Stu Levy

Stu Levy is an American entrepreneur, author, and film producer. He is best known as the founder and CEO of TOKYOPOP, a media company that publishes manga and licenses anime for English-language distribution.

Levy founded TOKYOPOP in 1997 as Mixx Entertainment, initially focusing on translating manga magazines. The company grew to become one of the largest publishers of manga in North America, popularizing titles such as "Sailor Moon," "GTO," and "Fruits Basket." TOKYOPOP also expanded into original English-language manga (OEL manga), aiming to create manga-style comics by Western artists.

TOKYOPOP faced financial difficulties and ceased publishing in North America in 2011. Levy later relaunched the company with a focus on digital distribution and publishing through partnerships.

Besides his work with TOKYOPOP, Levy has written several books, including "Manga! Manga! Secret of Japanese Comics" and "Becoming a Manga Artist." He has also produced several films, including "Priest" and "Vanishing on 7th Street." Levy is considered a significant figure in the popularization of manga and anime outside of Japan.