PROLIFIC COMICS, NOVELS, AND CREATOR FIRST PUBLISHING PLATFORM TAPAS MEDIA AND LEGENDARY VIDEO GAME DEVELOPER SNK CORPORATION PARTNER TO CREATE A WEBCOMIC ADAPTATION OF THE CLASSIC FIGHTING GAME …
THE LAST BLADE
New Weekly Series Launches October 28th, 2020
Los Angeles, CA (October 22, 2020) – Leading digital publisher of webcomics, Tapas Media, and legendary video game developer, SNK Corporation, are thrilled to announce a new partnership to collaborate and create new original series based on SNK’s IP beginning with an adaptation of the classic fighting game series The Last Blade. The fantasy action-adventure webcomic adapted, developed, and written in-house by Tapas Media is set to debut on Tapas’ mobile platform and website on October 28th, 2020. The series is confirmed for two seasons, twelve episodes each, updating weekly every Wednesday starting with the first three episodes on day one.
The Last Blade webcomic marks SNK’s first original comic adaptation with a Western company. “As global leaders in webcomics, we are very excited to partner with Tapas to adapt The Last Blade with a strong creative vision, vivid artwork, and a story that stays true to our fans and the game’s celebrated heritage,” shared the beloved Japanese game maker.
Both gamers and new readers are invited to read the series as it is the definitive adaptation of the game’s story. “Tragic characters coupled with climatic battles and a rich historical setting, Tapas is excited to collaborate with SNK to bring The Last Blade to webcomics with a faithfully reimagined story that will surprise fans and invite new readers to follow Kaede’s epic, and emotional, adventure” says Tapas’ Head of Production and Editorial, super fan, and series writer, Hayden Robel.
About SNK CORPORATION
Headquartered in Osaka, Japan, SNK develops, publishes, and distributes interactive entertainment software on a global scale. Known for such franchises as The Last Blade, The King of Fighters, Metal Slug, and Samurai Shodown, SNK continues to focus on their rich console game and arcade history.
About Tapas Media
Tapas Media, Inc. is a next generation media company offering bite-sized content through its online mobile platform, Tapas. Tapas Media properties, which consists of the popular Tapas mobile app and Tapas.io, boasts over 6.7 billion views to date from more than 3 million unique readers – primarily in North America. Tapas Media provides a best-in-class reading experience for fans of storytelling on mobile devices and on the web, featuring Original series, licensed webcomics, and a successful digital novels division. Founded in March 2012, Tapas has gathered over 58,000 creators, 89,000 series, and more than 1,400,000 episodes. Tapas has multiple partnerships across various multimedia platforms including Zoic Studios, Vault Comics, BOOM!, Hachette Book Group, Ten Speed Press (Penguin Random House), KakaoPage, Podium Audio, Frolic Media, Madison Wells, and more. For more information please visit https://tapas.io/.
About the series
1863. Japan. It is the twilight of the Samurai. After finding his adopted brother standing over their father’s bloody corpse, seventeen-year-old swordsman Kaede sets out on a journey of revenge and to hone his god-like powers, if they don’t kill him first…
Based on the fighting game series by legendary Japanese developer SNK!
About the game
Debuting in 1997 as a one-on-one fighting game on SNK’s beloved and massively successful NEOGEO MVS arcade machine, The Last Blade captivated players with its in-depth combat systems, gorgeous visuals, and roster of imaginative characters. Set in 19th century Japan after the end of the country’s over 200-year long isolation period when Japan reopened its borders to the world, the game seamlessly merges elements of history and classical Eastern mythology with an emphasis on character drama and storytelling.
About the creative team
Written by Hayden Robel
Born and raised in the Central Coast of California, Hayden is an editor, writer, and minion of your video game’s final boss. A graduate of San Francisco State’s University’s Creative Writing program, Hayden’s passion for storytelling led him to help edit and manage multiple literary magazines as well as some of your favorite manga at VIZ Media before joining Tapas. As the Head of Production and Editorial at Tapas Media, he helps develop and produce original comics and stories from all genres and the talented vision of their creators with an emphasis in fantasy, science fiction, and horror.
Art by Cocoon Production
A small but passionate team of creators headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, Cocoon Production specializes in the creation of comics, concept art, and video games. Developing multi-genre, original IP’s, while helping adapt existing hit properties, Cocoon Production helps clients across the world build new and exciting worlds as well as memorable characters. Cocoon Production strives to champion storytelling as a means to communicate identities, morals, experiences, and above all: to have fun!
Colors by Dojo Gubser
Dojo has gallivanted both near and far across the whole of the United States and can currently be found smack dab in a random country cornfield. When not brandishing a diploma from the Savannah College of Art and Design to fight off ghosts and small, spooky children, Dojo has provided colors for numerous notable works including The Witch’s Throne, Blink, Andy Weir’s Cheshire Crossing, Little Women: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy and many, many, more. As resident Tapas Artist, Dojo has provided art direction and guidance for some of the industry’s top creators.
Letters by Alex Culang
Alex is a writer, artist, and musician whose past projects include the official Katamari Damacy webcomic for Bandai Namco, Katamari(writer/letterer/colorist), and the short form anime Wonder Momo (composer). He is co-creator of the long-running comic Buttersafe and is the Typesetting Team Lead at Tapas, where he does everything he can to help creators bring their stories to comic fans around the world.
©SNK CORPORATION ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
©TAPAS MEDIA INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
