We caught up with Tokyopop Associate Publisher Marco Pavia this week to check in on the company, which laid off another eight employees last week.  That’s in the wake of layoffs of 39 and a big cut in production last summer (see “Tokyopop Splits into Two Companies”).  Pavia expressed his unhappiness over the situation.  “Whenever we lay off someone they’re extremely talented, dedicated people, so it’s hard, especially this time of year,” he said. 

Pavia declined to specify how many employees the company had before the most recent cuts.

We asked about the conditions that led to the cuts.  “Publishers and booksellers are describing this as one of the worst retailing environments in memory and I don’t know what to add,” he said.  “I think that’s an accurate assessment.  We’re adjusting to this landscape that’s shifting every day.  We need to be as responsive as we can to these new realities just to endure.”

Pavia’s description of the market conditions in the book trade follows the similar remarks by the CEOs of Barnes & Noble and Hastings (see “Hastings Echoes B&N”).