Stu Levy
American businessman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stuart J. Levy (born 1967), also known by the pen name D.J. Milky,[1][2] is a producer[3] of manga and films and writer of manga.[1][4]
Stuart J. Levy | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1967 (age 58–59) |
| Alma mater | University of California at Los Angeles, Georgetown University |
| Occupations |
|
| Title | Founder and former CEO of Tokyopop |
Levy founded the media company Tokyopop and established the manga market in North America.[5] He was an executive producer on the major motion picture Priest in 2011 distributed by Sony Pictures.[6] Additionally, he directed the documentary Pray for Japan and mockumentary Van Von Hunter.[7] Van Von Hunter won him "Best Director" at the Los Angeles based Mock Film Fest 2011.[8] He created/wrote Princess Ai with singer Courtney Love.[9][10] Levy also is a chair of the International Producers Guild of America.[11][12] Levy appeared as a speaker for the Middle East Film & Comic Con 2018 for his experience as a businessman and producer/artist.[13] Levy's manga series, Nightmare Before Christmas: Zero's Journey was nominated for two 2018 Diamond GEM awards.[14][15]
Levy moved to Berlin in January 2020. In March 2023, Levy stepped back from his position as CEO, but took a "similar position" at Tokyopop Germany.[16]
In August 2025, Levy was the subject of Episode 7 of The Anime Business, a documentary interview series produced and hosted by Justin Sevakis for AnimEigo and parent company MediaOCD, subtitled The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of TOKYOPOP. In the episode, Levy discussed bringing manga to major retailers such as Waldenbooks and Borders, pioneering publishing standards including the right-to-left reading format and the use of original Japanese sound effects, promoting J-pop music and anime soundtracks in the United States, and developing manga-inspired projects with prominent U.S. entertainers. He also addressed the financial pressures placed on Tokyopop by its venture capital investors and the convergence of factors during the 2008 global financial crisis — including the collapse of major retail partners — that caused the company to go dormant before eventually rebounding.[17]