Cutbacks hit ADV's manga division

Publishers Weekly (subscription required) reports that ADV, the Houston-based manga publisher and anime distributor, has laid off as many as 40 employees, with possibly about 25 from its manga division.

ADV's Chris Oarr confirmed the layoffs, but wouldn't give specific numbers. Company president John Ledford pointed to a saturated market and discerning customers as contributing factors. "Anyone can see that there's only so much shelf space available to manga and to anime," he told PW. "We've adjusted our schedule to keep pace with the opportunities for shelf space."

The restructured manga unit will focus on publishing "winners," according to Oarr, who said the company will release about 50 titles this year, down from about 80 in 2004.