BOCA RATON, Fla., July 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thunderous, the recently released graphic novel from Grom Social Enterprises, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: GROM) Curiosity Ink Media, will take center stage at the 2022 Montana Book Festival taking place in Missoula, September 15-18. Thunderous, a graphic novel about a modern Native American teenager’s journey to understand and appreciate her family’s rich heritage, first appeared on bookshelves in late April and represents Curiosity’s first original intellectual property (IP) coming to market since the company joined Grom Social Enterprises, Inc., last summer. Thunderous is one of several titles mounted in collaboration with Dynamite Entertainment, to create and publish printed content rooted in Curiosity’s original IP and other titles produced by Curiosity for outside partners. The selection of Thunderous in the festival was confirmed today by Grom’s CEO, Darren Marks. Investor relations information on Grom Social Enterprises, Inc. is available at https://investors.gromsocial.com.
Authored by Montana Poet Laureate, ML Smoker, and Natalie Peeterse, the graphically rich novel was illustrated by Dale Deforest, and 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 gains a deep appreciation for her family’s rich heritage as the cultural lore passed on by her beloved grandmother begins to take on new resonance and meaning.
“All of us at Grom and Curiosity Ink Media are so proud to see Thunderous gain the type of literary recognition it richly deserves,” explains Marks. “ML Smoker, Natalie Peeterse and Dale DeForest have opened the world’s eyes to why stories centered around Native American heritage have the unique ability to entertain and enlighten us all. We hope this is just the beginning for Thunderous and are so grateful to the organizers of the Montana Literary community for sharing the spotlight with Thunderous at this year’s festival.”
For over thirty years, Missoula’s annual book festival has paid tribute to the tradition of writing in the West by bringing together authors from across the state, the Rocky Mountain West, and the Pacific Northwest. Sponsored by Arts Missoula, the festival strives to foster interest in literature for people of all ages, to perpetuate a sense of literary community and to provide a vibrant forum for the literary arts that celebrates diversity in Montana and throughout the West. Authors are selected to participate based on their books’ relevancy to festival attendees and whether their anticipated contribution will add to the artistic, intellectual, regional, and cultural diversity of the festival.
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 the Securities and Exchange Commission which are available at www.sec.gov as well as the Company’s website 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.
Media Contact:
Marianne Romano
Grom Social Enterprises/Curiosity Ink Media
+1-818-681-0849
media@gromsocial.com
Investor Relations Contact:
Colette Eymontt
TraDigital IR
colette@tradigitalir.com
+823-331-2399
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9f3b60ab-fb00-4d2f-9b4d-76495a8be780
