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Viz Reportedly Plans 11 More Naruto Books in 3 Months

Simon & Schuster, a distributor of books published by Viz Media, is listing the release of 11 Naruto manga volumes within the three months between February and April 2009. Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto volume 33 is scheduled to ship on December 23. However, the next four volumes (#34-37) are all listed for February 3. Volumes 38 to 41 will then follow on March 3. Volumes 42 to 44 will end the accelerated schedule on April 7. The next volume, #45, is slated for July 7. The Amazon online retailer also lists the same dates.

Viz Media launched a similar Naruto Nation campaign last year. In the last four months of 2007, the publisher released Naruto volumes 16-27. Those 12 volumes dominated American manga sales during those months. During that campaign, Viz also shipped several spinoff books such as a novel and a collectors' magazine. Coincidentally, the last volume in Viz's reportedly accelerated schedule (#44) just shipped in Japan this month.

Source: AnimeOnDVD Forums via Icarus Publishing