Genius Brands International, Inc. Issues Shareholder Letter

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., June 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Genius Brands International, Inc. "Genius Brands" (NASDAQ: GNUS), the global brand management company that creates and licenses multimedia entertainment content for children, released a letter to shareholders from Chairman & CEO Andy Heyward. The complete letter follows:

Dear Friends and Shareholders:

This morning we announced that ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER has entered into an agreement to become a significant investor in Genius Brands International.

I want to share with you the importance of this event.

Our upcoming tentpole series STAN LEE’S SUPERHERO KINDERGARTEN not only stars Arnold, but he is also Co-Executive Producer.  Governor Schwarzenegger will lend his signature voice, his likeness in animation, and his cache and standing to launch and promote the series.

The Governor has elected to take his compensation, not in cash, but in warrants to purchase shares of Genius Brands common stock (Nasdaq: GNUS).

His tens of millions of followers across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter will bring not only a devoted following to the series, but to Genius Brands overall.  This, added to the millions of Stan Lee followers, puts rocket fuel in our Genius Brands’ tanks, and it would be impossible to overstate the importance of this event. 

Governor Schwarzenegger and Stan Lee had been friends for years and sought to develop an animated children’s property together. STAN LEE’S SUPERHERO KINDERGARTEN is now the result of this collaboration. The development was begun by Fabian Nicieza, one of Stan’s longtime collaborators, and himself, creator of Deadpool and writer of over 1,000 Marvel and DC Comic books, including Spider-Man, Batman, and the Avengers,  among others.  The Superhero Kindergarten series episodic writing will be done by Steven Banks (head writer of Sponge Bob Square Pants).  Added to this team is multi-Emmy Award-winning director, Mike Maliani, who worked with me when we were in the Walt Disney Company together.