The Hollywood Reporter Premieres Stan Lee's Pow! Entertainment and Genius Brands International's Groundbreaking New Animated Series, Stan Lee's Cosmic Crusaders

First Major Comic Series to Debut on Digital News Outlet, THR.com, Reaching 16MM UMVs on Tuesday, July 19th at 6:30am PT/9:30am ET; Launch Coincides With 'Stan Lee: 75 Years in the Business' Salute in the Hollywood Reporter's Comic-Con 2016 Issue

LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/19/16 --

The Hollywood Reporter , the entertainment industry's flagship media brand, today announced the Tuesday July 19^th premiere on THR.com/cosmic of the new action-adventure, comedy series, Stan Lee's Cosmic Crusaders, from Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment and Genius Brands International (OTCQB: GNUS).

Written by Deadpool co-creator Fabian Nicieza, based on a concept by Stan Lee, who also voices himself in a starring role, Stan Lee's Cosmic Crusaders, targeting an 18 -- 35-year-old audience, debuts with the first four episodes (approximately three minutes each) premiering exclusively on THR.com (16MM UMVs) in addition to The Hollywood Reporter's YouTube channel (170K subscribers) and Facebook page (1.8MM likes). An episode will air each day leading up to and throughout Comic-Con International 2016, which opens July 21. Episodes will continue to be available on THR.com post Comic-Con.

Stan Lee's Cosmic Crusaders follows comic book legend Stan Lee, who offers sanctuary to seven aliens that have crash-landed on earth -- and hold superpowers tied to their native planets. Protecting the aliens from men in white coats with dubious motivations, Stan Lee immerses his new protégés in intensive superhero training to help them unlock their powers on earth.

The episodes -- each of which ends with a cliffhanger -- will also be available in Virtual Reality, from Legend VR, along with 'VR boxes' to place on smart phones available at Comic-Con. The VR experience gives viewers a chance to sit in Stan Lee's living room and watch each of the first four episodes with the comic-book icon, who shares his thoughts before and after each episode. The VR app will be available on Thursday, July 21 via iTunes and Google Play.

"The Hollywood Reporter is thrilled to celebrate Stan Lee's uncanny, amazing and incredible accomplishments over the course of a momentous career, which has not yet found its peak," said Janice Min, chief creative officer and co-president of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group.

"With Stan Lee's Cosmic Crusaders, fans will get access to the mind of a real-life creative superhero in Stan Lee. Bringing this series to fans around the world, THR will help honor the trailblazing creative contributions and visionary leadership Stan Lee has given to entertainment."

"I can't wait to bestow upon the world one of our latest creations, Stan Lee's Cosmic Crusaders," said Stan Lee. "Celebrating 75 years in the entertainment business is staggering enough, and as if this wasn't exciting enough, we've joined forces with my friends at The Hollywood Reporter and Genius Brands International so you don't want to miss out on this event!"

"We have worked with the creativity and genius of Stan Lee to launch what we anticipate to be a successful franchise to add to his ever-expanding arsenal of hit brands," said Genius Brands International's Chairman & CEO, Andy Heyward. "It has been a pleasure to work with Stan and Janice to bring Cosmic Crusades to THR's millions of subscribers."

The launch of the series coincides with The Hollywood Reporter's annual Comic-Con issue, which will feature a "Stan Lee: 75 Years in the Business" salute. The July 29, 2016 issue of the magazine will celebrate the legendary comic book writer, editor, publisher, media producer, television host, actor and one-of-a-kind visionary who's credited with co-creating numerous Marvel titles, including Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, X-Men, Hulk, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and many more. Superstar comic artist Todd McFarlane created the cover graphics for THR's special issue on Lee.

About The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood Reporter is the entertainment industry's flagship media brand. With in-depth reporting, analysis, unprecedented access, world-class photography and video, and feature exclusives, The Hollywood Reporter is the definitive source for breaking entertainment and business news. THR won a 2016 Webby Award for best online film and video in the entertainment category and the American Society of Magazine Editors National Magazine Award for General Excellence in the Special Interest category in 2015 and 2016, in addition to 2015 and 2016 ASME National Magazine Award nominations for Magazine of the Year and a 2016 Gerald Loeb Award nomination for its "Studio Chiefs Unleashed" Executive Roundtable. Additionally, the brand took home 10 SoCal journalism awards in 2015, more than any other news outlet, and seven in 2016 in categories including Best Website and Entertainment Journalist of the Year. In 2014, The Hollywood Reporter staff won Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards for The Hollywood Reporter in Focus: The Wolf of Wall Street. The Hollywood Reporter and SundanceTV partnered in 2015 and 2016 to co-produce and broadcast Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter, an original non-fiction series featuring panels with potential 2016 Emmy and Oscar nominees. In June 2016, The Hollywood Reporter launched a new feature, the THR 100, ranking the most powerful people in Hollywood. THR's platforms include an award-winning weekly magazine, dynamic web and mobile sites, festival and awards season apps, tablet, iPad editions, social media, and branded events.

The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group reaches more than 27.5 million U.S. users a month online, with a social footprint of about 17 million, ranking number No. 3 among comScore entertainment-news properties, delivering news to an audience of industry power players and consumers deeply invested in entertainment content. Follow The Hollywood Reporter on Twitter @thr, on Facebook at facebook.com/HollywoodReporter, and on Instagram @hollywoodreporter.

About POW! Entertainment Inc.

POW! Entertainment Inc. (OTCQB: POWN) is a multi-media entertainment company founded by noted comic book writer Stan Lee together with award-winning producer Gill Champion and the late intellectual property specialist Arthur Lieberman. POW!'s principals have extensive backgrounds in the creation and production of original intellectual properties, including some of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time. POW! Is utilizing Stan Lee's historical background by perpetuating his legacy while creating and developing all new live-action films, television, digital games, merchandising, licensing and related ancillary markets, all of which contribute to global expansion. POW! Partners with third parties and strategic alliances, including studios and networks, in the production and distribution of new POW! Character franchises. For more information, visit http://www.powentertainment.com.

About Genius Brands International

Headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, Genius Brands International, Inc. "GBI" (OTCQB: GNUS) is a publicly traded global brand management company that creates and licenses multimedia content. Led by award-winning creators and producers, the company distributes its content worldwide in all formats, as well as a broad range of consumer products based on its characters. In the children's media sector, GBI's portfolio features "content with a purpose" for toddlers to tweens, which provides enrichment as well as entertainment, including tween music-driven brand SpacePOP; preschool property debuting on Netflix Llama Llama; award-winning Baby Genius, re-launched with new entertainment and over 40 new products; adventure comedy Thomas Edison's Secret Lab®, available on Netflix, public broadcast stations and GBI's Kid Genius channel on Comcast's Xfinity on Demand; Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club, created with and starring iconic investor Warren Buffett. The company is also co-producing an all-new adult animated series, Cosmic Crusaders, with Stan Lee's Pow! Entertainment and The Hollywood Reporter. Additionally under GBI's wholly owned subsidiary, A Squared Entertainment, the company represents third-party properties, including From Frank, a humor greeting card and product line, and Celessence Technologies, the world's leading micro encapsulation company, across a broad range of categories in territories around the world. For additional information please visit www.gnusbrands.com.

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CONTACTS:
Luke Carron
High10 Media
O: 212.918.2042
M: 810.333.0977
E: Email contact


Michelle Orsi
Three.Sixty Marketing & Communications (for GBI)
310.418.6430
Email contact


Michael Porter
PLR Investor Relations (for GBI)
212.564.7000
Email contact

Source: Genius Brands International, Inc.

Released July 19, 2016