Genius Brands International, Inc. (“Genius
Brands”) (NASDAQ:GNUS) celebrates a new milestone of over
70 million views to date, for Kartoon Channel!’s
flagship series,
Stan Lee’s Superhero
Kindergarten, starring and executive produced by
Arnold Schwarzenegger, as the comedy-adventure
ends its first season with the final episode debuting on October
22, 2021.
Since premiering on April 23 on Kartoon Channel!, viewership for
Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten has surpassed all expectations
and is the most watched show on Kartoon Channel! In the last
episode of the season, Arnold introduces the Super Ks to their new
classmate, Emerson, who is a wheelchair user and exchange student
from England. Worried they won't be able to keep their superhero
identities a secret from Emerson, the Super Ks are hesitant to
welcome him at first. The kids put their differences aside when
they find out that Emerson himself, has a secret super power, just
like them, and is able to save the day.
“We are incredibly proud of Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten
not just because it is proving to be a success, but because this
series speaks to one of the core missions of Genius Brands, to
create ‘content with a purpose,’ in promoting kid friendly lessons
like anti-bullying, exercise, health and nutrition,” said
Genius Brands’ Chairman & CEO Andy Heyward.
“We are thrilled to debut on our season one episode finale, a new
superhero who is wheelchair bound, yet it doesn't prevent him from
becoming an invaluable member of the superhero team… in fact, he
more than proves his mettle while saving the day! We are excited to
continue working on the further expansion of the Stan Lee’s
Superhero Kindergarten brand and can’t wait to share more exciting
news, when we announce Season 2!” About Stan Lee’s
Superhero KindergartenStan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten is
geared towards kids and families and focuses on the adventures of
six unique kids who are learning to master their super skills,
along with their ABCs. With the help of their teacher Arnold
Armstrong (AKA ‘Captain Fantastic’, the greatest superhero to ever
live!).
It all began five years ago when Arnold Armstrong faced off in a
final fight against his nemesis, the evil Dr. Superior, that left
him powerless. Little did anyone know that during the fight,
super-energy particles rained down on a group of unsuspecting
toddlers. Now, those toddlers are kindergarten students at
Greenville Elementary School who, with the help of Arnold
Armstrong, must learn to control their powers as they go on super
adventures! Arnold Armstrong’s mission: to train these kids to use
their super-powers safely without revealing their identities. They
learn the values of teamwork, health, diversity and anti-bullying
while also protecting their town from rivals, and the nefarious Dr.
Superior who has returned as Headmaster Danforth of the Academy for
Superior Children across town.
Fun for the whole family, the series opens up the superhero
genre for a whole new demographic and draws kids in with action and
comedy, while parents can appreciate the quality of content
synonymous with Stan Lee. Season one of the series includes 26
half-hour long episodes that began with a two-episode double
feature and has rolled out a new episode on a weekly basis every
Friday.
Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten features Schwarzenegger,
voice-directed by John Landis, one of the most
successful movie directors of all time, with Steven
Banks, former head writer for SpongeBob SquarePants,
serving as head writer for the series. The series is produced by
Genius Brands and Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment in association with
Schwarzenegger’s Oak Productions. Gill Champion,
CEO of Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment; Andy
Heyward, Chairman & CEO of Genius Brands;
Schwarzenegger; and Paul Wachter of Main Street
Advisors serve as executive producers.
About Kartoon Channel!Available everywhere and
anywhere kids are today, Genius Brands International’s digital
network, Kartoon Channel! is a family entertainment destination
that delivers enduring childhood moments of humor, adventure, and
discovery.
Delivering 1000’s of episodes of carefully curated free
family-friendly content, the channel features animated classics for
little kids, including The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, Babar,
Mello Dees, Super Simple Songs, and Baby Genius, as well as hit
content for bigger kids, such as Pac-Man, Angry Birds, and
Yu-Gi-Oh!, to original programming like Stan Lee’s Superhero
Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, KC! Pop Quiz coming
soon, and Shaq’s Garage, starring Shaquille O’Neal for 2022.
Kartoon Channel! also offers STEM-based content through its Kartoon
Classroom!, including Baby Einstein, and more.
Kartoon Channel! delivers positive and purposeful content across
multiple platforms, including Comcast, Cox, Pluto TV, DISH, Sling
TV, Amazon Prime, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Android TV, Android
Mobile, Google Play, Xumo, Roku, Tubi, Samsung Smart TVs, and
LGTVs.
Kartoon Channel! can also be streamed on TVs and mobiles device
by downloading the app, or on desktops by visiting
www.kartoonchannel.com
About Genius Brands InternationalGenius Brands
International, Inc. (Nasdaq: GNUS) is a leading global kids media
company developing, producing, marketing and licensing branded
children’s entertainment properties and consumer products for media
and retail distribution. The Company’s ‘content with a purpose’
portfolio includes Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring
Arnold Schwarzenegger, on Kartoon Channel!; Shaq’s Garage, starring
Shaquille O’Neal, coming to Kartoon Channel! in 2022; Rainbow
Rangers on Kartoon Channel! and Netflix; Llama Llama, starring
Jennifer Garner, on Netflix; award-winning toddler brand Baby
Genius; adventure comedy STEM series Thomas Edison's Secret Lab;
and entrepreneurship series Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires
Club. Through licensing agreements with leading partners,
characters from Genius Brands’ IP also appear on a wide range of
consumer products for the worldwide retail marketplace. The
Company’s new Kartoon Channel! and Kartoon Classroom! are available
in over 100 million U.S. television households via a broad range of
distribution platforms, including Comcast, Cox, DISH, Pluto TV,
Sling TV, Amazon Prime, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Apple iOS, Android
TV, Android Mobil, Google Play, Xumo, Roku, Tubi,
KartoonChannel.com, Samsung Smart TVs and LG TVs. For additional
information, please visit www.gnusbrands.com.
Forward Looking Statements: Certain statements
in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as
"may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect,"
"anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast,"
"project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements
regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are
forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these
forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should
not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are
based on information available to us on the date of this release.
These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates
and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties,
including without limitation, our ability to generate revenue or
achieve profitability; our ability to obtain additional financing
on acceptable terms, if at all; the potential issuance of a
significant number of shares, which will dilute our equity holders;
fluctuations in the results of our operations from period to
period; general economic and financial conditions; our ability to
anticipate changes in popular culture, media and movies, fashion
and technology; competitive pressure from other distributors of
content and within the retail market; our reliance on and
relationships with third-party production and animation studios;
our ability to market and advertise our products; our reliance on
third-parties to promote our products; our ability to keep pace
with technological advances; our ability to protect our
intellectual property and those other risk factors set forth in the
“Risk Factors” section of the Company’s most recent Annual Report
on Form 10-K and in the Company's subsequent filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Thus, actual
results could be materially different. The Company expressly
disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as
required by law.
MEDIA CONTACT:pr@gnusbrands.com
INVESTOR RELATIONS
CONTACT:ir@gnusbrands.com
A graphic accompanying this announcement is available
at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3fc4368e-5b9b-4694-a8c6-108f07ba372d
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