International comic book phenomenon debuts in US market

New York City, October 17, 2007 - Teshkeel Comics announced today that its first superhero series, THE 99, has arrived in US comic book stores nationwide. The US debut follows a high profile marketing campaign and months of industry buzz regarding the successful international property. THE 99 #1 kicks off a regular US monthly series, featuring action-packed superhero adventures and a positive cultural message.

"This is truly a remarkable time for our company," said Teshkeel's US publisher Sven Larsen. "Our writer and 'Visionary-in-Chief', Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa has been carrying around the story of THE 99 characters since 2004. At the time, our heroes were just names in black type on plain blank paper. Now they are full-fledged characters with amazing visuals and unique personalities. We've seen THE 99 grow into a worldwide phenomenon that has caught the attention of everyone from The New York Times to the BBC. Now, we couldn't be more excited for our monthly US launch, and for American readers to meet and follow our expanding cast of heroes."

THE 99 are the world's first superhero team based on Islamic culture and history. Each member of the THE 99 multinational team wields a power derived from one of the ancient Noor Stones, which were thought to be lost in ancient times. In all, there will be 99 characters from 99 different countries, reflecting a broad array of cultures and beliefs. The monthly series depicts their struggles against those who would use the Noor Stones for evil, and their own challenges in understanding each other.

"THE 99 is a different type of comic book series," explained series creator and Teshkeel CEO Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa. "I wanted to create positive role models for readers that reflected the diversity and globalism of our modern world. I also wanted to create a different type of team dynamic and show that things like teamwork, understanding different cultures, and communication were just as important as physical strength or other super-powers. THE 99 may look like traditional superheroes but how they think and act is quite different."

"We've tried to ground the stories a little more in the real world," added series co-writer Fabian Nicieza (who has worked on numerous comics including X-Men and Superman). "But that doesn't mean that there won't be plenty of action and excitement. We're working with a historical background and loads of new environments that many American readers will be exposed to for the first time. It's what attracted me to the project as a writer and I'm sure it's going to attract a lot of readers as well."

Series artist John McCrea, whose credits include Superman and Spider-Man, added, "The energy and excitement of THE 99 is what makes the project appealing to me. I've been able to create the look of the universe from the word go, based around the amazing designs of Dan Panosian, and it's been a lot of fun and a real creative challenge. Also, from day to day I have no idea where I'll be headed next, both within the globetrotting stories and within Teshkeel itself, as I am working on character designs, animation turnarounds, posters, as well as the regular monthly book. My head is spinning!"

"As someone who grew up with Western comic books like Archie and Spider-Man, it's exciting for me to see Teshkeel make its own contribution to the medium," concluded Al-Mutawa. "It's one of the first times Middle Eastern popular culture has come to the US (rather than the other way around). I'm looking forward to hearing the reactions of American readers and seeing Jabbar and Noora take their place alongside the likes of Batman and The Hulk in American comic book stores. The launch of our new US monthly series marks another important point in our company's development and our mission to deliver THE 99's positive message around the world."

THE 99 series is being distributed in the United States to thousands of comic book specialty shops, via Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of English-language comics and related merchandise. Diamond provides a Comic Shop Locator Service, searchable by US ZIP code on http://csls.diamondcomics.com/ or by calling 1-888-COMIC-BOOK (1-888-266-4226).



ABOUT TESHKEEL MEDIA GROUP, INC.

Teshkeel Media Group, Inc. is a worldwide media and entertainment company with offices in Cairo, Kuwait and New York City. The company's mission is to produce positive, high-quality children's content including print and electronic media, film and television. In addition to working with global publishers, Teshkeel also develops its own original character properties, including THE 99 (www.the99.org), an award-winning original superhero property based on Islamic culture and history.

Find out more about THE 99 at http://www.the99.org, www.myspace.com/teshkeelcomics, and http://www.teshkeelcomics.com.


ABOUT DIAMOND COMICS

Diamond Comic Distributors (www.diamondcomics.com) was established in 1982 to provide comic book specialty retailers with wholesale, non-returnable comic books and related merchandise. After more than 20 years of service, Diamond has emerged as the world's largest distributor of English-language comics and related merchandise, with a network of strategically located distribution centers throughout the world.


MEDIA CONTACTS

TESHKEEL MEDIA GROUP, INC.
Darren Kane
Director of Marketing
Tel: (USA) 1-212-444-7782
E-mail: dkane@teshkeel.com


DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
Tel: 1-410-560-7100
www.diamondcomics.com
www.comicshoplocator.com