Business Jun. 18, 2008 - 05:55AM JST ( 0 )

TOKYO —

Major Japanese comic publishers Shogakukan Inc and Shueisha Inc said Tuesday they will strengthen ties to boost their manga business. The two, which have such well-known cartoons as “Dragon Ball,” will work together to commercialize toys, produce animation and boost overseas operations.

Shogakukan, which publishes the weekly comic magazine Shonen Sunday, and Shueisha, known for Shonen Jump, also plan to distribute programs online.

The move is designed to strengthen operations at a time when the comic market in Japan is slumping because of the aging population and fewer babies being born.

Although Japanese manga and anime are popular in the United States, competition with local production companies is intense.

Shueisha has obtained a 3% take in a Shogakukan subsidiary that sells books and visual software as well as producing manga.

In 2005, the two jointly published Shonen Jump in the United States.

JCN