November 29, 2010

GARFIELD COMIC STRIPS GET PERSONAL!

Big Tent Entertainment and Paws, Inc. Launch First-of-its-Kind Fully Animated, Personalized Comic Strips Featuring the World’s Most Popular Fat Cat

Application Integrates PixFusion’s Patented Technology Enabling Fans to Digitally Star alongside Garfield in their Favorite Strip; Available Beginning November 29th

New York, NY, November 22, 2010 – Branded entertainment company Big Tent Entertainment announced today that it has inked a worldwide licensing agreement with Paws, Inc., the company which founded the world’s most popular comic strip - Garfield, to create the first-ever fully animated, personalized comic strip. Through the use of innovative patented photo-personalized technology developed by PixFusion, a leader in personalized entertainment and composite imagery across all media formats, the famously irreverent feline will appear alongside a new co-star – YOU! Internet and Mobile users can digitalize themselves to appear in their favorite Garfield comic strips which have been animated for the first time.

The series of animated Garfield comic strips will be available beginning November 29th on www.PixFusion.com with various mediums to follow in the coming weeks including an application for iPad and iPhone. To personalize a comic strip, simply upload a photo and you will quickly be inserted into a classic strip starring as one of Garfield’s friends such as Jon Arbuckle, the exasperated owner of Garfield and Odie, or Garfield's veterinarian Dr. Liz Wilson.  An animated comic will cost .99 cents to personalize and stream. Other options are available that allow fans to download and share content for $3.99 or get unlimited personalization and streaming for a year for only $9.99. 

Garfield has entertained hundreds of millions of readers with his wise-cracking, lasagna-loving antics for more than 30 years. Appearing in over 2,400 newspapers every day, Garfield has become the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world according to Guinness World Records. The comic strip has sparked a hugely successful licensing program which includes books, apparel, and toys along with a number of Emmy Award-winning television specials and a brand new animated cartoon “The Garfield Show,” is now airing in 125 countries around the globe. Garfield has also had successes at the box office, scratching up over $340 million with Garfield: The Movie, and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties.

“Garfield has demonstrated remarkable longevity, a worldwide base of passionate fans, and broad age appeal, making this an ideal candidate for a personalized application,” said Rich Collins, Chief Executive Officer, Big Tent Entertainment. “Paws’ beautifully animated comic strips and clever captions combined with the PixFusion personalization technology have resulted in an exciting new application that allows fans to create their very own Garfield comic strips for the first time.”

Jim Davis, Garfield creator and president of Paws, Inc. added, “Our daily comic strips have always been at the heart of the Garfield brand so what better way to expand our online presence then to create personalized content which utilizes our vast catalog of classic strips in an innovative  and engaging way. These animated, personalized comic strips are unlike anything that’s been done before and we look forward to sharing them with our millions of fans around the world.”

About Big Tent Entertainment, LLC
Big Tent Entertainment, LLC (www.bigtent.tv) is an entertainment company specializing in the integrated development and management of media brands.  Formed in 2002, the company manages a portfolio across both traditional and new media while focusing on brand strategy, community building, viral marketing, licensing and retail merchandising.  Big Tent currently serves as the worldwide (ex Asia) marketing and licensing company for fashion and viral sensation Domo as well as the North American agency of record for a number of properties including: Discovery Kids, the #1 real world entertainment brand for kids; Telemundo, a leading producer of high-quality content for Hispanics in the U.S. and audiences around the world; TOKYOPOP, the world-renowned manga publisher and global pop culture brand; Crusty Demons, the masters of freestyle motocross; Purple Ronnie, one of the U.K.’s most successful social expression brands; and PixFusion, a global leader in personalization products.

About PixFusion LLC
New York-based PixFusion LLC is a global leader in personalized entertainment, employing its patents and technology in a variety of products and services.  Its’ Kideo personalized video products for preschoolers have won several awards such as the iParenting Media Award and The National Parenting Center Award.  The Kideo line includes the popular Dora the Explorer and Spider-Man licenses. In addition, the company also markets digital products for adults and teens under its’ PixFusion brand, including U.K. social expression brand, Purple Ronnie.  Through its licensing division, the company offers an array of turn-key marketing solutions, including use of its StarMaker proprietary I.P. platform, to leading companies like Mindspark, Pep Boys, and JibJab.  

About Paws, Inc.
Paws, Incorporated was founded in 1981 by cartoonist Jim Davis as a creative house to support GARFIELD licensing. Today, the company, located in rural Indiana, handles not only the creative angle, but also the business concerns of the corpulent kitty worldwide. Paws boasts a staff of more than 40 artists, writers, and licensing professionals. Paws, Inc. is a privately held company and the sole owner of the copyrights and trademarks for GARFIELD and GARFIELD Characters.

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Media Contacts:
Callie Burrows, Marissa Florindi
Dan Klores Communications
212-981-5209, 212-981-5104
callie_burrows@dkcnews.com, marissa_florindi@dkcnews.com