WOW! Unlimited Media Announces Expansion of Catbug Property and Development of New Series
Bravest Warriors Spinoff Part of Multiplatform Expansion Centred on Popular Catbug Character
TORONTO and NEW YORK, Dec. 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Frederator Studios, part of WOW! Unlimited Media’s ("WOW!" or the "Corporation") (TSX-V: WOW; OTCQX: WOWMF) leading next generation kids and youth entertainment business, today announced the expansion of their Catbug property, starting with the development of a full spinoff series centred on the popular Bravest Warriors character. Following significant growth and engagement across internet platforms, the Company will bolster Catbug’s presence with an all-new social networking plan, implementing a fresh roster of webcomics, animated videos, and e-books.
Catbug is the breakout character from Frederator Studios’ hit series Bravest Warriors, with more than 25 million views and over 400,000 likes on YouTube videos featuring Catbug alone. Over the past few months, the character has continued to grow in to a viral, pop culture phenomenon, garnering 135 million views on TikTok and 200 million loops of Catbug-themed GIFs on Giphy.com. The property is also a leading franchise among Frederator Books’ digital publishing slate on the Epic! e-book platform, where Catbug titles account for a majority of reads.
The Catbug series will be developed by Frederator Studios, whose original titles include Adventure Time, Castlevania, and Bee & PuppyCat. The Company is currently in active discussions with consumer products companies to drive expansion of the property through the development of a wide range of fun and irreverent products and meet audience demand for the character.
“The virality of the character really proves that Catbug has more than nine lives,” said Fred Seibert, CEO, Frederator and Chief Creative Officer of WOW!. “His fans have grown substantially since his debut in Bravest Warriors to become a true meme of internet culture, spurring parodies and references to his quirky lines from the show. We are thrilled to use this as an opportunity to bring more life and longevity to the character, and meet fans’ interest and demand for more ways to experience Catbug.”
The expansion of the Catbug series is the latest move by WOW! Unlimited Media to further its presence at the forefront of the ever-changing animation and kids’ entertainment landscape. The company has rapidly built a strong production portfolio with a number of award-winning, high-end properties, including Castlevania, a top-rated animation series on Netflix, ReBoot: The Guardian Code (Netflix), Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures (with Mattel for Netflix), Bee & PuppyCat (Cartoon Hangover), Costume Quest (Amazon) and Spy Kids: Mission Critical (Netflix).
About WOW! Unlimited Media
WOW! Unlimited is creating a leading animation-focused entertainment company by producing top-end content and building brands and audiences on the most engaging media platforms. The Company produces animation in its two established studios: Frederator Studios in Los Angeles, which has a 20-year track record; and one of Canada's largest, multi-faceted animation production studios, Mainframe Studios in Vancouver, which has a 25-year track record. The Company’s media assets include Channel Frederator Network, on YouTube, as well as WOW! branded programming on Crave, Canada’s leading streaming entertainment platform, owned by Bell Media. The Company operates out of offices in Toronto, New York, Vancouver and Los Angeles. The common voting shares of the Company and variable voting shares of the Company are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and the OTCQX Best Market.
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