006 after a bankruptcy.[14]
Bankruptcy and liquidation
editCentral Park Media filed forChapter 7 bankruptcyon April 27, 2009, and liquidated with a debt of over US$1.2 million.[15]Officially, the company had plans to re-release some older titles in the future.[16]Right up until their bankruptcy, CPM still licensed their anime titles for North American television and VOD distribution, despite having not released anything on home video for over a year. Many of their titles have been shown on theSci-Fi Channel,[17]as well asAnime Selects,AZN Televisionand theFunimation Channel,[18]and were available through iTunes.[19]Some of their titles were also re-licensed by various anime companies, such asADV Films,Bandai Entertainment,Funimation,Sentai Filmworks,Discotek Media,Nozomi Entertainment,andMedia Blasters,[20]and were re-released from 2004 into the present day. Some of their titles were either re-dubbed, such asHere Is GreenwoodandArea 88byMedia BlastersandADV Films,respectively, or have retained the original dub.Grave of the Fireflieswas later re-licensed by ADV's successorSentai Filmworksand was re-released in 2012.[21]
Its website became offline permanently after its closure. The centralparkmedia.com domain was eventually transferred to a New York-based art dealer Atelier VGI several years later.
Distribution
editCentral Park Media was a key player in popularizing anime, with numerous firsts and promotions designed to introduce various works to American viewers. They were one of the first suppliers to sell anime box sets.[22]
In 2002, the first instance of an anime having the storyboards as an alternate viewing option was released on the Collectors Edition ofGrave of the Fireflies,more than 2,700 hand drawings synced to the audio tracks.[23]They also focused on increasing TV airings of shows to capitalize on the International Channel, the Encore Channel and the streaming service Cartoon Network short-lived Toonami Reactor website.[24]
Anime Test Drive was a promotion that started in 2003 which tested the markets and introduced American's to anime at a discounted rate.[25]It was a way to market titles that may have been viewed as to expensive or inconvenience to purchase separately.[8]Anime Test Drive DVDs offer two episodes of the listed anime series and 45 minutes of trailers.[8]
In 2004, Central Park Media introduced Korean animation works into America after the success of the Animatrix, Aeon Flux, and Cubix with the release of Doggy Poo.[26]In 2005, it sub-licensed seven anime titles to the US-based International Channel.[27]It also licensed titles out to the broadband streaming service Movielink.[28]In 2006, Central Park Media licensed some of their works to IGN Entertainment's digital download retail store Direct2Drive.[29]
In 2007, Central Park Media licensed outRevolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie,Roujin Z,theRecord of Lodoss Warseries, theProject A-koseries,Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer,andGrave of the Firefliesto theFunimation Channel.[18]These titles aired on the channel in 2007 before ADV Films took over the rights toGrave of the Fireflies[20]and the film was streamed onVODin theUnited StatesandCanadabyAnime Network,[30]following their bankruptcy.[15]
Divisions
editAsia Pulp Cinema
editAsia Pulp Cinema was CPM's East Asian live-action film distribution division that began in 1999.[31]They were most known for carrying Japanese erotic films, mostly starring actressKei Mizutani,and films targeted at admirers of theotakusubculture, such as theAkihabara Trilogy.[32]
US Manga Corps
editUS Manga Corps was the main anime distribution division for Central Park Media, catering to middle/high school students and older audiences.[33]The US Manga Corps mascot is fromMD Geist,from an OVA from the 1980s.[3]
Software Sculptors
editSoftware Sculptors was founded by John Sirabella, Sam Liebowitz, and Henry Lai in 1993, and specialized in anime-related software, such asscreen saversfeaturingRanma ½andBubblegum Crisis,as well as releasing anime onCD-ROM.[34][35]They also released several anime titles, most notablySlayers,Revolutionary Girl Utena,andCat Soup.The company was bought by CPM and was turned into one of their division labels. Sirabella stayed on with CPM until 1997, after which he would go on to formMedia Blasters.[36]
CPM Press
editCPM Press (originally CPM Comics, then CPM Manga) was themangaandmanhwapublication division.[37][38]Manga titles were published under the label CPM Manga, and manhwa under CPM Manhwa. CPM also had an adult division under CPM Press known as Bear Bear Press, which largely published Americanized versions of some of their Anime 18 releases such asLa Blue Girl.This division started in 1996 and folded the same year releasing onlyLa Blue GirlandDemon Beast Invasion.[39]Bear Bear Press was succeeded by Manga 18.
