August 24, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite Entertainment is excited to bring Mr. ZIP to a whole new generation of readers, with a brand-new book coming this fall! Curiosity Ink Media, a division of Grom Social Enterprises, Inc. and the United States Postal Service® (USPS) have collaborated in bringing back its iconic mascot, Mr. ZIP, reimagined for a new era of young readers, who are invited to join him on his mail route and learn the behind-the-scenes of delivering mail.
The USPS introduced Mr. ZIP, or “Zippy” in 1963 as a fun cartoon personification to help spur widespread usage of the new ZIP Code™ system. Dynamite, Curiosity, and the USPS are joining forces for the 60th anniversary of this classic American icon as he stars in a new series of licensed books, starting in fall 2023. Non-fiction, novelty, picture books, and activity books for 3-8-year-olds are planned.
The first book finds Mr. ZIP attempting to complete his mail delivery route in Mr. ZIP's Windy Day, written by Annie Auerbach and features artwork by Laura Catrinella. The 20-page board book is ideal for kids interested in learning more about the world around them, their community, and how their mail finds its way into their homes. It also features fun flaps to lift on every page!
Mr. ZIP and his trusty eagle sidekick, B. Franklin, start their day in the mail room, just like any other. The big twist in store for them is that it's going to be a very windy day! A sudden gust of wind blows all of the mail away. It's up to this wholesome duo to track down all the scattered mail and then deliver it all before the end of the day!
Not only will readers get a peek into how mail is delivered, but they can help Mr. ZIP deliver mail to all his regular stops, like the ice cream parlor, flower shop, library, and more. Future books will engage children’s imagination, and creativity through a series of playful, charming, and interactive books for young readers.
“Mr. ZIP is such a fun character, and his simple, clean design has translated to decades of nostalgia,” said Nick Barrucci, Dynamite Entertainment CEO and Publisher. “We’re really excited at Dynamite to be playing a role in bringing this American icon back to center stage for whole new generations.”
“Because of Mr. ZIP’s natural talent and passion for problem solving and understanding how things work, the timing couldn’t be better to introduce him to a new generation of kids along with his feathered friend B. Franklin,” said Jon Rosenberg, Curiosity Ink Media EVP, and Publisher. “We’re thrilled to have teamed up with Dynamite to distribute and bring Mr. ZIP's mail bag of tips, tricks, and tools, to kids on his daily route."
MR. ZIP'S WINDY DAY is solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ August 2023 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market and slated for release in October 2023.
###
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, Smiley the Psychotic Button, Chastity, 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, Darick Robertson, Mark Russell, Brandon Thomas, Amy Chu, Reginald Hudlin, Nancy Collins, David Walker, Steve Orlando, Greg Pak, Jenny Frison, Matt Wagner, 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.
About Curiosity Ink Media
Curiosity Ink Media is a global media company that develops, acquires, builds, grows and maximizes the short, mid & 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. |
