LA-based manga publisher TOKYOPOP has inked a new licensing agreement with Mattel to develop and publish a range of original graphic novels inspired by two of the toyco’s tentpole IPs, Hot Wheels and Barbie. 

The first titles to come out of this partnership will hit shelves in 2026, featuring manga-style illustrations and text that’s designed to be read from right to left, in keeping with Japan’s traditional publishing format. TOKYOPOP’s Hot Wheels and Barbie graphic novels are being developed for readers ages eight and up and will be distributed through Penguin Random House’s sales channels worldwide. 

TOKYOPOP has had similar deals in the past with Square Enix and Disney, publishing licensed manga based on video game franchises and feature films including Kingdom Hearts (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean (2018) and Stitch and the Samurai (2020). 

Mattel’s global head of publishing Ryan Ferguson says this new manga deal is part of ongoing efforts to move the toyco’s iconic franchises into new book formats and strengthen its own publishing imprint, which launched last year and has since released several books with sales and distribution partner Simon & Schuster, including a Hot Wheels: I Am a Monster Truck board book, a Barbie Dream Big Activity Book and a Masters of the Universe: Revelation Coloring Book.