New Merchandise Licenses for Speed Racer Series

SANTA MONICA, September
18: Speed Racer Enterprises has signed four new licenses for the classic Speed
Racer animated television series
for a range of apparel, books, posters and calendars, in addition to two
licenses for Speed Racer: The Next Generation, the new animated television series scheduled to
air on Nicktoons Network in 2008.

Southpole/Lot 29, a
division of Wicked Fashions Inc., will produce T-shirts, polo, tank tops,
jerseys, novelty tops, jackets, vests, jeans, pants, shorts, overalls,
shortalls, sportswear and headwear for both the classic Speed Racer and Speed Racer: The Next Generation. The company will begin to release apparel for the
classic Speed Racer series in November. Grosset & Dunlap, an imprint of
Penguin Young Readers Group, will publish a total of six novels based on the
classic Speed Racer series, for
release in the first quarter of 2008. IDW Publishing has licensed both the
classic Speed Racer and Speed
Racer: The Next Generation for
comic books and trade paperback collections, including reprints of older and
new material. The company will begin to roll out product in the first quarter
of 2008. Trends International has also licensed the classic Speed Racer for posters and 2009 calendars, slated to hit the
shelves in the third quarter of 2008.

Speed Racer Enterprises
handles licensing and merchandising for the brand with Lionsgate as a
consultant for both the classic Speed Racer and the new animated series Speed Racer: The
Next Generation. Lionsgate is also
the worldwide distribution company for both television and home entertainment.

The 52×30-minute classic Speed
Racer series originally debuted in
Japan in 1967 and was dubbed into English and syndicated nationally on
television. The classic series explores the passion of a teenage racer with the
powerful and stylish Mach 5 car, and centers on friendship and family issues
amidst the world of high-octane racing. The new 26×30-minute series Speed
Racer: The Next Generation,
targeted at 6- to 14-year-olds, builds on the legendary adventures of the
original iconic series. After leaving an orphanage, Speed arrives at the Racing
Academy and discovers that he is the son of the world famous Speed Racer who
had gone missing many years ago. Between studying and racing, Speed must
uncover the secret to his father's disappearance, all while avoiding the evil schemes
of oil tycoon Zile Zazic.

Speed Racer: The Next
Generation is executive produced
by John and James Rocknowski, principals of Speed Racer Enterprises, and Larry
Schwarz, a principal of Animation Collective in association with Lionsgate.
Lionsgate will launch the first installment of these television episodes on DVD
in 2008 and has already sold more than 700,000 Speed Racer DVDs to date from
previous versions of the classic brand.

“Southpole, Penguin, IDW
and Trends are leading producers in their respective industries and are ideal
licensees for Speed Racer,”
said James Rocknowski, the executive VP of Speed Racer Enterprises. “We are
confident that each of our new partners will uphold the integrity and quality
of the brand while permeating the market with products for both the classic Speed
Racer and the new animated
series.”