Anime 18
editAnime 18 (A18 Corporation) was Central Park Media's distribution division for pornographic anime.[40]Among its releases wereToshio Maeda'sLegend of the OverfiendandLa Blue Girl.[41]The release ofLegend of the Overfiendwas the firsthentaireleased in America.[42]Anime 18 released its titles under several labels, with the main label –Anime 18– used forhentaianime,Manga 18for manga and manhwa pornography, andBe Beautiful Mangaforyaoimanga. When Central Park Media went bankrupt in 2009, the licenses for some of Anime 18's products and movies were transferred toCritical Mass VideoandKitty Media.[43]
Some Anime 18 titles were published under the label Anime HotShots starting February 2005[44]
Manga 18
editManga 18 was an English-language publisher of pornographic manga and manhwa which was the manga counterpart of Anime 18 and successor to Bare Bear Press.[45]
Be Beautiful Manga
editThe counterpart of Anime 18 that specialized in yaoi manga. On March 19, 2007, Japanese yaoi publisher Libre announced that Be Beautiful Manga was illegally translating and selling their properties to their original owners.[14]
Below the Radar
editBelow the Radar was a label that focused on live-action independent and non-mainstream media. Formed in March 2007.[46]
Binary Media Works
editCentral Park Media's website unit that operated AnimeOne.com, a website that was dedicated to anime fandom,[47]and UFOCity.com, a website that specialized inalien UFO sightingsand hosted a community ofUFO enthusiasts.It was shut down in 2004.[48]
Productions
editReleases are only listed if the subtitling, dubbing, or other production work was handled by Central Park Media; rather than being licensed from prior versions. All of the titles are now published by other companies, if at all, due to Central Park Media's liquidation.
References
edit- ^"Central Park Media".OpenCorporates.
Source New York Department of State, 3 Jul 2023
- ^"The End of Central Park Media".Bella Online.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
- ^ab"Buried Garbage - M.D. Geist".Anime News Network.October 2, 2008.
- ^"Interview with John O'Donnell".Archived fromthe originalon December 9, 2008.RetrievedMay 9,2009.
- ^"Manga Spring preview".Anime News Network.January 4, 2001.RetrievedDecember 29,2020.
- ^"Contact Us".Central Park Media.March 12, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon March 12, 2007.RetrievedSeptember 14,2009.
- ^"250 West 57th Street".W&H Properties.Archived fromthe originalon August 28, 2008.RetrievedSeptember 14,2009.
- ^abc"Central Park Media expands.(expands office space in Fisk Building)(Brief Article)".HighBeam Research.Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedMay 8,2013.
- ^Kramer walks into central park media.(People)(Brief Article),archived fromthe originalon November 16, 2018,retrievedMay 8,2013
- ^abTwo promoted at Central Park Media.(people)(Brief Article),archived fromthe originalon April 9, 2016,retrievedMay 8,2013
- ^Three new execs park at Central Park Media.(people)(Brief Article),archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016,retrievedMay 8,2013
- ^"Musicland files for bankruptcy".Anime News Network.January 12, 2006.RetrievedOctober 5,2009.
- ^"Central Park Media to Restart Manga".Anime News Network.October 17, 2005.RetrievedOctober 5,2009.
- ^abCha, Kai-Ming; Reid, Calvin (March 29, 2007)."Japanese Publisher Claims CPM Infringes".Publishers Weekly.Archived fromthe originalon October 17, 2007.RetrievedJuly 5,2009.
- ^ab"Central Park Media Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy".Anime News Network.April 28, 2009.RetrievedOctober 5,2009.
- ^"CPM to Re-release Some Older Titles in the Future".Anime News Network.March 3, 2007.RetrievedOctober 5,2009.
- ^"Sci-Fi Channel and Manga Entertainment Add New Anime Programming as Ani-Monday Block is Renewed for a Second Season".Anime News Network.July 14, 2007.RetrievedOctober 5,2009.
- ^ab"FUNimation Channel Adds Anime from Central Park Media".Anime News Network.April 10, 2007.
- ^"Black Jack OVA".iTunes.RetrievedDecember 23,2010.
