Graphic Novel About a Native American Teen's Unexpected
Journey to Appreciating Her Rich Family Heritage Gets
Star Treatment from Corporate Sibling, Grom Social
BOCA
RATON, Fla., April 12,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Grom Social Enterprises, Inc.'s
(NASQAQ: GROM) Curiosity Ink Media today confirmed that
Thunderous, the debut graphic novel leading the franchise
intellectual property (IP) brand of the same name, will hit
bookshelves everywhere beginning Thursday,
April 26, thanks to Curiosity's publishing partner, Dynamite
Entertainment. Thunderous will be available wherever books
are sold and tells the story of a modern Native American teenager's
journey to understand and appreciate her family's rich heritage.
The graphic novel is the first publishing title to be released from
Curiosity's previously announced collaboration with Dynamite, to
develop and publish a slate of printed content rooted in the
Curiosity's original IP.
"Thunderous is the perfect embodiment of
Curiosity's mission to present stories from perspectives most
readers don't routinely experience."
The arrival of Thunderous as a graphic novel for young
readers serves as a launching point for future publishing
opportunities as well as potential brand extensions from Curiosity,
including a recurring TV series, feature film and consumer
products. Additionally, Curiosity's corporate sibling, Grom Social
– a safe social media platform for kids under 13 – will celebrate
the arrival of the book with special content designed to encourage
the joys of reading to its audience. Interviews with the author,
specially themed videos and other programming will be featured,
beginning in late April.
"Thunderous is the perfect embodiment of Curiosity's
mission to present stories from perspectives most readers don't
routinely experience," explains Jon
Rosenberg, Curiosity Ink Media Executive Vice President and
Publisher. "Bringing this property to life with the team from
Dynamite is a major milestone in growing awareness of this vivid,
rich storytelling. We are thrilled to share this graphic novel with
the world later this month."
Written by Montana Poet Laureate ML Smoker and Natalie Peeterse and illustrated by Dale Deforest, Thunderous follows the
unexpected adventures of a Native American teen's journey into a
magical world where new friends and foes are discovered. In this
unpredictable and sometimes perilous venture, she learns to more
fully appreciate, embrace and champion her family's proud heritage.
The beautifully illustrated graphic novel will debut in tandem with
Independent Book Store Day, a national celebration of independent
bookstores, to be held on Saturday, April
30.
"At Dynamite we're always expanding, from the
diversity of the stories we tell, to the creators we work
with," said Nick Barrucci,
Dynamite CEO and Publisher. "Our goal is to bring the fun
and magic experience of reading comics, graphic novels, and more to
readers from all walks of life."
In June 2021, Curiosity Ink Media
- a producer of original multiplatform entertainment for
kids and family audiences - announced its partnership with
Dynamite Entertainment, a leading independent publisher of
comic books and graphic novels, to create books for kids that are
rooted in Curiosity's original intellectual property (IP) as
well as titles the company will develop for other brands. In
addition to the Thunderous graphic novel, Baldwin's
Big Adventure, a picture book about an unassuming, but
fearless switcher train with a giant heart and an activity
book for preschoolers, based on the wildly popular PAW
Patrol™ produced by Spin Master and aired on Nickelodeon, will
be available wherever books are sold in May
2022.
About Curiosity Ink Media
Curiosity Ink Media is a
global media company that develops, acquires, builds, grows and
maximizes the short, mid, and long-term commercial potential of
Kids & Family entertainment properties and associated business
opportunities. Driven by a best-in-class leadership team, Curiosity
Ink Media's multi-faceted I.P. library is designed to amass ongoing
value through strategic stewardship, partnerships, and highly
targeted market entry.
About Grom Social Enterprises, Inc.
Grom Social
Enterprises, Inc. is a growing social media platform and original
content provider of entertainment for children under 13 years of
age, which provides safe and secure digital environments for kids
that can be monitored by their parents or guardians. The Company
has several operating subsidiaries, including Grom Social, which
delivers its content through mobile and desktop environments (web
portal and apps) that entertain children, let them interact with
friends, access relevant news, and play proprietary games while
teaching them about being good digital citizens. The Company owns
and operates Top Draw Animation, which produces award-winning
animation content for some of the largest international media
companies in the world. Grom also includes Grom Educational
Services, which has provided web filtering services for K-12
schools, government and private businesses. For more information,
please visit gromsocial.com.
About Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite was founded in
2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and
properties, including The Boys, The Shadow, Red Sonja, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, A
Game of Thrones, and more. Dynamite owns and controls
an extensive library with over 3,000 characters (which
includes the Harris Comics and Chaos Comics properties), such
as Vampirella, Pantha, Evil Ernie and Peter Cannon:
Thunderbolt. In addition to their critically-acclaimed
titles and bestselling comics, Dynamite works with some of
the most high-profile creators in comics and entertainment,
including Gail Simone, Christopher Priest, Leah Moore, Kevin
Smith, David Walker,
Vita Ayala, Danny Lore, Neil
Gaiman, Garth Ennis and a host of
up-and-coming new talent. Dynamite is consistently ranked in
the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of
their titles - including Alex
Ross and Jim Krueger's
Project Superpowers - have debuted in the Top Ten lists
produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. In 2005,
Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher
and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year
(under 5%) and again in 2011. The company has also been
nominated for and won several industry awards, including
the prestigious Harvey and Eisner Awards
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains
statements, which may constitute "forward-looking statements.".
Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief,
or current expectations of Grom and members of its management team
as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Such
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance
and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may
differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking
statements. Important factors currently known to management that
may cause actual results to differ from those anticipated are
discussed throughout the Company's reports filed with Securities
and Exchange Commission which are available at www.sec.gov as well
as the Company's web site at www.gromsocial.com. The Company
undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking
statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of
unanticipated events or changes to future operating results.
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SOURCE Grom Social Enterprises, Inc.