ZIGGY HONORS COMIC STRIP FRIENDS IN NEW BOOK: CHARACTER MATTERS

Chicago, IL – (April 28, 2004) – Ziggy's "Character Matters" (from Andrews McMeel Publishing, $10.95) is Ziggy artist Tom Wilson's newest must-have compilation of comics that features a collection of classic characters to be highlighted at Book Expo America 2004 in Chicago.

In this latest volume of works, Ziggy's "Character Matters: A Ziggy Collection With All Your Favorite Characters", Ziggy pays tribute to his kooky animal companions and all the loveable characters he has met along the way. Flying into the Windy City, Ziggy will introduce the new book, scheduled to be released in the fall, at this year's Book Expo America (Andrews McMeel Booth 812) being held in Chicago, IL at the McCormick Place Convention Center June 4th – June 6th.

"The Book Expo is the premier event to officially launch and promote our new Ziggy's 'Character Matters' book, which will hit store shelves in September. The many Ziggy fans in the Chicago area will have the chance to get a sneak peak at the new book during Book Expo and at a local book signing at an area Borders Store,' Tom Wilson II, president of Ziggy & Friends, Inc., said.

On Friday, June 4th Tom Wilson, II will be autographing the 33rd commemorative Ziggy BEA lithograph appropriately titled, "Character Matters' in the Andrews McMeel Publishing Booth #812 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. He will also join the cartoonist group for an autographing session on Saturday, June 5th from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. at the "Book & Author Salutes" area of the show, where a donation of $1 per autographed book will be collected. Donations will go to the Book Industry Foundation.

In addition, Ziggy fans will have an opportunity to meet Tom Wilson II at an autographing appearance on Friday, June 4, 12:30pm at Borders on North State Street.

The launch of the new book coincides with the introduction of a new company founded by Wilson called, Character Matters. The company specializes in creating and developing unique, original characters for brands, products, and services. Character Matters, (www.charactermatters.net), is an unparalleled team of illustrators, copyrighters, graphic artists, and marketing specialists, who create new characters to be utilized in a marketing strategy as identifiable illustrations for a brand, company, or corporate name.

"The quintessential Ziggy character has a lot of personality, but is surrounded by individual characters that stand out because of their unique qualities. In recognizing the strength of the characters, I realized how much the characters matter, which formed the idea for the book title and a new company appropriately titled, Character Matters," said Wilson.

First syndicated in 1971, Ziggy is Tom Wilson and Tom Wilson II's classic inspiration as seen nationwide everyday on the comic pages of your local newspaper. Nearly everyone is familiar with the lonely, insecure little guy, who encourages us to laugh at ourselves and to take everything in stride in his own optimistic style. Ziggy is followed by an avid group of devoted followers and a resume of impressive credentials such as: 600+ Sunday and Daily Newspapers, a faithful following of 75 million+ readers, and $150 million+ annually in retail sales.

Appealing to millions of readers with his sweet and humorous style, Ziggy is a beacon of hope when life seems difficult. Ziggy always manages to find the bright spot in each day and serves as an inspiration to all as his humorous hard luck reminds us to not take life too seriously. A lovable little guy, who mirrors our own hopes and insecurities, the new Ziggy collection should be embraced and cherished by his millions of fans, old and young.

Ziggy's Character Matters joins Ziggy books and collectible literature, which includes: Ziggy Goes Hollywood, Zen of Ziggy, Ziggy's Friends for Life, a 30th Anniversary Tribute to Ziggy from All of His Friends, The Ziggy Treasury Collection (1977), and the four-part series of collectible mini books: Ziggy's Little Book of Friendship, Ziggy's Little Book of Heart Thoughts to Cheer You, Ziggy's Little Wish Book for Someone Special, and Ziggy's Little Wish Book for Your Birthday.

Outstanding statistics for Ziggy include his weekday and Sunday appearance in more than 600 newspapers nationwide. In addition, licensees can also benefit from Ziggy's crossover media success as an Emmy Award Winner for Outstanding Animated Special for "Ziggy's Gift,' an animated Christmas special.

Always offering a helping hand, Ziggy is the official spokes character for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, helping raise awareness by spreading the word about the diseases and the organization. The cross promotion pairs Ziggy, the iconic "everyman' with the optimistic attitude, and an organization that brings hope to hundreds of thousands of patients with blood-related cancers and their families.

Ziggy was created by Tom Wilson in 1971. Ziggy & Friends is the company Wilson created as the artistic and creative force behind his kind and charismatic comic character creation. For the past 16 years, Tom Wilson II has been drawing the daily Ziggy comic panel, the Sunday Ziggy comic strip and authoring the collection of Ziggy books in conjunction with his father's creative influence in the company. Though retired from the day-to-day operation of Ziggy & Friends, the senior Wilson's creative influence is still apparent.

Book Expo America (BEA) is the pre-eminent event designed to meet the needs of the book industry. It is a showcase of books in every format, sideline merchandise, and technology products & services that supports the buyers and sellers of books, both internationally and domestically.
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For Licensing Information, Contact:
Denise Clark, Director of Development, Andrews McMeel Universal, T: 800-255-6734 X 6628; E-Mail: dclark@amuniversal.com

For Ziggy Book Information, Contact:
Mackenzie Roberts – T: (800) 851-8923, ext. 6699; E-Mail: mroberts@amuniversal.com