Genius Brands' New Animated Children’s Series, “Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten,” Puts Arnold Schwarzenegger Back in the Kindergarten Classroom, Starting This Friday

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Genius Brands International, Inc. (“Genius Brands”) (NASDAQ:GNUS) announces the official launch of Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, which premiers with a two-episode double feature on April 23rd and streams exclusively on Kartoon Channel!

Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, is one of the last creations from the genius mind of the late Stan Lee and stars the voice of none other than real-life action hero star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is also an executive producer on the series. The action-adventure comedy series is geared towards kids and families and focuses on the adventures of six unique kids who are learning to master their super skills, along with their ABCs. With the help of their teacher Arnold Armstrong (AKA Captain Fantastic, the greatest superhero to ever live!), they will learn the values of teamwork and health while also protecting their town from rivals.

Schwarzenegger stated: “This is a deeply personal project for me and I am so pumped to introduce it to the world. Not only has it allowed me to bring to life the work of the fantastic Stan Lee, but the series also touches on subjects I’ve spent my life working on, from health and fitness tips and anti-bullying messages to inclusivity and diversity. It brings me great joy to share that messaging with kids in a way that is vibrant, dynamic and most important - fun! It’s an honor to have worked with Stan Lee and I know he would be proud of the message we’re delivering.”
   
It all began five years ago when Arnold Armstrong faced off in a final fight against his nemesis, the evil Dr. Superior, that left him powerless. Little did anyone know that during the fight, super-energy particles rained down on a group of unsuspecting toddlers. Now, those toddlers are kindergarten students at Greenville Elementary School who, with the help of Arnold Armstrong, must learn to control their powers as they go on super adventures! Arnold Armstrong’s mission: to train these kids to use their super-powers safely and without wrecking the school or revealing their identities.

Fun for the whole family, the series opens up the superhero genre for a whole new demographic and draws kids in with action and comedy, while parents can appreciate the quality of content synonymous with Stan Lee. The series includes 26 half-hour long episodes that begins with a two-episode double feature and will be rolled out on a weekly basis thereafter.

Meet the cast

• Arnold Armstrong/ Captain Fantastic teaches the kids how to use their powers for good
• Pedro/Power Pedro might be the smallest kid in his class, but his super strength makes him the strongest kid...in the world!
• Patty/Patty Putty can stretch her body, melt like slime, bounce like a super ball and absorb tremendous impact thanks to her stretch power!
• Billy/Blocker has the power to create solid building blocks out of energy that he uses to literally build a wall around himself, others and just about anything!
• Lin/Cray Cray loves to draw and she’s good. So good that everything she draws - from doorways to bridges, comes to life thanks to her crayon power!
• Jackson/Jackson Jet’s flight powers are a little embarrassing. They come from gas - his own!
• Vik/Sticky has super adhesive skin which gives him stick power! When it activates everything and anything sticks to him!
  

Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten sees Schwarzenegger voice-directed by John Landis, one of the most successful movie directors of all time, with Steven Banks, former head writer for SpongeBob SquarePants, serving as head writer for the series. The series is produced by Genius Brands and Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment in association with Schwarzenegger’s Oak Productions. Gill Champion, CEO of Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment; Andy Heyward, Chairman & CEO of Genius Brands; Schwarzenegger; and Paul Wachter of Main Street Advisors serve as executive producers.

Viewers can enjoy Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten by downloading the free Kartoon Channel! app on Apple and Android devices; on connected TVs and devices by Samsung, LG, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick and more; or by visiting www.kartoonchannel.com.

About Kartoon Channel!
Available everywhere and anywhere kids are today, Genius Brands International’s digital network, Kartoon Channel!, is a family entertainment destination that delivers enduring childhood moments of humor, adventure, and discovery.

Delivering 1000’s of episodes of carefully curated free family-friendly content, the channel features animated classics for little kids, including The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, Babar, Mello Dees, Super Simple Songs and Baby Genius, and hit content for bigger kids, such as Pac-Man, Angry Birds, Yu-Gi-Oh and Bakugan, to original programming like Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, premiering in spring 2021 and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, KC! Pop Quiz coming in 2021, and Shaq’s Garage, starring Shaquille O’Neal for 2022. Kartoon Channel! also offers STEM-based content through its Kartoon Classroom!, including Baby Einstein, Lil Doc, Counting with Earl and More.

Kartoon Channel! delivers positive and purposeful content that is widely available and easily accessible across all platforms (Comcast, Cox, DISH, Sling TV, Amazon Prime, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Android TV, Android Mobile, Google Play, Xumo, Roku, Tubi, Samsung Smart TVs, and LGTVs).

Kartoon Channel! can also be streamed on TVs and mobiles device by downloading the app, or on desktops by visiting www.kartoonchannel.com

About Genius Brands International
Genius Brands International, Inc. (Nasdaq: GNUS) is a leading global kids media company developing, producing, marketing and licensing branded children’s entertainment properties and consumer products for media and retail distribution. The Company’s award-winning ‘content with a purpose’ portfolio includes the upcoming Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, for Kartoon Channel!; Shaq’s Garage, starring Shaquille O’Neal for Kartoon Channel!; Rainbow Rangers for Nick Jr.; Llama Llama, starring Jennifer Garner, for Netflix; award-winning toddler brand Baby Genius; adventure comedy STEM series Thomas Edison's Secret Lab; and entrepreneurship series Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club. Through licensing agreements with leading partners, characters from Genius Brands’ IP also appear on a wide range of consumer products for the worldwide retail marketplace. The Company’s new Kartoon Channel! and Kartoon Classroom! are available in over 100 million U.S. television households via a broad range of distribution platforms, including Comcast, Cox, DISH, Sling TV, Amazon Prime, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Apple i0s, Android TV, Android Mobil, Google Play, Xumo, Roku, Tubi, KartoonChannel.com, Samsung Smart TVs and LG TVs. For additional information, please visit www.gnusbrands.com.

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