Madman Entertainment

Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes Australian and international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited (listed on the ASX) and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs approx 130 people and has an annual turnover of around A$50 million. Its headquarters is in Richmond, Victoria.

Madman has secured the local release rights to popular titles including One Piece, Dragon Ball, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Akira, and almost all of Studio Ghibli's catalogue. In addition to DVD sales, Madman manages the theatrical release of some of their titles, particularly the Studio Ghibli movies. According to market research, Madman accounts for 97% of the total anime DVD market in Australia.^{[citation needed]}

History

The company's logo.

Madman Entertainment was founded in 1996 to release anime in the Australia from Manga Entertainment UK, with Siren Entertainment acting as distributor after Siren lost the rights to most of Manga UK's catalogue. Later on in 1997, Madman started to distribute anime from ADV Films along with Siren Entertainment. In 2001 Madman Entertainment bought Siren's distribution equipment and established The AV Channel, allowing Madman to distribute their own titles. In the same year Madman Entertainment became the sole distributor of Manga Entertainment's UK and US titles in Australia & New Zealand after Polygram Australia relinquished their rights to Manga UK's back catalogue and Siren lost the rights to Street Fighter II V which was licensed from Manga USA.

Madman now sublicenses anime from ADV Films, Funimation, Harmony Gold, Viz Media, Bandai Entertainment, Media Blasters, formerly Geneon, & recently Sentai Filmworks, although Siren Visual licenses the majority of their English-dubbed titles as well as titles from Manga Entertainment. Madman has licensed titles that were sub-licensed to Madman by Geneon directly though the original Japanese licensors, and this practice is also applied when North American and British licensees do not have Australian rights to their titles. Madman is also the exclusive licensee and distributor of Anime from Namco Bandai Holdings in Australia, licensing titles through Bandai Entertainment, Sunrise and Emotion, despite Namco Bandai Holdings having an Australian subsidiary, Namco Bandai Partners.

As of 2008, only some of Manga Entertainment Australia's titles from the 1990s have been distributed by Madman. Battle Angel Alita was to be released in Australia by Manga and Madman in 2001, but this was cancelled because ADV Films had the rights to the OVAs in North America and tried to market it in Australia with a new dub, while Manga UK and Madman Entertainment had the rights in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Some of their DVD releases have been jointly mastered with Britain's MVM Films or Revelation Films to save costs, and are therefore dual-region (Region 2 and Region 4). A few DVD titles from Madman, such as the Oh My Goddess! OVAs, are all-region or multi-region DVDs in the NTSC format, imported from the US and repackaged for sale in Australia and New Zealand (which normally use PAL colour). Madman & Manga UK also work together on PAL DVD & Region B Blu-ray masters and video transfers, sometimes co-licensing titles due to a title's high cost.

A growing selection of manga titles translated by Tokyopop in the United States and Chuang Yi in Singapore are being imported and distributed through Madman Entertainment. In February 2008, Madman announced that they would also be distributing manga titles from Viz Media. Madman currently distributes manga from Viz Media, Dark Horse Comics, Tokyopop, and recently from Yen Press with the 2012 release of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Madman launched in 1996 solely as an anime distribution company, but has since expanded. They manage the distribution of live-action titles through their labels Madman Films, Directors Suite, Madman Sports, Madman Laughs, Madman Television, Bollywood Masala and Eastern Eye and also children's entertainment through their Planet Mad and Mad4Kids labels. Madman also has a theatrical distribution arm called Madman Cinema. In addition, the company distributes original series produced by Australia's Special Broadcasting Service on DVD.

In 2007, Madman began a licensing agreement to release original Cartoon Network and Adult Swim series on DVD in Australia and New Zealand. Madman also programmed Adult Swim's anime block in the two countries until Cartoon Network Australia dropped its entire Adult Swim lineup on 1 January 2008. Madman Entertainment released the complete series of M.A.S.K. over two DVD collections for the first time in Australia and New Zealand. Collection One was released in November 2006 and contains episodes 1 - 38, Collection Two was released in March 2007 and contains episodes 39 - 65 as well as all ten episodes of the racing series.

At the 2008 Supanova Pop Culture Expo, Madman announced plans to explore new distribution methods. The company now offers online streaming of selected anime episodes, beginning with the first episode of School Rumble. Madman now has a sub-page, Madman Scereening Room, dedicated to video streaming. Madman has also begun releasing Blu-ray Disc titles, starting with The Transformers: The Movie in June 2009.

In April 2008, the company announced a collaboration with British company Warp Films. Warp and Madman plan to make "at least two films together over the next three years, starting with Tyrannosaur."

Sponsorship

As of 2010, Madman Ent, is the sponsor for New Zealand and possible Australian Manga/Anime events.

Merchandise

Madman Entertainment has its own apparel and merchandise that incorporates features of anime series, such as the Hidden Leaf Sign from Naruto, as well as Madman's own logo.

External links

• Official Website
• Madman Entertainment New Zealand home page
• Paul Kelly the movie
• Madman Entertainment at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia.