Manga Mavericks Books, the publishing arm of the long-running podcast and media site, has tapped industry veteran Erica Friedman to serve as its new Managing Editor. Friedman will oversee the company's aggressive growth strategy for the upcoming year, which targets a release slate of more than 40 titles focused on alternative, shojo, josei, and classic manga, with a particular emphasis on LGBTQ+ narratives.
Friedman is a highly respected voice in the community, recognized for her extensive research and writing on yuri media. Since 2002, she has maintained her blog, Okazu, and has contributed to major outlets including Forbes, Slate, and the Huffington Post. Her academic and professional background—which includes founding Yuricon, authoring By Your Side: The First 100 years of Yuri Anime and Manga, and holding a Master’s in Library Science—positions her to lead the publisher’s effort to bring diverse indie titles from Japan to a broader audience.
The appointment signals a significant step forward for the division, which was established in April 2025 to handle the licensing and localization of independent Japanese works. With established distribution partnerships through Pathway Book Service and Gazelle Book Services Ltd already in place, the company is positioning itself to handle a high volume of new content under Friedman’s editorial guidance.