- ^ab"ADV Adds Grave of the Fireflies and Now and Then, Here and There".Anime News Network.May 5, 2009.RetrievedOctober 5,2009.
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- ^"Boxing Anime: Boxed DVD Sets Cater to the Collector.(Brief Article)".Archived fromthe originalon September 21, 2014.RetrievedMay 8,2013.
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- ^"Anime Supplier Central Park Boosts TV Tie-ins.(Central Park Media)(Brief Article)".HighBeam Research.Archived fromthe originalon February 24, 2016.RetrievedMay 8,2013.
- ^"Central Park Media Unveils anime 'Test Drive' program.(Anime)(Brief Article)".HighBeam Research.Archived fromthe originalon November 17, 2018.RetrievedMay 8,2013.
- ^"Korean animation comes to U.S. market".HighBeam Research.Archived fromthe originalon April 14, 2016.RetrievedMay 8,2013.
- ^"The US-based International Channel, which has upped its focus on Asian American audiences, has signed licensing agreements with Korean film distributor Mirovision for nine Korean films and Central Park Media for seven anime titles.(in the news)".HighBeam Research.Archived fromthe originalon February 22, 2016.RetrievedMay 8,2013.
- ^"Movielink adds more anime.(Show Time)(Brief Article)".HighBeam Research.Archived fromthe originalon February 22, 2016.RetrievedMay 8,2013.
- ^"Direct2Drive now has movies, TV, anime.(IGN Entertainment Inc. contracts with 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, Central Park Media and Starz Media)(Brief article)".HighBeam Research.Archived fromthe originalon November 17, 2018.RetrievedMay 8,2013.
- ^"Grave of the Fireflies on Anime Network".Anime Network.
- ^"Asia Pulp Cinema".Central Park Media.March 30, 2004. Archived fromthe originalon March 30, 2004.RetrievedOctober 5,2009.
- ^"Legend of the Doll Theatrical Premiere Set: First Movie of AkihabarabTrilogy to be Screened at The ImaginAsian Theater".Jacneed.Archived fromthe originalon October 11, 2016.RetrievedDecember 29,2020.
- ^"U.S. Manga Corps New Releases".Central Park Media.April 7, 2004. Archived fromthe originalon April 7, 2004.RetrievedOctober 5,2009.
- ^"Dennis A. Amith interviews John Sirabella (1994)".nt2099.com. Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 21,2014.
- ^"Software Sculptors CD-ROMs and Anime Videos".Software Sculptors.January 29, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon January 29, 2007.RetrievedOctober 5,2009.
- ^"The Anime 'Porn' Market".Animation World Magazine.3(4): 27–29. July 1998.RetrievedJune 3,2011.Also availablehereandhere (PDF version of the issue).
- ^"The CPM Comics Page".Central Park Media.February 7, 1997. Archived fromthe originalon February 7, 1997.RetrievedOctober 5,2009.
- ^"CPM Press".Central Park Media.June 8, 2003. Archived fromthe originalon June 8, 2003.RetrievedOctober 5,2009.
- ^"Bear Bear Press website".Central Park Media.Archived fromthe originalon February 7, 1997.RetrievedDecember 29,2020.
- ^"Anime 18".Central Park Media.February 7, 1997. Archived fromthe originalon February 7, 1997.
- ^"Anime erotica potential growing strong.(Animated erotica)".HighBeam Research.Archived fromthe originalon June 11, 2014.RetrievedMay 8,2013.
- ^"Ask John: How Did Hentai Become Popular in America".Anime nation. Archived fromthe originalon September 25, 2013.RetrievedApril 26,2013.
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- ^"La Blue Girl - Destiny (GN 1)".Anime News Network.July 17, 2010.RetrievedJanuary 3,2021.
- ^"Live Action Cult Programming Below the Radar Launches in March 2007".Anime News Network. January 9, 2007.RetrievedAugust 29,2012.
- ^"AnimeOne in the Internet Archive".Archived fromthe originalon January 27, 2002.RetrievedDecember 29,2020.
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- ^"Central Park Media | CrystalAcids.com".www.crystalacids.com.RetrievedDecember 22,2021.
External links
edit- Official Website(Archived 2009)
- Central Park MediaatAnime News Network's encyclopedia