Central Park Media files for Bankruptcy

Anime News Network reports that Central Park Media, licensors of Mobile Police Patlabor, Grave of the Fireflies, Record of Lodoss War, Project A-Ko, Armored Trooper Votoms, and many other shows and films has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Unlike Chapter 11 and 13 bankruptcy – Chapter 7 means that all of CPM/US Manga Corps assets will be liquidated, including their entire back catalog of licences that they still hold.

I have previously complained about CPM sitting on back licenses and not doing anything with them, even, at one point, on a call-in feedback I gave on the Otaku Generation podcast, complaining that they didn’t have the “decency to file for bankruptcy.” That said, I’m not going to claim credit for this, either for predicting it or for influencing it.

Now, my main concern is that the licenses that CPM held go into good hands. Grave of the Fireflies will probably go to Disney, as they currently have the exculsive US distribution rights for Studio Ghibli films (or the ones that weren’t previously licensed). The others are currently up in the air. Of the licenses, Patlabor would probably fit best at Bandai USA, as they already have the licenses for the Patlabor movies. As for all the other shows that CPM had a license for – all I can reccomend is that you contact the company of your choice – Viz, ADV, RightStuf, Funimation or Bandai, and make a reccomendation that they buy the license. That’s what I’ll be doing.

2 replies on “Central Park Media files for Bankruptcy”

  1. Well, I for one look forward to a Disney release of Grave of the Fireflies – I’ve actually been trying to hunt it down through my work, but my suppliers have been out of stock for some time.

    Is there a complete listing of the series that they’ve licensed somewhere? Everyone seems to be naming off the big ones (Patlabor, Lodoss War & Grave of the Fireflies) but I’m curious as to what lesser-known ones they had their hands on.

    • Nevermind…. it suddenly occurred to me that the best place to look might actually be their site.

      I’m going to go drink more coffee now and peruse this.

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